My son't manual transmission VW golf is fun to drive when it's not in the shop. But no more fun to drive than the manual 1988 Acura Integra or the 2002 RSX that I owned. I bought the Integra used with 26K on it the Saturday the dream team played their first exhibition game in August 1992 and put an additonal 200K on it over the next 10 years driving my 75 mi round trip daily work commute and hauling my sons around to their sports activities. Drive it as hard as you want and still get 30+ mpg. Only brakes and exhuaust (non-SS) and regular oil changes. I don't really get tempted by Audi's or BMW's. In fast a while back my son was thinking of a BMW and we were in my car driving along after I had picked him up for repair of his golf and I was lecturing him on not buying a BMW as I'd be picking him up every week when the BMW 3 series in fronto of us put its flashers on and pulled over to the side of the road.
Bought/ordered my wife a Camry XSE hybrid last year and it's by far the nicest car we have owned. First Toyota and may be the last as it may outlast us. I can't see how another car in this over priced car market could compete with it for $40K. 47 mpg, beautiful fit and finish, and Toyota reliability and resale value.
Knowing that the Camry won't be in the shop I bought a very low mileage C6 Corvette Grand Sport off of bringatrailor that I'm having a ball with, and drive my wife's old car (2012 Sonata) to golf. I sold the 2002 RSX (my old "fun car") when I bought the vette, advertising it for $6500 and getting $7500 for it.....
My hunting camp vehicle is a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander, with a set of off road tires and wheels that I rotate on for hunting season and the winter. It's a great vehicle for that use as it has lock in 4 wheel drive (4 driving modes) and Mitsubishi has seemed to improved their reliability as well.
2 of my grandparents immigrated from Germany, and we have a relative that owns a Mercedes dealership in Barvaria, but no German cars for me.....