The OP should avoid the 1977 VW Rabbit also the 1993 Corolla and 1973 F150, George has mentioned so may repairs (sometimes repetitive) on these vehicles I doubt anyone would have the patience to own one of these long term.
Modern vehicles are better engineered than vehicles from the 1970’s, as the decades go on these vehicles do not compare.
BMW my choice, but anything can happen with any car.
You forgot my 1962 Ford Galaxy @Nevada_545 . Your post reminds me, I haven’t yet mentioned here the time the differential’s third member bound up on that Galaxy one time, and I had to drive 20 miles at 5 mph max to avoid massive rear end vibrations. That was one long 20 miles … lol …
Status and image greatly influence automobile purchases and it’s obvious the manufacturers have that calculated into everaspect of their design and engineering. And don’t get me wrong. When I was younger and could jump into an MG or A-H I learned to keep one of them tuned up and road ready. But these days cars and pickups are just transportation and I have driven some of my vehicles for weeks with a primer grey junk yard hood on it waiting for a convenient time to paint it. There is an unexpected benefit to my lack of concern for appearence as it is rare that anyone wants to borrow a vehicle from me.
But on the question of the high end/high status European cars mentioned they seem to have a luxury/performance status that is well earned due to their engineering and opulance but there is a more significant increase in cost than performance/luxury in the long run it appears.
And on this topic I must comment on the “image” marketing strategy of Subaru. That brand seems determined to paint itself into a niche in hopes of establishing a loyal cult following that will pay a premium price for an above average car. Long ago I fell into possession of a Subaru 1100cc sedan for virtually nothing and at that price a new clutch and brakes seemed worthwhile. It was the first FWD car that I had ever owned and it was amazing in the rare once in a lifetime ice storm experienced here. But it was sold as basic transportation all those years ago. Today Subaru virtually tells buyers they are jacking the price up to include a signficant donation to PETA, etc., and the buyers must jump at the chance as when I drove through Seatle last year the Starbucks were full of Subarus, many with well groomed dogs in the back seat… Does anyone else recall John Record Landecker on WLS selling new Dodges with the 383 Interceptor V-8s? Now those were some great cars and commercials. Nothing like the phony stuff today.
You know what, I don’t have that problem either. Go figure … lol …
Your post got me to thinking, super bowl is just around the corner. New Subaru dog commercials … yipee!!
I will also ad, I’ve been around a lot of these high end cars. My sister in law had a Mercedes SL 550 just a couple of years ago. It looked beautiful and drove so nice with that big V8. She let me take it a few times and I remember pulling the brake release and having the handle break. Then some of the body parts came loose and a light lense fell off. This car was new and one minor service was like almost 500.00.
She traded it in for 2015 panamera, great car and even for a simple oil change they will pick up the car and leave a loaner for her. The cost are so high.
My 2014 BMW 328 needed a fuel injector and they told me I was lucky because they had one in stock. It was the only fuel injector they had. I had a friend who’s BMW needed a fuel injector and they were back ordered from Germany. You should always have stock on a part like that.
Because the comments have shifted to parts, I helped a friend with a 2006 C class MB a few years ago because the plastic hood release handle shattered and so could not open the hood.
The shattered pieces were from the area around the spring and the hole that allows attachment to the hinge. The spring and pieces fell somewhere under the hood and so driving the car for help might mean them moving and going someplace to cause more problems.
Youtube showed us how to push in a looped plastic line through the grill to catch the hinge release and allow us to ‘pull’ (like the handle) and open the hood. Then we fished out all the plastic and metal pieces and ordered a replacement plastic handle.
Very thin plastic of a type like on handles of some pots and pans. No way is it designed to last many years. I’ve stayed away from that car.
Many years ago a friend in Florida loaned me a Mercedes while I was visiting her on vacation. To be honest, I found it underwhelming. It was competent, but nothing more.
Perhaps it was a perception issue. There’s an old saying that “some people see the glass as half empty and some people see it as half full”. I see the glass as representing expectations. In this case I think my glass was the wrong size. My expectations were bigger than the reality.
Many years ago, while my Taurus was in the shop for a few days, a co-worker drove me to and from the job in her Mercedes. Aside from the fact that the thing rode like a truck, it seemed like it didn’t really have a whole lot of power, but that was just my perception from the passenger seat. At one point, she offered me the opportunity to drive it, and my opinion stayed the same. It rode like a truck, and it accelerated like a snail.
Memories are never completely accurate. Around 1982 my friend bought a new Mercedes 300D. We made a golf trip to a place 100 miles away and he let me drive both ways. I do remember really liking the car but I knew it was out of my budget. Later he had a Mercedes 190 (year ? ) at that time I do remember that it was very quiet inside and rode well.
Here’s a colorful take on Benz:
You wanna play?
You gotta pay
Was this a diesel powered Benz?
Late 70s, early to mid 80s?
240D or 300D?
Those definitely had subpar handling, and had pathetic acceleration
The 190 series that you mentioned wasn’t considered a real Benz, at the time
The mechanicals were shared with the rest of the lineup, but the interior was kind of cheesy
It had okay handling for the time, and the brakes were pretty good, but the interior was pretty cramped
As I said sometimes memory cells can be faulty. The 300D was a diesel , I only drove the 190 once but I do think it was quiet.
In my case it was gas powered. I don’t remember the model, but it was mid range about 20 years ago.
I suspect it may have been a 1994 or 1995 E320 . . . that was the bread and butter mid-sized sedan at the time
They were long in the tooth at the time, old technology, non-competitive, dated exterior and interior, etc. Lousy handling, because it still had a steering gearbox, versus rack and pinion
The next generation E class, starting 1996, was much more modern, rack and pinion steering, handled competently, much roomier interior, but built with cheesy materials, which didn’t hold up very well. Cost cutting had begun 
The 190 would be quiet compared to the 300D.
Talk about rose-colored glasses, several car bloggers have recently talked about the 190 as if it was something great. Nobody at the time thought that.
LOL, db, that sounds exactly like my impression of it! 