I've got a 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon. It's get s dependable 45 MPG no matter where/how I drive, and that's with an automatic. So far dependability has been very good, though I have heard many many horror stories about VW reliability, and about their service in particular. They had a very bad repution in the early 2000 time frame with a rash of problems like windows falling into the doors, and VW refused to belly up to the problem. Finally, a year or so ago they admited there was an issue with the window mounts and offered to fix them and extend warranty coverage for them.
Anyway, mine has been good. I had one defective switch that was fixed under warranty. Since then I have done oil changes only, and in the last month did the timing belt, brakes and shocks front and rear, and sway bar bushings. All of these were done pro-actively at my request, but they were clearly coming due. At 93k miles, I consider this normal wear and tear maintenance. I've also recently had two temp sensors go. One is the fluid level indicator, and the other is the engine temp sensor. Each was less that $30 and a 15 minute swap out.
Besides the reliability dimension, I love the car. It fits me well, and at 6' 3" I can't say that about many cars, especially a small one like the Jetta. Its also a blast to drive - tight, nimble, and quick, especially for a diesel. It always starts flawlessly even in extreme cold (below zero F), and runs great. The only downside in the cold is that it takes a long time to warm up since it's so darn efficient. I can be 20 minutes into my commute to work before I reach full operating temp.
