I really liked this vehicle. The diesel engine has performed very nicely, and is very fuel efficient. I have over 250,000 miles on it, and it continues to run. There is definitely a high cost of repair/ownership for this make/drivetrain, but I think it is worth it. The extra torque from the diesel engine makes it a lot of fun to drive, and the utility of the Sportwagen model really can't be beat. Mine has been across the country several times, and it feels really solid while you are driving it. You do have to get used to the somewhat rougher ride of the vehicle, since the parts are a little bit more heavy to deal with the added torque.

So I owned a green 1998 VW Jetta Cabriolet with a 2.0 engine for about a year. I don't remember the exact mileage but it had roughly around 200-300,000 miles on it. the paint was still nice and the top didn't have any tears. the engine ran strong with good mpg in the early stages of our relationship. I enjoyed the way it drove and I drove it pretty hard at times. I payed about $2,000 for it and to me it was well worth it. Like I said before the Exterior was nice, the engine was strong, and it handled the road. My only dislikes about the car was the interior. The door handle broke more than once, the seats were a little beat up, the trim on the dashboard was cracking in a "made of cheap plastic" way. the radio worked when it wanted to and a window actuator stopped working. eventually while driving to Vegas, the engine hydro locked and I was forced to tow it back home and find out the gasket was blown. water got into the head and I ended up selling it to a mechanic for $1,000 my little nugget of info that might not be appropriate for this review but it's the only bit of extra side info I have on the car. Although it might be small, you can still have a lot of fun in the back seat. :)