That already exists - the Audi A1 / seat Ibiza can be optioned with a 1.2 tfsi (petrol) with 140 bhp, hits 60 in 8.5 secs and does nearly 70 mpg...
The other thing that will be quite different to the us is that genuine vw parts are (contrary to popular belief) very cheap - usually about half the price of ford / GM. Toyota parts are very cheap too. Honda car parts availability is very poor, but the bikes are fine.
We got here a few days ago and along with finding a house in Thetford we found, I believe, the perfect 2nd car. 2001 VW Golf GTI, only 45,000 miles. We also had our Audi Q5 shipped, for free, from America.
Looks very clean. The best place for parts is trade parts specialists, they are located in quite a few places in the uk, and their genuine vw parts often run about 10% more than pattern, so well worth buying genuine. Check the cam belt is in date, I had my Seat leon 20v belt tensioner and water pump done at a main dealer for £408 inclusive of tax (vat over here) that will be either the 20v 1.8 (either 123bhp n/a the 180 bhp 20v turbo or the 2.0 8v All are very robust engines, bear in mind there is a specific vw oil specification, but it's easily available in any good auto parts store, and doesn't carry a significant premium. Motor oil over here is very different to the USA as it contains far more anti sludging agents and detergents, so forget 3000 mile changes. The interval for your car will be 10,000 - 12,000 and it's totally pointless changing it earlier unless it's been in a year. many European and Japanese cars are now 20,000 / 2 years between oil changes! The coolant temp sensors can go out, but it's a mega easy 5 min job, the genuine sensor from TPS is about £32 (eBay cheapies can be had for £7 but they are rubbish and fail again very quickly). Symptoms of the sensor failing can be either poor idle, difficult hot starting, or a gauge reading which fluctuates between 0 and half way, but never over. You tend to get either the running problem or the gauge problem, rarely both If the ratio reception is poor, and am reception non existent the aerial base has gone (it contains a signal booster) the base is available from TPS for £14.95 plus 20% vat! the areal mast is about £5 plus vat. That's really about it, a very solid car with few inherent flaws, they do like genuine parts as opposed to pattern though. VW group make incredibly strong engines, there is a chap in Germany with a Skoda Fabia with nearly 1,100,000 km on it and still looking very fresh, and 1,000,000km golfs are not unusual. Many taxi companies report 500,000 miles is perfectly reasonable in a passat, and they aren't known for spending 2p when 1penny will do.
