Used 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Consumer Reviews
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Fun little VW
Vwarkie, 08/28/2019
updated 04/22/2022
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary Edition 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
44 of 44 people found this review helpful
I bought this as a 2nd family car in case I need to haul my 3 kids. It has plenty of room for them. I'm 6'2 and I can fit in the backseat without rubbing my head on the roof. I like it because of the fun factor. It handles great and has plenty of power to get you in and out of traffic. The acceleration isn't bad. Cabin noise is minimal but you do notice when you're going around 60 with the radio off. The interior is not bad but it could be better. It is a bit plasticky. The instrument cluster is kind of bland. If you can afford it get the autobahn edition, it has the virtual cockpit. I got the 35th anniversary edition because of the transmission. I do like the android auto and the voice control commands. One thing I have against it is the front seat isn't that comfortable. Not sure I would want to take a long trip in it. The ride quality is pretty good, better than the mustang I had. I use premium non-ethanol gas and I'm averaging 28 mpg which is mostly in town. Took it on a 2 hour trip, all interstate and was averaging 38 mpg in comfort mode. One big selling point was the 6 year/72,000 mile warranty and oil changes every 10k miles or once per year whichever comes first. Anyway, if you're a good negotiator you can get a new one for 24k, maybe less. Test drive a few of the competitors. If you want to drive what everyone else does get a Honda or Toyota but if you want to stand out get the Jetta GLI. Update 5/14/20 - As of this post, I've had the car 9 months. I've put 5400 miles on it. No problems to report. Just had an oil change. I did notice the oil was about a quart low before I took it in. This is normal for new engines as they tend to burn a little oil when they're being broken in. Anyway, the car is still fine. The handling is nice, acceleration is good, infotainment is great when paired with android auto. One major concern, for me at least, is the resale value. Not much I can do about that. Also, just want to add that I typically drive less than 9k miles per year. I use the car for short commutes, errands and the occasional trip out of town. Would I buy the car again? Probably not. I don't hate the car but I'm not in love with it either. Hindsight is 20/20 and no one can predict the future. With this pandemic going on and working from home, I would have just kept my old car. Trading the car in now makes little financial sense as I would lose $5k or $6k. And since we're not driving much, there's no point in getting something else. 10/12/20 - I've had the car for over a year now and it has 6800 miles on it. Nothing new to report really. Car is still running great. Occasionally I've had people compliment the car and ask questions, which is kinda surprising. It's not a bad looking ride, I think the roof could be a little more sloped in the back to give it a more sporty look. Anyway, I'll probably keep the car until the warranty runs out lol 4/22/2022 - well I've had the car for almost 3 years now. Really nothing new to report. Car has slightly more than 10k miles and all that has been done is basic maintenance like oil changes and they did clean the heads. These direct injection motors get carbon build up but it wasn't expensive. Around $70 at the dealership. Car still runs and drives like new.
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My everyday driving obsession
Cliff in Nashville, 12/06/2019
updated 12/07/2020
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
I love this car. I've been driving it for 4 months now, and I still get that new car buzz when I take off. Roomy (for a small sedan) and uncluttered cabin with nice tech touches. Sporty and nimble as hell performance. Quick acceleration and smooth ride, even at higher speeds. Almost a GTI in those regards. Looks like a serious, sophisticated sedan in the European tradition, but with just a hint of American muscle-car-style flair. A wolf in sheep's clothing. UPDATE: 15 months in and I still love this car.
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Sporty comfortable everyday driver
Derek, 11/08/2019
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary Edition 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Easy to live with, good mpg, suspension DCC upgrade from Audi gives you a range of different driving modes that dramatically change from comfort to sport mode. Design inside and out is very minimalist but also gorgeous lines mistaking people that take it for an Audi. New generation has more leg room in the front and back seat than previous generation. Has great safety and entertainment features. Apple car play...etc... It also has launch control mode when you want to launch the car... The rims and blacked out rims, roof, mirror caps, and spoiler is gorgeous. Great sports car for the money.
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Good all round value, yet fun to drive
P. Smith, 10/03/2019
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
28 of 30 people found this review helpful
At 25-29k this vehicle serves as an affordable and responsible family car that can also serve as a sporty daily driver. All new for 2019 on a better chassis, better suspension and handling hardware, upgraded disk brakes, and increased horse power and torque in the 2.0 turbo, this Jetta GLI S, has just the right amount of everything for the price; passenger space, cargo capacity, horse power, manuvering, MPGs. I opted for the 6 speed manual and am enjoying it with better than reported MPGs. This vehicle has a satisfying, yet not overwhelming amount of tech and safety features. My GLI S base model has cloth seats and frankly after two leather seat vehicles, I dont miss the leather or sport bolsters as with these cloth seats I don't slide on the curvy mountain our roads I commute daily. Many reviews complain about some harder plastic surfaces, but I see an elegant, just enough interior design with a classy VW look to it, that will be easy to maintain. The trunk shelf is too reflective and shows in rear window sometimes however. When comparing this with other cars one has to be careful that the comparisons are fair by remembering the price, it's tempting to compare it to mid sized sedans or luxury cars because it offers as much in many ways. I need a car that can excellerate well uphill to merge onto mountain interstates this GLI does it well. The steering and handling are nice and crisp and can be tweaked with several drive modes including a user defined custom setting. Not a gutless wonder by any means however with proper technique this car can be responsibly green (or blue), and includes a feedback display to help increase/optimize MPGs, a nice feature in a car that can carry five comfortably with luggage. The Cargo Mat system is wonderful. My 2011 Tiguan has it and so does this GLI. My groceries don't get flung about and take home boxes arrive home well. Flower pots and arrangements as well as tool boxes and such are all orderly passengers with the cargo mat and dividers. The exterior styling to my eyes is a bit more mature and sophisticated than the competition, many of which appear to be marketed to teenagers, yet at the same time the styling is modern and assertive. This is especially apparent in the hood and grills as well as the lines that make their way to the rear. The LED head lamps are wonderful. If you want even more look at the middle and upper trim levels which offer many more luxuries for not much more cost making then great values as well.
Worth every discounted penny! - Update: grrr!
JLW, 06/03/2020
updated 06/10/2021
2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
It's hard to write a brief review of a car that has so much to offer! I bought a leftover 2019 model in March to replace an expired lease vehicle to serve as my second car (work commuter). The discount was absolutely absurd (roughly 21k out the door), which made it hard to pass up. I was looking for something relatively inexpensive that got decent gas mileage, was practical, and didn't have the driving dynamics of a horse drawn carriage. This car has completely blown through those requirements. My daily drive is roughly 30 miles through a mix of two lane country roads and four lane town highways. If I am responsible, I average around 39 mpg. Even with a heavy foot I seldom see that number dip below 33 - which is a good thing given how much fun this car can be to drive in a lively fashion. The 2.0 turbo has more than enough power to make this car way more entertaining than a family hauler should have any right to be. The six speed manual is a joy to row through the gears, and the clutch provides just enough resistance to give decent feedback. Steering is crisp and spot on, and the suspension is more than up to the task of balancing sport/comfort duties. The short list of complaints has more to do with the fact I got the base "S" model than being a shortcoming of the car. There is no Sirius XM or CD player in the base model, and the sound system is extremely anemic. Those issues can be addressed by shelling out a few more dollars for the Autobahn version - but that impacts the value proposition. Aside from that, the seats could be a little more supportive, the interior plastic trim is a little cheap, and there can be a bit of road noise depending upon the quality of the highway surface. That's it - no other complaints! If you are in the market for a reasonably priced sport sedan, you owe it to yourself to at least test drive a GLI. It has a mature appearance, gets great gas mileage, serves as a practical family hauler when needed, accelerates way above its weight class, and is an overall hoot to drive. Keep an eye out for factory/dealer incentives and you can get a real steal on this car. This is my first experience with Volkswagen, but if the first 4000 miles in this car are any indication of the future I will be a returning customer when the time comes for the next replacement. UPDATE: I have had the car now for 15 months and 13k miles. It is still a blast to drive and getting great gas mileage, but has been in the shop for a total of 7 weeks for recurring P2402 fault codes and a fuel leak at the evap canister. The work was covered under warranty, but extremely aggravating to repeatedly have the same problem. A couple other issues have arisen that the warranty did not cover: the "GLI" badge on the front grille fell off, and the lip spoiler on the trunk lid cracked completely through perpendicularly. It has been nearly three weeks since the last fuel leak/P2402 repairs without a check engine light - the longest it has gone in 6 months. If it weren't for the absolutely joyful driving dynamics of this car, I would have explored the legal avenues of returning the vehicle to VWoA. Assuming there are no further issues (fingers crossed), I will gladly continue driving this car for the next several years as; recent issues aside, it still does a better job of checking the previously identified "wants" than anything else on the market. Unfortunately, I will plan to trade this in prior to the expiration of the warranty. There is just enough concern with reliability that I can't make a solid business case to keep this once I am on the hook for all repairs. I don't know that I would warn anyone away from purchasing or leasing a VW, but I certainly wouldn't provide unsolicited recommendations, either. It's a shame, really - since I had such great expectations after the first several months. Take the review for what it's worth?
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