How do we feel about GLIs?

I typed up a long post and then lost it and I don't feel like retyping it. Soooo the short version, wife needs a new car in the next year and I'm in the data gathering stage.

Brief background, the wife commutes an hour one way each day, mostly freeway in LA traffic. Mileage and reliability are important. She got a taste of torque in my MS3 and wants some herself, so a 6 cylinder or turbo 4 is preferred. Heated seats required. Auto required but bonus points for a fun one. Also, bonus points for AWD. We are looking to buy lightly used and under $20k. 

Top cars in the running are: 

Jetta GLI: GTI drivetrain, cheap, good mileage, I like the interior. I've never owned a VAG product so these worry me. I have hope knowing the drivetrain is well understood.

Legacy 3.6r- AWD, kinda fast, reliable I think?, I don't know much else. 

Mazda 6: my dad has one, it's brilliant. It's also kinda slow. If only the turbo version came out sooner...

I know the obvious answer is a V6 Camry or Accord but I don't think SWMBO will go for either. They're great cars, I know, but kinda bland. So, just getting that out of the way. We will look at them but I'm not interested in being convinced to get one. 

What do I need to know about the others? The good? The bad? The ugly? My first what car thread! Learn me!

How about a 3rd or 4th gen Acura TL? The FWD ones are pretty good maintenance wise. They feel like a slightly sportier V6 Accord and they come in well under 20k now.

How about a 335i? That gets you a twin-turbo inline 6. The community for that drivetrain is huge and the tuning options are nearly limitless. They can be had as a sedan, a coupe, or a hardtop convertible, with both auto and manual available. Luckily for you, the autos tend to be a fair bit cheaper since they're not as desirable to enthusiasts. Stock they're RWD, but there are AWD versions available as well, they're called the 335xi. You get 300hp out of the box and you're just a tune away from 400hp. Heated seats are a common option as well.

The best thing about the 335i is that they made a lot of them, so you can easily find your perfect combination, especially with a budget of $20k. I've seen them go for as low as $5k in some places, though those super cheap ones need work.

My dad actually had very similar requirements to your wife - long commute in LA traffic, wanted something fairly fun, but with good mileage. He ended up in a 2008 Volvo V50 T5 R-design. The turbo I5 is torquey and makes nice noises, the automatic is nothing special but not totally hateful, and it drives remarkably well on the highway. EPA rated 27 mpg highway, but he's been getting right around 31. Might be a bit old for your target market, but is also less than half of your budget.

I'll go in a different direction than most and recommend the Buick Regal GS. 276hp turbo 2.0L. Brembo brakes. HiPer Strut suspension. Available with 6-speed auto or 6-speed manual, FWD or AWD. Some of new GM's better styling, pretty but still a bit of a Q-ship.

I've been doing some research in this space and landed upon the VW CC as a contender. I am looking at the 2.0T (same as GTI/GLI), but they also made a VR6 4Motion (AWD). Fun DSG trans is an option just like the GLI, and they must depreciate a LOT, as they can be found for well under your budget. The R-Line looks great too.

335i is out. I like the cars but tuning is irrelevant since this car will remain stock and I don't want to mess with smog stuff. Ive heard too many stories about hpfp and blow off valves and turbos on those cars. A 328i is a possibility but they tend to be high mileage in our budget. 

Volvos have caught my eye. The newer ones are good looking cars but a bit expensive. I haven't looked into used prices. 

Funny the GS comes up in here. Those have also caught my eye. Based on who bought them I'm sure I can find one in good shape with low miles. Buicks have a nostalgic appeal in the family too. 

Hadnt thought about a CC. I'll check those out too. 

Thanks guys! More homework to follow...

From my time at a vw dealer I learned that a GLI was the only Jetta that has the IRS as opposed to a solid beam in the back, as well the 2.0 tsi is directly from German  derived GTI’s as opposed to the other options found in the Jetta, the CC while nice was a good money grab for dealers (mostly wiring related) finally the DSG is an amazing transmission just be sure to keep up with the fluid changes (every 40k I think?) and it will treat you fantastic. 

Out of those three choices, I'd take the Mazda 6. Sure, it's slower than the other two, but it's lean on maintenance, has better reliability, great on gas, and still fun to drive. Oh, and it looks better, too. 

If she can stomach a small SUV, there's always the CX-5. Those have AWD and still look great for what they are. 

That said, my brother-in-law has a 6-speed 2014 GLI. He likes it and the CEL hasn't reared it's glowing head... yet. I will never buy another VW after the steaming pile I had, but obviously YMMV. 

I have a 2014 GLI ('Edition 30') and had similar requirements to you when I bought it in 2015 - Hour commute, mileage, non-boring... but I also wanted a manual and finding one with a stick was fairly easy.

I get about 32 MPG on my commute and do enjoy the GTI powertrain. The 2014 GLIs also had independent rear suspension which the lesser Jettas didn't get until recently and I've been impressed with the handling. Like Tony's BIL above, no VW CEL as well and it has been bulletproof for 65K miles. The room has been great as my kids play hockey so its great that the trunk can swallow two hockey bags.

Now that the Mk6s are getting long-in-the-tooth, I see my local dealer has new GLIs for about the 21K mark. That seems like a great deal...

In reply to Old_Town :

Mk7 jetta's are my2019, you're probably seeing mk6.5 facelifted gli's.

I bought a '14 gli this past summer and have put 3k on it so far. Great car, I'm averaging 27mpg so far (only ~5 mile commute). No CEL or any issues so far.

My 2011 GTI has been sort of ok reliability wise so far (70k miles), but nothing like wife’s 2014 Accord (not a single issue at 100k miles so far).  Intake manifold failed at 50k (warranty), cam chain tensioner and pcv assembly were replaced and decarbon of intake valves at 55k miles, diverter valve at 65k. I am now hearing of issues showing up with cam chain stretch on othe 2.0 TSI’s.  Waterpumps seem to be hit or miss at failing vs. lasting, but mine is ok so far.  Clutch throwout bearing is noisy as he** when reversing up my driveway slightly uphill for last 30k miles, but ok otherwise.  Body is getting noisier as mikes accumulate, especially around doors due to body flex. But, still a great driver’s car.  In contrast current Accord has been 100% issue free.  Last 2009 Accord, likewise until it was totaled by a careless other driver with 110k on its clock.  Last 20001 Accord, same gig until replaced with 175k on it.  But the GTI is more fun to drive .   

If you are really interested, invest some time on VW Vortex and listen to Humble Mechanic podcasts or Youtube shows.  That dude really knows his stuff with respect to VW’s!  Also look for Paul’s Youtube posts from Deutsche Auto Parts.