As a German I will add some remarks, but don't want to bother you in your analysis about Germans.
All I do are some observations, and those done here hit a spot. Like everything its a generalization and you will find humble, smart, cool and down to earth Germans like me too.
Germans are known as "Pingelig", this is a mix between detail orientation and a jerk. Some do things for the sake of doing it, because somewhere its written something even when common sense or reality say something different. Then you get responses like "I can't do that" or "we did it that way all the time". Even when bending some nonsense is in their possibility. On the other hand I made many encounters with authorities and when you are not a jerk some things can go more smoothly. Unfortunately many are even forbid to slip things. They know they have to push stupid rules but have no space to different. Because in the worst case it fires back on them and then they risk the job or some punishment.
For show off, money and sneaky. I don't see those points. When Germans don't like you, you will now and not get some face smiles. You also can't impress people with money or your status. When you are an engineer or a doctor you will get some credits because they know there is some work behind this, but not more. Austrians are different, there titles are still a show of. In Germany you can be a PhD and more, and most will refer to you as Mr. Schmidt. In Austria a no go.
Also that sneaky people that rat you out are often older people. Not very common with the young ones. Those old ladies at their windows that watch the whole street and report everything, or the old man that walks down the road to see if you park wrong. They spend all their life with work and now retired they have nothing left. Sad.
Trust in Authorities. I'm very mixed here. There is no big corruption in Germany, no big abuse of power. Also in many positions many managers and leaders don't abuse the position for greed so much. This change now a little bit with Volkswagen and others. I see a mix between arrogance and cocky. They thought they an slip away with it.
This is the next point, Germans can be very arrogant and proud. I notice this at myself too. Quite complex issue. Because we have no relaxed relationship to our nation, no positive approach. Ever positive approach get put down and label either stupid or nationalistic. So we compensate this, in the football team, in our cars, in our economy, in our eco friendly nonsense, in your liberty, our human rights, our democratic values.
Most of the stuff is on a top level for a modern society but its not like others don't do well there. It was in the USA, that get a lot of look downs, where they did discover the Diesel scandal. And it is in the USA where they push the courts against Volkwagen. Also US buyers get some money back. What happen in Germany? Nothing. Government works very close with the car industries. But with all this left wing nonsense Germans found some new religion.
Germans tend to extremes and can be very rigid. The attitude to stick to laws is one thing, the next is to follow rules or and ideology. Politics and Media is complete different then the common German. They are not fact driven and always think any moment that Franz the Berlin Hippster will turn into Franz the Gestapo guy the next second. So we are all day in check and control. Everything slightly positive at Germany get crushed immediately. And its our glorious government that safe us all, that provide us with a good economy and stability. So we don't vote for radicals and our government knows whats best for us. Even when we don't agree with it on many terms, we know there is no alternative to vote. So we mind our own business, stick to our own and hope one day it will turn out better. When you form groups of alternative ideas you will either label as right wing or crazy. Also its not "balanced", thats the most important thing. There are no arguments about the reality or facts in the media and politics. Its about ideas and ideals. Not about reality. Those that lead the public opinion are the left wing people, they control those fields. Their ideology is stronger then the reality of facts. Thats why you can pull out all the facts you want, they will ignore it.
Thats the worst part of all, we are lead by people that do not trust us as free citizens. They try to lecture us all the time by moral. And this lead of course to a society where most people live in some kind of coma where they just simply follow the flow. Even when they see it complete different, they see no way out for something different. Because either they fear the risk of change and that things can get worse or the alternatives are a way to radical.