6C Polo GTi - Reliability

[LimSlip]

I'm after a 5 door supermini with a decent bit of power, manual gearbox and the main criteria I have is it needs to be narrow enough to fit into my 1930's driveway which was probably designed around an Austin 7. I have a Swift Sport at the moment which is plenty tight, so don't want anything significantly wider. Can't widen the drive as one side is my house the other is a neighbours wall.

I had my heart set on a 1.5T Fiesta ST but was distraught to discover the seats are quite uncomfortable due to deep and narrow bolsters. My wife was not too happy about the comfort either and she's nowhere near director sized Sticking in seats from a none ST model might be a possibility, though I'd prefer not to have to modify it.

The Polo seems to tick most of the boxes and definitely feels a bit more upmarket inside, but need some reassurance on the EA888 engine which seems to not have a great reliability record. I'd be looking at the last of the 6C shaped cars, had all the main issues (timing chain/tensioner, carbon deposits, HPFP failures, thermostat housing/water pump leaks etc.) been resolved at this point? Are there any common issues I should be aware of?