As the compact sports sedan class shrinks, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI still stands proud, complete with an optional manual transmission to go with its responsive 228-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It moves into 2025 with a healthy refresh for the sedan’s single trim, called Autobahn, which Volkswagen promises will improve refinement and technology. Value is also high on the priority list, and the Jetta GLI does, indeed, pack a lot of features with its nimble, sporty attitude and ability.
We made our way out to one of California’s most popular driving areas, mainly known for the Angeles Crest highway, with Volkswagen to take the 2025 Jetta GLI for an afternoon spin out into the twisting roads. The refreshed model is certainly pretty, but it’s overshadowed by the hatchback Golf GTI with its extra horsepower and similar entry price. We arrived at the question: Is the Jetta GLI still relevant as we head towards 2025?
First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.
Exterior: Familiar And Sharp
The Jetta could easily be mistaken for any other compact sedan from a distance, but its design from closer up is distinctive. The 2025 refresh includes new bumpers, revised headlights, and a new light bar connecting the tail lamps together via the trunk lid. There’s also a new selection of wheels, and the overall effect is sharp and inoffensive. The GLI has the advantage over other models of sitting lower to the floor on sport suspension.
The split in opinion here will be between people who love it and those who aren’t offended by it. And, considering how automotive styling has been jumping around lately, it’s something we can appreciate. The Jetta GLI is still going to look good in five or ten years by simply not dating itself too quickly.
New for 2025, the Jetta GLI offers:
- Two new exterior colors: Monterey Blye Pearl and Monument Grey
- New 18-inh alloy wheels
- New optional black wheel package
An acoustically optimized panoramic glass tilt/slide sunroof is standard on the GLI. However, the shade material inside the car for when you don’t want the extra light is cheap and thin. As a result, when the sun is out and direct, it is also direct heat on the driver and passenger’s head – something worth noting.
Interior: Working Well With What You Have
The less-than-ideal shade for the sunroof isn’t the first clue that the Jetta GLI is built to a price point. The plastics aren’t Volkswagen’s best, and the front seats aren’t the most supportive, but we need to look at the car as a whole and with its value proposition in mind.
The upside is that it’s more attractive inside than some of Volkswagen’s more expensive SUVs – the new dash design is fluid and pretty and is part of an overall exacting-yet-comfortable feel that includes padded leatherette door inserts, a real leather-wrapped steering wheel, and shifter knob (we drove the manual transmission version), stainless steel pedal caps, and a black headliner. Dual-zone climate control is standard across the lineup, and we found the air conditioning to be strong during the midday Californian summer heat.
The touch-sensitive temperature controls have been an issue before, but we found them to be responsive, and the way they’re framed makes them easy to find without having to take attention from the road. A high point for us every time we drive a Jetta is the trunk space. Its 14.1 cubic feet is nice and boxy, making all of it usable. This is a sedan that works as well for family duty as it does for the professional.
Infotainment: Let Down At The Final Hurdle
The Jetta GLI lands with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard and two USB-C ports along with a 45-watt wireless charger. In fact, the infotainment measures just right in terms of ease of use, responsiveness, and a not-too-small eight-inch touchscreen display. The infotainment then gains points from the excellent and configurable Volkswagen Digital Cockpit system for the driver. The display is bold, clear, and can be as granular as you want with information, or use the whole screen to show the navigation.
Unfortunately, we weren’t too impressed with the BeatsAudio system, despite the impressive numbers. It boasts 12 channels, a 400-watt amplifier, digital signal processing, and nine speakers, including a subwoofer. However, the bass is not controlled well, while the highs are harsh. No manner of tweaking the settings could rid the bass of its excessive hollow sound at the edges with the volume set to enjoy levels – likely to do with its placement and surrounding materials. This feels a little nit-picky, and admittedly, this writer is an audiophile who takes sound systems very seriously.
Under The Hood: Fun
Unlike the sound system, the engine doesn’t boast big numbers, and unlike the sound system, the engine does deliver. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine produces 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels with enough vigor to chirp the wheels through first, second, and third gear on hot concrete. This goes for the manual transmission, and vigor is the perfect word – it’s not a powerhouse, but the engine wants to work, and the power is consistent.
The manual transmission is a six-speed that might be a little light for the hardcore enthusiast, but we had a lot of fun running up and down the gears without having to learn any nuances. There’s not a lot going on with exhaust sound, but there’s enough grit and growl to feedback when your foot is in it.
On The Road: Where the Jetta GLI Shows Its Real Value
The beauty of the Jetta GI is in how it balances between its around-town and freeway manners with being straight-up fun to drive on a back road. It’s comfortable, the ride is pleasant, it’s roomy enough for four adults, and the trunk is generous – but it’s also nimble with great body control when roads get tight. The engine wants to help with its responsiveness and consistency. The blend is excellent if you don’t want or need the seriousness of the even more performance-focused Golf GTI, Civic Si, or Hyundai’s Elantra N, which all feel more urgent to drive. The Jetta GLI is more playful than that little list, although it won’t keep up through corners with any of them.
Setting back onto the highways, freeway, and then into the city, the manual is easy to drive smoothly, and the Jetta GLI goes back to its pleasant-to-drive self without having to press any buttons.
Conclusion: Is The Jetta GLI Still Relevant?
The simple answer is yes, it is. It’s a sporty, affordable car packed with premium features that shouldn’t get you into trouble too easily. It’s a value proposition on wheels in that it’s fun to drive, has a comfortable ride, and includes a plethora of standard features and tech capability; it will satisfy those who want quantity over overall quality and with a big dose of front-wheel-drive fun.
However, even though they are built to cost, those seats should be more comfortable, and the shade of the sunroof is a sticking point for us. As is the BeatsAudio system, which we found to be a letdown and the definition of quantity over quality. We would prefer a normal factory system that sounds fine and that the financial savings be diverted to better seats and an actual shade for the sunroof.
If you’re interested, though, you should test drive a Jetta GLI and pay attention to the seats, sunroof, and stereo to make sure you can live with them – after all, different body types like different seats, you may live somewhere that doesn’t have relentlessly sunny days for what feels like half the year, and music quality isn’t high on your priority list.
If those aren’t deal-breakers, then the 2025 Jetta GLI is a comfortable, sensible, yet playfully entertaining sporty little car – with, in our opinion, a better ride quality than the standard Jetta from its suspension. This is exactly what a Jetta GLI should be, and it fills what would otherwise be a gap in the market extremely well.