Reliability......
I own a 2015 GTI - my second VW after 20 years of trouble free Honda/Acura ownership so I think I offer some good perspective. My first VW was a 2013 Sportwagen TDI. A wonderful car, but we sold it back with the diesel scandal and bought the GTI. We put about 60,000 trouble free miles on the Sportwagen. It was an extremely tight, well built car. I bought the GTI Certified Pre-Owned with 20,000 miles on the clock and it is now nearing 40,000 miles. I have had one issue that was taken care under warranty. The Oil cooler had a seal with a manufacturer defect. Took a few days to fix, but I had a loaner and all was fine. Volkswagen has come a long way with reliability the past 20 years and is now generally mid-pack in most surveys - between Mazda and Subaru in the recent JD Powers list. My car still feels tight, with no major squeeks or rattles. The Golf is one of the best selling cars in the world, so I suspect that it is more reliable than the average VW's as it is the companies bread and butter. The 2.0T engine is also tried and true. The car has an oil temp gauge, so I always make sure oil is warm before I rev the engine - critical to long term success in any turbo engine.
Important: 2018 Volkswagens now have a 6 year, 72,000 mile warranty as VW tries to regain marketshare in the U.S.A. after the scandal. Get a 2018 if you can........ I think the GTI also gets a cool digital dashboard.
Maintenance.....
Crock summed it up well. German companies differ a bit from the Japanese brands in that you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations very closely. Important to use lubricants and filters that meet VW's standards, etc..... Filters cost a few $$ more. Higher grade synthetic oil is a bit more, etc.... Oil changes are 10,000 mile intervals, so not a huge issue. If you get a manual, you avoid the expensive ($500) DSG service every 40k miles. I did just have to special order a Bosch rear wiper from Germany as Amazon didn't have an 11" wiper in stock. VW keeps it interesting :). BTW, the stock wipers are Bosch and they are excellent.
Driving Experience.....
While ownership is a bit more involved, you are rewarded with a very nice driving experience. The handling is excellent, steering has a nice weight. Power/Torque is very good. Overall the interior quality feels more like a more mature luxury car than competitors like the Focus, Civic and Subaru. I'm an Architect and a bit of a design snob, so I like the clean, rational design of the VW over the Civic, Subaru and Focus. Those are all great cars btw and I get that many find the VW styling boring. I don't like attention.
My wife recently sold a 2014 Impreza and the VW just feels much higher quality. Doors are heavy and close with a thud. Hinges are cast and not stamped. Switches operate more firmly. Hood has pneumatic struts that hold it open. Battery is in a nice felt box. etc..... I give up AWD, but I bought a set of snow tires and the car has a nice stability control, so it does fine. My kids are 9 and 11 and fit just fine in the back seat. I am 5'10 and can fit in the back comfortably. My 9 year old son hopes he gets the GTI some day.
I have owned some fun Honda's..... an 85 Civic Si, a 99 Integra GS-R, a 2003 Element..... (won't mention the minivan) and I feel like the GTI is a better spiritual successor to those cars. I cleanly designed, simple, fun car. The modern Civic styling has gone off the rails with fake vents galore. No fake vents on the VW.
The Sportwagen would also be an excellent choice. I do miss the extra space, but I enjoy the power of the GTI. You could put a mild tune on the Sportwagen and be close. A stage 1 APR tune is plenty reliable. Civic Si would be a good option if you like the styling. Honda is relatively new to the Turbo game though and the engine is not proven.........
Good Luck!