Considering Purchase

I am seriously considering the purchase of a 2000 or 2001 Jetta GLS. There are a few in my area, some 1.8T and others 2.0L. I was wondering what i can expect from the car as far as problems, I will probably be doing alot of highway travel (military). I currently own a 94 Sentra that is on the edge, so I want to get something newer that I can afford. Are the problems that I read about Jetta's a result of how they are treated? Or is it just a lower quality vehicle. I just want something fairly reliable that I can do a little weekend work to.