Traffic & Transit
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI pushes mostly all of the right buttons
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI pushes mostly all of the right buttons
WHAT IT IS: You are likely much more familiar with the GLI’s brother, the GTI. The GTI is Volkswagen’s hot hatchback that has been an easy recommendation for the decades that it has been produced in. The GLI is the sedan version that is based on the Jetta platform. Most of the mechanical bits are the same, with both being powered by a 228-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces a healthy 258 lb-ft of torque. Controlling the engine is either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DSG automatic ($800). Both are wonderful. What isn’t as wonderful is the interior. The GLI is priced almost $2,000 less than the GTI, and some of those cost savings come in the form of lower-quality materials in the interior. They’re not bad, but they aren’t as good as the GTI.