Despite personal experiences, as somebody else said, the numbers don't lie. Toyota has been a consistent leader in reliability and resale value for a long, long time. Being a Toyota as well, this also applies to Lexus. 43k on our '03 4Runner, and it has been flawless, still like new.
As far as the sludging problem, I've seen some pics on bimmerforums, scary stuff. Image a head with clumps of chocolate pudding in it to get the idea. If you buy used, buy one with good records. New, even if the dealer only pays for every 15k, pay out of pocket to do it more often. Even with synthetic, I can't bring myself to go over 5k. Do that, and a BMW will last a long time.
I do have to say, even though I think the E34 is a timeless design (but I'm biased
), I like the new E60 and E90. I like the curves that the convex styling gives to the new 3, and the 5 just looks sinister. I love it. I applaud BMW for taking risks with their styling, they're moving ahead, while many are going backwards (retro crap).