2025 VW Jetta GLI – Undiscovered Gem

Sedans
November 18, 2024
Dan Gunay

I love sport compact sedans, they offer a great value proposition and decent performance without breaking the bank. I put my money where I always said I would, and bought a 2021 VW GLI back in 2021 brand new as a daily driver. Why? Because compared to the other brand-new cars, it offered a great balance of performance, comfort, interior space, and standard features for the money, which puts the GLI in a unique spot.

Just like the 2021 MY, the updated Volkswagen Jetta GLI continues to carve its niche in the sport compact sedan segment with its distinctive mix of performance, practicality, and features – this time with more European flair in the design language. Often overshadowed by its hatchback sibling, the iconic GTI, the 2025 GLI steps into the spotlight as the sole Volkswagen model to offer a manual transmission – a deliberate move to capture the hearts of driving enthusiasts.

The 7th generation GLI is one of the few Volkswagen models that had its third refresh, even though it was released not too long ago. In its fifth year, the GLI had its biggest refresh. The first update back in 2022 was a very minor design update in the interior, front, and rear bumpers. The front fascia was a step back as it tried to look more premium, but less sporty. The 2025 GLI looks much better than the previous update, it finally has more European design language, especially in the front fascia.

The rear end is mostly unchanged, Volkswagen updated the rear bumper back in 2022 and it looks exactly the same. The only big change is the one-piece taillight that gives the GLI a more premium look overall. The outer taillights are identical, so the only change is the trunk lid and updated taillight in the middle. GLI badge was moved to the middle and right under the Volkswagen logo.

From the side profile, it is almost unchanged. At the end of the day, it is still using the same 7th-generation MQB platform. Of course, there are new colors available for 2025, and Volkswagen made the black package optional in the Canadian market. Even though it is not expensive (only $500 CAD), it might be the right choice if you like black accents including the wheels, roof, and mirror caps.

Volkswagen did a terrific job with the interior updates, even though it looks almost completely new, they made smart choices and only improved the most visible areas. The upper dashboard is completely new, and it makes the interior look less monochromatic. When it was first released back in 2019, it was one of the biggest criticisms as it felt a little bland in the interior. Even though it has more glossy black surfaces compared to the outgoing model, they are on the upper dashboard and out of the way.

The lower dashboard is mostly the same, and I wish Volkswagen kept the GLI separate from the model lineup in terms of physical controls. The HVAC controls were physical knobs, Volkswagen switched to touch-sensitive controls, which forces you to look down and take your eyes off every time you try to change them. Also, the steering wheel controls are now haptic feedback touch sensitive. Even though I do not find it as annoying as some would, I would prefer the old-school physical controls at least on the wheel.

There aren’t a lot of changes when it comes to tech, simply because there is no reinventing the wheel. The digital gauge cluster is one of the most customizable options in its class, and you can see your navigation screen in front of you, which contributes to the overall premium feeling. On the other hand, the head unit and the touchscreen also work quite well. If you are looking for a more old-school experience, the GLI still offers that with actual volume and tune knobs, and dedicated touch-sensitive buttons on the head unit.

Unlike most entries, the GLI is one of the only sport compact sedans that comes with memory seats, and ventilated seats in the front, and it really shows the target audience for the GLI. It tries to be different by adding more features, and that makes it more appealing to the middle-aged audience. The front seats offer a decent amount of legroom and headroom. The only problem is that it isn’t comfortable for long trips, and it doesn’t have enough side bolstering for spirited driving and that’s the biggest complaint I have when it comes to the overall ownership experience.

The GLI is one of the largest compact sedans available, which means it also has a decent amount of rear legroom space. The cost-cutting measures are easier to find in the rear, but those are widely common in this segment. For the Canadian market, it still comes with heated rear seats, but I wish it offered air vents for the rear seat passengers as well. I find the rear seats are quite comfortable thanks to the generous headroom, but the fixed headrests make it harder to install a front-facing child seat.

Just like the interior, the GLI has a quite generous (399 liters) amount of cargo space for a sedan. Of course, it is not as versatile as the other hatchback offerings as it doesn’t have a vertical cargo area. However, it offers much more depth, making it easier to place longer items without having to fold down the rear seats. The 60/40 split-folding rear seats can be quite useful in case if you are planning to carry even longer items.

As mentioned before, the GLI is going to be the only Volkswagen with a stick shift, and it still comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The EA888 engine is also used in many other Volkswagen, Audi, and even some Porsche models with small changes, which shows the importance for the whole brand. It has big shoes to fill compared to any other 4-cylinder available, and it delivers everything exceptionally well.

Even though GLI only gets the 3rd generation EA888 engine, it is still quite capable. Unlike the 8th generation Golf R and the GTI, it is still using the 7th generation platform, therefore it didn’t get the 4th generation EA888 engine and ultimately didn’t get the horsepower bump like the GTI. It is still quite fast for a compact sedan, and it still offers punchy mid-range and also one of the smoothest 4-cylinder engines available, which is a great fit with the GLI’s sporty & calm character.

Even though the manual transmission is the right choice for most enthusiasts, you can also choose the 7-speed DSG transmission and the GLI can only send power to the front wheels. The dual-clutch transmission upshifts quite fast, but it is too EPA-focused in automatic mode. Thankfully, it comes with an electronically limited slip differential in the front regardless of your transmission choice, which is a must for a sporty front wheel drive vehicle. Based on the driving mode, the e-LSD can engage harder to avoid tire spin in the mid-corner and it pulls the front end of the vehicle as you start turning and applying more throttle.

The drivetrain is unchanged for 2025, so as the suspension setup. It still comes with electronically adjustable shocks, which prioritizes comfort over sportiness. Even in the sportiest mode, the GLI feels quite compliant and does not punish the driver. There is a minimum amount of body roll, but that happens in a very controllable fashion. It’s confidence-inspiring in the mid-corner, it gives you enough feedback to push more for the corner exit. The steering wheel and chassis are quite communicative and tell you what each tire is doing at the limit, something you expect from a sport compact sedan.

The only gripe I had about the whole driving experience is the Hankook all-season tires, which are one of the worst factory tires I have ever seen, they offer almost no grip on any surface and can’t put the power down properly. This is one of the few reviews that I have to mention how bad the factory tires are. I wish Volkswagen had offered a summer tire option or a performance-oriented all-season, as it changes the driving dynamics drastically, and improves the overall capability of the GLI. On the positive side, once you get rid of those tires and have something with more grip, it shows its true potential and becomes so much more fun to drive.

The GLI definitely deserves more credit, and it would still be my first choice as an all-rounder thanks to its unique balance of a long standard feature list and a fun driving experience without punishing the driver. You can also benefit from having tons of aftermarket options to make it more capable from the performance standpoint if you want to go that route. However, the Hyundai Elantra N and the Subaru WRX RS are also other decent options if you are looking for all-out performance out of your sports compact sedan. The 2025 GLI is slightly more expensive to buy than four years ago, but I still think it offers the best bang for the buck in its class with much better looks for 2025.

Engine	2.0-litre turbocharged inline-4
Transmission & Drivetrain	7-speed automatic (DSG) & front-wheel-drive
Max power (combined)	228 hp @ 6700 rpm
Max torque (combined)	258 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm
0-100 km/h	6.1 sec
Curb Weight	3314 lbs – 1503 kg
Fuel Economy (observed)	28 MPG – 8.5 L/100 km
Starting at (as tested)	$38,376 CAD
Website:	www.vw.ca