I think it really just depends on what you like, and what you want. Larger cars are generally nice on the highway, but the Germans tend to do an admirable job with the smaller cars too. My 1991 Jetta felt more secure and solid at 80 than my mom's new 1991 Camry, despite the Camry being larger and [literally] over twice the horsepower.
I do not feel newer Toyotas age as well as the older ones (rust aside, which may be something you need to consider more in your area than I do mine). They seem to have gone on a rampant cheapening campaign that takes away some of the feel of their cars. Sad to say, but a new Malibu or Fusion (both of which are being phased out, sadly, because 'murrica) feel more solid and more substantial to drive than a Camry or Accord. I'd say the NMS, despite also being an American(ized) foreign car falls somewhere inbetween, but has in my opinion more conservative styling which makes it look less "old" after a few years. Because in some respects it already looks old (it sort of is, eight models years with virtually no major changes is a pretty long time).
Some would argue the NMS is kind of soft and floaty, which I suppose it is. If you want something that feels more like a real German car but is of that similar size go take an Audi A6 for a spin. It feels like it is chiseled from a solid piece of stone, even at 100 MPH they barely feel like you are even moving. And you can, if you like, get one with a [V6] TDI, but you are not likely to find one for $15k. But seriously, if you want something to get from A to B down the highway, while sipping fuel relatively speaking (they'll tag 40 MPG if driven conservatively, which is impressive for a big AWD tank that can press you into the seat with a twitch of your right foot) then the A6 TDI is the Holy Grail.
But back to the Passat: they are roomy, for 2015 the manual versions are "legal", although there may be a handful of non-fixed 2012-14 manuals around they will be rare. Trunk is big, but you cannot use it all due to the old fashioned trunk hinges swinging into the cavity... not a big issue really, but worth noting, as the A4, A5, B5, and B6 sedans have the nice trunk hinges OUTSIDE the body which afford a little easier trunk packing, even if the total volume is a bit smaller.
The NCS Jetta is just like the NMS, just smaller.
The Golf, the Golf/Jetta Sportwagon, the Audi A3, are all still the German-type Volkswagens, even if not always made there. The A3 is somewhere sort of between a Golf and a Sportwagon through 2014 (it was technically called the A3 Sportback, but since that was the only A3 we got, they did not bother to add that to its name). The 2015 is a sedan only, but still the "Golf with a trunk" type of configuration as the pre-NCS (through 2010) Jetta sedan. The Audi A3s were all DSGs, no manuals were available for us.
The 2012+ Beetle is on the same underpinnings as the NCS Jetta, and it is actually VERY roomy and comfortable to drive...for two people. The back seat is not very big, obviously a bit of a chore to get in and out of, and the trunk (hatch) is larger than the NB it replaced, but still quite small. But as someone who is over 250 pounds and over six feet tall, I find them to be very nice to drive, and the visibility to the side due to the rearward position of coupes' B-pillars makes them even better.
FWIW, the later 5 cyl gas engines used in the NMS are pretty good, too. Stay away from any of the 4 cyl gas engines unless you like empty bank accounts, the EA888 4 cyl turbo gas family of engines is not VAG's finest (unless you are like me and make a living from them, because they are awesome for that). But the 5cyl even with the Aisin 6sp slushbox can get into the low 30s on the highway, with regular gasoline. No TDI, but not shabby either and they are pretty low PM cost.