Used 2012 Volkswagen GLI Consumer Reviews
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Phantom Red
jcwcoupe, 03/29/2012
2012 Volkswagen GLI PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
5 of 12 people found this review helpful
Bought My GLI over the Mini Cooper Clubman "S", I Love the dynamic stability control (dsc), The DSC Transmission is what "sold Me" and Pushed me toward the GLI, and away from my favorite Car, Mini Cooper "s".. Who Knew..BUT My Next Two door car will be 2020 John Cooper Works Coupe. Another reason besides the DSC, is the cargo space I Needed, being a stay-at-home-dad, and the roomy back seat in the four door GLI, and the trunk cargo area....the Mini Clubman can't compare.
Very Classy looks, decent performance
steven KIM, 04/11/2016
2012 Volkswagen GLI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
for the price range, you can't touch the Jetta GLI for it's understated good looks, decent turbocharged performance which can be amped up to the Nth degree with mature aftermarket support, and the safe usability of a 4 door sedan in a medium gray. for the money, there is no other car with similar performance which has the looks to satisfy a craving for a german engineered, understated styling and clean logical interior layout. All cars that match or exceed the Jetta GLI's performance are garishly styled, and all other offerings from other German makers are loaded with unnecessary bits that price to nearly double that of the Jetta. You can get the same engine and tranny of this car in an A4 for almost twice the cost, and you know what, most people won't be able to tell you which was the more expensive car, it looks so fantastic. Everyone that has seen the car has remarked on what a great car it is for just under $16K for 22k miles! How did I even consider the car, let alone buy it? I own a 2010 VW GTI that has upgraded engine, tranny, suspension and braking (to substantially above stock MK7 Golf R levels, so apprx. 310 hp to the wheels, around the same torque to the wheels, 335mm front brakes upgrade, KW Variant 2 coilovers, and stage 3 endurance clutch and flywheel + a whole lot more). The GLI is staying stock until the Certified warranty runs out. Then we shall see... I had forgotten how this platform felt when it was stock - just adequate performance, but it's styled like the current A3 or a baby A4, and I happen to love the whole classic lines and severly dark interiors thing happening here. Reliability on my 6 year old MK6 GTI has been outstaning. If not on par with the best from the land of the rising sun, then at least nothing of the nightmare that VWs are made out to be. So yeah. Happy with purchase, and would buy again. I sort of think I benefitted from the whole Turbo Diesel emissions scandal that's rocking VWs boat right now. and honestly the prospect that would influence dealers to let the cars go at any price is what made me buy the car. It's true, I shopped Civic SIs against the GLI and the Hondas were consistently $3-4K more and the dealers playing much more hardball.
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2012 Volkswagen GLI for sale near you
Showing 3 of 41 listings
- PZEV SedanMSRP: $8,995209 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $7,950302 mi away
- GLIMSRP: $10,995564 mi away
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Beware of owning 2012 Jetta GLI for long...
Daniel Perkins, 04/06/2016
2012 Volkswagen GLI Autobahn 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 5 people found this review helpful
Purchased 2012 VW Jetta GLI from Martin's VW in Washington, DC brand new in the summer of 2012. Experience started bad as we requested vehicle with electric start and navigation, upon waiting 3 weeks for the car to be delivered we didn't receive navigation or the electric start option. Upon confronting the deal he said we never requested those options. Due to needing a vehicle we just decided to take this car instead of waiting another 3 weeks. While owning the Jetta we were very pleased for the first 36,000 miles (conveniently as long as the warranty lasts). At around 38,000 miles the tires continually have begun to rapidly wear for reasons unknown, as we are not hard on the vehicle at all. At 40,000 miles the read seal and other items went out simultaneously which lead to a $3,600 maintenance bill at our mechanic. Then at roughly 42,000 miles our axles have begun to leak and has led to an additional $2,000 maintenance bill. Upon checking on Kelly's Blue Book to sell our vehicle which is in great condition, the resale value is currently roughly $12,000. Fuel economy on the car has begun to steadily decline as well during trips from Washington, DC to New York City, NY. Very disappointed since I was always under the impression that VW built solid cars, but after this experience will never own a VW again. Notice that all positive reviews regard this model in its early stages. If you're looking for a solid vehicle that will last upwards of 100,000 miles with just the average maintenance then VW is not for you. Please beware of owning a 2012 Jetta GLI for long...
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Fun car but trade or sell before 50k miles.
James, 07/27/2024
2012 Volkswagen GLI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Let me say first of all that I love this car. Fun to drive, lots of comments from car guys. However, once it reached 50k (took about 8 years to get there) the $$ started being siphoned from my pocket. Expect a valve cleaning (I had the walnut blast done) for about 700-800 dollars. Currently I am looking at needing a replacement for my intake manifold (expect to be 1200-1400 dollars minimum) because of an error code P2015.
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