Might want to take a peek at Consumer Reports reliability ratings for VW before diving in. Not knocking the GTI...Front Wheel Drive is very cute...just saying that if you think VW's are troublefree, think again.
My 2002 V8 LSE has thus far been FAR more trouble free than any of the 3 Jettas Ive owned, and also better than the E36 3 Series I owned. The 3 series was purchased brand new, 20 miles on it..pampered like nobody's business. But that didn't stop the timing case profile gasket from going, every interior door panel from "bubbling up" (vinyl separation from the backing during hot weather, when the adhesive would fail), front suspension bushings that wore out around 60-70k miles and were kinda pricey to replace, failed alternator, interior window switch bulbs that seemed to last 2 years max, IKHR Control unit that failed (same thing as our DCCV Valve), dot matrix displays that would slowly degrade, hindering the LCD readouts on the dash computer, Timing chain tensioner that would wear out, causing the timing chain to rattle like crazy...
Compare that to the LSE where I had a Stereo that went out under warranty, alternator needed replacing at 65k, valve cover gaskets (but coils are still fine) that leaked and needed replacing, degas bottle that cracked..and..thats about it. Which to me, is not an excessive repair record for 78k miles and 4 years. And none of those left me stranded, or even caught me totally offguard. Knock on wood, this thing is running about as smooth as it ever has right now. Engine running perfectly, with the new tires and Eibach's and replacement factory Sport shocks all around..the ride/handling is near perfect for me. Based upon other posts, I assume I can expect a coil or two to fail within the next year or so...but I have 2 new spares in the garage just in case, and I can replace those myself.
Hopefully my success with this LSE continues. The 5 year 0% loan is completed later this year, and I hope to keep her at least 4-5 more years before embarking on another car loan.