Unless you’re already a Volkswagen loyalist, you may not know much about the Jetta or its sporty alter ego, the Jetta GLI. That would be a shame because it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the big names in the segment like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and Hyundai Elantra.
Fortunately, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta offers you a new chance to get to know America’s most affordable European-brand car, with updated interior and exterior styling, upgraded safety equipment, and more standard equipment.
What’s New for 2025?
The most immediately noticeable updates to the 2025 Jetta are on the outside, where the bodywork has been tweaked to give a sleeker, more planted look. New visual details add interest and freshness, including a light bar across the nose connecting the headlights. Two new colors are also available, including a very light blue on GLI models and the Monterey Blue Pearl found on the standard Jetta.
The base model 2025 Jetta S now includes an automatic transmission (the manual is no longer available in the standard Jetta), plus dual-zone touch-based climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment display. By contrast, the previous entry-level Jetta featured a 6-speed manual transmission, single-zone climate control, and a 6.5-inch display. VW’s IQ.Drive driver assist suite was previously only available on automatic transmission-equipped models, meaning base Jetta models now also get IQ.Drive as standard equipment.
That’s a substantial improvement in value and equipment with a minimal increase in price — and compared apples-to-apples with last year’s automatic-equipped base model, it’s a price savings of $240 — again, with notably more equipment.
The 2025 Jetta SE gets many of the features previously limited to the SEL, including 15-watt wireless phone charging (up from 5 watts), wireless app connect, and new 17-inch wheel designs. The SEL upgrades to the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro display shared with the GLI, and also adds Beats audio, 10-color ambient lighting, and drive-mode selection. Both the SE and SEL get a lowered suspension with the same ride height as the GLI.
The sporty Jetta GLI now comes in a single Autobahn trim, and gets even more significant upgrades, including an 8-inch infotainment system, 15-watt wireless phone charging, voice control, a touch-control steering wheel, and new 18-inch wheel designs.
Driving the Jetta and Jetta GLI
My first exposure to the updated Jetta came in the form of the Jetta GLI wearing the lighter of the two new shades, dubbed Monument Gray, a color bridging the gap between gray and light blue. It’s a subtle yet immediately interesting color, and it offsets the bright red-orange trim accents that denote the GLI.
From our starting point in Pasadena, California, a brief slog down the 210 to California Highway 2 — or Angeles Crest as it’s better known — demonstrates the comfort of the GLI’s sport suspension over rough concrete, expansion joints, and bridge gaps.
Diving onto Angeles Crest and its much smoother pavement and sweeping turns, the GLI is eager to respond, with plenty of grip. The steering is especially good for a front-wheel-drive (FWD) sedan, and the manual transmission is well-geared for mostly just staying in third gear, only needing second gear to dig out of the slowest corners. That’s also a compliment to the torquey 228-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder under the hood.
After 30 or so miles of curvy road fun, it was time to turn around and repeat on the way back down the mountains — a wonderful way to spend a Tuesday morning, and well worth the $33,940 (including destination fee) price of admission. The price is the same whether you opt for the 6-speed manual (as in my test vehicle), or the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
My only caveat with the GLI is for drivers with large feet — if you want the manual transmission and wear a size 13 US or larger shoe, you may want to choose a shoe with a smaller outsole, as the generously cushioned running shoes I wore occasionally caught a duct under the dash while operating the clutch pedal. This is obviously only a concern for the GLI, as it’s now the only Jetta offered with a manual transmission. Fun enthusiast fact: About half of all GLIs are purchased with the manual transmission.
My time with the standard Jetta was more extended, as I drove one home from the event and lived with it for a week. Despite hopping out of the sporty GLI into the less-powerful Jetta SEL, there was no disappointment in pep or nimbleness. The Jetta is a fun-to-drive sedan in any form.
In SEL guise, the Jetta is also very nicely equipped, approaching premium feel and features at a starting price just barely over $30,000. The front seats are spacious and supportive, even for taller or larger folks, and the rear seat isn’t a penalty box reserved for shorter trips. With the included Cold Weather Package, the rear seats are even heated.
Painted in the other new launch color, Monterey Blue Pearl, this “ordinary” Jetta with a $30,225 price tag literally stopped traffic twice. Two groups of passersby offered unsolicited compliments on the color and asked what brand it was and how much it cost. When I told them it’s a VW and starts at just over $22,000, jaws dropped, and eyebrows climbed. As a temporary owner, I’d call that a premium experience for very mainstream money.
