Looks matter. I have the opposite opinion of Technics. I have an SL 1200 MK2 (some of the 80's "garbage") and doubt I'll ever get rid of it, mostly because I love the "retro" look. It's had some minor upgrades, but I think most people would be surprised to hear what it's capable of.
I haven't heard the new models, but everything I've read about them suggests they are on another level entirely and well worth pursuing, at least in terms of performance. We all have different likes, and if the aesthetic didn't work for me, it would be a non-starter as well, so that's perfectly understandable.
My main table is a Sota Sapphire, which I think will be a keeper. I recently had an Acoustic Signature Wow XL and liked that a lot. It's a rather smallish and compact but high mass table with great speed control. The Wow XL is an older design, but I think they have tables in your price range.
Before that I had a VPI Classic 2 with a Classic 3 tonearm. A more imposing table, also a high mass design. I wasn't crazy about the unipivot. VPI offers an inexpensive and easy to install dual-pivot option. One of the things I liked most about the VPI is that it is designed to allow for a periphery ring clamp. With so many new and used records having warps, that was a great feature.
You might get better suggestions by describing what you like and find appealing.