I'm a firm believer in the finite resources rule. VW spends a disproportionate amount on driving dynamics, gadgets etc. and puts long term reliability and dependability way down on the list. If you've ever worked on a Volkswagen, you see right away that they use the "just enough" mentality for the major components. Things are generally not over built by any stretch, which is fine when the car is new, but as things start to age and stress, reliability takes a downturn.
Compare a 12 year old VW to a 12 year old Toyota for example, just about everything on the Toyota is overbuilt, heavier duty, larger, more robust (this has changed somewhat recently). Sure this adds weight, expense, can be a detriment to the driving dynamics, and leaves less left over for the bells. It's a difference in philosophy, which is why it is quite rare to find a car that is dead reliable, fun to drive, lightweight, safe, well optioned etc.
BTW, VW has consistently been at the bottom rung of reliability for all auto makers, and spends a great deal more on warranty repairs vs. the most reliable brands. I personally love a couple of Audi's I think they are stellar in many ways, but I'm not sure I want to deal with the hassles, warranty or not. A friend of mine has an Audi A6, it's easy to be jealous of the car it is quite stunning, but the number of times it has been in for warranty is downright silly.
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