(iSeeCars) - Germany is the undisputed leader in the European auto industry, with the country responsible for some of the most iconic models in automotive history. These include the luxurious Mercedes-Benz SL roadster, the high-performance Porsche 911 Carrera, and the fuel-efficient Volkswagen Beetle. Germany’s early success in, and strong support of, the automotive industry has contributed to its global dominance. For instance, Mercedes-Benz is generally credited with developing the first version of the modern, gas-powered automobile when it built its three-wheeled, single-cylinder engine car in 1886, dubbed the “Benz Patent-Motorwagen”. Other German automotive firsts include the high-speed autobahn, which preceded the U.S. interstate highway system, and aerodynamic styling, as seen in the early Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. In later years, the German car brand Audi pioneered advanced all-wheel-drive systems for their Audi Quattro models, which also featured a powerful turbocharged engine and proved highly successful in motorsports competition. Germany’s advanced powertrain development efforts, high-speed autobahns, and dedicated vehicle test sites like the Hockenheimring and Nurburgring, contributed to the nation’s success in building world-beating performance cars. But those factors aren’t why it dominates Europe’s auto industry today. German car manufacturers are known for their consistent high quality, durability, practicality, and engaging driving experience. BMW’s balance of comfort and performance has earned it the tagline “the ultimate driving machine” while Mercedes-Benz’ high-performance division, Mercedes-AMG, offers a range of new cars that successfully blend luxury and performance. Porsche’s sports car DNA has expanded beyond its iconic 911 Turbo and can now be experienced in the mid-engine Cayman, the family-friendly Cayenne and Macan SUVs, or even the all-electric, Tesla-rivaling Taycan. Constant innovation paired with engineering excellence have been the foundations of Germany’s success. Below you will find the best German cars, ranging from top-speed-oriented supercars like the Audi R8 to practical family cars like the Volkswagen Atlas. These cars are ranked by their iSeeCars quality score across a number of categories, with pricing, fuel efficiency, and horsepower figures included for each model. Here are the rankings of the best German cars in their respective categories, sorted by their iSeeCars Quality Score: Best German Small Cars Volkswagen Golf – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Beetle – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Jetta – 8.8 / 10 Best German Luxury Small Cars BMW 3 Series – 8.6 / 10 Audi A4 – 8.5 / 10 BMW 3 Series (hatchback) – 8.4 / 10 Best German Midsize Cars Volkswagen Passat – 8.5 / 10 Volkswagen Arteon – (Score unavailable) Best German Luxury Midsize Cars Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 8.5 / 10 Audi A6 – 8.4 / 10 BMW 5 Series – 7.7 / 10 Best German Luxury Large Cars Mercedes-Benz S-Class (coupe) – 7.7 / 10 Mercedes-Benz S-Class – 7.5 / 10 Porsche Panamera – 7.5 / 10 Best German Luxury Sports Cars Porsche 911 (coupe) – 9.2 / 10 Porsche 911 (convertible) – 8.6 / 10 Audi TT (coupe) – 8.3 / 10 Best German Luxury Convertibles Porsche 911 (convertible) – 8.6 / 10 Audi TT (convertible) – 8.1 / 10 Porsche 718 Boxster – 7.9 / 10 Best German Luxury Wagons Mercedes-Benz E-Class (wagon) – 8.7 / 10 BMW 3 Series (wagon) – 8.5 / 10 Audi A4 allroad – 7.3 / 10 Best German Luxury Coupes Porsche 911 (coupe) – 9.2 / 10 Audi TT (coupe) – 8.3 / 10 Audi TTS (coupe) – 8.2 / 10 Best German Hatchbacks Volkswagen Golf – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Beetle – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Golf GTI – 8.5 / 10 Best German Luxury Hatchbacks BMW 3 Series (hatchback) – 8.4 / 10 Audi TT (coupe) – 8.3 / 10 Audi TTS (coupe) – 8.2 / 10 Best German Luxury Subcompact Cars Audi S3 – 8.1 / 10 Mercedes-Benz CLA – 7.4 / 10 BMW 2 Series (coupe) – 6.8 / 10 Best German Compact Cars Volkswagen Golf – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Beetle – 8.8 / 10 Volkswagen Jetta – 8.8 / 10 Best German Luxury Compact Cars BMW 3 Series – 8.6 / 10 Audi A4 – 8.5 / 10 BMW 3 Series (hatchback) – 8.4 / 10 Best German Luxury 2-Seater Cars Porsche 911 (coupe) – 9.2 / 10 Audi TT (convertible) – 8.1 / 10 Porsche 718 Boxster – 7.9 / 10 Best German Small SUVs Volkswagen Tiguan – 8.2 / 10 Volkswagen Taos – (Score unavailable) Best German Luxury Small SUVs BMW X3 – 8.6 / 10 Audi Q5 – 8.1 / 10 Mercedes-Benz GLC – 7.5 / 10 Best German Midsize SUVs Volkswagen Atlas – 7.4 / 10 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport – (Score unavailable) Best German Luxury Midsize SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLE – 8.2 / 10 Porsche Cayenne – 8.0 / 10 Audi Q7 – 8.0 / 10 Best German Luxury Large SUVs Mercedes-Benz G-Class – 8.1 / 10 Mercedes-Benz GLS – 6.3 / 10 BMW X7 – (Score unavailable) Best German Hybrids BMW 3 Series (Plug-in Hybrid) – 7.3 / 10 Porsche Panamera (Plug-in Hybrid) – 7.3 / 10 Audi A8 L (Plug-in Hybrid) – 7.2 / 10 German cars excel across categories, from small cars like the Volkswagen Golf to luxury SUVs like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. Porsche 911 leads in sports cars, while hybrids and electrics like the BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid and BMW i3 offer eco-friendly performance. These rankings highlight German reliability, luxury, and innovation. More from iSeeCars.com: Best American Cars Best Japanese Cars Best Korean Cars About iSeeCars.com iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, including the iSeeCars VIN Check report and Best Cars Rankings. iSeeCars has saved users over $423 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars. This article, Best German Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.