After the untimely demise of the Passat, it was time to go car shopping. I needed something that could comfortably fit 4, fit 5 in a pinch, and could be driven all winter. My search for vehicles was made simpler because I was looking for something like this:
It's amazing how hard it is to find a car that has a manual transmission, has a bias towards good handling, and that comfortably fits four or five people.
Contenders
Let's ponder the list of new cars that have manuals available:
Cars with Manuals:
Honda Civic Si
Subaru WRX
Volkswagen GLI
Mature and Relaxed
After having lived with the GLI for over four thousand miles, I have to say, I'm delighted with it. It has enough performance to keep me interested, and more than I really need to just get around on a daily basis.
What does it for me about the GLI is that it is a complete package. There is no one category in which it is outstanding. However, it slightly over-achieves in every area. The engine is potent enough, the brakes are powerful and progressive, the LED headlights light up the night, the heated and cooled seats keep my backside happy, and the massive moonroof is a delight. I know that the roof adds weight to the detriment of overall performance, but for me it's a function of mission. I don't need maximum performance from this car - I want something that is quick and fun to drive with a set of features that delight in daily use. With that mission, the car is just wonderful.
The Si I drove as a teenager was a teenager itself - playful, fun, raw, and with an engine that just begged for the redline. The GLI is more like an adult - capable and understated, confident without trying too hard.
Looks
I think visually, the GLI looks great. Aggressive simplicity is the name of the game, with nicely-creased sheet metal:
I really like the detail on the hood:
I think the red has something to do with it as well. I figured that with all the crazy events going on in 2020, the world needed a bit of cheerfulness, so I went with red. I think Volkswagen does a great job with its red - bright and vibrant. I also think it plays well with the red GLI badging and stripe on the grill.
Chassis
The chassis is delightfully playful, and it has a lot to do with the steering. The GLI has a variable-ratio electrical rack and a mere 2.1 turns lock to lock. This makes it feel playful and aggressive, particularly on initial turn in. When stringing together a series of corners on Michigan's beautiful back roads, the playful feeling brings a big smile to my face. Just a bit of wrist effort makes the car turn in right now.
The suspension is on the taut side. Traversing the washboard interstates of Michigan, you hear and feel the texture of the road. I think it feels communicative and wonderful, though I can see where some people might perceive it as too stiff. When the road gets twisty, the chassis remains composed, giving a sense of confidence and grip. For example, driving to Chicago, merging off the Skyway and onto the Dan Ryan, there is a hump in the left lane before a downhill left/right combination. Watch the taillights in front of you and you can see softly-sprung cars pogo. Not the GLI - it feels composed and ready for the turn.
Driving hard, the GLI has lovely balance. You do have to be aware of weight transfer. For example, entering a roundabout, you have to be patient and wait for the weight to transfer before really getting on the power.
Speaking of power, I have to give tribute to the front limited-slip differential. Torque steer is just gone. Compared to the Civic of my youth, the GLI is understandably on another planet. I can get on the power very early, and the GLI just puts it down. It handles better than any front-wheel drive car should. You can feel the differential working when coming out of low-speed, second-gear corners. Hard on the gas, there is a flicker of traction control. The power just flows without upset the chassis. It feels great.
The only time when I find myself acutely aware of the which wheels are putting the power down is hard acceleration in first gear. There's enough torque to light up the front tires, and with the weight transferring rearward, I find myself shifting into second before giving it full throttle.
Engine and Transmission
The engine goes about its business quietly, efficiently, and effectively. With its abundant and available torque, it doesn't beg to be revved like the Civic Si of my youth. More frequently, I find myself short-shifting and surfing the wave of torque. It feels punchy above 2,000 rpm. Toeing into the throttle at 2,500 rpm in third results in a delightful and deliberate surge.
It's also quite efficient, if you don't stand on the throttle too much. For example, check out the mileage on one interstate journey:
36.4 mpg in a car this fun? It's amazing to me, quite honestly. Naturally, gearing plays a big role here. In 6th at interstate speeds, it's turning between 2,200 and 2,600 rpm, sipping fuel. Get on the throttle, the turbo is already spooled up, and you just get smooth, usable thrust.
I also think the relatively steeply raked rear window contributes favorably to slipping through the wind.
The low interstate rpms lead to a relaxed, enjoyable cruising experience. The engine provides plenty of thrust without being intrusive, the wind noise is muted, and the enormous moonroof makes the cabin feel bright and airy.
I think the engine contributes to a feeling of relaxation when driving. It's possible to redline, but why? Just shift around 5,000 rpm and enjoy the surge of torque when enjoying a spirited drive. For just puttering around town, shifting at 2,500 rpm keeps the turbo spun up and ready for torque duty.
Compared to my departed Passat with its chipped 1.8T, the extra torque in the GLI is noticeable everywhere, and the additional cog in the transmission transforms interstate cruising from a 3,000+ rpm strain into a much more sedate 2,300 rpm affair.
With the relatively muted engine noise and bountiful torque, the GLI collects and maintains speed with ease. Cruising at triple digit speeds feels effortless. This is potentially problematic, as if you don't pay attention to the speedometer, you can look down and find yourself going 10+ over the posted limit without trying. Keep your foot in it, and the 120+ comes up quickly. The entire time, the machinery feels unstressed and capable, planted, and comfortable.
From a feel standpoint, the gearbox reminds me of a 996 generation Porsche 911. Relatively short throws, six speeds, it feels great.
Brakes
It's no secret that I have a thing for big brakes. Equipped with the front rotors from the Golf R, there is plenty of stopping power, with good initial bite. The brakes are sufficiently strong to haul the GLI down from triple digit speeds with ease:
Exterior Lights
It's also no secret that I have a thing for great headlights. I fantasize about the matrix LED headlights on the S-class Mercedes my brother and I rented in France, able to project pixels onto road signs while not blinding oncoming traffic. Amazing lights, amazing safety feature!
The GLI comes with LED lights, front and rear.
At night, the result is is clean, even light. The high beams throw a lot of light down the road. While there is a bit of a break between the low and high beams, the overall illumination experience on a dark road is good.
Delighters
There are so many little details about the GLI that delight the senses. Savoring the details, you can tell that the GLI was finished by people who like cars and enjoy driving them.
Aesthetically, I really like the chromed exhaust tips, as it brightens up the back of the car. A small detail, but one I appreciate.
I really like the red LED on the door sill, as well as the red stitching present throughout the cabin:
I think it's ridiculously cool that the honeycomb pattern on the floor mats matches the pattern in the grill:
I also like the customizable ambient lighting throughout the cabin. While it is adjustable across the spectrum of colors, I prefer red.
I also appreciate how the CarPlay screen and the rest of the controls are angled slightly towards the driver. It's a small thing. I've come to appreciate how much better this design is for the operator after being in our Odyssey, where the screen and controls are perpendicular to the driver. In the GLI, it's just another detail that speaks to the driver-focused nature of the car.
I also appreciate how it's possible to pull the moonroof shade even with the moonroof open. That may sound silly, but with a bald head it's sometimes nice to block the direct sun while still getting fresh air in the cabin.
One touch everything! All four windows and the moonroof have one touch open and close. I love it! Long gone are the high school days of reaching across the car and cranking madly to get the passenger window down. One-touch from the driver's seat? What luxury!
The GLI has a big trunk. At 14.1 cubic feet, it's a bit smaller than the 14.9 cubic foot trunk of the Passat it replaces, but there is plenty of space.
I've enjoyed heated seats for years, but cooled front seats? I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, until I used them on a hot day. They are a nice feature, and fit with the mission of delighting on a daily basis with the knowledge that the GLI will never see a race track.
The GLI comes with rain-sensing wipers. Never something that I’ve had before, but I have to say, very convenient. Again, consistent with the mission of being something that delights me every day.
The subwoofer adds a richness to the stereo, though it does get a bit buzzy at higher volume.
A Budget A4?
Car and Driver said in a recent comparison test that "...the Jetta GLI drives like a budget Audi A4. It does everything right when cruising, tracking straight and damping impacts from expansion joints and cracks while maintaining a hushed cabin. Its tall gearing allows the 2.0-liter inline-four to spin at 2500 rpm at 80 mph."
I happened to park next to an A4 the other day, and captured a few comparison shots:
The family resemblance is clearly there:
You can see the difference in rear window rake pretty clearly:
The A4 is a wonderful car with a delicious interior. Why did Audi stop making it with a manual? While it's no penalty box, there's no doubt at all that the GLI's interior is not nearly as nice as the A4.
Potential Improvements
Is the GLI perfect? No. Nothing is. So, what would I change, keeping the mission of the car in mind?
It's a small thing, but it drives me slightly insane. Can you see it?
Why, why, why? Nice, even 20 mph increments, until 140. Then it jumps to 180? Even though the only way the GLI would see 180 mph is if fell off a cliff, the 40 mph jump implies a nonlinearity to the sweep of the digital needle. This drives me crazy. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Volkswagen, please just fix this with an update.
Another nit - the post-trip summary and its little animation on the dashboard is cool...but why use a standard Jetta for the animation instead of a GLI?
I'd go a step further and add a bit of code to make the car on the dashboard the same color as the body of the car in which it's deployed. If that's asking a bit too much, then at least replace the Jetta icon with a GLI.
I would get rid of the "sport" setting that pipes in engine sound via the sound system. What's the point? Why make it artificial? Beyond that, at high volume, it interferes a bit with the sound system. I ended up finding my happy spot by configuring the differential and everything else to sport, but not piping in the fake engine sound. With this setup, I can hear the turbo spool up, particularly with the windows down.
The heated and cooled front seats are a delight. However, a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats are not available as an option. This makes no sense to me, as they are available on other Jettas. Why not?
I know that you can get summer tires from the factory. I'm going to see how the all-seasons do this winter, but judging from January's trip north, it's entirely possible a good set of winter tires is in the cards. If that happens, I'll be replacing the all-seasons with performance tires after they wear out.
With the rear camera, I appreciate the guiding lines...but how hard would it be to add the software that adjusts those lines based on steering wheel input? That's a feature on the Odyssey that should be on the GLI.
The trunk - why does it have rigid, space-eating hinges instead of struts? I know they are more expensive, and in my opinion, worth it. I loved having them in the Passat, and that car was from 1998.
In the US, the GLI is limited to 126 mph. Why? It is certainly not a capability issue, as the car is still pulling strong in fourth gear into the 120s. Just let the car run ungoverned to its top speed, or at least provide experiential parity to what's available in Europe with the 155 "gentlemen's agreement."
In the power department, how much is enough, and how much is too much? As I noted above, the GLI has sufficient power to keep things interesting. However, based on the significant improvements I enjoyed from chipping the Passat, I do find myself daydreaming about an APR Plus upgrade at some point. I would go for the most mild tune, bumping horsepower from 228 to 290 and torque from 258 to 320. No other parts would change, it would just be asking the turbo to work a bit harder. I like sleepers.
Parting Thoughts
Details, or lack there of, convey passion. There are plenty of little details on the GLI, conveying that passion for vehicles is alive and well at Volkswagen.
The GLI makes me feel relaxed and happy every day. It has good power, and everything about the complete package makes me feel like the machinery isn't stressed. It just goes about its business, quietly, competently, and powerfully. In the 911, not a drive goes by where I don't zing it to the redline. It sounds great. It rushes for the redline eagerly. In the GLI, horsepower peaks around 5,000 rpm, after which the rush tapers. So why bother, especially when puttering around town?
Just relax.
Shift early.
Relax...there is plenty of torque there for you.
That's right.
Enjoy the light from the heavy, performance-sapping moonroof.
Turn up the stereo and enjoy the bass from the subwoofer.
Delight in the tiny details that make the cockpit enjoyable.
And take the long way home by the twistiest route possible.
