I'm also starting to hear bad things about the new Sentra's reliability record as well. Trannies and motors seem to be dying an early death. No way to tell if it's just idiots beating the hell out of the car or a real problem but just keep it in mind.
The 1.8T GTI's are nice, if you can get a good price. Suspension is soft and the shifter feels disconected, but it's in another class when it comes to the interior.
FSVT is nice as well...
