Yes, KVS you are right about German riability going to shit.
I'm old to remember unkillable MB engines. Now so many unproved technologies are implemented on every new model or even facelift. They have zero commonality - meaning that parts are hard to get now and they are very dear to purchase. Not to mention the fashion of overcomplicating what was simple and making virtually impossible to service your own car due to special tools or impractical placements of bolts like in Audi.
My wife drives Macan (not a gts fortunetly) and believe me it has more problems than engine block. It's basically glorified Touran. Suspension is even more troublesome than on VW Touareg and she doesn't even touch kerbs or go offroad. It's a toy not a car.
Now I used to be BMW driver. I am still a fan of E90 m3 as I had less problems killing this car on a track than driving 2017 Merc like an old man on a round.
I had BMW F30 335d xdrive. It suffered from EPS thrust piece failure. I've skipped BMW service and changed that myself. Then I got recall, then EPS thrust piece went again. I've used new and improved one this time.
M135i my wife drove for two years got carbon buildup after total of 40k miles.
Even if it has over 300 bhp it suffers from terrible pedal lag that even update didn't fix, it doesn't even have OIL dipstick... It's a car for crazy kids. It also has now dreaded for me DIRECT INJECTION system that even with superior fuel - cakes ports and warps valves.
I bought myself Golf R as it had multi injection (MPI) that bypassed problems of DI engines, yet it's inferior car by interior quality, gearbox and it feels really bad on twisty Northern Irish roads. I've had to trade it in before experiencing common problems.
Now MBs I had problems to the point that I had give first car back to dealership after few weeks. Gearbox on A45 amg - it broke and had to lifted as we couldn't tow it.
CLA 220d I had for longer - stalling at start stop and not starting. Clicking from fuck knows where and gearbox with no reverse... Had to be lifted. Not to mention bad quality of interior and media screen that is so easy to break ( my kid did it while my wife was holding him)
I currently don't have a car and I am not sure if I can choose what I like.
I need something like 4 series grand coupe xdrive. Audi models are abysmal. Kia has 0 build quality, Honda even if it has amazing Type R, but it doesn't offer anything compelling.
I can't even be compulsive as there's nothing to choose from, I'm not rich enough to have a fleet of vehicles that go tits up and I rather buy my parents cruise.
I'm not fussy, just want to know that my 50k gbp (almost like a cost of a studio in Tenerife) will get me a decent car. I don't want to bring cars to service centres and leave to people that know about cars less than my wife. Seen it myself how student apprentice mechanics service cars these days..
Whole car industry went to shit. I hope electric cars will bring new winds, yet I do see tesla surviving for long as well.