I think the resistance to front loaders in the U.S. is for several reasons.
Top loaders were marketed many years ago as being more advanced technologically speaking, and more effective cleaners by use of the agitator. They mostly replaced the first automatic washing machines here, which were front loading.
Also, they typically offered a larger basket, faster spin speeds and the convenience of not having to bend over (lol) so you get the idea.
TTL's have for the most part not suffered the criticism of newer washing machine designs, who bear most of the blame for quickly frying motherboards, early bearing failure, mold(!), and my personal peeve--the insufficient use of water.
As a side note, the front loaders in Europe appear to me far superior than the ones offered in the US, and definitely worth having.
Although TTL's may be so-called water hogs, they are basic, mostly reliable and have proven their worth over the years. I'd rather have more than enough water than be forced to settle for not enough (and have to wash and rewash my clothes--some energy savings, huh?), user-friendly and useful features, and cycle times that won't take my entire afternoon.
I do lament the attempt to get rid of traditional top loaders (TTL's) because the move really has much less to do with helping the environment than corporate greed to push "new" much more expensive products with questionable quality to quickly rake in cash from the trusting public.