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- 2020 Audi A3 Quattro, 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan
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I got wind of a new '19 Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary near me, with a manual, for a great price. Combine that with VW's ridiculous incentives right now, and it seemed like too good a deal to pass up. The 19's have the extended warranty, and the 35th Anniversary edition has DCC and other goodies that are now only available on the Autobahn edition.
It was a color I like -- white like my Si. But though I respect the looks, after taking it in from many angles I realized I didn't love the looks. Yes, it's not tarted-up like the Si sedan but neither is it lithe and aggressive looking, like the Si is from most angles. Then you have those incongruous red stripes around the otherwise attractive wheels. Hey VW -- is this a stealth executive sports sedan or not?
Then I climbed in.
Woof.
First of all, you squish into the driver's seat (shared with the SEL model) like it was granny's couch. The thigh section is angled high and not really adjustable. (I think my Si driver's seat is angled a *little* too low, but this was much worse in the opposite direction.) There's just no getting around that soft seat feel and upright driving position. It's like climbing behind the wheel of a truck. Visibility is pinched compared with the low cowl and airy greenhouse of the Honda.
Lots of reviews, even those that raved about the GLI, took it to task for the low quality of its interior plastics. I was prepared not to be too bothered by this -- the Si is plasticky inside, too -- and by and large I wasn't. Yes, the door fabric on the Si is nicer than the GLI's plastic slabs. Otherwise it's about a tie: the GLI has more soft surfaces but the Si's blacks are deeper.
But in so many other ways the GLI's interior fell short, starting with the shape and dimensions of the dashboard. Where the Si has that flowing, cascading central dash column, falling backward to impart a sense of space, the GLI hunches over you -- with a high dash top dominated by the touchscreen, caving *forward* toward you, vents at sternum height and climate controls buried low and deep. Even though in pictures it seems like the screen is in a more useful spot higher up than in the Si, in reality it was a longer reach away. Plus smaller, plus badly proportioned in a sea of piano gloss.
The wheel, shared with the GTI, gets a lot of raves. Flat bottom! But I like the Si's better. It feels chunkier and more aggressive, but not to a cartoonish degree like some GM products. The gauge pod is nice -- I prefer analogue -- but it too is a little smaller than it should be, aesthetically. Ditto for the headlight switch, on the left side of the dash Euro -style. Barely larger than a quarter, it looks bad and feels bad. What the hell, VW?
All in all it struck me as a pretty depressing place to have to spend a lot of time, for reasons that had little to do with materials quality. Not as nice as the pictures by a fair bit.
My drive was short, but I can note some positives. The driveline is fantastic: the motor sounds great and pulls hard, throttle and clutch feel really good, the shifter is worlds more positive and robust-feeling than the Si's. Throws weren't too long like I'd read in some places, and it just imparted confidence and solidity. Taller gearing than the Si plus more torque also make it friendlier and more relaxed around town. Right-hand turns from a stop always force me either to shift midcorner or needlessly wind out first in my Honda, but not so with the VW.
Brakes are very strong, and the ride is better-isolated than the Si's, especially in the more comfort-oriented suspension settings. But even in my short drive I could tell that it didn't come close to matching the Si's sharp steering feel and willingness to change direction. Handling is buttoned-down and relatively sporty, but it falls short of the Si's chassis brilliance. Surely the all-seasons didn't help either. Didn't track as well at speed, and for a car hailed as a bargain Audi there was a surprising amount of wind noise in the driver's window.
So good was the deal on this GLI that on my way to the dealership I had been feeling that sense of inevitable doom you get when you know you're going to buy a new car. Yet by the time the test drive was over that feeling was gone. I would happily swap the motor and trans into my Si, but otherwise there's no question which car I would want to drive every day overall. With the GLI still on C&D's ten best even as the Si falls off it, and considering all the accolades those VW's get, this was a big but welcome surprise!
It was a color I like -- white like my Si. But though I respect the looks, after taking it in from many angles I realized I didn't love the looks. Yes, it's not tarted-up like the Si sedan but neither is it lithe and aggressive looking, like the Si is from most angles. Then you have those incongruous red stripes around the otherwise attractive wheels. Hey VW -- is this a stealth executive sports sedan or not?
Then I climbed in.
Woof.
First of all, you squish into the driver's seat (shared with the SEL model) like it was granny's couch. The thigh section is angled high and not really adjustable. (I think my Si driver's seat is angled a *little* too low, but this was much worse in the opposite direction.) There's just no getting around that soft seat feel and upright driving position. It's like climbing behind the wheel of a truck. Visibility is pinched compared with the low cowl and airy greenhouse of the Honda.
Lots of reviews, even those that raved about the GLI, took it to task for the low quality of its interior plastics. I was prepared not to be too bothered by this -- the Si is plasticky inside, too -- and by and large I wasn't. Yes, the door fabric on the Si is nicer than the GLI's plastic slabs. Otherwise it's about a tie: the GLI has more soft surfaces but the Si's blacks are deeper.
But in so many other ways the GLI's interior fell short, starting with the shape and dimensions of the dashboard. Where the Si has that flowing, cascading central dash column, falling backward to impart a sense of space, the GLI hunches over you -- with a high dash top dominated by the touchscreen, caving *forward* toward you, vents at sternum height and climate controls buried low and deep. Even though in pictures it seems like the screen is in a more useful spot higher up than in the Si, in reality it was a longer reach away. Plus smaller, plus badly proportioned in a sea of piano gloss.
The wheel, shared with the GTI, gets a lot of raves. Flat bottom! But I like the Si's better. It feels chunkier and more aggressive, but not to a cartoonish degree like some GM products. The gauge pod is nice -- I prefer analogue -- but it too is a little smaller than it should be, aesthetically. Ditto for the headlight switch, on the left side of the dash Euro -style. Barely larger than a quarter, it looks bad and feels bad. What the hell, VW?
All in all it struck me as a pretty depressing place to have to spend a lot of time, for reasons that had little to do with materials quality. Not as nice as the pictures by a fair bit.
My drive was short, but I can note some positives. The driveline is fantastic: the motor sounds great and pulls hard, throttle and clutch feel really good, the shifter is worlds more positive and robust-feeling than the Si's. Throws weren't too long like I'd read in some places, and it just imparted confidence and solidity. Taller gearing than the Si plus more torque also make it friendlier and more relaxed around town. Right-hand turns from a stop always force me either to shift midcorner or needlessly wind out first in my Honda, but not so with the VW.
Brakes are very strong, and the ride is better-isolated than the Si's, especially in the more comfort-oriented suspension settings. But even in my short drive I could tell that it didn't come close to matching the Si's sharp steering feel and willingness to change direction. Handling is buttoned-down and relatively sporty, but it falls short of the Si's chassis brilliance. Surely the all-seasons didn't help either. Didn't track as well at speed, and for a car hailed as a bargain Audi there was a surprising amount of wind noise in the driver's window.
So good was the deal on this GLI that on my way to the dealership I had been feeling that sense of inevitable doom you get when you know you're going to buy a new car. Yet by the time the test drive was over that feeling was gone. I would happily swap the motor and trans into my Si, but otherwise there's no question which car I would want to drive every day overall. With the GLI still on C&D's ten best even as the Si falls off it, and considering all the accolades those VW's get, this was a big but welcome surprise!
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The GLI is certainly more ...inconspicuous... inside-and-out compared to the sportier Si, but I would have expected the interior to be more luxurious for the price. I am envious of the power bump VW gave to this GLI, but my wallet definitely prefers the mpgs of the Si.
