But that's the Miele of 22 years ago that you are talking about. Not necessarily the one that exists today.

But if they were selling spare parts for models 22 years ago (assuming recently replaced) then that IS the Miele of today?

That's their service department. The build quality is an entirely different story and Miele stuff in stores today is not of the same quality that it was 22 years ago. And it definitely isn't the same as it was 50 years ago (amazingly: some of that stuff still runs today).

Miele had a definite edge on build quality, that means that services are fewer and farther between than with other brands given the same amount of use.

The joke was that if you wanted to armor plate your car you could do so with the side panels of Miele washing machines. Not too far from the truth, they were also much heavier than competitor gear. But those days are - as far as I can tell - over.

Yup. I tend to prioritize manufacturers like Whirlpool that make service manuals and parts readily available. Sadly Whirlpool is in an ever shrinking minority. Here in the US there are zero advantages to the European brands - parts and service are atrocious adding insult to injury.

Theres more than initial acquisition cost or the looks of the appliance that's worth considering when purchasing!

That's unfortunately very true as I've experienced myself.