I think I watched the test you're referring to. OK, so you set it to ohms and connected it to 1.5kV. That's just user error. I'm not gonna do that, ever. I always make sure the meter is in the right mode and I don't switch the dial while it's connected to something. But if I did, it's good to know that it still failed in a safe manner. Maybe it was designed this way on purpose, so it would be returned to Fluke's service department to make sure it's still safe to use? An overload might damage a meter in all kinds of ways. A meter that survives an overload acting normally but in a weakened state may fail catastrophically later on. I don't think you can fault the 87 V. In a crash test, the criterion is how the passengers look after the crash, not how the car looks.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by antiquated. The 87 V has all the important features. It has great ergonomics. It has great battery life. IMHO it is the best general purpose meter available. It has an excellent balance of features (all useful, no useless stuff). The BM869s's dial is cluttered with functions that belong on specialized meters, like the 4-20mA function.
I've considered buying the BM869s. But it has some quirks. Like the BM869s's backlight turns off after 32s. The 87 V's stays on until you turn it off. Or the weird cutting off of the last digit, instead of doing proper rounding. Or the useless hold function, vs. the excellent touch hold that the Fluke has. Or the slow peak min max vs. the really fast peak min/max of the 87 V. Or the remembering of the dial function (that's not a good thing).
I may get it eventually, but something like the Fluke 89 IV/189 is higher on my list.