I'm not a fan of VW, but were I looking in this segment I would be hard pressed to add more than 10% to the cost of a near-iconic Jetta TDI. You can buy a lot of fuel for $2,600, about two year's worth.

I know a few guys who have logged more than 350,000 miles on their Jettas without any major repairs. That kind of longevity is a good bonus.