They do not offer the diesel anymore?
The mk3 and mk4 diesels are no more complicated than these to work on. Easier if you really think about. Plug in the scanner, and it tells you exactly what part is malfunctioning. The wrenching aspect is just like the mk1 and mk2. It is all the same stuff. Lotta 10mm and 13mm bolts 
However they as well have over 300k on them and have been neglected.. so its hard to find a good car.
I don't think so.
You have to move the motor mount and support the engine to change the timing belt, to name just one example. Also, have you ever plugged in a scanner? It doesn't tell you "exactly what's wrong with the car," it tells you a list of things that are not operating within normal parameters and you figure it out from there. They are entirely more complicated with their immobilizers, airbags and emmissions stuff. They have a lot of electrical problems when they get to be more than 7 or 8 years old. My sisters gas 1998 Jetta for example, has had many more problems in 1/2 the miles mine has gone through, though the motor runs just fine in both cases.
To be honest, I've never really been that satisfied with VW cars. I own one out of economic necessity alone (but I try to make my cheap car enjoyable as possible) Don't get me wrong, they make great engines that get great gas mileage but when you've driven a lot of different cars (I've probably driven every brand of car sold in north america except for a few exotics) you get the feeling that people who own cars more than 5 years was simply not part of the VW business model at all. And except for the engine, there aren't a lot of upsides. They aren't the most comfortable cars in their class. They aren't the fastest. They don't handle the best. They aren't the most reliable. But they are efficient and economical to own.
Don't know about that. Drove Honda's for a while, and I've owned stuff from all the big 3 and driven others too. I choose to drive older stuff, and in the age of stuff I drive, the vw's are in better shape than others of the same vintage WITH SIMILAR MILEAGE. Finding old vw diesels with low mileage is a chore though. I find if you look after it and fix it right the first time they are at least as reliable as anything else. Easy to work on if they're old enough too, once you understand them. Proper maintenance is key though.
You have to move the motor mount and support the engine to change the timing belt, to name just one example. Also, have you ever plugged in a scanner? It doesn't tell you "exactly what's wrong with the car," it tells you a list of things that are not operating within normal parameters and you figure it out from there. They are entirely more complicated with their immobilizers, airbags and emmissions stuff.
Well having the scanner tell you what is malfunctioning is hell of a lot easier than putting your face on the engine and listening for a ticking coming from what seems like nowhere.
I've wrenched on mk1-4, other than the sensors.. nothing is radically different. nothing to be afraid of, wrenching is wrenching its just the procedure that changes.
i will not and refuse to own any vw newer then 93... yea ill buy a 96-99.5 tdi to swap into a older one... but to drive and keep road worthy no...
i watched quality go down on interior, electric and metal after 93.... mk3 rot worse then a mk1.. b4 rot worse then a b3...
old non horse hair seats from say a 81 bunny last better then a mk3..
electircal aka tdi va idi.. yes they suck.. check engine lights stay on.. for silly stupid things... sadly if you live in a place that a check engine light fails you from buying plates... its a pain to resolve..
me.. i tend to buy 200$ mk1.. go thru the brakes, suspention so on... do the engine maintence.. and run it for oil changes for years with no other work required.. the 81 coupe i put together in 08.. i had a little under 400 in it when i started driving it.. wiht bilstines, brake work, timming belt so on.. sadly 6mo later it dropped a valve.. ok add another 250 to engine rebuild/used head.. so be it.. still running... still giving me 40-50mpg around town.. in 2010 the exhaust finally failed.. ok another under 200 and on my way still...
sadly my coupe finally is commin to a death.. the drivers seat is finally fallin thru the floor.. when i got it it needed a bottom clip... but hell 08 to curent.. 850$... i can gut the car.. find another $200 shell and be on my way for another 4-5 years... sadly the next shell i want will cost me more..
i plan to own that this summer to put the 81 coupe stuff into.. no idea how much it will cost me to own it.. much less how much ill have in building a new front end for it.. but i can say this.. will never need replaced due to rot.. and ill be up to 2 kubvans.. a slow 1.6 na idi and my toaster fast/trip one.. that one will be called the tissue box.. it will keep its flower power.. LOL..