RE: German Vehicle Quality
A couple of years ago someone on this list posted a link to, IIRC, the J.D.
Powers survey of customer satisfaction in the first year for new car
buyers.  Mercedes and VW were near or at the bottom of the list.  It could
be argued that tis was in part because of the expectations of the buyers but
non the less Mercedes was not making the people buying their cras very
happy.