 Purchased this car in December of 2011 and have put 49K miles on it.It gets over 40 to 41 mpg and I typically drive 79 mph on my 180 mile daily commute (all highway miles).It will get upper 40's mpg if we lower the average speed to 65 to 70 mph.The ride and handling are very good.The car is nicely equipped for a base model, with a very solid feel and generous cabin and trunk spaces.The diesel engine is very responsive in combination with the manual transmission.The 10,000 mile service intervals for the oil change and basic service are great.I opt to use the shop my husband works at for this basic car maintenance versus paying a VW dealership the overpriced fee of $400.00+.