OT: Volkswagen ownership experience? Options

[Cracker]

Beyond the cheating scandal...does anyone have direct ownership experience? Are there years or models to stay away from? I am thinking of a used car for my son - heading to college next month. Thanks in advance!

Tony

[PatrickB]

If you're looking for OLD stuff... stay away from Mk3 cars if you're anywhere that gets rusty cars, mechanically good but rust buckets. They're the reason VW has an 11 year rust warrantee now. MK2 cars last forever, diesels anyway. my daily driver for the last umpteen years is a '92 jetta diesel that won't quit. pulled the engine out of the last one I had, car was over 500,000 when the back strut tower parted ways from the inner fender... car had seen too much salt. Motor went in the current car (gas to diesel) at least 7 years ago, weekend job to do. put at least another 100,000 on it since, and the car does everything I need it to do so I keep driving it.
Wife is driving 2009, one of the emissions cars. Waiting to see if they can come up with an epa approved fix. If not we'll have to bit the bullet and take the buyout but we really like the car. Know someone that has an '06 jetta diesel that had wiring issues when the car was about 4 years old, VW had to replace harnesses and switches in the doors because they were having issues with the power windows. My experience is all diesel, I know that I the older gas cars they had trouble passing emissions here when the mileage gets up. tend to have high Nox readings.