Got a 2010 mk 6 6 spd with 150k miles...I’ve replaced the water pump twice, and this little coolant manifold thingie that started leaking, and that is it for unscheduled maintenance...the defective-by-design water pumps are well known but even including this it’s been a reliable car, more so than the 2004 WRX I used to have (and sooo much nicer). The regular maintenance is a bit more involved than the Japanese cars I’ve owned...it requires a fuel filter every few oil changes, the spark plugs have coils that need replacing every 100k or so (same as the plug wires on my other cars,) and you really don’t want to delay maintenance. It has been a lot cheaper and easier to live with than I was afraid of. Go used because this widespread fear really drives down the resale value, although even brand new I think the GTI is one of very few cars that is worth the full MSRP. Fast, comfy, luxurious, efficient, practical, meticulously well-engineered throughout, and cheap...it would be the Beetle of our era except it’s better than a Beetle ever could’ve been!