Agreed, I saw the new Jetta GLi on the road, it looks like a tarted up Corolla or something from the front. Just looks too generic and not very 'german'. The older Jetta looked better to me. The rear end on the new Jetta looks good.Too bad about the styling. Makes the MK6 Jetta look like Brad Pitt
Every car looks better with optimal wheel gapI agree. The interior is also leaps and bounds better than MK6 in my opinion:
Seriously. This would really liven up the front end a bit.And no fogs....no freakin fog lights!
This was an interesting read. You're into some of the same cars I am. I like the WRX but bought the FiST, also a 2016, and love it.For me I just needed a fun daily and size wasn't a concern.The 19 GLI is a great car. Yes the interior is cheaper, but the car itself is cheaper as well, so it's not like VW is gouging for the "privilege" of a sedan. It is on my list to replace my 2018 WRX. I am between a GTI and a GLI. I used to have a 13 GTI. Previous recent cars have been a 13" GTI, a 16" FiST, a 18" WRX.
I test drove a 35th and loved it - got to test the LSD around a parking lot and it's no joke. Looking at the autobahn trim and its about 3k cheaper than a GTI SE with the experience package. Worse interior? Well i love the center stack tilted towards the driver, and the seats are less aggressive which is nice for a bigger sedan- they still hold you in sufficiently, and are vented as well as heated which is a nice touch. The car on sport setting was pretty good, steering was nice, turn in was crisp, and power was acceptable. Nice sized car. While i love the A3 dimensions, those are pretty small and the GLI is a big bigger. I really liked how it clawed out of turns under power. Almost gone was the understeering scramble of an open-diff car shuddering as XDS tried (and failed).
No DCC is a bit of a letdown (in autobahn), and no nav in the center dash display is a big letdown. No fog lights - well i hope the aftermarket will provide solutions in time. Outside of that, finally the sedan is every bit the bigger sedan version of the GTI. It is going to appeal to older buys and those that wants family sedans - so the seats should be less aggressive. It's a GTI'd Jetta, not a GTI'd Golf. They are different. The Jetta is a bigger vehicle aimed at family sedan buyers - a dying market. Happy that VW is going to at least commit to this space for a bit longer. I doubt we will ever see a GTI'd Sportwagen or Alltrack, so if you want a real LSD and some space, the GLI is the only ticket (Arteon is 8-speed slush and open diff).
The only hangup I have right now is the GLI is new and I am wary of cars that are new in their life-cycle. I usually like to pick up something after it has had its refresh (like my 18 WRX? so that much of the initial stuff gets ironed out, and a few good updates gets implemented. With the GLI i am sure DCC will come to the autobahn in time, and maybe they will do fogs down the road too.
The GLI isn't great looking to me, but it gives me most of what i would want in a DD now:
1. good dual clutch (7 speed dsg) Ready to move to one and VW's is 2nd best in the biz - and the 7th speed is icing on the cake.
2. A real LSD coupled with e-diff/XDS. Finally this. Done with open-diff FWD cars.
3. turbo motor. EA888 3rd gen is a gem.
4. Good aftermarket support.
5. OEM+ upgrade path due to higher end models existing (S3 FMIC, etc..)
6. Good stereo - with a dedicated sub. Easy to upgrade but at least better than the base stereos ive been suffering with - the wiring is run so upgrades will be easier to do.
7. Heated seats. My must-have. Vented with the leather is great since i really don't want leather.
8. Loving that pure gray.
9. VW new warranty resolves any durability concerns for me, always a VW concern. As an aside, I owned my GTI for about 4 years and 40k, and had a bad water pump as my "only" issue. Car was tuned stage 1 when bought new (dealer was APR dealer) and went stage 2 with a S3 FMIC and a terrible SPM exhaust, and never had any issues.
Wish it was RWD but that's not an option anywhere new at that price point. Already about 2500 on the hood so you can already get an DSG Autobahn for about 28k - that's a great price for a great car with a great warranty. The only comparison is an Accord Sport and while they seem to be fantastic, they are much bigger, open diff, and no premium stereo/leather at that price point. I think best value there is to get to an EX-L, for about 2k more you get better stereo, leather, and ditch the wagon wheels - but still talking open-diff.
No need for hate. Sedans are no longer a mainstream thing in America. VW is staying in the area at least for a few more years, and that's a great thing for enthusiasts who don't want a crossover. With the MQB/LSD/DSG upgrades the GLI has all the running bits of a GTI with a bigger and more relaxed form-factor. Win. Of course it's based on the Jetta, a bigger and cheaper sedan for the American market, but if you are a serious dashstroker surely the 3k in savings can pay for some custom interior work.
And in bold was the whole point2018 was not a representative sales year for the Jetta as it was a change-over year for the model. Sales are up %50 this year as they have enough supply now and are actually marketing it. It's still no Civic in terms of sales but its a 120K to 150K volume model.