I haven't been driving long (since 2001 mid) so ownership of car has been 3 brands: First Saturn 2 door coupe (bought it as it was cited as the 4th safest car in 2001 by Carmax employee), 2nd car: same. 3rd car: Saab 9-3 2L Turbo (bought it outright CPO and lasted through all the trivial glitches of windows and moonroof rolls failing, and the host of things I placed under wear and tear), 4th car: 2011 BMW 328i xdrive. Just gave it up on Feb 01st 2019 at 64,600 miles. NO ISSUES for 8 years, yearly oil changes (I drive less than 10K a year) but TIRES! OMG! Every year a pair of runflats for the front or the back. Even with my careful driving, they would run out, and i made a (hasty) decision that I will try a cheaper but niche brand' Subaru and got the Subaru Impreza. Hasty because I could foresee the expenses (and I was still making payments 450 a month til 2020) and turned it in for very low price a the dealership. Hasty because I realise now I have 5 year payments for my Impreza (and have bumper to bumper for 7 years), I was almost done with payments in a year and a half and would have paid for repairs and maintenance (about to have battery and brake pads) I could have afforded with no more payments AND kept a car that was decently reliable and I enjoyed driving plus the safety factor. But that's over with now; I was having some financial difficulties and couldn't make payments, repair AND maintenance at the same time.
The Impreza is MUCH slower but does pick up when the CVT is rolling. It's not a BMW, but for my city commuting needs it's enough. Symmetrical AWD makes me feel safe driving back roads NC, and it corners well, like the bimmer. Among all the cars it's price range this is the only one with AWD and some panache left.Some day when i ship sails in again I might keep a weekend driving small BMW, or Mazda Miata, or Infinity.

Lets zoom in on One of your examples. The Saab 9-3 2L Turbo . I've owned two of them. The first was an 86 Saab (made in Sweden). Fantastic car that was rarely in the shop other than a bad A-arm. The OTHER Saab was a much later model. I forget the year, but it was after GM bought them. The entire car was made by GM that year EXCEPT for the engine. Everything went on it. From the plastic radiator (cracked RIGHT between the "G" and the "M") to the blower, to the entire AC Delco electrical system. The only part that held up was the Swedish made engine. The following year they replaced the Swedish engine with the GM made lawnmower engine. I think they had a tendency to die at about 45k miles. Bottom line, most "Engineering" problems can be traced directly to idiot CEOs. Chrysler is a case in point.

Yes! I agree! But German cars are fun to drive, albeit expensive to maintain and stands up better to an impact compared to an equal in Japanese cars. I do not car for Japanese or Korean cars.

Germany built a reputation for reliability in the war era. But their engineering is nothing special these days. Every petrolhead knows that if you want a reliable, well made car, you buy Japanese.

Japanese cars are dull as hell but are ast least reliable, German products rarely are..

Consumer Reports’ Long-Term Reliability test documents a car’s reliability over the course of three years. All cars for the first 3 years are fairly similar in quality. What about after 10-15 years and 150K miles. I own a repair shop that specializes in European cars. We love German cars, they keep us in business be cause there reliablilty is horrible, but people still love them. If you are worried about long term reliability then don't buy German. If you want good styling and fun to drive and are willing to pay the repair bills, then it's German all the way.

i know we're talking about cars, but a few yrs ago, i bought a jerman electric toothbrush, and it broke down in 1 month

i did a comparison last week between jerman, south korea, japanese, and amerikan cars, and jerman cars had the lowest resale value. i am not surprised though, because all the jerman cars my relatives had werent good

Learn to spell and write, moron.

OK Robert, calm down or you're going to bust a vein.

"...there reliability..."

Yeah, I am so gonna take you seriously if you can't even understand the difference between "there", "their" and "they're/they are"....

Nice try.

A typo doesn't mean his opinion/anecdotal evidence is false though. Also, English is spoken all over the world, take that into account too.

And actually it isn't the first time I've heard that late model German cars (Post mid 2000) are a pain to fix, over-engineered and cost an arm and a leg to repair simple things. Some models cheap out in a extreme way (plastic oil pans that are a pain to remove because they have melted with the rest of the structure). Some models are very reliable though, have to take that into consideration as well.

I was watching the first season of The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson stated that the Germans build the best cars in the world, every one else agreed. Enough said.

German cars are garbage. I see snooty comments from butthurt krautmobile owners claiming these magnificent, tight "tolerances" yet no evidence is given.

Sour grapes because you can't afford one?

No, we've had them and hated them you bellend!!

aint that the truth

German CARS ARE SCHEISSE and in translation is SHIT

The delta margin in reliability is so close, that any car manufactured after 2000, if properly maintained, will last as much as any other car. The difference with German cars is their ride quality, driving characteristics and esthetic. Every other car seems to drive like a station wagon compared to anything German. You couldn't pay me to drive any NA trash, not because of reliability, but because they drive like appliances. Japanese cars used to be much more reliable than they are now. And the interiors? Good Lord, plastic everywhere.

right, because the german aethetic for top quality design all comes from what arnold schwarzenegger looks like, most german cars look deformed as though they've been on steriods. absolutely unappealing. the only german cars worth mentioning aethestically were the old mercs which were classy, but then mercedes benz got insecure and started making their cars look like audi and bmw.

OOOk.

I love german cars, but the cost of ownership of a lot of them, specially after warranty leaves a lot to be desired. Over-engineered, common stuff is hard to repair, cost of parts, labor... If you have enough cash to spare, is a no brainer decision.

I have had 5 Audis and 3 5series and one X5.
Never had a problem with them. As far as parts, they are available from 3rd party OEM manufacturers. and any mechanic can work on them. I wouldn't drive anything but bimmers. It's a no-brainer either way.

"No brainer" describes you to a tee, well done!

Jealous much...

These articles based on BS wrote by people that have never even been within 100FT of reality to see what the f' is really going on and they us statistics based on unreliable info and kickbacks.
You go out and see what the f' is really happening and you see the same thing over and over. Biggest shit cars on the market--
1. VW and friends (Audi, etc). People parking there TDI's while waiting on settlements because they can't keep them out of the shop is a perfect example of the over quality.
2. Dodge/Jeep and friends. Fiat and VW both needed there help to be able to make a car s' enough and when dodge can't make something s' enough they enlist the help of MB as in the case of the Sprinter Van

"Wrote by people"? God, you're a moron. Nothing you wrote after that was credible.

Your use of crude words are in poor taste and definately unnecessary. Keep such language to use with your mates. They cause offensive to others who are able to use universally-accepted language and/or expressions to communicate thier points of view.

Yeah you're right. The language was in poor judgment. The content of that article used up all to tolerable bad judgment I could endure but now that you point it out I went back and edited it.

i have a s320 1995 mercedes benz best car i ever had fewer breaking down i only changed a battery on the car try to do that with a cadillac or a lincoln

1995 MB.. that's the key word.... late model MB isn't as reliable as it used to. Same with some Japanese brands. Everything is case by case now. Some models are great, sometimes only the ones from certain years, fabrication plants...

Your experience appears to be unique enough to attract attention, from you. If this was a routine occurrence, there would be no need to justify it. Maybe you missed the BMW exec on a CNBC special a few years who admitted, without hesitation, that the cost of ownership and reliability of their products are still lagging their Asian counterparts. Why would he ever publicly admit such a thing if it wasn't true? Stop with the denial and the solitary experiences, and join in the full chorus of those who realize the sacrifices that are required for these expensive, emotional experiences.

German cars are all about carefully cultivated image backed up by little substance. I have owned two VWs from new and they are the only cars I have ever had quality and reliability issues with. The neighbours with expensive cars from MB, BMW and Audi also have problems on a regular basis. If you want to look cool and be out of pocket go ahead and buy one, if you want quality and value for money look elsewhere.

Problem is now that people are so stupid and vain nowadays only see these overrated
German cars as being credible and they all buy/lease them so that owning a German shitbox isn't unique or different anymore, everyday in life I see breakdown trucks (at least 5 per trip) on the motorways recovering broken down Kraut-mobiles and that is no exagerration!

0-100 in 3 seconds is not a cultivated image.

Missing the point again I see idiot! Keeping the stereotype alive I suppose, as you were....

Get lost.

I worked in the auto industry for many manufactures. If you take care of them most will last in excess of 100k miles, Hondas are just a junky as fords so don't get butt hurt, Mercedes are expensive and safe and will for the most part get you where your going. I would trade a broken window switch for a bad transmission (1998-2002 Honda Accord) anyday

1st, Honda was often picking up the tab on those transmission replacements and every manufacturer has had a f' up here and there. Honda's strong point has never been the transmissions but when it comes down to it. I'm no Honda nughugger but they have put out some of the best cars out there and many can go a long time even when not properly maintained. Having to put transmissions in poorly maintained honda is going to be cheaper in the long run anyways and generally the accord transmission would last with proper maintenance. Now the Odyssey and Acura TL/CL's from that time period maybe not so much but either way if you dont take care of it chances are you will get 200K still as long as you change the oil every 7000-10,000 miles.
MB on the other had, while yes they have made some really really good cars they are more common to brake down, many times over something silly but expensive. In America the main problem is they are all thought of as luxury cars while in other markets many of them are just regular cars that might not be great but are cheaper then Toyota

And you would be wrong.

With an MB the best two days will be the day you buy it and the day you get rid of it.

There's one thing I've noticed since I was a kid; the number of M-B's for sale compared to their general population on the road. From the time of my childhood, 'For Sale' ads in the local newspaper had me wondering. I grew up in a relatively small southern city, where there should not have been columns of Benzes for sale, ALL THE TIME!!! This is still the case. I just did a local web search. Why are there 2,100 matches in a zip code near me for used M-B's for sale, yet only 3,200 matches for Toyotas, and 2,800 matches for Nissan?? Unreal!

Because the people selling them couldn't afford the payments, or they were older vehicles that would fetch a better price in a private sale? How could you possibly know if your anecdotal evidence is related to reliability?

Or because they finally realised how overrated and problematic they are...

This article is BS, I work in the medical field and there is a reason most of the equipment is German (Dräger, Siemens, Leica, Zeiss, ect) because it's well engineered and precise. German cars will last a long time if you take them to the shop for regular maintenance, many Americans will run their cars with the maintenance light on for weeks or months before going into the shop, when ze maintenance light comes on in a German car you must go to ze shop NOW! That's because they are built with tighter tolerances, higher precision equals higher maintenance. Japanese cars are built with loose tolerances, built like tin cans that can be abused more. German cars have that satisfying *thunk* when the door is closed, the driving feel of a German car is special. I had a 2007 Jetta that had no major issues, the ac compressor went out in all the years I owned it, I now drive a 2015 Jetta.

False

AS someone that worked in the mechanical field for a while i can tell you you are wrong. You make alot of money of off BMW, VW and mercedes cars. You want a reliable car, go honda or Toyota. Ive worked on Toyota camrys with 600k!!!. Ive barely seen a Merc with 200k. The w180 is a possibility. I would cross the sahara on a toyota hilux anyday. I also crave elite sports cars, but my everyday car is a honda civic. NOTHING has failed on it. shes now passing 260k and doesnt use a drop of oil.

You've not seen a Mercedes with 200K and therefore they don't exist? Geez, using your logic the Yugo must be the most reliable car ever since they're common as dirt in Eastern Europe.

There are thousands of Mercedes' in my city that have well over 200Ks on them - taxis. There are hundreds of Mercedes' taxis with over a million kilometers on them including the W123, W123, W210 and W211 (and soon the W212...) and these cars are even being sold on German taxi websites to whomever wants them.

Toyota is so overrated it's not even funny. The last Toyota I rode in (an Auris) felt so cheaply made and flimsy - built to a price. No thanks, I'd rather enjoy the handling and solid feel of my 2007 BMW 118i, which by the way still works despite being 10 years old, high mileage and it gets abused daily on the Autobahn at speeds your Civic or that Camry would bounce all over the place.

no.... mercedes with 200k have had extensive work done on them.... hey uts a great car.... but japanese cars just seem to last forever...... theres the occasional fault, but they dont hide it like the western cars and ipenly recall them.... japanese cars are very reliable....

And boring as hell.