Earlier in this thread, I opined that if you really want to know how long an engine is expected to last, simply look at the manufacturer's warranty period. Trav responded:
Originally Posted By: Trav
Any idea what the warranty was on the MB, BMW, VW/Audi, Porsche, etc sold in Germany was in the 80's? 1 yr 12,000 Km. Today its only 2 or 3 yrs in Germany. I guess they couldn't be very good cars.
Trav was exactly correct, although it rather proves my point. There were similar short warranties in the US. Today, US warranties are much longer - perhaps 5-years on the power train. This could be because the cars are better built or perhaps the car maker's unwavering concern for the consumer, but the most likely reason is legal.
In 1963, the US passed the Clean Air Act, which was extensively amended in 1970, plus other amendments. By 1995, this law required vehicles sold in the US to meet certain clean air standards. It further required that the vehicle warranty must cover failure of an emission's test in the first 2 years/24,000 miles (the 'performance warranty) and that specified emission components and systems must last for 8 years/80,000 miles (the 'Design and Defect Warranty').
Auto makers were left in a peculiar position: they had to comply with the law regarding the emission/components warranty, but if they did so and still only offered only a 1- or 2-year vehicle warranty (or power train warranty), it did not send a particularly flattering message about their product. Furthermore, if you did have a power train failure, you might be able to convince a jury that this failure should be covered by the emission/component part of the Clean Air Act warranty. This situation was worse than oil which turns black.
Most vehicle makers got in line and offered longer warranties, at least on the power train - 5-years or more in some cases. Perhaps the vehicles were really better quality, perhaps not. Technology had also progressed or at least evolved.
Originally Posted By: Trav
I guess they [German cars] couldn't be very good cars.
That's a complicated statement, probably meant to be sarcastic. Mercedes-Benz/Daimler Benz builds very good cars - perhaps the best automobiles in the world - as befits the company that invented the automobile. Mercedes are also very expensive, so comparisons to lesser vehicles is problematic.
As for the the other German car makers ["BMW, VW/Audi, Porsche, etc"] their reputation for quality probably exceeds reality. If you look at independent tests for reliability, quality, whatever, none of these marques get particularly high marks. Over the years, I've personally owned and serviced 3 water-cooled VWs and my personal experience was that they were interesting cars and fun to drive but not super reliable. I've worked on BMWs in the shop and neither I nor any of the other mechanics thought their quality was even close to that of Mercedes. Nice cars, yes! High quality, not so much. Back then, Audi was a ho-hum brand - they've burnished their reputation in recent years, mostly through advertising.
In fact, each of these German companies has an extensive advertising campaign to improve their 'quality' image. These programs include racing sponsorship and/or racing teams using their own vehicles. It is not exactly clear if this technology or expertise transfers to a more reliable or long-lived vehicle. Ford Motor Company also fielded a moderately successful Formula-1 racing team some years ago, but it contributed little to Ford's 'quality' reputation.
I am not suggesting that any of these German cars are not nice cars to own, not fun to drive, or anything remotely like that. But if you want reliability, low maintenance and long vehicle life, buy a Toyota.