My venerable old maytag is 14 years old and we are thinking of
proactively replacing it before it dies or starts leaking water etc.
Actually I think it probably has a few more years left in it and I am
quite happy with it other than bits of plastic and other gunk having to
be painfully fished out of the tiny holes in the washing blades once a
week or so (still mystified on how plastic gets in them).

The biggest thing prompting this is that the coating on the racks is
badly peeling, and a couple of the tines have broken off completely. I
priced out new racks and they are worth a good portion of the cost of a
new dishwasher. I did some looking online, and for a similar unit to
mine, ie plastic tub, racks, we are looking at the 500$ range. My wife
wants one with a stainless tub and the nylon coated racks. I am trying
to justify if these options are worth the extra $500 or so I'd have to
shell out. I did notice that the more expensive units are generally
quieter, which is a nice plus in my mind.

What about brands? stick with Maytag, or go with LG, Kenmore etc.. Bosch
looked nice at the last home show I attended, but are big $$

Any brands to avoid?

thanks in advance!