Older German engines used large tolerances and heavy oil (put 5W-20 in a BMW M30 engine and you'd kill it) with large crankcases or dry sumps. They didn't use tons of oil, but certainly some. The 2.6L in my 190E used about 2L between changes during the winter when I used thinner oil, but that was at 500K!
So, I was used to having to top the oil off a time or two between changes. By the time Mercedes made the M111 four banger in my 98 C230, tolerances had shrunk, and I was actually a little freaked when it hadn't used a single drop during the 250K it lived with me.
For leaks, the 1.8L Honda engine in our Acura Integra was awful. The cam end seal and valve cover gasket went out constantly. By 150K, that engine was a sieve.