Which brands of cars are more reliable and less expensive to maintain?

I have been driving American cars, Honda, Toyota and they're easy to find parts when something go wrong. I would like to buy a Volkswagen beetle or a European car. Like 2004 or 2003 Volkswagen beetle. If something go wrong, does it cost more to fix it? Is maintenance more expensive than a Honda or a Toyota yaris. I know the Honda and Toyota last forever after a few hundred thousand miles and they re still in excellent running condition with regular services. What do you guys think?

German cars are reliable otherwise they wouldn't get the attention they have but repairing them is a disaster. Unless you have lots of money to spare I advise you to buy Chinese / Japanese cars because they are very cheap to repair and you will find lots of parts for them.

I personally drive nothing but Toyota's and it's a family choice. Meaning my family only drives Toyota and Toyota related products. I agree with the first person on German cars. But when they break down parts and labor can be very expensive. Depending on where you live and your knowledge of cars. If you can't do your own repairs then ignore this next part.

But in my case own a German auto, means taking it to a specialist for repairs. Which also means higher rate of labor and so I'm back to Toyota. It's a common auto in the US / Southern states. It's extremely dependable and it's my only choice in a car. Plus, it holds it's value very well for resell.

I would stick with the brands you mentioned.

European cars tend to be money pits partly due to over engineering and poor design and partly because of the insufficient supply chain for parts. VW is the most unreliable make in the US market after Fiat. Run away from them. If you want something that gives similar driving dynamics, consider getting a Mazda 3 or Honda Fit. American cars suffer from poor quality control, some half baked designs, poor reliability, and some under engineering, but at least parts are cheap for the most part. Japanese and Korean cars tend to keep things simple, have acceptable quality control, and have the volume to ensure a strong supply chain, though Toyota and Honda have gone downhill since the 90s.

Lincolns last quite a long time too especially town cars. 300k easily, i've seen them with that still purring like a kitten. These are low maintenance cars, costs no more than normal cars to fix anything.