Super newbie question but why? Did most of them leak or experience mechanical issues?
-b.
I'll take a swing at answering this question.
Sunroofs are generally not worth it. It is not uncommon for the sunroof on any vehicle to leak. There is a probability of leaking; it may be very low but it is there. At least one of the four drain tubes may slowly get clogged with debris. The gasket around the sunroof will slowly age due to weather. The motor may fail. An owner might leave their sunroof open or partially open, then it rains, then they get a wet surprise. Sometimes a sunroof reduces the amount of headroom. Sometimes a sunroof introduces wind noise. On one of my non-VW cars the rails that guided the sunroof open and close were plastic, and over time they slowly warped in the summer heat which lead to issues.
The value of sunroofs would be allowing more light inside the car which could be nice during the times of the year when there is limited daylight, and helping cool off the inside of the car when it is parked in the sun on a hot day.
Now on the other hand a car without a sunroof has no chance for sunroof leaks, no motor to fail, no worries about leaving the sunroof open when it rains, no loss of headroom, no extra wind noise, and the purchase price is lower.
Given the purchase choice between two identical vehicles, one with a sunroof and the other without a sunroof, I would choose the vehicle without the sunroof. Usually the sunroof is part of a trim package so we have to ask ourselves if the benefit of the extra options outweigh the potential negatives of a sunroof.
At the time I am writing this I do have at least VW with a sunroof and at least one VW without a sunroof. One of my VWs with a sunroof is a 2015 Golf SEL - I really wanted the better seats and automatic dual-zone climate control.