Which German Car Brand is the Best? (Full Comparison)

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As of 2020, Germany manufactured 25% of the total passengers’ cars in Europe, making it Europe’s top automotive market. German cars are used all around the world due to their long life, reliability, and state-of-the-art features.

Since the German automobile industry includes some big names, like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, choosing one German brand out may not be a just decision to make. If you are to choose the best three auto manufacturers in Germany, then I would say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. Each of these brands is equally the best.

What German Car Brands are There?

Germany is the hub of the automotive industry in Europe. So, there are plenty of Car brands working in Germany. I would like to mention the renowned German brands. Top German brands include Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. Each of the brands provides great luxury cars and SUVs.

Let me give you a brief overview of each of these. Audi is a premium German brand known for developing driver-oriented interiors. It is probably the oldest automobile manufacturer in Germany which started its operations in 1910.

BMW is acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke. This company started its operation in 1913 as an aircraft and motor vehicles manufacturer. Till now, it has developed multiple racing cars, hatchbacks, and SUVs, with combustion as well as electric engines.

Mercedes-Benz is the company named after Carl Benz, the man who patented the first petrol-based engine in 1883. Since its formal inception as a company in 1926, it has played a role in the evolution of motor cars. Today, it is the largest producer of luxury cars.

Finally, I have Volkswagen, which is a reliable and popular brand in the country itself. It develops affordable cars for the people. It also manufactures, Hatchbacks, saloons, and SUVs.

Also read: Buying a German Car: 5 Pros and 2 Cons

Which German Car Brand is the Best?

Since I have already mentioned that the top German Brands are one of the best car manufacturers in the world. You cannot just say this one is the best. It just depends upon your choices.

If you are on the one who is quite into looks of the car, then you may like Audi, since its looks are quite impressive. If you want an exciting fun, ride you can go in a BMW. And if you want high speed, great engine power vehicle, then Mercedes is the best.

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Speaking of my personal choice, I would say Mercedes-Benz is the best. I have my own reasons to say this. First of all, it is interiors are quite lavish, its user interface and aesthetics are beautiful. It has a larger lifespan compared to other German brands.

Which German Car Brand is the Most Reliable?

The most reliable German Brand globally is Volkswagen. There are a number of reasons to support this argument. Firstly, this brand aims to provide affordable cars to people.

That’s is why it is named the People’s car brand. It may not be quite luxurious, compared to other German brands like BMW, Mercedes, or Audi, but it meets the needs a user wants, which makes it cheaper to use. Volkswagen is the daily driver of most people in Germany. In 2020, 15.9% of the German people drove this car, making it a popular and reliable choice.

In the next section, you will come to know that its maintenance and insurance cost is also low compared to its German competitors. This makes Volkswagen a reliable and sustainable choice in Germany.

Also read: BMW vs Mercedes: (Depreciation Comparison)

Which German Car Brand is the Cheapest to Maintain?

Since, I am discussing the top brands, all of which are luxurious, so their maintenance is quite expensive in comparison to other brands. But in between these top brands, Volkswagen is the cheapest car to maintain. According to RepairPal, the leading Auto repair information provider, the average annual cost of repairing Volkswagen is $676, which is quite less compared to its German competitors.

The table below shows the annual maintenance cost of top German Brands.

German BrandVolkswagenMercedes BenzBMWAudi
Avg. Annual Maintenance Cost$676$908$968$987

You can see that in comparison to these brands, Volkswagen is quite cheaper to maintain.

Apart from the maintenance, the insurance costs are equally important for any car buyer. The table below shows the average annual insurance cost of the German car brands.

BrandVolkswagenBMWMercedes BenzAudi
Avg. Annual Insurance Cost$1548$1788$2349$2534

So, again Volkswagen leads, with its insurance cost being the minimum. If you are looking for a cheaper, easy-to-maintain German car, you can go with Volkswagen.

Also read: Quattro vs. 4Motion: What’s Better? (Comparison)

Which German Car Brand is the Most Luxurious?

Luxurious cars are the ones, that are equipped with the latest technologies, lavish and superior interiors, AI-based user systems, and entertainment systems. These cars provide great performance and safety features. So, these are quite costly compared to normal cars.

The top three German brands, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, manufacturer cars that are lavish. Again, choosing one out of three is quite a difficult choice. Out of these three, if I am to pick one, that would be Mercedes-Benz since it is the most popular luxury brand among people, all around the world.

At present, the most luxurious model of Mercedes-Benz in the market is Mercedes‑Maybach S‑Class. It comes with a twin turbo-charged 630 brake horsepower (bhp) petrol engine, and noise is barely audible. The interior and exterior of the vehicle are quite impressive.

Also read: 3 Cheapest Mercedes to Maintain (+ Costs)

Which German Car Brand is the Most Rustproof?

Since the car’s body is metallic in nature, it may rust off over the years. Apart from the body, other engine components, which are made of iron, may also rust. So, what if you buy a car that is rustproof. The zinc coating or galvanizing process is used by some car manufacturers to prevent corrosion or rusting.

Some models of all these german car brands are rust-proof. Audi A3, S4, and A4 are claimed to be rust-proof. Similarly, Volkswagen car models, Beetle, Rabbit, Golf, Passat, and GTI are rustproof. The company claims that BMW 3 series is rust-proof. Apart from that, Mercedes B class and C class are rust-proof.

All these German brands provide you with a 12-year corrosion warranty starting from the date of registration. The warranty cannot be claimed if the rusting occurs due to neglect, accident damage, etc. Since all these manufacturers provide the same corrosion warranty, we can consider them equally rust-proof.

Which German Car Brand Hold its Value the Best?

When you buy a car, you also figure out how long will this car hold its value. You consider that when I would sell it in the market after 5 or 10 years, what price would I get.

As of the data shared by Car Edge, Audi holds the maximum resale value after five years. Then, we have BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen. The average five-year resale value of Audi is 57.48%, which is the highest among the other German brands. The resale value of top German brands is shown in the table below:

German BrandAudiBMWMercedes-BenzVolkswagen
Avg. Resale Value57.48%55.27%55.35%51%

So, if you are one who sells cars often, then based on the greatest resale value, Audi would be a great choice for you.

Which German Car Brand is the Safest?

Each of the German brands has developed its own safety features, that aid in driving, preventing an accident, and keeping you safe during an accident. Before you decide, which one is safer, let’s look at some of the safety features of each brand.

Audi cars are equipped with an Audi Presense feature, which is an AI-based feature controlling your car’s braking system. It prevents rear-end collision and any collision in high-traffic situations. They are also equipped with adaptive cruise and traffic jam control features.

Another excellent feature is the night vision assist, which is handy at night. Audi cars also have collision prevention assist based on radar, which prevents you from taking a wrong turn.

Mercedes-Benz also contains some advanced high-tech features, such as lane change assist, brake assist in a traffic jam, active steering system, and advanced tire monitoring system. Another feature is the surround View and Parking assist system, which provides you a 360 view of your surrounding on the screen.

BMW also contains some interesting features, such as an active protective system, BMW assist eCall, Parking assistant, and Active Blind Spot Detection.

All of these cars are equipped with similar safety features and are considered the safest cars in the world.

Also read: Are Volkswagens Reliable? (and Models to Avoid)

Which German Car Brand Last the Longest?

When buying a car, one may think how many years will it sustain, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, or beyond. I cannot say that other brands may provide this much of life, the German cars are quite reliable in a long run. They last longer than you expect.

On average, Mercedes-Benz can last between 13 to 17 years with proper maintenance. A new Audi car can last for 10 to 15 years. The life of BMW is also the same as Audi. Speaking of Volkswagen, it has an average life of 7 to 13. These cars may last longer if you spend some money on their repairs. So, based on the data, we can say that Mercedes-Benz is the German brand with the longest life.

Conclusion

I have discussed the renowned German car brands. Since they all are big names, I cannot say a single one is the best. Instead, I would say, the best three brands are BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Similarly, I have answered some of the questions on German brands based on the data available online. Your opinions may differ from mine, on some of the questions.

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