German cars can either go 300k miles and be great, or 25k miles and take a crap because their plastic water pump failed (bmw). I’d say they’re very reliable when all preventative maintenance is done. But then so is any car, and most people don’t do preventative maintenance because we are humans.
Keep an eye out for shady things sellers do too, like starting the car before you get there (why wouldn’t they show you a cold start?). Listen very hard for any sounds and ask the owner if they have had it looked at or even noticed it. Ears are a big advantage in car buying. Make sure you don’t notice any shakes or rumbles while driving or turning sharp (bearings=expensive fixes). I won’t recommend brands as other already have, and I’m too into weird cars to offer a normal opinion.
A 1st ot 2nd gen tacoma would be awesome for this but WATCH FOR FRAME RUST. some of them have major issues here.