Sell me on one of these new to me 5doors!

I'm considering a newer vehicle. I'm very happy with my stage 4 mk4, but I wonder if I'm missing out? I drive 600 miles a week and achieve 50-52 mpg regardless of how I drive. I know these 2.0s come with a bit more stock power and with exhaust and tune I could be well above 200hp. That really excites me! A six SPD Manual sounds like a plus as well. But numbers aren't everything. A fun to drive and maintain DD is a must.
I could go for a golf or wagen, I know I want 5 doors.
What is it like owning one of these with more than 200hp? MPG? reliability? Any info appreciated!

with my stage 2 MK7, depending on the trip type i see upwards of 78 MPG per the MFD. (off road of course )

i think the only weakness of the newer engines is the fuel pump (which i havent heard of many failures if any on an MK7) and the water pump.

The newer cars don't have as much headroom for tuning with stock components as older cars. With a stock tune the turbo makes 23 PSI, and its max is only about 1 PSI higher.

You can easily get to 180/300 or so with these cars with just a tune. A delete won't get you a lot more power: the turbo is the limitation. If you delete the emissions hardware you'll get better FE, but you're probably not going to see the 50-52 that your ALH gets. I have a tuned '15 with emissions intact, and its lifetime MPG is about 43. However, it's not really broken in yet. Remember these are bigger, heavier cars with bigger wheels, and they're going to use more fuel.

You should go drive a CR and see what you think. All I can share is that I still drive my ALH daily and my '15 sits in the garage. It's a very nice, car, but I prefer the MKIV.

I think my MKIV is much more comfortable than the 2011. I'm 6'1" and the tunnel takes up too much room next to the steering wheel on the 11, seat shape is better on the older car as well for my frame. I lent the ALH to my friend at 6'4" and he laughed a bit at first, but fell in love with the car. Literally had to pry it out of his hands to get it back.

Just something to think about for taller drivers.

The mark IV also rated very high in the 'fun to drive' column, in my opinion. I miss mine. I can't compare to the newer VW's, as I have limited drive time in them. The BMW 335d I own now is NOT a driver's car. It has its virtues I like, but it makes me miss my Jetta.

MKVI Wagen

I have the '10 wagen, 6 speed, sunroof, TDI. LOVE the car. Way more refined than my old ALH was. I will say that I miss the fuel economy of my old ALH 5 speed! It was 46.5mpg no matter how I drove it. My newer car is lucky to get 40mpg, and fuel economy is WAY more dependent on speed. Yeah, if I drove 60 everywhere, I could get 42+, but I'm not driving 60.

The car is super comfy, tons of storage. I just love it. But the ALH was also awesome.