mk4's arent unreliable, tbh any brand of car has faults and the mk4 golf is one, along with every other mk of golf theyve made!!!, if there serviced and looked after by a owner who sorts things rather than 'lives with it' then youll get a good car, standard mk4 handling isnt fantastic but its isnt sh@t either depends on what your used to driving to compare it with, i went from a mondeo, to my mk4 gti, and the handling was ok, then i lowered it on springs and it was better... then when i fitted coilovers and up rated anitroll bars it was fookin great but you do suffer in the comfort stakes...
as for engines the 1.8 20v turbo is the engine for smiles per miles and for your wallet, the others take lots of cash to get super speedy unless you have money for a r32 etc outright... lol
