In an ideal world, term is best. Buy the longest term you can qualify for, and plan to no longer need life insurance when it runs out.
But that's sorta where whole life still has a purpose. I do not sell whole life for the cash value benefit. I always tell people, "If you're buying this for the cash value, you can make a heckuva lot better investment elsewhere." The cash value is just a side benefit. Buy whole life for the permanance of it. Truth is the majority of people aren't prepared to be without life insurance in their golden years, and by then their terms have expired and they can no longer buy term (because term has age limitations). So there's still a need for whole life. But with FEW exceptions, I don't suggest anybody buy large volume (expensive) whole products. If you're 20's to 40' in age, buy a huge term policy and maybe a small whole policy in addition. That way you get LOTS of coverage in your needy years, then you'll always have that whole policy (locked in at the young-age price) when you're old. And more than likely that whole life policy will have reached a point where it has enough cash value to pay itself then too.