2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI: the Most Underrated Car?

MotorTrend magazine’s Kristen Lee recently took some time to drive the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and came away realizing that it is the most underrated car she’s driven all year. It is, without a doubt, one of the best options for buyers looking to get into a sedan that’s more than just a grocery getter; better than just another car to put in drive and go to and from work. The GLI is a sports sedan that harkens back to the early 2000s when SUVs weren’t the rulers of the land and cars had to be fun to drive. Lee fell in love with the GLI because it was unassuming and yet did all the things she wanted it to do, saying, “The Volkswagen’s conservative exterior styling and its “bargain Audi” cabin make it a nice below-the-radar option.”

Affordable and Just Plain Good

Cars are expensive, and it seems that their affordability gets more and more out of reach every year. However, Volkswagen has a ton of offerings under $35,000, and that includes the Jetta and Jetta GLI, with the GLI having a base MSRP of just $29,310. The GLI does affordability, everyday car, safety, and driving pleasure without making any real sacrifices or being too flashy: “It’s surprisingly tough in today’s automotive market to find a good-sized, relatively affordable new car that doesn’t try to be too much. So many manufacturers try to specialize in tech, convenience features, over-the-air updates, and being the latest in electrification that shopping them all can become dizzying. These are all admirable goals, but just like you occasionally crave a simple slice of plain cheese, sometimes you want a car that’s just a car. So far, among the cars I’ve driven this year, the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has been precisely that.”

Engine and Performance

For 2024, the Jetta GLI features a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that puts out 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque that’s combined with either a slick-shifting 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch. With a standard VAQ electronic limited-slip differential on the front axle, the GLI can send up to 100% of power to either of the front wheels. According to MotorTrend, the GLI can sprint to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds while still returning 26 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. With the 13.2 gallon fuel tank filled up, the GLI has the ability to get up to 488 miles of pure highway driving range. 

The Interior Is Great For Families

One of the reasons customers love their Jetta is its size and usability. The GLI has a 14.1 cu.ft. trunk and is wide in the back seats, with 54 inches of rear hip room and 51.4 inches of rear shoulder room. This means you can easily fit two car seats with someone in the middle or a car seat and two kids. The Jetta GLI makes it so you don’t have to sacrifice having a sports car because you have a family. 

The GLI Is Safe, Too

The Jetta is also a safe car and features Volkswagen IQ.Drive as standard. IQ.Drive includes Travel Assist (semi-automated driving assistance), Front Assist (Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring), Active Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop and Go, Lane Assist, and Emergency Assist (semi-automated vehicle assistance in a medical emergency).

In Conclusion

In her conclusion, Ms. Lee said, “Lots of people laud the Honda Civic and Mazda Mazda 3 as cheap car champions, and objectively, the 2024 Jetta doesn’t do anything they can’t … But the Volkswagen’s conservative exterior styling and its “bargain Audi” cabin make it a nice below-the-radar but still relatively luxurious option. And the fact its interior comes from 2018 means it missed out on some of the more annoying aspects of modern infotainment setups. The Jetta GLI is good. Long live the Jetta.” That perfectly sums up why the Jetta GLI would be the perfect car for your driveway. 

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