Golf tdi or similar again or if it has to be petrol the 1.8t.
Or an Audi a3/seat/skoda,all the same platform and equally good.
Rst for a daily?
No thanks,can't leave it anywhere either,ok reliability but a few salty winters and it's in the crusher.
Merc clk's are cheap bruisers too,a nice 230 compressor could be the bollox.
Just a thought!!!