I strongly second (third/fourth) everything people have said above. These gas cars are not going to hold up as well as the diesels. They sure are fun, though.

Over the last year, I've had major repairs done on my CE (1990 with about 180k mi). Head Gasket, Valve job, O2 sensor, fuel distributor, belt pully, tensioner, serpentine belt, timing chain rails, plugs, wires, an ignition coil, distributor cap, distributor rotor, rear main seal on transmission and transmission service, all new injectors, lots of miscellaneous hoses, motor mounts, voltage regulator, spark plugs, and I can't remember what else. All in all, I have owned this car for a little over a year, bought it for $5,500 and have put $7k into it. They're known to be maintenance heavy, but my case is definitely extreme. Lots of things had been swept under the carpet with this car for the 3-5yrs prior to me taking ownership. The interior is in great shape, and now I have pretty darn close to a new Mercedes for $12,500 (+ all of the stupid little hop-ups I've done!). I'd say it's a decent deal. Problem is, I had to pay that whole amount in one year. It's also a little stressful to have unexpected repairs arise.

What worries have you concerned about a diesel in your cold climate? I know that you can get one of those electrical plugs to keep them warm while they're in the driveway/garage... That way they'll start right up. However, what other problems are you worried about? If you're a diesel guy, why not stick with it?