I once drove a '95 Caprice ex-MSP cruiser with bald tires and no weight in the back for a winter :lol:. Those TDI Golfs are pretty nice cars. You'll be getting 40mpg+ and it will be great in the snow. Either way, get some winter tires, they help immensely no matter if your car is FWD, RWD, or AWD.
Sounds like fun! RWD and no snow tires are all that was available my first few years of driving! Other than the Toronado there were no front drivers. We got very used to waiting a long time at lights because normally there could only be one car getting through. Fortunately, there were only half as many cars on the road in those days!