I have had Audis since 2002 and they have all been great. I stick to a pretty simple plan. I buy one that is 2-3 years old with as low of mileage as possible and keep up with maintenance. When I buy, I look all over the country. My last two vehicles were purchased for about $3k less than I would pay locally and I paid about $800 to have them trucked in.I'm getting ready to buy a car, and had seriously flirted with the idea of getting an European import like an Audi. After reading this thread, I'll probably stick with Acura, or maybe a Lexus.
I have two solid mechanics that can handle the routine stuff for much cheaper than the dealer. If something catastrophic happens, I also have two German car shops I can get quotes through along with the dealers. My current car is ten years old with 118k miles. I could still sell it easily for $15-$16k. I am not particular about much. I couldn't care less about clothes, shoes, sunglasses, watches, etc. I do like to drive a nice car because I spend quite a bit of time in it. It makes those five-hour drives to Iowa a lot of fun.