I purchased a 2013 Golf TDI about a year and a half ago. Put ~20K miles on it, 83K now, love it.
I'm in MN and it starts right up, even sitting outside in the winter. I did have one issue last winter where it wouldn't start, that was due to a weak battery. Replaced with a OEM battery and no more issues this winter.
The DSG can take a bit to get used to. It can be jerky if you don't drive it like a manual which is essentially what it is at heart. It takes a few seconds for the clutches to feather smoothly when you start out and can get clunky in traffic, nature of the beast. However, it has lightning fast shifts and is fun to drive VS a conventional auto IMO. t is also fairly easy to service. The filter is on top under the battery box. You can do a drain, measure and fill every 40K. I did my first at 80K over the summer.
Oil changes are easy too. You'll just need some VW specific hex sizes and wrenches. Not hard, just different. I buy the service kits from FCP Euro or ECS Tuning.
Overall I think they are fun cars to own, drive and tinker on if you like that sort of thing. They are not a Toyota Camry, you will have more issues. Mine has been in the shop one time for a O2 sensor issue and most recently has a wiring issue in the tail light assembly I need to take it in for. Still love it. IMO they are nicer cars ( both in interior quality, features and overall build quality) and have a more engaging driving experience than a vanilla commuter. This being said, mine was built in Germany, not sure about the Mexico VW's.
One last thing. They do take quite a while to produce good cabin heat in the winter. Get a coolant heater like a Frost Heater brand kit, worth the ~$160.