"German cars were once known for their solid-build quality and dependability but it seems that no major German marque has escaped the steady decline we've noticed in recent years."AHHH! The price you pay for socialism.
The best car I ever had was my '83 Toyota Corrola. I donated it to charity after 100,000+ miles, 6 oil changes (hey I'm a girl!) when it was still going strong.
No maintenance + no problems = perfect car.
Memo to self: do not buy used car from lizma no matter how good it looks (15K+ oil changes...lol). My Toyota (made in Japan) has been extremely reliable...knock on wood.