Most manufactures do change from year to year with thier product line. I would suggest looking at the Whirpool brand. One thing you may not like is that Whirlpool does make some of the Kenmore dishwashers. When looking at a price point of under 500.00 you may consider what you are going to get since the top of the line dishwashers run well into the thousands. I have had my Kemmore for over six years now and it still works great. The only problem I have had is replacing the racks because the tines break and start to rust.

My family of 7 has had our Electrolux dishwasher for almost 15 years now and although the energy efficiency and silence rating is nothing to shout about those days, it said a lot about it's durability. I only recall one visit from the service-man throughout.

I'd recommend the Frigidaire FMB330RG. It has really good reviews from what I've gathered so far. Frigidaire is the lower cost end of Electrolux but even in quality.

Let me know what's your family size and what specifically are you looking for in a dishwasher and I'll try to make better suggestions :)