I have owned and worked on both models and I prefer the newer one on the right. The Rotator Pro was notorious for having the hose split inside the head, something that they actually bothered to fix on the newer Navigator models. The general hose quality of the Navigator is slightly better. The Navigator also has a seemingly slightly better cyclone and a much larger bin. In my home, I found the bin of the Navigator to get stopped up less, obviously hold more debris, and keep the pre-motor filter slightly cleaner. Of course, the single cyclone is still no match for a multi-cyclonic bin like in the Dyson Ball Animal 3, Kenmore 600 Series 22614 canister, or Kenmore CrossOver DU3017, for example. I do not like the foam filters of either machine, though the Navigator has one that I slightly prefer. It is a more simple design that makes more sense to me. I would really like to see them use a cloth filter with a seal, though. Cleaning ability and raw performance numbers are comparable enough between the two that I would not worry about either one. As long as you keep the filters clean and the units are operating normally, they will both get the job done. Their performance on lower pile carpet should be roughly the same. I could get reamed for this, but for something that regularly can be found for under $200 brand new, the Navigators like the one in the picture are not a terrible deal. I find them to be of better quality than comparably priced Hoovers and certain Bissells. They would not be my first choice, but I do think the newer Navigators are the best and safest thing Shark offers. Answer from JohnnyHucky on reddit.com