Consumer reports ranks Audi as the third most reliable brand, just above Mazda and just behind Toyota and Lexus. I like how the Lexus' ride but their sedans are just plain ugly. I keep my cars for at least 10 years and have never had a "repair" that wasn't covered completely by warranty. Generally if you buy a family type care, don't beat the piss out of it, and follow the scheduled maintenance you aren't going to have many problems.
The answer to questions like the one posed is never as simple as it seems. It depends on many factors. If you get a CPO used German car with maintenance covered for 4 years and then exchange the car, you're going to end up more satisfied than if you did the same thing with the average U.S. or Japanese manufacturer. It'll most likely be cheaper in that term too because the cars tend to depreciate much less.