A washing machine that uses very little water as possible to wash your clothes. They take longer to wash than a traditional washer, have cheaply made electronic control boards, often lasts less than 10 years, and still can't clean as well as older washers. On the top load machines, the tub brake and suspension systems found on many older machines is replaced with self balancing sensors, which if they fail for some reason to correct an out of balance situation, will cause the machine to shake itself apart violently (literately exploding). They often have poor ventilation, allowing odor causing bacteria to grow inside when not in use, even when the door or lid is left open.
High efficiency washing machines are a complete joke compared to older washers!