I have a not-so-high end GE gas stove and microwave hood, going on 15 years not without a hitch. Perhaps quality used to be better? I just picked mine out at one of those stand alone appliance stores and I'm fairly sure it's builder grade. I was going for looks and function (solid, heavy grates, etc) I did get a little spendy on my fridge but it's still nothing special, $1700 for a Maytag side-by-side, black, cabinet depth, NO icemaker. That was a lot of $$ back then and still now. It was the specs I was going for and at the time it was that or a Frigidaire brand. Sadly neither are available now.
The urge (obsession) with "best of the best" is epidemic and honesly unnecessary for the majority of people out there. We've all been hoodwinked.
I've experienced it myself a few times, but not with appliances.