depending on what your idea of reliable is. I work for vw the golf gfi 2.0 is a good car as long as it is a manual. Expect replacement of the coolant temp sensor and the mass air flow sensor. If you are going to work on it your self invest in a bentley and only a bentley repair manual also purchase a rosstech vag com. Spending a couple hundred bucks on those will save you a lot of money and you will know as much as a be tech about your car in matter of months. The 1.8t motors sludge if not taken care of and most of them are not. I would stick with the 2.0 and invest in a neuspeed supercharger after some time. If you have any questions pm me.