2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Compact sport sedans are a shrinking segment, so it makes us smile to see Volkswagen improve and evolve its own effort in this category with the 2025 Jetta GLI. Oddly, though, the vehicles that do exist in this segment serve up something for everyone. Do you prefer more power or better handling? Do you want to stay in the low $30,000 range or slide up into the $40,000 space?

With its engine output, choice of gearboxes, and strong starting price relative to the competition, the Jetta GLI offers a well-rounded effort on all fronts. It’s fun to drive, but the exhaust note will never get tiresome, and the ride quality will never be overly harsh.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact sedans, including the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

Volkswagen offers a redesigned front fascia, new headlights, and a reworked rear end complete with a full-width LED lighting element. A black honeycomb rear diffuser complements the rear design, and the exhaust openings are wider. Inside, the Jetta GLI features a reworked dashboard with a new 8-inch infotainment display.

It’s really fun to shop in the sport compact segment because every available choice really is a good one. If you want an affordable option with a great interior, there’s the Honda Civic Si. Do you prefer a bit more power and cornering bite? You’ll want to check out the Hyundai Elantra N. There’s also the Civic Type R and GR Corolla if you really want to push the performance levels up while also being ready to spend quite a bit more money.

When we loop the Jetta GLI back in against this group, it winds up on the lower end of the price spectrum while retaining smile-inducing driving dynamics. Before buying a new Jetta GLI, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should pay.

While 228 horsepower doesn’t sound terribly thrilling, the Jetta GLI’s 258 lb-ft of torque pulls it out of a corner with gusto. That’s more oomph, by the way, than the entertaining Civic Si. But the Honda doesn’t give you an option with respect to the transmission. The Jetta GLI lets automatic fans and those looking to “Save the Manual” enjoy the action with equal aplomb.

As sporty as it can be, the Jetta GLI is also a great daily driver, thanks to its adaptive dampers. Set off in Comfort mode, and your commute is a cozy breeze. However, when you want to take the long and winding road home, pop the car into Sport and enjoy the other side of the GLI coin. We felt the steering feel is surprisingly well-tuned, and there’s more than enough braking power to haul in your speed as needed.

Looking at the transmission tunnel, it’s great to see a manual gearbox gear selector. Still, the clutch could provide better feedback and the shifter action is a bit on the wet-noodle side of things. On the flip side, the 7-speed DSG rips off shifts and makes great use of the torque from the engine. That said, it’s still great to see a manual even being an option in this day and age.

Fuel Economy

The Jetta GLI returns 26 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. That’s for cars with the six-speed stick. Opt for the DSG, and those numbers drop by one mpg across the board.

Volkswagen redesigned the dash of the Jetta GLI to accommodate that new center screen. The automaker also sees fit to give the GLI its larger gauge cluster as standard. Adding in great features like heated and ventilated seats plus a panoramic sunroof sounds like an equation that equals success.

But it’s not all rosy, updated wonder inside this one. The materials feel less than premium, which is a bummer since the rest of the competition is crafting lovely cabin spaces. Also, it’s never a good idea to use touch-capacitive sliders and “buttons” for portions of the car where a simple knob makes way more sense. When you want to operate your climate controls, you have to take your eyes off the road to make sure you’re touching the right spot.

There is a great amount of space inside the Jetta GLI and your back-seat passengers likely won’t complain about legroom. It’s at the upper end of the compact sedan scale with the Honda Civic. Plus, there’s plenty of room for everyone’s bags because the trunk space is downright cavernous for the segment. It’s near best-in-class along with the Civic and Nissan Sentra.

The 2025 Jetta GLI benefits from tweaks to its nose and tail. The front bumper has a new shape, and a healthy amount of black honeycomb is in the upper and lower grille areas. Volkswagen fits the GLI badging in the upper left portion of the top grille, similar to how it would be in a Golf GTI. Out back, a full-width light bar connects the taillights, plus more black honeycomb for the rear diffuser.

Volkswagen fits the GLI with 18-inch machined alloy wheels as standard. However, if you select the appropriately named Black Package, you can opt for blacked-out wheels.

Finally, Volkswagen has two new colors for the 2025 Jetta GLI. Monterey Blue Pearl and Monument Gray join White, Black, and Red as your optional hues.

Available Manual Gearbox

Even if we think it’s not as slick as other manual gearboxes, it’s still awesome to see one being offered.

Digital Gauge Cluster and Infotainment Display

The Jetta GLI comes standard with the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro gauge cluster display. It’s configurable with up to four different views and can display as much or as little info as you need. Central on the dash is the 8-inch screen, which features wireless connectivity for your device and an upgraded BeatsAudio sound system through which you can pump your favorite tunes.

Well Equipped With Great Standard Content

Volkswagen fits the Jetta GLI with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a big sunroof over your head, keyless entry, remote start, rain-sensing wipers, and a wireless charger for your device.

Sporty Chassis Tuning

Adaptive dampers, big brakes, and a limited-slip differential up front make this a dynamically entertaining package.

IQ.Drive

This suite of advanced driver-assist and safety features combines automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

Smartphone integration is standard in the Jetta GLI.

The GLI isn’t saddled with the 1.5-liter engine found in the rest of the Jetta lineup. It features a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, producing 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through an electronic limited-slip differential that distributes power left and right as needed. It’s a brake-based torque-vectoring system that reduces understeer and wheel slip.

Buyers can choose between a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 6-speed manual transmission. There is no price difference between them.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The Jetta GLI features a bumper-to-bumper warranty for the first four years or 50,000 miles. Volkswagen also gives you its Carefree Maintenance Program, which essentially takes care of your 10,000-mile and 20,000-mile services at no extra cost.

Safety

Because the Jetta is an older design, its testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a mixed bag. It received the highest score of Good on the three older tests but Poor and Acceptable on the two newer tests. It scored 5 out of 5 stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) overall Safety tests.