That's precisely why I love K&N air filters. They cost 3 times as much, but they took something that had been disposable and gave it a lifetime warranty. It's on the shelves next to the cheap air filters, costs 3 times as much. You have to clean them every 50k miles, but it's easy to do and you may only buy one cleaning kit during the life of your car.
I'm not saying you're wrong about people's inclination toward cheap stuff. When you know something better is coming out within the next 4 years, it makes no sense to buy something that lasts for 10. If I can pay double for something that will last 10 times as long, and won't go obsolete in that time, I do.