Mercedes also makes the A-series and they're really entry level cars, parts are affordable, and the engines are super reliable. The bigger problem with Mercedes is that their electronics and software positively suck.
> Mercedes A series parts are affordable
> The headlight is only sold together with an electronics module for steerable headlight control attached, for a cool 800€.
That module is positioned in such a way that water collects around it if the car gets sufficiently splashed from the front, and it dies even though the PCB is conformally coated.
Yes, this is part and parcel for most cars now, even the cheap brands come with ridiculously expensive headlight assemblies, that are also completely not user serviceable. The LED revolution should have resulted in cheaper headlights, not more expensive ones. Fortunately my car still has a regular bulb and zero electronics outside of the ECU and the radio.