2025 VW Jetta GLI: Save the manuals, but not like this

"Bless Volkswagen for keeping the helical gears turning, both literally and figuratively. The 2025 Jetta GLI, Volkswagen's sporty sedan, still offers a gear lever with actual gears attached at the other end, and a third pedal hanging down from under the dash. Meanwhile, Golf GTI fans are still sobbing in their beer because 2024 was the last model year you could row your own in the hot hatch- now it's paddles only."

"Volkswagen updated the 2025 Jetta GLI with a new grille, LED headlights, and light bars that connect across both the front grille and rear taillights. There's a red accent stripe that runs across the lower front fascia and turns up at the front corners, somewhat like The Joker's lipstick, but way less menacing. It's less distinctive than the Golf GTI, though, and the design even reminds me of the 2017-era Honda Accord a bit. So, yes, in a face-off, the Golf GTI wins."

"Now in its fourth turbocharged generation, it develops a healthy 228 hp (270 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque, entirely respectable numbers from modest displacement and compact external dimensions. Mated to this particular 6-speed manual, the engine has its work cut out for itself. On my very first drive, before examining the technical data on gearbox ratios, I could tell that the manual 6-speed had massive gaps between first, second, and third gears."

The 2025 Jetta GLI retains a six-speed manual transmission and a third pedal, preserving driver engagement lost on the Golf GTI. Exterior updates include a new grille, LED headlights, connecting light bars, a red lower-front accent stripe, and optional blackened wheels and mirror caps. Monument Gray pairs with a black roof. Power comes from the EA888 2.0L turbo producing 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The manual six-speed exhibits large gaps between first, second, and third gears, complicating acceleration. The GLI's styling is less distinctive than the Golf GTI and draws visual comparisons to earlier mid-size sedans.

Read at Ars Technica