i have had mostly very positive experiences with water-cooleds (and i have owned a large chunk of them). my '98 NB overall was good. i had it two years (sold it to get into a 912E, lol) and had window reg problems and a sensor problem. my '96 jetta was almost flawless for 6.5 years. didn't change brakes until 90k miles. many different results on the many other cars.
jim ellis vw in atlanta has always been top notch for me. i have no issues with them...yet, anyway.
i just sold the jetta to get the abd racing passat. passats have a great reputation. let's see if it holds up. i suspect that i may run into some issues with jim ellis on this car due to modifications (albiet minor drivetrain mods).
i love 'em either way. i love the air. i love the water. i have had pieces of crap. i have had gems. i love them all equally. our airs have as many quirks as the waters, they just are much easier to fix. i hear all of the same issues with my bimmer and MB friends. and let's not talk about the american cars.
zen
www.powerplayrocks.com