Author Topic: Test Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI (Read 2103 times)

Autos_Editor · « **on:** January 25, 2012, 03:02:52 am »

Despite its speed and sportiness, the GLI can still pull double duty as an ordinary family sedan, says Jonathan Yarkony.

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JohnM · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2012, 06:47:41 am »

I rented a Kizashi for a day and certainly that would be right in this mix. Beautiful car. I haven't drive the Jetta but have spent time in an SI and these three would almost certainly make any driver quite happy.

If I were looking at this group for a possible roadmate, reliability would put me into the Kizashi or the Civic. Fuel efficiency is not great here and I'll report on mine in the Kizashi section.

Cheers,
John M.

Jaeger · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2012, 07:32:31 am »

Quote from: Test Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Did I mention naughty engine parts? Santa himself would be hard-pressed to restrain his naughty urges if he was riding in this 200-reindeer-power turbocharged sleigh (especially in Santa Claus red). Between the red-cape effect of the hood, the grunts and burbles of the engine notes piped into the cabin (though some critics panned its high-rev grunting and compared it to a bovine seizure), the snick-click of the paddle shifters instantly dropping and adding a gear, or the aggressive shifting in sport mode, the GLI got my blood boiling and a little imaginary robot-rabbit demon (remember ‘Fast’?) telling me to punch it, I ended up pushing for every gap in traffic and every free green light before my better sense kicked in with a “Holy smokes, I better dial it back” before reaching license-losing speed.

Anyone else find this paragraph (and to a lesser extent, the entire review) damned near unreadable?

"Naughty engine parts?" Seriously?

Jaeger

Snowman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:00:21 am »

Quote from: Jaeger on January 25, 2012, 07:32:31 am

Quote from: Test Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Did I mention naughty engine parts? Santa himself would be hard-pressed to restrain his naughty urges if he was riding in this 200-reindeer-power turbocharged sleigh (especially in Santa Claus red). Between the red-cape effect of the hood, the grunts and burbles of the engine notes piped into the cabin (though some critics panned its high-rev grunting and compared it to a bovine seizure), the snick-click of the paddle shifters instantly dropping and adding a gear, or the aggressive shifting in sport mode, the GLI got my blood boiling and a little imaginary robot-rabbit demon (remember ‘Fast’?) telling me to punch it, I ended up pushing for every gap in traffic and every free green light before my better sense kicked in with a “Holy smokes, I better dial it back” before reaching license-losing speed.

Anyone else find this paragraph (and to a lesser extent, the entire review) damned near unreadable?

"Naughty engine parts?" Seriously?

Jaeger

Reads like a grade 11 class assignment. Fail.

tpl · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:07:02 am »

I wondered what he had been smoking.

nlm · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:27:28 am »

Well at least there is some character to the review. I don't mind the extras at all, so good review!

Good point John M: I would like to see a menage a trois of the GLI, Si and Kizashi. Hey, I can submit this post as my grade 11 assignment as well!

Imagine an Impreza or Legacy that drives like one of these. Off to read the new Impreza article to find out....

nlm · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:37:51 am »

....and sadly, no, the Impreza Sport does not appear to be as sporty as the GLI, or at least there were far fewer adjectives in the Impreza review.

Mike · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:51:25 am »

Quote from: nlm on January 25, 2012, 08:27:28 am

Well at least there is some character to the review. I don't mind the extras at all, so good review!

Good point John M: I would like to see a menage a trois of the GLI, Si and Kizashi. Hey, I can submit this post as my grade 11 assignment as well!

Imagine an Impreza or Legacy that drives like one of these. Off to read the new Impreza article to find out....

I drove all 3, below is a pic of Jonathan (the author) and I driving the Si and GLI. I would say if I were to choose it would go GLI, SI then Kizashi.

Mike · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:51:54 am »

Quote from: nlm on January 25, 2012, 08:37:51 am

....and sadly, no, the Impreza Sport does not appear to be as sporty as the GLI, or at least there were far fewer adjectives in the Impreza review.

It isn't. I even got to drive the 5-speed manual for a week and although it does handle well, the engine is lacking

richink · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:14:15 am »

A colleague of mine was one of the first deliveries in Quebec of one of these in the late summer. I've ridden with him and the car is great, but there just seems to be something missing compared to the previous gen GLi. Maybe the A5 Jetta's were designed and built specifically as a higher end car, where the A6's are designed first as an inexpensive car, dressed up for a night on the town in GLi form? Not to take away too much from the billiance of this car. Does anyone get my drift?

Mike · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:17:45 am »

Quote from: richink on January 25, 2012, 09:14:15 am

A colleague of mine was one of the first deliveries in Quebec of one of these in the late summer. I've ridden with him and the car is great, but there just seems to be something missing compared to the previous gen GLi. Maybe the A5 Jetta's were designed and built specifically as a higher end car, where the A6's are designed first as an inexpensive car, dressed up for a night on the town in GLi form? Not to take away too much from the billiance of this car. Does anyone get my drift?

It is true. Unlike the old GLI which was based on a Jetta platform shared with the Golf and GTI, this larger Americanized GLI has lost some of the rawness of the original car. Another colleague of mine described the car as not a GLI, but rather a really nice Jetta 2.0T

richink · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:38:30 am »

"rawness"

That's the word I was looking for.

JRM · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:41:05 am »

I'd take a Golf GTI over the larger size and lower Quality interior materials and design of the Jetta GLI. Also the versatility of a hatch/wagon is a plus for me.

opg210 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:47:40 am »

Anyone else find this paragraph (and to a lesser extent, the entire review) damned near unreadable?

"Naughty engine parts?" Seriously?

Jaeger
[/quote]

Reads like a grade 11 class assignment. Fail.
[/quote]

Disagree with these sentiments. Sure, a little bit of unusual descriptions, but I easily got the drift and at least the author tried to make it interesting.

And as a great big plus to the article, I find several mentions about steering feel and the importance! Yay! I was beginning to think I was the only one that cared.

Jaeger · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:48:22 am »

Quote from: JRM on January 25, 2012, 09:41:05 am

I'd take a Golf GTI over the larger size and lower Quality interior materials and design of the Jetta GLI.

So would I. In a heartbeat.

Jaeger

Jaeger · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:02:14 am »

Quote from: opg210 on January 25, 2012, 09:47:40 am

Disagree with these sentiments. Sure, a little bit of unusual descriptions, but I easily got the drift and at least the author tried to make it interesting.

I didn't find references to Santa's 'naughty urges' and 'imaginary robot rabbit-demons' and the like to make the review more interesting. Not at all. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

I also found the exhuberant praise for the engine a little over the top as well. I'm a fan of the VW 2.0T - I've driven it in a number of different applications and came close to buying one in the Passat CC. It's a really good engine. But from the review, you'd think the author had never before driven anything more powerful than a Prius.

Jaeger

AP · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:12:54 am »

Quote from: Jaeger on January 25, 2012, 10:02:14 am

I didn't find references to Santa's 'naughty urges' and 'imaginary robot rabbit-demons' and the like to make the review more interesting. Not at all. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

I also found the exhuberant praise for the engine a little over the top as well. I'm a fan of the VW 2.0T - I've driven it in a number of different applications and came close to buying one in the Passat CC. It's a really good engine. But from the review, you'd think the author had never before driven anything more powerful than a Prius.

Jaeger

Oh stop being so naughty...

richink · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:27:47 am »

Speaking of rawness... give me one of these to play with!

Wait a sec, I own one already. Just with the roof cut off

lebowski · « **Reply #18 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:46:31 am »

Quote from: Jaeger on January 25, 2012, 10:02:14 am

Quote from: opg210 on January 25, 2012, 09:47:40 am
Disagree with these sentiments. Sure, a little bit of unusual descriptions, but I easily got the drift and at least the author tried to make it interesting.

I didn't find references to Santa's 'naughty urges' and 'imaginary robot rabbit-demons' and the like to make the review more interesting. Not at all. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

I also found the exhuberant praise for the engine a little over the top as well. I'm a fan of the VW 2.0T - I've driven it in a number of different applications and came close to buying one in the Passat CC. It's a really good engine. But from the review, you'd think the author had never before driven anything more powerful than a Prius.

Jaeger

+1 I didn't love the article - I just found the author's flourishes to be forced and cumbersome, trying a little too hard to be "edgy" like Clarkson or Jack Baruth.

SaskSpecV · « **Reply #19 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:48:12 am »

Quote from: nlm on January 25, 2012, 08:27:28 am

Good point John M: I would like to see a menage a trois of the GLI, Si and Kizashi. Hey, I can submit this post as my grade 11 assignment as well!

Ask, and ye shall receive:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1203_honda_civic_si_vs_suzuki_kizashi_sport_gts_vs_volkswagen_jetta_gli_comparison/

Personally, I like each of those cars, but they all seem to have their own particular faults (as all cars do). I don't know if I'd pay my own money for any of them.