I have both the 22" and 26" models from the 2008 redesign. The 22" has been with me for 100,000 miles and in 10 countries in the last couple years. It still looks brand new.

The 26" hasn't seen quite that much use (only use it when planning on out-of-state shopping excursions and plan on bringing lots of stuff back--when you live in Godforsaken places like Alaska, you have to plan on that kind of thing occasionally ), but it went all over Southeast Asia and Australia for two months and held up just fine.

The older ones may be more luxurious (the new ones don't have leather handles, for example), but the new ones do seem to hold up quite nicely and are very light. I'd be surprised if my 22" is over 9 pounds.