2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review: The Affordable German Sports Sedan

Looking for a manual transmission in a German sports sedan? While there are still a couple of choices, only one could be considered somewhat affordable. Fortunately, for those of us who consider driving entertainment rather than a chore, VW still offers a clutch pedal in the sporty iteration of the Jetta. With a base price of $32,715 and a price as tested of $35,045, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn I drove embodies the virtues of a compact sedan with the ability to comfortably travel at triple-digit speeds all day long.

2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI First Impressions

Freshened for the 2025 model year, the Jetta GLI’s exterior appearance is enhanced with LED lighting, tied together by a light bar. This gives the GLI an upscale look that is also tastefully aggressive. The obligatory red trim is front and center—okay, well, front and lacing the chin. The road wheels also have a new design. The GLI insignia, previously residing on the front fenders, has been moved to the front doors. Additionally, the taillights have been extended to encompass the breadth of the new trunk lid.

Beyond that, the Jetta GLI’s appearance is largely unchanged. And frankly, this is a good thing. Though priced toward the affordable end of the spectrum, the Jetta looks like a substantive automobile—primarily because it is. But enough about its looks, let’s talk about the way the drives.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

Where the standard Jetta gets a 1.5-liter turbocharged four, which is good for 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, the GLI runs a 2.0-liter blown four capable of 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. While my test car was fitted with the aforementioned six-speed manual transmission, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with a launch control function is also offered. The front-wheel-drive powertrain uses a limited-slip diff to ensure torque is distributed effectively, regardless of the grip available. Meanwhile, the front brake rotors and their floating calipers are borrowed from the Golf R, as are the adaptive dampers, which are adjustable in three ways.

The GLI also has multiple drive mode settings, including one in which you can choose the attributes of its steering, damping, and throttle response individually. I saw six-second zero to 60 runs, and I’m told the Jetta GLI will return 14.5-second quarters. The GLI’s handling, though competent, could be crisper. Fitting a more aggressive tire would solve that problem, though. The OEM all-season rubber with which GLIs are shipped could be stickier. Braking response would benefit from a better set of tires as well. Also, the gearbox has somewhat longish throws; however, its action is smooth, and its gates are well-defined.

Even with those opportunities for improvement, the Jetta GLI comports itself the way a sports sedan should. Stable and reassuring at speed, the VW accelerates crisply, corners with tenacity, and brakes resolutely. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s pretty close to an , albeit with less power, no all-wheel drive, and a considerably lower price tag.

Performance Specifications

2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Fuel Economy

EPA fuel economy estimates for the six-speed are 25 mpg in the city, 35 on the highway, and 29 combined. Running the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the GLI’s projections are 26 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. All things being equal, it would likely return 30 mpg combined. I averaged 27 mpg overall, driving for smiles rather than miles per gallon, with the six-speed.

Interior Design And Comfort

Along with the exterior updates, the interior got a few new touches as well. The dash has been redesigned to look more contemporary. A digital instrument panel, measuring 10.3 inches diagonally, resides behind the steering wheel. An 8.0-inch touchscreen monitor provides an infotainment interface.

Heated and ventilated front seats, upholstered in leather, are standard. The seats are also trimmed with red stitching, which adds to the interior’s sporty ambiance. Ingress and egress are accomplished readily, and there is reasonable comfort to be had from each of the spacious cabin’s main seating positions. The rear seat could offer more legroom, but it’s adequate. Similarly, the front seats could be more supportive when the car is being driven aggressively, but they are comfortable overall.

The interior treatment is cleaner now, as many of the knobs from the previous version respond to touch. On the other hand, while the Jetta GLI is well-equipped, there are places in which the quality of the materials used could be better. Ambient interior lighting and a panoramic sunroof help mitigate that concern, though.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

On the tech front, the GLI comes standard with and Android compatibility. A Wi-Fi hotspot is featured as well. A Beats Audio sound system provides 400 watts to deliver your favorite tunes with authority. A wireless smartphone charging pad is also in the mix, along with USB data and charging ports.

The digital instrumentation monitor behind the steering wheel is reconfigurable in a number of different ways. Voice activation is also incorporated for key features. VW’s IQ-Drive suite of features is included.

This provides smart cruise control, lane keeping assistance, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian monitoring. Active blind-spot monitoring and rear traffic alert are numbered among the features as well. Best of all, everything operates in an intuitive manner. Thumbing the owner’s manual is not a prerequisite to operating the Jetta’s secondary functions competently.

Cargo And Storage Space

A comprehensive set of door pockets, a deep center console storage area, and, of course, the requisite glovebox provide more than adequate on-board storage. One of the best things about the GLI being based on the Golf/Jetta platform is its ability to handle an abundance of cargo. The trunk, with 14 cubic feet of capacity, can be properly described as cavernous. Plus, the rear seat back folds flat to provide even more carrying capacity.

2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Vs. Its Competitors

The Jetta GLI is up against some formidable rivals. For example, the is universally acclaimed to be one of the leaders in the compact sports sedan category. The Hyundai Elantra N also brings some serious firepower to the class. Both offerings are highly rated, both are driver-oriented, and both are priced similarly to the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

How The Volkswagen Jetta GLI Compares To The Honda Civic Si

Boasting something of a cult following, the Honda Civic Si has long been considered one of the benchmarks in the compact sport sedan category. Honda ships the Civic Si with but one powertrain configuration: a 200-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four, mated to a six-speed manual transmission, feeding the front wheels. Driver engagement is a huge aspect of the Civic Si’s reason for being.

The Honda also offers good comfort, respectable cargo capacity, and a generous array of comfort and convenience features. Cutting-edge tech features can also be numbered among the Honda’s attributes. Like the Jetta GLI, the Civic Si’s zero to 60 is in the six-second range. The Honda also delivers outstanding grip, which enables it to fully exploit the powertrain’s capabilities.

How The Volkswagen Jetta GLI Compares To The Hyundai Elantra N

A relative newcomer to the category, the Hyundai Elantra N acts like someone with something to prove. Hyundai’s sport sedan offers 286-horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. The Elantra can also be had with an eight-speed automatic transmission as an option. Hyundai considers the six-speed manual part of the Elantra N’s standard powertrain configuration.

More than just a laundry list of go-fast kit, the Elantra N is an enjoyable driver’s car. The engine note is rousing. Its steering, throttle, and brake responses are sharp, and there’s plenty of grip. I’ve seen zero to 60 times of just under five seconds for the Elantra N, which makes it the quickest car in this matchup. Meanwhile, like the Honda and the VW, the latest in cutting-edge tech is an integral aspect of the Elantra N package.

Our Recommendation For Which Model You Should Buy

This one is a pretty tough call, as there is no wrong choice. If we’re talking sheer performance potential, the Elantra N boasts the most powerful engine, along with handling prowess to match the Honda and the VW. It’s also a handsome car, which gives the Elantra N high marks in the looks department too.

Meanwhile, the Civic Si has an outstanding reputation for performance, along with a commensurate reputation for reliability. Civics don’t just die; you have to try to kill them. When it comes to shifting for yourself, the Honda has the most precise gearbox of the lot. The Civic is also reasonably spacious and well-equipped. That said, it doesn’t quite do it for me in the looks department in the same way the Hyundai and the VW do.

To my eye, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is the one in which I’d want to be seen. The appearance of the Jetta evokes an air of worldliness that the other two can’t muster. Yes, the Elantra is a pretty car, but the Jetta is handsome. And, while the Elantra N does offer more horsepower, the Jetta—when fitted with a proper set of tires would match it in terms of grip, steering feel, and sharpness.

With all of that said, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at any of them. But if I had to choose one, it’d be the . What can I say? I’m just a sucker for classy attire.