The suction is very comparable. It's the four wheel sleek design of the Pristine which sets it apart from the boxy Aria. Also, the Aria's hose is somewhat 'too long' to make pulling the vacuum easy. The Aria's bags are bigger. The biggest difference is in the power nozzle. Riccar has a steel brush bar with replaceable brush strips and has a steel soleplate, a step on height adjustment, and a quick release power nozzle neck. Also, the flip over dusting/upholstery nozzle on the Pristine is easier to use and has beautiful, soft horsehair brushes. Both will clean, the Pristine is the easier to use machine. They are very similar in performance. The repair parts for the Aria cost more than the Pristine's repair parts, so cost of ownership is somewhat less for the Pristine. I had a blue Aria, which I liked as a vacuum, but hated the effort required to pull it around.
