OK, only been in one from the passenger seat, and it was pretty much a base model, too.
1.9TDI lump seems a bit small for the size of the car. However, it's very, *very* quiet and smooth.
The interior is very spacious, looks good and, even in the base model, is loaded with kit. Unfortunately, the quality isn't a patch on the old B5/B5.5 models. Plastics are a bit hard, trim panels don't *quite* fit and the seat material is some nasty stretchy nylon.
Looks are a bit hit and miss, IMHO. I don't know why VW insist on fitting 'chav lights' as standard.....
Overall, I'd pay the extra for a 2.0TDI SE, but I'd really prefer a B5.5.