I don’t take life too severely, and in the event you want proof simply take a look at my automobile. I’m a 6-foot-8 Mini Cooper S proprietor with a license plate that reads as “Yeah, I match.” I revel within the alternative to have enjoyable, particularly behind the wheel of a zesty sport compact, so suffice to say I used to be stoked to get a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI with a six-speed guide for per week. How was america’ final guide transmission-equipped Individuals’s Automobile? In a phrase, enjoyable.
Full disclosure: Volkswagen invited me to the launch occasion for the facelifted 2025 Jetta, and I received to take a Jetta GLI house with me for per week. I lived with my frankly lovely Kings Pink 2025 Jetta GLI Autobahn as my each day driver and had a blast doing it. If you happen to’re in search of data on the usual Jetta, learn that overview right here. Thanks for the enjoyable, VW!
The primary Jetta GLI was launched 40 years in the past, and this 2025 mannequin retains the spirit of the unique as an attractive sporty automobile with all of the practicality and value of the spacious and reasonably priced Jetta. What’s new for 2025? Not a ton, and that’s okay. VW restyled the entrance finish, which now aligns higher with the remainder of Volkswagen’s lineup and appears much more fashionable and enticing. The rear good points a full-width tail mild bar, and inside there’s a brand new sprint design with a bigger tablet-style infotainment display screen and touch-sensitive local weather controls.
Sadly for severe cut price hunters, the Jetta GLI is now solely provided in high Autobahn trim; all different trim ranges have been eradicated. This implies the most cost effective GLI now prices a still-reasonable $33,940 (together with $1,225 for vacation spot), and neither transmission choice saves you any dough. My take a look at automobile rang in at $35,045 because of its non-obligatory beautiful Kings Pink paint job and Black Package deal that blacks out the mirror caps and the roof.
What doesn’t change within the 2025 replace is the powertrain. Volkswagen’s much-loved EA888 turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine nonetheless lives below the Jetta’s restyled hood, and it produces the identical 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as final 12 months. It may be mated to a six-speed guide transmission like my take a look at automobile or a seven-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox, in the event you insist. I’m not an automated transmission hater, however the 2025 Jetta GLI is the one new Volkswagen provided with three pedals within the U.S., so it deserves to be celebrated for that. The GLI additionally retains the outgoing automobile’s unbiased rear suspension and limited-slip entrance differential, two essential items of the fun-to-drive puzzle.
Driving the GLI is a joyful expertise whatever the setting, however let’s begin with the enjoyable stuff. Be warned — driving the GLI like a hooligan could produce uncomfortable side effects like extreme grinning and guffawing, as a result of this factor is a hoot. Choose Sport mode, and the GLI’s steering and adaptive dampers agency up whereas the audio system let the fizzy EA888’s sounds fill the cabin. Drop the clutch, let the entrance tires discover grip, and trip the hefty wave of torque to the 6,500 rpm redline.
The GLI has the identical spectacular shove that it’s had for years, and it’s nonetheless playful and enjoyable to toss by twists and turns. It’s susceptible to torque steer, particularly in the event you’re on an uneven highway floor, however that makes it really feel vigorous and rowdy. The exhaust word sounds nice with out the piped-in engine noise, which I truly turned off as a result of it bothered me. Sadly, the automobile is let down by its customary all-season tires that inhibit the GLI’s in any other case spectacular front-end grip. The guide transmission is each straightforward and a number of enjoyable to make use of, with a lightweight clutch and a fairly exact shift really feel. The GLI delivers on enjoyable identical to it has for many years, however as sedans grow to be rarer and rarer, we will now not take its existence with no consideration.
Lower to the bustling metropolis streets of Los Angeles the place the Jetta GLI felt extremely strong and composed, and sure, nonetheless enjoyable. The unbiased rear suspension does an excellent job holding the again of the automobile settled over damaged pavement, and the guide transmission’s mild clutch prevented any left leg ache. The EA888’s intoxicating energy paired with the guide transmission made it tough for me to drive frugally; I stored catching myself driving aggressively and utilizing visitors lights like drag strip christmas timber. The automobile possesses a fascinating character that makes you wish to drive it tougher.
On the freeway, the GLI suffers from terminal tire noise in a approach that the Jetta’s extra fashionable opponents have already solved. All Jettas come customary with Volkswagen’s Degree 2 driver’s help system referred to as IQ Drive, which blew my thoughts a bit given the guide transmission. It’s a really efficient system that does a great job holding issues centered within the lane and transferring easily with visitors, however it’s such a wierd feeling to be shifting your personal gears whereas the automobile does a lot of the remainder of the work. It’s not a nasty feeling in any respect — in truth it labored nice with the guide and would stay lively by shifts, even persevering with to decelerate when the automobile is in impartial — it’s simply an intriguing combination of digital and analog. The GLI’s freeway gas effectivity is spectacular too. Cruising round 75 mph in sixth gear returns miles-per-gallon numbers within the mid-to-high 30s. The guide is rated at 26 mpg within the metropolis and 36 on the freeway, with each of these numbers being one mpg larger than GLIs outfitted with the automated transmission, surprisingly.
The perform of the Jetta’s inside doesn’t change a lot from the present automobile, other than the unlucky choice to change away from bodily local weather controls with knobs and buttons to a Climatronic Contact show. It’s not completely hateful, however it does require you to look away from the highway to make sure you’re partaking with the contact slider you meant to. It’s illuminated at evening at the least, in contrast to different VWs from the previous few years, and the truth that there’s a devoted local weather show is healthier than having all the pieces hidden within the infotainment, however the 2024 automobile’s bodily controls had been extra idiot-proof.
The steering wheel feels nice in your palms, but in addition suffers from contact delicate buttons. I had an infuriating expertise with these touchpads once I adjusted the cruise management’s comply with distance after which tried growing the cruise management velocity. I efficiently adjusted the comply with distance, however once I tapped the + button to extend my velocity, the automobile thought I used to be nonetheless urgent the comply with distance button time and again. I needed to let it relaxation for a second after which attempt growing the velocity once more. It’s not a deal breaker, however it’s unnecessarily sophisticated.
You get the identical capacious inside as the usual Jetta with ample room up entrance, within the again seats and within the trunk. The infotainment is typical VW, so in the event you’re aware of the corporate’s UX then you definitely’ll be proper at house. If not, some issues could take some time to search out, however you’ll be taught it fairly rapidly. For 2025 the Jetta good points customary wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a cooled and increased-output wi-fi charger, and sooner charging USB-C ports. The entrance seats sit weirdly excessive up and are available customary with a pleasant however barely underwhelming air flow perform, and there are heated outboard seats entrance and rear. The one factor I actually disliked contained in the automobile was the usual BeatsAudio system, which simply sounded unhealthy and never befitting of a $35,000 automobile.
My greatest problem with the Jetta GLI comes once you carry its opponents into the image. Since VW solely gives the Autobahn trim, the GLI prices virtually the identical as a Hyundai Elantra N, a automobile that takes a fun-to-drive demeanor to the subsequent stage. The Elantra N gives a guide just like the GLI, and it’s a considerably extra highly effective targeted driver’s automobile, however the GLI gives a extra refined on a regular basis expertise.
The Jetta is beginning to present its age, however it’s nonetheless an extremely versatile automobile that has precise area for a household of 4 whereas nonetheless in a position to grow to be a canyon carver at a second’s discover. If you happen to care about your automobile’s driving expertise, you need to think about the GLI earlier than you take a look at any crossover. And don’t be afraid of the guide!
