DEXTER, Michigan — The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is a sign that sedans aren’t dead – at least not for VolkswagenWhile others are eliminating the low-slung four-door from their range, Jetta remains VW‘s third bestseller in the United States, after the Tiguan And Atlas. For 2025, the Jetta gets some light updates to spruce it up for its loyal customers, and we got to drive one — along with the sporty THE — to refresh our memory.
Outside, the Jetta gets a bit of a nip and tuck at the front and rear. The upper and lower grilles have been updated, and it gets new LED headlights with an available light bar across the nose. In back, there’s a slight tweak to the trunk lid, along with a standard light bar that runs across it. The Jetta SE gets new 17-inch alloy wheels, while the SEL and GLI get 18-inchers. The SE and GLI are also offered with black wheel packages. Finally, two new exterior to colour join the palette: Monterey Blue Pearl and Monument Gray.
Inside, the dash has been revised with a new design that features three horizontal bars that flank the standard 8-inch infotainment touchscreen and gauge cluster and help camouflage the air vents. Regardless of which trim level you choose, you get the “Climatronic” touch controls for the HVAC, which we’ve grown accustomed to — we found that tapping the red or blue end was considerably easier than trying to meticulously slide your finger to adjust the temperature, especially if you’re trying to keep your eyes on the road. We generally prefer the functionality of something a little more tactile, like the older HVAC buttons the Jetta used to employ, but the sliders definitely give the cabin a more upscale feel. The 8-inch infotainment screen still feels a little dated, but wireless Apple CarPlay made life easier for us when we tried to listen to our own music while navigating with Waze. And thankfully, the Jetta has volume and tuning knobs as well as infotainment buttons on the sides of the actual screen, making for a bit of a breeze to navigate through menus. We appreciated the “Digital Cockpit” that comes standard in the Jetta, measuring 8 inches in the S, Sport and SE, or 10.25 inches in the SEL and GLI.
The Jetta’s engines remain the same for 2025. For the standard Jetta, that’s a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four making 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The sole transmission pairing for that powerplant is an eight-speed automatic — Volkswagen said the drop for the manual in non-GLI trims was around 5 percent. The GLI, on the other hand, gets a 2.0-liter turbo-four that 228 hp and 258 lb-ft and can be paired with a seven-speed DSG or a six-speed manual transmission.
That’s big news, because you can GTI with a manual, which means if you want to #SaveTheManuals, you should get a GLI. You shouldn’t be the only one, at least. VW expects the manual to account for about 30% of GLI sales in the US, which isn’t bad.
Our first drive over some of our favorite roads in southeastern Michigan came in an SEL. If you’ve driven the Jetta recently, it’ll feel familiar, with ample power at low revs that tapers off as you reach higher speeds and revs. The steering is light and effortless, yet responsive enough to be entertaining as you weave from one corner to the next on a tight, twisty road. The chassis feels well-controlled, even with the Jetta’s standard torsion-beam rear suspension. There’s very little body roll, and it feels supple and relaxed when tracking over tricky undulations; it’s even more composed and comfortable on better-designed surfaces. As for the ride and handling, the Jetta feels more premium than its segment might suggest.
We got to spend more time in a red GLI with a manual transmission, and it was delightful. The clutch pedal is light and effortless. The lever itself doesn’t give much tactile information about the gear you’re in, but it does a good job of guiding the stick home through each gear. Once you get used to the airy numbness of both your left and right foot, confidence grows and the shifts become quick and seamless.
It also allows you to make the most of the extra power going to the front wheels. It’s easy to induce wheelspin in first gear and get a good squeal from the tires shifting into second. Once that gets your heart rate up, what comes next is just plain ol’ icy, whether it’s constantly wringing revs through the gears or bracing yourself for that oncoming corner. Better yet, stop the GLI completely and do it all over again. It’s a rare treat to get this experience in a sub-$35,000 sedan—it tastes like 2010 in all the right ways.
The GLI feels a little more connected to the road than lesser Jettas, thanks to its multi-link rear suspension, but it doesn’t punish its occupants with an uncomfortable ride. It felt just as natural running errands as it did screaming down those lonely back roads. And when you’re not living up to the car’s redline, that manual transmission is an absolute gem when it comes to trying to summon limousine-style smoothness. With a little intention, you can swing through gear changes without any sense of momentum shifting in the cabin. Try doing that in a WRX. That’s not easy.
If you want to start in 2025 Jetta GLIThere’s just one trim level, and it starts at $33,940 (including $1,225 destination), and the price is the same whether you opt for the six-speed manual or the seven-speed DSG. If you don’t need the extra power and fun that comes with it, the Jetta starts at $23,220 for the base S trim and its now standard eight-speed automatic, and goes up to $30,225 for the SEL. Whether you’re looking for the affordable, refined drivetrain of the base Jetta or the rare, still-affordable joy offered by the GLI, they hit the spot traders at the end of Q3. We know which one we would choose.