from Bee:

"Part of it is price, too. I've started noticing as I get older and smarter (or more pissed off) that, for example, a bathroom sink I can afford will have a gasket around it which will gum up around the edge, and after a few years will reveal it has collected a disgusting toxic goo under, which seeps out endlessly when you try to clean it up. An expensive sink will have a smooth easily cleaned transition between porcelain and vanity top."

Strange, that they might want to pass on the greater engineering cost of designeing for actual use rather than minimal production cost to the consumer.

I have found that (most) expensive things ( cars, washers, dryers, etc) sem to last longer than the cheaper ones. My solution has been to get the top of the line either used, or after a new model has come out.