The Volkswagen Jetta GLI attempts to put the soul of the legendary GTI hot hatchback into sedan form; and over the next few months we’ll have the chance to see how successful Volkswagen is in doing that.  

A big upgrade over the standard Jetta, is the GLI’s 2.0-liter I4 turbo engine with 228-horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. It comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, and is off to a good 31 miles-per-gallon average.   

Other things that make up the GLI are its sport suspension, and styling tweaks that include 18-inch wheels. Two trims available, S and Autobahn; our S long-termer is the lesser of the two but still gets red stitching, 6.5-inch touchscreen, and automatic climate for around $27,000.

Since they seem to be few and far between these days, we love having sedans in our long-term fleet; like this 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI.  

"To break in this Jetta GLI I decided to take a little daddy-daughter trip to the beach. With the front passenger seat pushed forward a bit, Margot had plenty of room for her sudden happy dances. And with this smooth shifting 6-speed manual, even I had a little fun. But the seats, while supportive, could still use more padding for trips longer than a few hours."

The 29.8 miles-per-gallon keeps fuel stops to a minimum; and at 228–horsepower, the 2.0-liter turbo-4 delivers quick acceleration.

Our 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has been a breath of 4-door fresh air, giving us a renewed appreciation for the simple joy of driving; something that’s getting a bit lost in our sport utility obsessed world.

GREG CARLOSS: "This GLI is a fun little car to drive and not just because it has a manual transmission. The chassis is dialed in and there’s just enough power from the turbo-4 to put a smile on your face. I like that there’s a comfort drive mode because it quiets some of the exhaust noise that’s pumped in and makes it more…well, comfortable on the highway."

And now for the bad news... this is our final report on the GLI, as it’s rolling out of our driveway for the last time. With us for a total of 3-months; we racked up 3,573-miles, and averaged a fine 31.2 miles-per-gallon from the spirited 228-horsepower turbo-4.    

There’s only one car that can call itself the GTI of sport sedans, and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI is it!