What do people think of the 2019 Jetta GLI?

[CarBrad]

Obviously it is not in the same class of car as the Kia Stinger, but as a sports sedan that can be had between 25k-30k depending on trim. Just curious what people think of the car. They essentially took the goodies from the Golf gti and put them in the Jetta.

 

[turboAWD]

Yeah, as a bargain sport sedan, I wasn't totally opposed to it. But, they didn't offer the best sports goodies with the DSG, IIRC, and I wasn't crazy about it..

 

[Manaz]

The Jetta is based on the same (MQB if memory serves) platform as the Golf, so it's relatively easy for them to transfer the GTI goodies into it. Be aware that the Jetta carries more of its weight behind the rear wheels, but possibly has a stiffer rear chassis - so it has some drawbacks and some benefits compared to the Golf in terms of handling.

I used to be a VW owner, and the 2003 Bora (Jetta) V6 4Motion was a great car. But they're expensive to maintain, horrible when you have to fix them, and you need to keep in mind what VW thinks of their customer - they thought it was OK to cheat on emission control tests to put their profits ahead of your health.

 

[AV8R]

Looks ok, i like the dash layout with a built in satnav into dash. I think that will be the way future stingers will go as the sit on top of the dash is a bit yesterday now.

 

[Manaz]

Looks ok, i like the dash layout with a built in satnav into dash. I think that will be the way future stingers will go as the sit on top of the dash is a bit yesterday now.

The way the Stinger does it is the way the Audi and MB did it as well. I tend to agree, the future will have more integrated high-level screens rather than the dash and then a separate display.

 

[Fatalifeaten]

I say this as a lifelong VW guy.

No.

The jetta is built on the MQB platform (golf/jetta/tiguan/atlas/Audi TT and A3) but all it's doing is adding size and weight. You lose headroom in the Jetta but pick up just under 2 inches of legroom. Even then, compared to a Stinger, it's tiny inside. Hell, even compared to an older Passat, it's tiny inside. The ONLY engine you can get is the 1.4t, 147hp and 184 ft/lb of torque, and that thing weighs a lot more than a golf. Stylistically, it's OK, but to get more than a basic interoir trim level you need to bump your spend to the point where you can get better options from other brands (Civic, Camry, and Altima come to mind) At entry level pricing, the fuel economy is decent, and I guess if all you need is basic transportation that isn't one of the above, this is a contender.

Leave the Jetta to people who don't really care about cars and will pick them up used for cheap in 5 years as their kids first car. Buy a GTI or an Arteon if you are fixated on a VW that isn't an SUB or x-over, and you're likely to have a happier experience.

 

[CarBrad]

I say this as a lifelong VW guy.

No.

The jetta is built on the MQB platform (golf/jetta/tiguan/atlas/Audi TT and A3) but all it's doing is adding size and weight. You lose headroom in the Jetta but pick up just under 2 inches of legroom. Even then, compared to a Stinger, it's tiny inside. Hell, even compared to an older Passat, it's tiny inside. The ONLY engine you can get is the 1.4t, 147hp and 184 ft/lb of torque, and that thing weighs a lot more than a golf. Stylistically, it's OK, but to get more than a basic interoir trim level you need to bump your spend to the point where you can get better options from other brands (Civic, Camry, and Altima come to mind) At entry level pricing, the fuel economy is decent, and I guess if all you need is basic transportation that isn't one of the above, this is a contender.

Leave the Jetta to people who don't really care about cars and will pick them up used for cheap in 5 years as their kids first car. Buy a GTI or an Arteon if you are fixated on a VW that isn't an SUB or x-over, and you're likely to have a happier experience.

@Fatalifeaten Yes, it is on the MQB platform. The rest of the information is incorrect however. They took the engine and goodies from the Golf GTI, and put them in the 2019 Jetta GLI, its a new GLI not like the outgoing model. So it is actually at 228 HP and 258 lbs of Torque with a curb weight of 3,274. The Golf is only about 100 lbs lighter. I am not comparing this car to the Stinger because they are not at all in the same class. This car has an MSRP of 31,000 on the loaded trim. 26k on the mid level 35th anniversary trim. It is essentially a Golf GTI sedan.

 

[DaJackson]

I say this as a lifelong VW guy.

The ONLY engine you can get is the 1.4t, 147hp and 184 ft/lb of torque, and that thing weighs a lot more than a golf.

Life long VW guy, doesn’t know about the 2.0T that’s been in the GLI for 10+ years.

 

[MisterMac]

Life long VW guy, doesn’t know about the 2.0T that’s been in the GLI for 10+ years.

He might only be three and out of touch.

 

[Fatalifeaten]

@Fatalifeaten Yes, it is on the MQB platform. The rest of the information is incorrect however. They took the engine and goodies from the Golf GTI, and put them in the 2019 Jetta GLI, its a new GLI not like the outgoing model. So it is actually at 228 HP and 258 lbs of Torque with a curb weight of 3,274. The Golf is only about 100 lbs lighter. I am not comparing this car to the Stinger because they are not at all in the same class. This car has an MSRP of 31,000 on the loaded trim. 26k on the mid level 35th anniversary trim. It is essentially a Golf GTI sedan.

Interior and tech are more or less the same (from what I can find), dimensions are the same, so only the powerplant is really different (and yes, thank God. Same as the GTI performance) That's significantly better for the Jetta, but I still don't feel like a lot of people are going to go for the GLI when they can get a lower level Jetta for less, or can spend in the same range as a GLI for a reasonably equipped Accord Sport or an Altima SR-VC Turbo (both 30k MSRP) unless they're specifically looking for a VW and don't want to /can't spend for an Arteon (that brand loyalty % is small but definitely a factor here).

Even with the bigger 2 liter, I'm still a No. I just don't feel like it's good value for what you get compared to other cars in the sector right now, and aesthetically, it's just a Jetta. That by no means makes me any kind of expert, and I 100% understand that opinions vary (that's a good thing!) As a longtime VW owner, I've looked at Jettas several times and never wanted one enough to take it home. They weren't on my list this last time around at all, let alone the short list.

I'm in absolute agreement with you on the Jetta vs stinger comparison. Apples and dragonfruit, that.

 

[Fatalifeaten]

He might only be three and out of touch.

Or he might not bother with Jettas because they're Jettas and he's got an admitted bias against them in general. Part of it is that you never seen them in my neck of the woods either. Dealerships don't keep them on hand, because they move base units like hotcakes.

 

[CarBrad]

Interior and tech are more or less the same (from what I can find), dimensions are the same, so only the powerplant is really different (and yes, thank God. Same as the GTI performance) That's significantly better for the Jetta, but I still don't feel like a lot of people are going to go for the GLI when they can get a lower level Jetta for less, or can spend in the same range as a GLI for a reasonably equipped Accord Sport or an Altima SR-VC Turbo (both 30k MSRP) unless they're specifically looking for a VW and don't want to /can't spend for an Arteon (that brand loyalty % is small but definitely a factor here).

Even with the bigger 2 liter, I'm still a No. I just don't feel like it's good value for what you get compared to other cars in the sector right now, and aesthetically, it's just a Jetta. That by no means makes me any kind of expert, and I 100% understand that opinions vary (that's a good thing!) As a longtime VW owner, I've looked at Jettas several times and never wanted one enough to take it home. They weren't on my list this last time around at all, let alone the short list.

I'm in absolute agreement with you on the Jetta vs stinger comparison. Apples and dragonfruit, that.

That's fair. The price point is pretty competitive. And both the Accord Sport or the Altima might be a better car for the money.

The Stinger price point is where things are weird imo. Because of the feature set of the car it doesn't cross shop right, so it leads you to look at a lot of different things. Some CPO'd stuff, just lots of really good cars in the 40-50k price range. The Stinger is in such an interesting place and a very interesting value proposition for the money. I really want to pick up a GT1. Just struggling to justify the cost since it is a want and not a need. The frugal person says why another year when all the CPOs start showing up, the live life to fullest part says buy it now.