A W124 E-Class with the single cam 3.0 engine is probably in the top five most durable cars ever built. The 3.2L twin cam cars at the very end of the run have head gasket issues, which puts them behind the older SOHC models. The four speed AT will last a million kms as long as the fluid is changed every 50K. The engine is nearly indestructible. My 190E 2.6 had a slightly smaller version of that engine mated to the same trans and was running well at 510K when sold. The trans and engine both never opened.
The 90s in many ways wasn't a good decade for the Germans though. Quality really fell through the period and by the early 2000s a high percentage of their models had become the butt of automotive jokes.
There's good German cars to be had from then, but you have to choose carefully. Very carefully.
I agree on the German stuff. It really was a decade of huge progress for Japanese brands, even though I am not a huge Japanese car guy I will admit that. If I was going to pick one though I'd probably opt for a 300ZX.
A 93-97 Cadillac STS stands out to me as I do think it played a big roll in keeping Cadillac on the map through the decade.
94-97 Yukon GT is still super cool in my eyes, as are the cyclone/typhoon trucks.
Some of my favorite Italians came out of the era too; 355, 360, Diablo.
Course, I love me some 4th gen f-bodies; not my favorite from a styling perspective, but the platform got some big improvements in 93 that made serious performance available to the masses. 275hp LT1 in a $20K Camaro was not insignificant, and the infamous LS1 that came later only made it better (though unfortunately, the cars got uglier).
Edit: C5 Corvette also hails from the 90's and remains one of my favorite Corvettes.
