I've always wanted a VW, I think they look nice, drive nice, and until recently had the best interiors of any mainstream affordable vehicle, but the problems you read about are too much to ignore. Every make and model has it's issues, but VWs are something else. I shopped a Jetta in 2001 and decided against it even though at the time everyone was saying that VWs were much improved. I still read the forums and found out later than I dodged a bullet. They've been saying "they're better now" for the 10 years that I've been paying attention.
I don't know why anyone with the internet would buy a VW. That company should be out of business in the US by now.