Vintage Hoover...what you say about the DC17 is correct.
I just took a fast look at the Consumer Reports website (I have an online subcription). And indeed the Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal has a rating of "very good" for carpet cleaning.
CR has five levels of rating: poor, fair, good, very good and excellent. In the area of deep carpet cleaning, the only Dyson to rate a "very good" is the DC17 Absolute Animal - all the others rate only "good" in carpet cleaning. There are five other upright vacs that rate excellent in carpet cleaning and are actually cheaper than the Dyson DC17 which sells for $550. The better machines are all three versions of the new Hoover Windtunnel Anniversary Edition, the unbelievably inexpensive Hoover Tempo Widepath ($80), and the Eureka Boss 4D.
There are two others which rate excellent at deep carpet cleaning, but they are more expensive than the Dyson DC17. They are the Kirby Sentria at $1350 and the Riccar Brilliance at $900.
Remember, I am only talking about the test for deep carpet cleaning, not any other feature like ease-of-use or filtration or noise level.
In the canister/cylinder/tank category, there are at least 10 other vacs that clean carpets better that the Dyson Stowaway DC23 and DC 21. These 2 Dysons rate only a "good" at cleaning carpet, whereas the Electrolux Oxygen married to a Eureka powernozzle rates "excellent" and actually costs less than the Dysons. The new bagged Hoover canister married to a Hoover Windtunnel power nozzle also outcleans the Dysons on carpeting.
