2025 Volkswagen Jetta and GLI Review: Borderline Bargain Bliss

Despite many manufacturers turning away from sedans, Volkswagen has remained committed with the Jetta seeing a nice sales bump as a result. For the 2025 model year, VW is giving the Jetta and GLI refreshed exterior, updated interior elements and even a lower starting MSRP.

However, this isn’t a total re-imagining of the sedan. The Jetta persists as affordable transportation that somehow manages to feel more upscale than it actually is, whereas the GLI remains one of the better sport sedans in its segment — especially for those still wanting to option a manual transmission.

Volkswagen is keenly aware of this and has intentionally reduced the price of the Jetta while the competition has been increasing MSRPs. The company said it’s sympathetic of the current monetary sensitivities being confronted by the market and that it wants the sedan to remain in reach of customers. Considering the current state of vehicle pricing and general consumer sentiment, this seems incredibly wise.

(Full Disclosure: The manufacturer offered an invitation to the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta and GLI drive event in Dexter, Michigan. While I did not require any transportation or lodging, I did take advantage of the breakfast quiche they had on offer. My time with the vehicles was limited to just a few hours, spent predominantly on wooded backroads.)

The 2025 VW Jetta starts at $23,220. While a smidgen higher than the previous model year, that’s because the manufacturer dropped the manual transmission option (which is still available on the sporty GLI). Automatic versions of the base and Sport trims are actually less expensive than they used to be. However, the $26,200 SE and $30,225 SEL do see extremely modest price increases.

Considering that the lower-trimmed models come with all the standard technologies most drivers would probably be satisfied with, that’s where the true value proposition resides. The driver assistance features are all quite functional and tuned to not be overly invasive. IQ.Drive (which is standard on all Jettas) works well and avoids being frustrating despite how much it’s actually doing.

VW has likewise made it easy to shut most things down, including the automatic start/stop feature many drivers loathe. Outward visibility is similarly as good as you’ll find in any modern vehicle and something VW should be praised for. This not only improves driving enjoyment but also safety.

Exterior tweaks against the previous year include a redesigned front fascia and grille, along with some fresh LED headlamps. A new frontal light bar has also been added on all but the base model and a similar treatment has been given to the rear of the vehicle, with a single tail lamp (see: heckblende) across the back. While looks are wholly subjective, your author believes the updated front is a slight improvement and will keep the vehicle from looking dated years on (true to form for the Jetta). However, the back is just different — neither better, nor worse than what existed before.

Two new hues have similarly been added to the mix. Monterey Blue Pearl and Monument Gray will be joining Opal White Pearl, Pure White, Deep Black Pearl, Platinum Grey Metallic, Pyrite Silver Metallic, and Kings Red Metallic as paint options. Additional wheel options have been added, too, with VW offering both aluminum and black alloys depending on the selected packages.

On the inside, base Jettas now have a new 8.0-inch infotainment screen sitting higher on the dashboard. While this does look a little cheaper than having something embedded, it’s a little larger than its predecessor, is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is arguably easier to use and undoubtedly helped the automaker offer bigger screens for less money.

Other changes to the cabin were about modernizing the look of the interior and I could take or leave them. VW keeps adding more piano black to its products, which looks good when clean but scratches and smudges rather easily.

While the carryover 1.5-liter turbo continues to make 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, the car feels a bit more powerful than the numbers would suggest. This is likely due to peak torque coming in at 1,500 RPM and the eight-speed automatic transmission ensuring you remain in the sweet spot as you climb through the gears.

The end result is 0-60 MPH taking place in a little over 7 seconds. As with the previous model year, the base sedan feels surprisingly peppy until you’re approaching expressway speeds. Handling is likewise good. The Jetta changes direction swiftly and predictably offering good feedback for a modern automobile with relatively lightweight steering. You can indeed have some fun with the small sedan on a country road before resuming comfortable cursing and enviable fuel economy (EPA rated: 29 city/40 highway).

However, if you want to have significantly more fun, Volkswagen is offering the GLI (pictured above) starting at $33,940. The GLI is now the only Jetta still available with the six-speed manual, something VW said it had intentionally fought for due to the option having a relatively high take rate inside of North America. However, 70 percent of buyers are still likely to option the faster seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic.

All GLI models come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter pushing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. But 0-60 times will vary widely depending on which transmission you’ve selected, with automatic-equipped sedans certainly capable of out launching other front-drive competitors like the Honda Civic Si. We’d put the straight-line performance of the GLI more in line with Subaru’s current WRX, which has the benefit of all-wheel drive and some juicer output specs.

Power delivery is decidedly very turbo. Both the Jetta and the GLI are placid until you’ve given the throttle some extra pressure and they spring to life. The big difference is that the latter offers more exhaust noise and produces some fun little induction sounds in addition to the extra power of the 2.0-liter turbo.

However, the real magic of the GLI is the way in which it balances sportiness with comfort and practicality. It handles well enough to be slung around a corner at twice the posted limit. But it’s still a Jetta and therefore makes for an unassuming performance car and solid little commuter. The trunk becomes no-less cavernous and the back seats become no-less useful just because it’s wearing the performance badge. It doesn’t even sacrifice much in the way of fuel economy, yielding an EPA estimated mpg-rating of 26 city and 37 highway.

GLI upgrades likewise aren’t limited to performance. Owners receive a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster (base Jetta models have an 8-inch unit as standard), heated-and-ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, additional digital sport instrumentation, customizable ambient interior lighting, additional drive modes, extra infotainment viewing modes, and more.

But that doesn’t mean everything is perfect. I actually found myself appreciating the interior of the less-expensive Jetta models over the GLI due entirely to the steering wheel. While the wheel itself is perfectly fine, and arguably looks more expensive, Volkswagen continues to use haptic steering wheel “buttons” on the GLI. Dropping physical controls have been a point of contention for literally every brand that’s tried this. VW was dinged for this in the past, with the criticisms extending to the HVAC and infotainment controls.

The good news is that the automaker has made serious progress in improving the responsiveness of the HVAC and infotainment system. While I’d still rather have physical buttons, the updated interface is totally acceptable. But having been able to use the button-equipped steering wheel of the Jetta and the haptic touch controls on the wheel of the GLI, the former is just easier to use. That said, I’ve been told by owners of the GTI (which uses similar controls) that you will eventually acclimate.

Truth be told, most of the qualms with the Jetta are likely to be preferential. For example, the shift pattern of automatic GLI models was the inverse of what every sequential gearbox had ingrained into my head over the years. But this can be overcome by using the paddle shifters or simply letting the car select gears without my input. Seats were another issue. Some drivers claimed that they needed more support. But they all appeared to boast more ample frames than your (5’11” and 170 pound) author, who found them totally adequate.

The only genuine grievance was that the interior plastics could have felt a little nicer. My guess is that this is where VW opted to save some money. However, there were no foreboding rattles and nothing felt like it was going to fall apart in a few years. The Jetta still feels like a quality item, just one that was built around a specific budget.

Volkswagen has this unique ability to give off the impression that they're upscale and mature, even when they’re an ancient, base-trim model that’s starting to exhibit some rust. There aren’t too many other manufacturers that can do that, least of all with their most-affordable model. However, VW does have genuine competition. With sedans and sedan-like hatchbacks being supplanted by crossover vehicles across the market, some companies have decided to make sure that they’re entry-level cars aren’t duds — namely Mazda and Honda.

Honda’s Civic has a staggeringly nice interior, is surprisingly spacious inside and remains an undeniably good value. Meanwhile, the Mazda3 will likely go down in history as one of the handsomest designs of its era and feels decidedly more upscale than its price suggests.

Even the efficiency focused Toyota Prius has managed to become more fun to drive and nicer to look at in recent years.

That should put the Jetta in a tough position. But the sedan’s excellent handling and seasoned appearance, combined with VW’s attempts to lower pricing and maintain comfort, keep it from falling out of the running. Provided it’s been properly maintained, onlookers and gearheads will probably feel the same about the Jetta in fifteen years as they do today. It’s certainly not a luxury car, but you subconsciously assume that it will be parked near one as an affluent household’s sensible runabout.

While the GLI caters to my penchant for unassuming sport sedans, both versions of the Jetta impressed by undercutting rival MSRPs and coming across as something other than basic transportation. There are no fun-sapping CVTs to be found here and the cars feel modern despite having been around since 2018. Ultimately, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is enjoyable to drive, sticks with its own quasi-mature identity, and remains highly competitive within the compact car segment.

[Images: Volkswagen; © Matt Posky/TTAC.com]

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