Oil filter Mann or Wix

You should stick with the OEM filter, made by Mann or Hengst. You can buy at VW dealer or Amazon.

This time around I used a Wix filter (which oddly has no branding on the can but is exactly the same as the Mann filter for these cars). I chose to use non-VW-price-gauging oil which doesn't have their certification but I am pretty confident would meet it: Zepro Eco Medalist 0W20. It's an excellent oil intended for small displacement turbocharged vehicles.

I use WIX filters a lot - excellent reputation.

Mann is OEM to many manufacturers. Since I've been fixing German cars for 35 years, I'm pretty certain I have seen more used oil filters that you ever will. As a diagnostic technician for over 20 years, I bet I cut open more oil/fuel filters too. I have never seen a factory [Mann, Hengst, Mahle] filter not do their job in the time/mileage they are suppose to do it. I have seen them fail after 40k miles, but that is not what they are designed to last.

I noticed a huge difference in how clean the oil was midway between changes when I went to a Mann filter from a Purolator filter.

Best is sticking with OE stuff (VW, Mann, or Mahle - Mann filters can be had from many places online.) If I were to shotgun parts at this (read: not bother checking pressure with a gauge, just throw parts at it), I would do a good filter, and an actual VW pressure switch

Wix are a pretty high quality replacement per my experience. Wix are certainly good enough to validate that behavior is not unique to the STP filter.

I run all of my fleet either on OE VAG filters or Mahle and Mann who are the OEMs for VAG. I buy filters in bulk, depending on who has which filter at an attractive price at the moment. Right now I have a Mann HU 719/7x in the Eurovan - according to the maintenance spreadsheet I bought it for $7.72 from autohausaz.

Make sure you get ONLY an OEM Mann oil filter or you WILL have oil pressure issues and you WILL shorten the life of your motor, guaranteed.

Buy Mann/Mahle or equivalent filters - Amazon/ebay/rockauto. Those are OEM suppliers.