In my opinion the 2010 is a much better Jetta to own than the '11-15 cars. VW significantly de-contented the '11s because the MKV ('05-10) was too expensive to build. There are a lot of differences between the cars, and in general the MKV has more sophisticated design, better suspension, and a better interior than its successor. If you've found a nice one I'd grab it.
It'll have some typical MKV issues, but overall I think you'll be really happy with it.
I totally agree with the above. The word "de-contented" is a very polite way to say that the 2011+ models were bastardized, cheaply-made knockoffs of the 2009/2010 models. I cannot offer any insight into the qualities of the after-dieselgate performance as I sold mine back to VW, but I can still chime in on what my impression of the vehicle was before the "fix" was applied. Here is a list of issues I encountered in 9 years of owning a 2010 Jetta with 6-speed manual:
1. Minor oil leak from the intercooler inlet hose. Known issue, I've never bothered to fix it as this was likely a design intent. During each 10k oil change, I disconnected both the inlet and the outlet hoses, cleaned thoroughly with hot water and dish detergent, reassembled, and that was it for the next 10k miles.
2. Minor oil leak from the turbo oil return line on the lower back side of the engine. I ignored this nuisance for the first 5 years, then decided to fix it. This leak is caused by the wrong size of o-ring located in the banjo bolt that secures the return line to the engine block. Fix is very easy, but you will have to jack up the front end: remove the banjo bolt, wash everything in solvent, apply silicone sealant instead of the o-ring (alternately, leave the cleaned o-ring in place and apply the silicone over the o-ring), reassemble, allow 24 hours for the silicone to cure, and you are done.
3. Gas struts on the trunk lid - both went limp on me after about 5 years of service. Replacement is a 5-minute job, no tools required, but OEM struts will set you back about 25 dollars each. You know the struts failed if they don't automatically lift the trunk after unlocking it.
4. Glow plug #1 died on me. Replacement is super easy, but at that time, I paid $100 for a new one. They may be cheaper now. You will need a 12mm, 6-pointed deep socket and a torque wrench as these plugs are extremely fragile and eyeballing the tightening torque may destroy your $100 investment.
5. Faulty door lock module on driver's door, as mentioned by Jetlagmech. Very common issue on all four doors, but can be fixed at almost zero cost on 2010 models because the modules from that model year can be taken apart. That is no longer the case on newer models (not sure about the cutoff year), where these $150 modules are completely sealed, and I don't know if they can be taken apart without destroying them.
6. At low ambient temperatures (50 degrees and below), the small display on the dash between speedo and tacho would not illuminate. It came on only when the temperature inside the car climbed above that threshold.
7. Erratic radio behavior - upon starting the engine, the large display on the center console is supposed to display the time. It was hit or miss with about 1 failure in 10 starts. No big deal, I just turned the radio on and off, and the clock stayed on after that.
8. The OEM Continental tires were garbage, although if the car has 70k on the clock, I assume they were replaced by now. I had to get rid of them at 25k due to the intolerable noise they made.
That is about all I can think of right now. Overall, I was happy with the vehicle and how it performed. Just before diesel gate blew wide open, I was exploring what it would take to delete the EGR, DPF and the other emissions stuff, but the scandal broke soon after, and the delete idea became a moot point.
