Did you read my post? At all?
Yes, I had a 2003 VW Jetta GLS 1.8T 5-speed with the sport pack from 2006-2008 and I put 20,000 miles on it. GLI's have the looks, most definitely, but GLS has much nicer interior.
Mine had some issues, but nothing major. I had the cat replaced under warranty (emissions is like 8 years or 90,000 miles IIRC), the lower radiator hose came off and I didn't realize it under the temperature gauge was pegged at 260 and started beeping at me. However, after reattaching the hose, refilling the coolant and letting it cool, it ran absolutely fine. I eventually ended up having to replace the coolant temperature sensor and thermostat, which are common 1.8T issues, and there is a nice how-to with pictures on VW Vortex. The job wasn't a lot of fun, but I spent more time looking for the thermostat bolt that I dropped and fell hidden behind the alternator, than the entire rest of the job (about an hour job). Other than that, I didn't have to do anything.
The 1.8T motors are supposedly known for developing oil sludge buildup issues past 70,000 miles, so you need to make sure that you use a good quality synthetic oil. I never did, but then again, I sold it at 70,500 miles, and I know that it was still chugging along over a year later.
The car consistently got 24-25 MPG and I didn't exactly drive it easy. It was actually kind of hard to drive it easy, because even at less than 1/4 throttle, as soon as that itty bitty turbo spools up, it wanted to take off, especially in the winter. That, and the rev limiter seemed to only work when traveling in a straight line, not when in a turn for some reason. I will tell you that they will do 7400+ RPM without breaking anything, but I suggest you not try. Factory boost for a 2003-2006 is 11 or 12 PSI, and the turbo spools to full boost at 1700 RPM, with peak torque (174 ft-lbs) achieved at 1900 RPM.
I'm a bigger guy at 6'1" and 200 lbs or so, so the car just felt a little small to me. I had plenty of leg room, and the steering wheel tilt/telescopes, but sometimes I kind of felt like I was wearing the car, a problem which I never had with the Contour, and certainly don't have with my current land yacht.