The German auto industry has been operating in crisis mode for decades.<p>The Asians have had them technically beat for a very long time in terms of mass market autos. They only survive as a mostly niche "luxury" brand in the USA.<p>I saw an interview with the head of Mercedes well over a deacde ago where he admitted as much. By his estimate, the Asians had a $10K cost advantege over them. His goal was to narrow this to 5K because "luxury" buyers woukd pay that much just for the "prestige".<p>Expensive to buy and maintain, they are among the least effective options to meet your everyday transportation needs. And their sales figures reflect as much.