But, you are kind of making it sound like I'm taking a risk with a TDI even if I keep my stuff maintained (honestly, the sunroof thing has me a bit bummed out. I live in SoCal, we rarely get rain, but I can't tell if I run a weed whacker line through the drain ports every 6 months to clear them out will be enough to keep from getting water in the car.) Thanks again for dose of reality. I guess I'm gonna have to rethink this.
"Risk" is not the word I would use- or at least not the primary message that I intended to convey. There is risk in every car purchase, sometimes from a financial perspective, and always from a mechanical perspective, whether it is inherent to the car, or outside your control. Some cars are "riskier" than others, but again, I wouldn't necessarily say this of the Mk7 TDI- so far the cars seem to be fairly reliable, although that's both anecdotal and comes from a small sample size. Certainly if you consider yourself risk averse, you will want to research the Mk7 forums. What I was trying most to speak to was the idea that a CPO car, much less a CPO TDI would provide you with a lease-like experience similar to what you are used to. That doesn't mean you can't have a great experience with a Mk7 (as said, the girl parted with her much loved MkIV because her Mk7 was so good after 20k miles), but the issues I pointed out are things you should be researching and thinking about to help make an informed decision. The key items I was responding to in your post were that your previous cars were leases, that you didn't do much work yourself, and your focus on mileage.
Leasing a newer model year gasser (even one with lower mechanical reliability) can be fairly convenient for most lessees- which I guess is why so many people lease cars, despite the financial loss compared to owning (plus the chance to try lots of different cars, and stay in newer model year vehicles). The convenience comes from several things: Most newer cars generally experience mild mechanical issues compared with older cars (if not fewer issues), so a two year newer car lease might provide you the two most trouble-free years of that car's life. When you do have a problem with a leased car, you can take it to any service department (that meets the lease requirements) and generally expect that there will both the common parts and a mechanic that can address the issue. While your leased vehicle is in the shop, you may get offered a loaner- and certainly you'd expect your car to be ready within a reasonable amount of time, etc. In comparison to a CPO Mk7 TDI, you are starting with a car that's five years old. If it has low miles, it has been sitting (which IMO is the worst thing for it). The CPO provides bumper to bumper, but there may be no loaner, and if you have a engine related issue, the service department may struggle to deal with it (from using the wrong oil, to throwing parts at problems they can't properly diagnose). If you have a DPF problem, or other emissions-warranty related issue, you are covered by the E-warranty, but may be without your car for days (and without a loaner). Bottom line: You may have a great experience with a Mk7 TDI, but I wouldn't be looking for a new-car, lease-like experience.
Where are you in So-Cal? (I'm out at Camp Pend many times a year). If you are close to Brandon at SMS European in LB, this would solve what I said earlier about finding a rock star TDI tech.
Sunroof: Yes, there is a TSB for the sunroof. There are multiple issues that need to be addressed, and some owners have had success with these fixes. Certainly if the car is garaged or lives in a less-rainy environment, your chances of water intrusion are much lower. If not, you can have VW apply the TSB fixes. My Mk7 has the pano-sunroof, and VW will certainly not be allowed to pull my sunroof components, grind down the connection points, or take the plenum apart- that's asking for trouble from a VW service department. I've already removed the rear drain line caps, and will do the fronts before the winter, but I still expect to see new stains on the C pillar under the rare "wrong" conditions- why? Because if you cut a giant hole in the roof of a VW, water will find its way inside. I wouldn't tell you to avoid a Mk7 TDI because of the sunroof, but many members here have posted that the sought out an S model just to avoid the SR.
Lastly, I wasn't saying that the TDI presents more risk even if you have all the scheduled maintenance done, I was saying (similar to above) that a TDI is
different. With a lease of a newer car, you do what over the first few years? Take it to the dealer for a few fluid/filter changes? Rotate the tires every 5k miles? Check the dipstick, top off the oil, wash it, add windshield washer fluid, and clean the interior? In my earlier post, in comparing MK7 TDI ownership with a lease, I said "deal with standard fuel related issues." Some members here will raise an eyebrow at that, but for many, we are so accustomed to it, we don't think about it from a gasser perspective. While I was writing this I asked the girl what it meant to "deal with standard fuel related issues." Without much hesitation, she said: Always use fuel stations with high turnover, so you don't get old fuel or avoid water in the fuel, know where your next diesel station will be if you are running low and away from truck routes, have a fuel adaptor in the trunk since the Mk7 won't take the middle sized nozzle, have some wipes handy in case the pump is a mess from careless customers, don't run too low on fuel to keep the system running best, make sure the pump dispenses #2 and don't judge by handle or sign color, let the foamy fuel settle since the Mk7 doesn't have an easy vent button like the MkIV, shoot for higher cetane stations if possible, add some anti-gel when expecting frigid temps, add fuel conditioner when concerned with fuel quality/water/cetane, don't use bio-d above 5-10%, don't use the untaxed #2, save the receipt and note the odometer for pen and paper calculations. Most of us don't even think about these things (and some will disagree with my notes). I certainly don't worry about any of it, but it's just once slice of what's different in a 5 year old TDI vs a new gasser lease to which you may be accustomed. There are thousands of TDI owners driving around in bliss, unconcerned with any of this, but since you self-described as anal about maintaining stuff, think about letting your turbo cool off before highway shut-down, or monitoring your DPF so you avoid shut-down while it's at 600* Celsius, or wonky DSG shifts after Phase2 emissions mods (we have only stick-shifts, so someone else can better speak to DSG issues).
In the end, if you love the TDI, the joy of ownership includes the joy of upkeep and learning about your car. Reliability is not what keeps TDIClub going, but the rational and emotional attachment that (many) owners have with their cars, and the community that has developed to share fixes, troubles, and triumphs.
HTH.
) where VW dealer will do some work to make the clogging of the sunroof drains a lot less likely. We live surrounded by loads of coniferous trees (and not coincidentally, a semi-temperate rain forest) and end up with lots of needles and other tree debris on our car. But it wasn't until a bird mega-dumped all over the sunroof, and I decided to hose it off (for a good 10minutes) that I managed to clog up one of the rear drains and get a water stain on the headliner. 
