 After 13 years and 130,000 challenging miles, this is still my favorite car so far. Love the positive, detailed road feel, the steady handling, the get-up-and-go turbo, the seriously reliable FWD - keep the nose pointed in the direction you want to go and you'll get there, whatever the road surface or none. Excellent on tight, rough, winding Greek mountain roads as well as vast super highways at 90 mph. Very easy to learn exactly how long and wide it is, and parallel park on the first try with only millimeters to spare.  Also, as a wagon, it can carry a phenomenal amount of Stuff and still have room for a dog and a child, with no change in handling.Some lesser items have been a problem: the rear window motors ate themselves up years ago and, since I rarely carry more than one passenger, I haven't felt the need to replace them. The sun roof has a mind of its own. Rarely, the transmission can be clunky when downshifting, but usually only once at low rpms, with weeks between; it has done this all its life.I rated reliability low not because of the car, but because of dealership repair and maintenance support. Be discerning; the nearest dealer did such a number on my car that I'd send it to the crusher before I took it back there. Luckily a new one opened fairly nearby (this is Texas, so 40 miles is 'fairly nearby') and their service is superb. If you need to use a non-dealer, find a VW-trained mechanic. It really does matter.I have no intention of replacing this car, and don't mind at all paying more than its current market value every few years for routine maintenance and age- and wear-related work (new headlights, vacuum hoses, suspension rebuilds - I do not believe in slowing down for corners).  Parts can be expensive, but do not/not try to save by buying after-market cheap parts. It wants and needs OEM. The car has fairly low mileage because I also own a BMW 330 ci convertible, but the VW is my go-to car for any horse-feed hauling, transporting dogs to vets, Costco runs, or iffy weather of any sort: rain, snow, wind.