[lumberjim]

that's a very difficult car to find

not many 5 speeds left in america, unfortunately.

reccomendations:

another jetta (96-97)

92-94 accord Lx
97-98 nissan sentra
2000-2001 kia sephia ( this is actually a mazda protege), but they dont hold their value for shit, so you can get a good deal on one. and they are actually pretty good cars ($2500-$4600 in NADA)

TO ANSWER YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION:
a car from a dealer will most likely have gone through inspection at least, and come with some kind of warranty. You MIGHT find a good deal from an individual, but you have a much better chance of getting burnt on the deal because of undisclosed mechanical issues. The best place to look is at a dealer that sells new cars of the same make you like, or online at plces like autotrader.com or it's clones.

let me know what you find, and I'll try to advise you on what you SHOULD pay, and common things you should watch out for.