Audi Junkie,
First of all, I don't have anything against you OR Audi cars, personally, so no need for sarcasm etc.
I lived in Bonn (former capital), near Cologne. I myself didn't drive or have a car, so I must admit I didn't have any real interest in the car scene in Germany at the time. I just repeated what I remember some of the people I knew closely were saying about VWs. Some of them knew about cars pretty well, but not all, so I don't know how right they were..However, thinking about it and reading about a lot of VW electrical bugs made me weary about them. I won't disregard VW just because of that though...I would do in-depth research before that, also for MIL, if she wanted one. And I do admit, Audi's are the only 4-door cars which I like from a cosmetic stand point...they do look great! especially the pre-2005 models. Why in the world they don't make a 2-door A6 I don't know. (However, I don't like the grill going thru the bumper in the newer Audis, gives it a truck-look)
I didn't see a lot of American cars there; Fords, but German/British Ford models (Granada/Capri/Fiesta etc). Some Cadillacs, but rarely, probably those were DPL or cars from people in the US base in Bonn, at that time. The foreign makes I saw most were probably Peugeot and Fiat..a lot of Citroens, too.
I really don't think one has to really own a car to know a certain make has bugs. Depends on how much/where you research. Long before I owned a T-bird, i knew all the documented trouble spots of T-bird though forums, and other web sites.
I'd welcome reverting back to my Mom-in-Laws interests again
at the moment she must be reading all the brochures I ordered for her online..