[themightytimmah]

I've got a GLI now and I absolutely love it, but in your case I would probably go for the BMW. The VW's are fun, but traction can be a problem and I find myself wishing that I had RWD on a fairly regular basis. Also, if you're planning on keeping it for a long time, the BMW will probably be more reliable (although both brands can be very expensive to keep on the road).