for the new generation of bimmers, the "achilles heel" is its iDrive computer box. they claim, however, that they already de-bugged the system for the new generation 3er's, 7er's and the 6er's. overall though, these bimmers are still very reliable.

from my personal experience in owning an E36 3er, I am quite dissappointed by its relative unreliability in the medium to long term.

Honda and Toyota, however, have made it a corporate mantra to be the most reliable car brand in the world. The "MIND SET" in their corporate culture really espouses reliability and dependability which are thus manifested in their products.