Jetta GLI Vs Jetta: What's The Difference Between Volkswagen Trims?

Volkswagen deserves a lot of respect for keeping the Jetta around. At a time when many car makers have dropped sedans from their lineups altogether, the Jetta has remained one of the most affordable new cars available today. In its current form, it is a nicely sized car, known for being inexpensive and good to drive. The Jetta also has a long history in America, and has picked up a decent amount of enthusiast street cred along the way.

Though the current seventh-generation Jetta has been around since the 2019 model year, Volkswagen has done a good job of keeping the car fresh, most recently updating it for the 2025 model year.  And if you are an enthusiast who wants a Jetta that's more fun to drive and more powerful than your typical small sedan, the Jetta GLI model continues to be an intriguing choice.

But let's break it down a little further and see what exactly differentiates the performance-oriented Jetta GLI trim from the standard Jetta, and see if it's worth the extra cost.

The normal 2025 Jetta is offered in four different trim levels, starting with the $22,495 (before destination) Jetta S and topping out at the $29,000 SEL. And in case you didn't notice just how much the average car price grew in the the five years preceding its release, that low $20,000s starting price puts the base Jetta right amongst the least-expensive new cars of 2025. 

No matter which Jetta trim you choose, you'll get a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It makes 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, and has an EPA combined rating of 33 MPG. The rest of the price spread simply goes toward amenities and features. It's when you opt for the $32,715 GLI Autobahn that the Jetta undergoes its transformation from basic sedan into "hot hatch, but with a trunk." The GLI gets Volkswagen's proven 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, along with other performance goodies like a limited-slip front differential and adaptive dampers.

While lower trim GLIs were available in the past, the car now only comes in fully loaded Autobahn trim, which explains its higher than expected MSRP. That means you get a lot amenities, including standard heated and cooled leather seats. And even with that higher price, the GLI still delivers a lot of features for the money when compared to cars like the Honda Civic Si or Subaru WRX.

But at the time of writing, what really sets the GLI apart, not just from the regular Jetta, but from Volkswagen's entire lineup, is the fact that you can still get it with a six-speed manual transmission. For 2025, Volkswagen took away the manual option for both the Golf GTI and the more powerful Golf R, leaving the GLI as the only Volkswagen (in America, at least) offered with a stick shift. And given VW's pivot toward EVs, it's entirely likely the GLI will end up being the last three-pedal Volkswagen ever sold in America. However, if you don't want a stick, don't worry; you can still get the GLI with VW's slick-shifting seven-speed DSG automatic as a no-cost option.

If you do decide to spend the extra cash to take the GLI over the Jetta, you aren't just paying for a higher trim level. You are getting a legit sport sedan, and perhaps one of the best under-the-radar enthusiast daily drivers on sale right now.

With the industry-wide shift toward both SUVs and electric vehicles, we like the sense of old-school VW that's still present in the Jetta. Whether you opt for the basic Jetta or the potent GLI, enjoy them while you can, because there's no telling how long either of these cars has left.