Road Test Review – 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and Jetta Sport – Value and Performance Reign Supreme

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and Jetta Sport are attempting to solidify their unique place in the compact car segment with new technology and sharpened driving dynamics. But is it enough to help it stand out against growing CUV and SUV demand?

The Volkswagen Jetta has always held a special place in Volkswagen’s car lineup. While the brand itself has been selling vehicles in the U.S. for over 75 years, the Jetta itself has been an enduring presence for over four decades with the model celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2025. The company is boldly celebrating this milestone with the 2025 Jetta. The 2025 model enters the new model year with an extensive mid-cycle update that attempts to inject more vigor into the model with the exterior and the interior both getting major updates. But is it all enough to help the Jetta still be a viable option in the shrinking compact car segment? To find out, Volkswagen allowed us to drive both the GLI and its lesser Sport counterpart to see how the finer details work together to produce a better Jetta.

Jetta GLI is ready to step out of the GTI’s shadow

A key player in this updated lineup is the 2025 Jetta GLI. The GLI will continue to be the performance option but it’s no secret that the outgoing model and some of its predecessors often played second fiddle to the GTI hatchback both in sales and marketing. Volkswagen reps told us that the company will be using the 2025 model year to address this and provide the GLI with a bigger share of the advertising spotlight.

We’re glad they’re finally doing that since the refreshed 2025 GLI is still a potent performance value for buyers who are willing to get to know it better. With the updates falling short of a major reboot for the Jetta as a whole, it’s no surprise that the 2025 GLI still has some of the core essentials from its outgoing predecessor. That includes the carryover 2.0-liter EA 888 turbocharged four-cylinder which still makes 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and is paired with either the seven-speed DSG automatic or a six-speed manual with the GLI being the only model in the Jetta lineup to get a manual for 2025.

How does the Jetta GLI drive?

We drove a GLI equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and while we missed the additional level of involvement that you get with the six-speed stick, the automatic allows the GLI to get a quicker 0 to 60 time and will also be the volume seller in the GLI family. The automatic’s role in shifting the gears also allowed us to get a broader perspective of some of the other updates that Volkswagen made to the steering and the suspension. These revisions helped the GLI feel sharper in the brief driving loop that Volkswagen laid out in Dexter, Michigan with the steering delivering crisp feedback and the suspension reducing bodyroll in tight corners.

The springs themselves also did a good job delivering excellent ride comfort over rougher sections of tarmac which is in despite of them being tuned on the firmer side of comfort. Switching our tester to Sport mode helped our GLI get into the groove on the winding roads in nearby Hell, Michigan but we  chose to leave the GLI in Normal mode for the bulk of our time with it. The other drive modes (ECO and Comfort) all work as advertised and will be there if a driver feels the need to use them. The Jetta GLI feels sharper than the Honda Civic Si but it lacks some of the raw performance character that you get in the Hyundai Elantra N and its spunky powertrain.

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Light updates define GLI exterior and interior

The GLI’s exterior gets light updates for the 2025 model year with the front fascia getting a reworked front grille that now incorporates a new lightbar and several new wheel options. The interior gets the most changes though with Volkswagen giving the GLI a revised instrument cluster and revised software for the 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Volkswagen said that it listened to the needs of its customers when it was making the GLI’s updates and as a result, it didn’t want to rock the boat too much in giving customers what they wanted with the Jetta’s core pillars of value and fun still being present in the GLI.

This light approach also has a double-edged sword effect with the rest of the car beginning to feel slightly dated when compared to the competition. This dated feel does blunt the Jetta’s spirited personality slightly but we suspect most buyers won’t notice anyway since the Jetta still packs plenty of luxury and technology into its flanks while also looking good doing it.

One-size fits all pricing

Volkswagen’s commitment to enhancing the Jetta GLI’s value included simplifying its pricing ladder for 2025. Both the manual and automatic versions of the GLI have the same starting price of $33,490 with buyers only needing to choose what transmission they want and if they wish to add the $650 Black Package to the car which adds more black trim accents. This simplistic pricing ladder allows customers to have an easier time configuring the car and Volkswagen’s decision to do this eliminates some of the clutter that some of its rivals like to do especially with trim levels and packages.

Jetta Sport continues to appeal to value-focused shoppers

If the Jetta GLI is not your proverbial cup of tea, Volkswagen has other flavors of the Jetta to choose from. They include the Sport model which is supposed to be the value-focused player in the Jetta lineup. Like other non-GLI Jettas, the Sport only comes with an automatic with the company axing the manual from the rest of the lineup for 2025. However, unlike the GLI, the seven-speed dual-clutch does not make the jump over and instead, all lesser Jettas are paired with an eight-speed automatic.

A smaller 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is the sole engine in the Sport and while it makes a modest 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, its lack of low-end punch and buzzy nature made us miss the spunkier 2.0-liter powertrain in the GLI when we switched into it midway through our day with the car. Thankfully, the eight-speed automatic does a good job delivering smooth shifts and while the handling behavior here in the Sport is not as laser-sharp as you see in the GLI, it’s certainly more than enough for most people.

More for less

These lesser Jetta models also shine a bigger spotlight on value with Volkswagen lowering the base price of the Jetta to $23,220. This pricing is better than what you find in the 2025 Honda Civic and is also in line with the 2024 Toyota Corolla. This price cut also compliments the high level of standard equipment that you get in the Jetta including Volkswagem’s IQ.Drive feature which adds safety and driver assistance features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, rear traffic alert, and lane-keep assist. Dual-zone climate control is also standard in the Jetta.

When viewed as a whole, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is still a solid compact sedan. While it’s not the full reboot that some Jetta fans wanted, this mid-cycle update helps address some of the Jetta’s lingering weaknesses while also fine-tuning many of its strengths. This will be important since this updated model is expected to hold down the fort at Volkswagen dealerships until a revamped version of the car arrives. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a compact car that has the right balance of performance, technology, and value we recommend checking out the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta, it might surprise you with what it has to offer.