If you just want a nice car to go from a to b i'm sure the 1.4 and 1.5 will be fine and give better mpg. My parents in law have a 1.5 150 manual TRoc, and the engine is quiet and smooth - once you're going! - slight kangarooing but better fuel helped this car and you can learn to drive around the jerking - pulling away quicker helped make it smoother. Only jerked in first gear and worse when cold.
If you have an eye on tuning then definitely the 1.8 and 2.0 TSI, 180 & 190 as they are both very much de-tuned/restricted from the factory. Re-mapping these gives huge increases especially in torque. Also have better rear suspension, bigger diameter dampers (which give better control without harshness) bigger brakes, stronger clutch/gearbox.