It depends on what you mean by value. They don't make the most cost-effective cars to buy and to own in the long term, so if you view a car strictly as a tool for transportation, there are better choices, particularly some Japanese cars.

However, if you care much about "fun to drive" aspects, including performance and handling, then the Germans provide some good value in cars such as the BMW 1, 3, and 4 series, the Audi A3/A4/A5/Q5 series (particularly their S variants), etc. These cars are still priced within reason, and they are very well designed and built, and a lot of fun. Good value in my opinion.

 

I LOVE my Q7. There is a thoroughness and attention to detail that is difficult to beat. It's a great solid tank (it weighs as much as our QX56 that is significantly larger) and is enjoyable to drive.

Having said that, I know that I'll be selling the Q7 at some point in the next year or two b/c I don't want to own the thing out of warranty. There haven't been major issues, but EVERYTHING is more expensive with it. Oil changes, fluid changes, etc. The Germans are like the HS cheerleader...oh so pretty and great to be seen with, but high maintenance.

 

I wouldn't call it high-maintenance if you had no issues... Fluid changes are needed very infrequently - oil every 10K miles, brake fluid every two years - how can this be a significant expense?

I don't think there's really an issue with regular maintenance. The problem is how long the car can go before something significant needs to be fixed or replaced. I'm thinking at least 7 years or 70K miles for current models (2013/14) of the B8 platform which are quite well-debugged by Audi by now.

The big question with these things always is the quality of service you can get. If you want to keep a car 8-12 years, you need good service because things will go bad here and there. The harder the car is to work on, the more critical this becomes, and I think modern Audis are a pain to fix. Way too much stuff cramped in there, and too much to dismantle to replace parts. Also, parts are expensive, and sometimes need to be ordered from Germany.

Basically, I agree that it's typically best not to keep German cars for too many years, but 2-3 years past warranty should still be ok. I would feel much more comfortable keeping my G37 for 10 years than my S5, but I enjoy my S5 a lot more!

 

Having had a Mother and Father in WWII I can equivically say that it was the egocentric paranoid leadership of the third reich and the failing of raw materials that led to the fall of Germany, not the intricacies of its war machine.

 

Great points. Some standard maintenance is less frequent but pricey when needed. An old mechanic told me that Germans put 8 bolts in place "just in case" while Japanese put 3 high quality but inexpensive bolts b/c that is "all that is necessary".