Any experience of BMW boxers, and in particular their gearbox.

[BBROWN1664]

Probably more reliable in the short term, but 6 years down the line will the gadgets still be 100% reliable and performing as the day the machine was new?

Its called planned obsolescence. How would manufacturers survive without it?
Take dishwashers as an example, you buy one and it works for years and years. No need to replace it ever really but once the manufacturers build a few million, what are they going to do next?Their sales stream will dry up unless they get things to die just outside of warranty.

Take a look around your local car breakers yard. 30 years ago, almost every car in the yard would have either been rusty or crashed causing it to be sent for scrap. These days the yards are half full of undamaged, good looking cars that are only there because something like the ECU failed or the driver lost their only key and to fix it would cost more than buying another car.