What is the best diesel option - Volvo S40, Volkswagen Passat or Jetta?

I'm looking for the best diesel option out of an 07/08 Volvo S40, Volkswagen Passat or Jetta. Reliability and fuel economy are my most important considerations. What would you recommend?

Volkswagen Passat diesel - does it have any known issues?

I have been offered a 2010 Volkswagen Passat estate diesel, with 82,000 miles and full service history from a family member for £6000. Do these cars suffer from lots of problems?

What is the most reliable used hatchback?

Can you recommend a reliable used hatchback for around £9,000? My annual mileage is around 20,000, consisting of short trips of no more than 15 miles at a time. The car would be preferably manual.

Volkswagen Passat (2005 - 2011)

Spacious and comfortable. Wide range of engines. Big, boot with lockable seatbacks. Generally better from May 2008 onwards.