2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

Name: 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review
Brand: Volkswagen

Price Range: $20,998 - $25,590

2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn Sedan Exterior

+149

The 2021 Jetta GLI is a worthwhile entry into the affordable sport sedan arena. VW has done an excellent job building a sporty vehicle that's satisfying and engaging to drive yet exceptionally comfortable and quite practical. The downsides are that it doesn't come standard with the technology features of most competitors, and fuel economy suffers for performance.

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Price & Payment

12 cars

$21,845 avg. price

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2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

New MIB3 infotainment system standard on Autobahn trim
Adaptive cruise control and other driver safety aids standard on Autobahn
Part of the seventh Jetta GLI generation introduced for 2019

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.17 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$186/mo

$162/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Volkswagen Jetta GLI Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.5

35 reviews

5(74%)

4(11%)

3(9%)

2(2%)

1(4%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Fun little VW

Vwarkie, 08/28/2019

2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary Edition 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I bought this as a 2nd family car in case I need to haul my 3 kids. It has plenty of room for them. I'm 6'2 and I can fit in the backseat without rubbing my head on the roof. I like it because of the fun factor. It handles great and has plenty of power to get you in and out of traffic. The acceleration isn't bad. Cabin noise is minimal but you do notice when you're going around 60 with … the radio off. The interior is not bad but it could be better. It is a bit plasticky. The instrument cluster is kind of bland. If you can afford it get the autobahn edition, it has the virtual cockpit. I got the 35th anniversary edition because of the transmission. I do like the android auto and the voice control commands. One thing I have against it is the front seat isn't that comfortable. Not sure I would want to take a long trip in it. The ride quality is pretty good, better than the mustang I had. I use premium non-ethanol gas and I'm averaging 28 mpg which is mostly in town. Took it on a 2 hour trip, all interstate and was averaging 38 mpg in comfort mode. One big selling point was the 6 year/72,000 mile warranty and oil changes every 10k miles or once per year whichever comes first. Anyway, if you're a good negotiator you can get a new one for 24k, maybe less. Test drive a few of the competitors. If you want to drive what everyone else does get a Honda or Toyota but if you want to stand out get the Jetta GLI. Update 5/14/20 - As of this post, I've had the car 9 months. I've put 5400 miles on it. No problems to report. Just had an oil change. I did notice the oil was about a quart low before I took it in. This is normal for new engines as they tend to burn a little oil when they're being broken in. Anyway, the car is still fine. The handling is nice, acceleration is good, infotainment is great when paired with android auto. One major concern, for me at least, is the resale value. Not much I can do about that. Also, just want to add that I typically drive less than 9k miles per year. I use the car for short commutes, errands and the occasional trip out of town. Would I buy the car again? Probably not. I don't hate the car but I'm not in love with it either. Hindsight is 20/20 and no one can predict the future. With this pandemic going on and working from home, I would have just kept my old car. Trading the car in now makes little financial sense as I would lose $5k or $6k. And since we're not driving much, there's no point in getting something else. 10/12/20 - I've had the car for over a year now and it has 6800 miles on it. Nothing new to report really. Car is still running great. Occasionally I've had people compliment the car and ask questions, which is kinda surprising. It's not a bad looking ride, I think the roof could be a little more sloped in the back to give it a more sporty look. Anyway, I'll probably keep the car until the warranty runs out lol 4/22/2022 - well I've had the car for almost 3 years now. Really nothing new to report. Car has slightly more than 10k miles and all that has been done is basic maintenance like oil changes and they did clean the heads. These direct injection motors get carbon build up but it wasn't expensive. Around $70 at the dealership. Car still runs and drives like new.

My everyday driving obsession

Cliff in Nashville, 12/06/2019

2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I love this car. I've been driving it for 4 months now, and I still get that new car buzz when I take off. Roomy (for a small sedan) and uncluttered cabin with nice tech touches. Sporty and nimble as hell performance. Quick acceleration and smooth ride, even at higher speeds. Almost a GTI in those regards. Looks like a serious, sophisticated sedan in the European tradition, but with just …

Everything you could want

Javel123, 04/16/2020

2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I love my new gli autobahn it's fun to drive and also great on gas I avg 40mpg in eco mode and when I want to have a little fun sport mode gives the car that extra power

Sporty comfortable everyday driver

Derek, 11/08/2019

2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary Edition 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

Easy to live with, good mpg, suspension DCC upgrade from Audi gives you a range of different driving modes that dramatically change from comfort to sport mode. Design inside and out is very minimalist but also gorgeous lines mistaking people that take it for an Audi. New generation has more leg room in the front and back seat than previous generation. Has great safety and entertainment …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, so we've included reviews for other years of the Jetta GLI since its last redesign.

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2021 Jetta GLI Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$26,345
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	28 MPG
Cost to Drive	$186/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	14.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Jetta GLI models:

Blind-Spot Warning System: Alerts you with visual and audible warnings if another vehicle is in your blind spot.
Post-Collision Braking System: Applies the brakes once the airbags go off to reduce the possibility of further damage during an accident.
Forward Collision Warning: Sounds an alert when a front collision is imminent and can automatically apply the brakes if the driver doesn't react in time.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover13.1%

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2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

Price & Payment

2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.17 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Volkswagen Jetta GLI Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Fun little VW

My everyday driving obsession

Everything you could want

Sporty comfortable everyday driver

2021 Jetta GLI Highlights

Safety

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2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

Price & Payment

2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.17 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.

Volkswagen Jetta GLI Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Fun little VW

My everyday driving obsession

Everything you could want

Sporty comfortable everyday driver

2021 Jetta GLI Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Volkswagen

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.17 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}