Yes, it's a race to the bottom for most. Lots of plastic and soldered, non-upgradeable components, and a lack of ports. The used market is tricky to navigate thanks to the proliferation of model names and numbers, so little to no salvation there either. Spend a bit more for something that will last a bit longer (MacBook) and/or be upgradeable (frame.work), or accept a cheaper model (e.g. Dell Pro) that will likely need to be replaced in a couple years.
I've had about 400 Windows HP laptops/200 desktops through my hands running IT for a nonprofit. They are not perfect, but the different models (from cheapo plastic-case 12/13 inch to top-of-the-line metal cased "16 inch desktop replacements" lappies and low to mid-level desktops) have been better built, and more easily serviced, than comparable Lenovo, Dell & Acer models I've had my hands on in the same time. Our new MSP pushed Lenovos on us for a batch of 25 or so computers including my latest laptop, and I regret it.
They just didn't have a 15" metal case in the price range so I got a plastic 16". Overall performance is lower than comparably spec'd HP Z-Book Fireflys I was using, when this Thinkpad T16 G4 hits the upper limits of RAM, it feels like it's using swap on a slow platter drive. Even on lower-spec HP Pro & EliteBooks, they slow down at max RAM but don't just freeze. Our staff thrashes the shit out of gear, so finding decently-priced lower-spec metal-bodied laptops is essential.
Even on latest HP laptops I am able to replace RAM, batteries, SSDs without dealing with epoxied sockets. Haven't had to often, but displays and keyboards could be swapped if absolutely needed last time we had to several years ago. That said, the performance of onboard HP Bluetooth sucks compared to others I've used and their stock bloatware is terrible.
Specific to Lenovo, when I was shopping for a bunch of laptops about 3 years ago there were weird gotchas like "I can get every spec I need EXCEPT backlit keyboard, which kicks me up to the next model, at least $300 more/unit" and "Gee, they solder in a low amount of RAM on this one to make you...yup, spend at least $300 more/unit"...
I scored an "open box" Dell Pro 14 Plus on eBay for about 600USD. It's got two USB-A ports, two USB4 ports, built-in Ethernet, 4G LTE, upgradeable storage, and decent Linux support (on Ubuntu LTS at least). The battery is field-replaceable but the 32GB RAM is soldered. (There are other models with upgradeable RAM.)
It's got a middling display (the 2-in-1 display is better) and a somewhat dated Hawk Point SoC, but it's fine for running to a client's site for imaging or network troubleshooting or what have you. I still don't think it's going to last very long, but it's a nice complement to the MacBook I use for client dev work and it didn't break the bank.
Thanks. I mostly purchase used computers from 1) Official refurb shops, or 2) My company, because I don't really have the confidence to check quality myself.
I think I'll eventually go for the more expensive route if I want another laptop. Either an Apple refurbed Macbook or some other Linux laptop.
HP Probook or Elitebook models have upgradable ram, SSD, and are generally serviceable. You can usually find the previous generation on ebay for an inexpensive price.