 I have owned my GTI for 3 years and it has been a pleasure to drive, grips the road beautifully and is very comfortable on long trips.  The interior materials, fit and finish are excellent.  However, I'm starting to seriously doubt the quality of this car.  At 13K miles the cooling pump failed, it was quickly fixed under warranty.  In the last month, at 30K miles (mostly highway), my clutch completely failed and was replaced under warranty.  I have been driving manual transmissions for the past 20 years and have never had one fail on me, clearly a manufacturing failure.  To top it off, last week the cooling pump failed again!!!  My dealer charges $750.00 to replace the cooling pump, fortunately it is still under warranty, but an expense likely to be incurred in the future.  I have mixed feelings on recommending the GTI.  If you can overlook the maintenance and having the car at the shop often, the GTI is an great driving experience.  But, if you are looking for something reliable, there are probably better options out there.  I will likely trade it for something else.