This is from a Which? FAQ on washers - Are top-loading washing machines any good?
Top-loading washing machines are about two-thirds the width of front load washing machines. They can be positioned beneath a worktop, but you have to wheel them out to use them, which can be quite an effort. Top-loading washing machines have declined in popularity The spring-loaded inner doors are awkward. The force of the spring makes them hard to open and the doors don't automatically line up with the outer door when the wash finishes, so you have to turn the drum to get the washing out. The vast bulk of the machines we test are front load washing machines. The last time we tested top-loading washing machines, none were good enough to be a Best Buy. They were noisy, awkward to use and vibrated too much.
