If you want to have a fun, fast, and sporty car, chances are you’ll end up with the Japanese or German brands. To some degree, you may even think of the Koreans with Hyundai’s N division. The thing is, though, not all performance cars receive the same level of attention. Some tend to be more celebrated than others, and with the German sports sedan in today’s article, I am almost certain that you have almost forgotten that this car exists.
Blame poor marketing, or perhaps that this sedan is being overshadowed severely by another sporty model within its brand family. Whatever the case, this German sports sedan is, I think, one of the most severely underrated fast cars you can buy today. Sure, when it comes to sheer speed, this isn’t at the pinnacle, but for cars in general, this is one quick and fun machine that you may have forgotten still exists.
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If you’re in the market for a sporty and fast car, these are probably going to be your usual choices. Let’s explore what these models got right to remain on top of enthusiasts’ minds and what today’s severely underrated sports sedan can learn from these vehicles.
The Icons
Unsurprisingly, the vehicles that will be on top of enthusiasts’ minds will be the performance models that have been well celebrated for decades already. Pop culture, such as movies and video games, helped cement these vehicles into the minds of people, especially when they grew up watching these cars in movies or playing with these cars in video games. Think of The Fast and the Furious franchise, and you’ll immediately remember cars like the Toyota Supra, Subaru Impreza WRX, Honda S2000, and Nissan Skyline GT-R—essentially cars that shaped the so-called import tuning culture of the 1990s and 2000s.
And then, of course, some cars have been in the spotlight for decades already, like the muscle cars from the 1960s, or the German sports sedans of the 1980s that pushed the boundaries of performance and handling. Think of theFord Mustang,BMW M3,Volkswagen Golf GTI, andPorsche 911. All the cars mentioned here pretty much have a near cult following, and thus will remain on top of people’s minds unless an automaker makes a misstep in ruining the reputation of these cars.
The Newcomers
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for any newcomers in the scene. If the vehicle is marketed well and has proven itself beyond the automaker’s advertising and communications, then even this kind of vehicle can remain at the top of people’s minds. Think of cars like Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe and Elantra N—two cars that were met with doubts from car enthusiasts but managed to bring sportiness and desirability into the Korean car scene. Han (portrayed by Sung Kang) in Tokyo Drift may have once said, “What, you think I’m gonna let you roll around in a Hyundai?” in 2006, but now, 20 years since the movie came out, he is already impressed with the machines that Hyundai’s N division has been churning out lately.
And then, of course, there are the electric vehicles (EVs) that have democratized quick acceleration. The Tesla Model S humiliated supercars in numerous YouTube drag racing videos, while a similar level of performance can already be felt in more affordable models like the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Of course, Hyundai’s N division also has the Ioniq 5 N, which emulates the attitude of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car for the EV era. The newcomers overcame their prejudices with strong marketing and fundamentally great performance cars, so what’s the missing ingredient for today’s German sports sedan that’s not as well-celebrated as its Japanese and even Korean peers?
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The Jetta GLI – A Good But Easily Forgotten Sports Sedan
Germans make great sports sedans, like the BMW M3, Audi S5, and Mercedes-AMG C63. On the more affordable end, there’s the Volkswagen Jetta GLI—a sports sedan you may have forgotten, especially next to the Civic Si, Subaru WRX, and Hyundai Elantra N.
Overshadowed By More Iconic Siblings
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, as it’s a well-rounded sports sedan. It’s also quite fast, with a 0-60 mph time of 6.0 seconds with the manual and 5.8 seconds with the dual-clutch automatic,based on numerous tests that our team has done with both the six-speed manualand theseven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Unfortunately, one of the major reasons we can think of why it’s severely underrated is that if you’re in the market for a fun Volkswagen, most enthusiasts are already dead set on getting the Golf GTI or Golf R. Simply put, the Golf GTI and Golf R are far more iconic vehicles. In a market where heritage plays a big role in the appeal of an enthusiast car, the Jetta GLI will easily be overshadowed by the Golf GTI and Golf R—especially if only $2,000 separates the Jetta GLI and Golf GTI.
Among Sports Sedans, It Has The Least Attitude
The Volkswagen Jetta GLI may be a sports sedan, and, to be fair, it does the sporty bit extremely well. It even possesses some of the lost Volkswagen driving character of newer models. The MQB A1 platform remains solid and planted in typical German car fashion, making its chassis feel engaging in any scenario. The electronic limited-slip differential helps in delivering power to the appropriate front wheel, making the most out of the Jetta GLI’s front-wheel drive (FWD) layout.
|
Engine |
2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder |
|
Horsepower |
228 hp |
|
Torque |
258 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
6-speed M/T 7-speed DCT |
|
Driveline |
FWD |
|
0-60 MPH |
6.0 sec. (M/T) 5.8 sec. (DCT) |
Where it lacks ever-so-slightly with cars like the Civic Si and even the Elantra N, as noted by our testers, is the final chassis brilliance and attitude that the aforementioned Asian sports sedans possess. The GLI feels more like a grand tourer among sports compact cars—somewhat more laid-back and mature than the juvenile, tire-screeching attitude and noise of the Elantra N or the sharpness of the Civic Si. It’s a brilliant sports sedan as our team notes, but if you want a little bit more attitude or precision, the Asian competitors do those sorts of things better. Perhaps Volkswagen didn’t want to make the Jetta GLI eat some sales from the Golf GTI?
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Here’s What A Jetta GLI Offers
But if what you’re truly looking for is a quick sports sedan with the kind of driving experience that marries sportiness with a high degree of refinement, then the Jetta GLI might be well-suited for you. Here’s what else this subtly brilliant German sports sedan offers.
Subdued But Sporty Looks
Matching the sporty, grand-tourer-like driving dynamics are the Jetta GLI’s subdued yet sporty looks. The level of subtlety is similar to the Civic Si’s, while the Elantra N really communicates the kind of attitude it has with its bold blue paint, wide front grille, and red exterior trims.
Still, the Jetta GLI does have a good amount of sportiness with its sportier front bumper with red lower trims, the subtly sportier rear bumper with dual exhausts, and the 18-inch two-tone wheels. An optional Black Package gives you black wheels and black side mirrors if that’s your thing. Lastly, though not exactly an exterior design touch, the subtly sporty look is matched by its suspension tuning, because the adaptive dampers offer a great balance of comfort and handling.
Well-Laid-Out Interior With Unwelcome Haptic Controls
When the current generation Volkswagen Jetta came out in 2019, it was at a time when the German automaker was going all-in on cabin tech—for better or worse. You see, though it has niceties like full digital gauges and an 8-inch touchscreen, these features were controlled through a series of haptic-based buttons on the steering wheel, the instrument panel, and the climate controls. It looks great, decoratively speaking, but it is infuriating when it comes to usability.
Thankfully, the layout of the controls isn’t as confusing as it was in the current Volkswagen Golf, for example, which was the vehicle that premiered all of this capacitive touch nonsense in the first place. As for the rest of the interior, it looks relatively nice and is reasonably plush, but you can tell that the Jetta is Volkswagen’s most affordable in America due to the meh interior quality. Perhaps a Civic Si even feels nicer, and it’s mostly helped by Honda’s generous use of solid control knobs and knurled switches.