My first diesel was a 2004 TDI Beetle I bought on the East Coast one summer for $900 in New York because it wouldn't pass their state emissions test. I drove it back to the Midwest at the end of summer, drove it for the last 2 years of college, and sold it right before my first deployment! super fun little manual car! I even JB-welded a heater pad to the oil pan during a harsh Midwest winter.
Just upgraded to the 3.0 myself, glad to be back in a truck again! Congrats, friend!