“Are you okay with that parking spot, sir, or would you like me to find you a bigger one?”
“Who, me?! Uh, sure, I don’t want to door ding someone else’s car. Thanks!”
No, this wasn’t the Ritz–it was the general self-parking lot in Disney World, where the attendant seemed worried about my expensive car. And no, I wasn’t driving …
The GLI is a nice package in that VW "all arounder" kind of way. The comps to other cars in the article are valid. A Hyundai Elantra N will absolutely show its tail lights to a GLI...unless I'm driving the N and Randy Pobst is in the GLI.
It's a swift car if not the outright quickest in class.
I think it's the last VW product to offer a manual in the USA, but I could be wrong. That said, I have a DSG in my GTI, and since no one else can see this, I'll say... it won me over! But that stays strictly between us.
And a nice thing for the GRM fans: basically everything that y'all did to the project GTI could be done to the GLI.
Coniglio Rampante said:That said, I have a DSG in my GTI, and since no one else can see this, I'll say... it won me over! But that stays strictly between us.
On a more serious note, I always imagined the DSG to offer just enough fun without spending half your life 1-2-1-2 in traffic.
I just turo'd a '24 GLI across florida for the last week and mostly enjoyed it. Since literally every other car I own is a manual it took me a while to get used to the DSG. It wasn't bad. the car is certainly better than most other things in it's class. I was not a fan of the turbo boost curve though. The difference between part throttle no boost and part throttle ALL THE BOOSTS was a very small window.
Got a great deal on a 2025 manual (12% off MSRP) the day before the trrrrrif pricing set in. Kudos to Autobarn VW.
Really lovin' it. Miss the Fender Audio from my last VW but IMHO you just can't beat this for the money. Yes, there are some small faults but I'm very happy with the purchase. Love the updated styling.
In reply to iansane :
Putting the DSG into S wakes it up. Wish that could be the default position.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I'm under the impression that most DCTs are programmed with a default state that makes it behave as close as possible to a "traditional" automatic in the same way that some CVTs are programmed to act like they have gears–some consumers might be put off by a transmission that drives differently, if that makes sense.
GLI is under the older MK7/7.5 platform so the EA888 gen 3 engine. Not a bad thing, it's a solid combo and gets great MPGs. MK8 GTI with the newer engine and platform is DSG only for 2025 models. Not many choices these days for someone looking for a fun 4 door manual daily. Civic Si would be a strong competitor for this, better shifter, more engaging in the turns but less power and worse engine.
GLI's are the absolute best sedans for an enthusiast daily IMO. I currently have two MK6 GLI's, one for me and one for the wife that are the daily drivers. Granted that they both have excellent maintenance history, if I do say so myself, but they've been Rock Solid and super fun to drive, even on Tail of the Dragon. Mine is at 125k with the wife's at about 86k. The versatility of these things is really impressive.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
VW certainly could have done that, but I imagine they didn't for fuel mileage numbers and also so some moron doesn't go faster than his brain works upon putting the car in gear in a parking lot.
As an aside though, moving the shifter one, small "click-motion" is literally easier than depressing a clutch, brake, throttle pedal or turning on the hvac, so on the grand scale of things, I don't find it too bad at all.
Colin Wood said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
I'm under the impression that most DCTs are programmed with a default state that makes it behave as close as possible to a "traditional" automatic in the same way that some CVTs are programmed to act like they have gears–some consumers might be put off by a transmission that drives differently, if that makes sense.
Agreed. In normal mode, the DSG shifts up and down like the best "traditional" auto transmission I've ever driven. "Sport" makes the transmission noticeably more sharp but not to the point of annoyance, as in some vehicles. Still, some folks may not like that. At a choice is offered.
Just my $.02 .
These things (as well as the GTI) are on my short list for a potential replacement for my Forte GT someday. I've heard nothing but great things. My BIL has a 2015-ish GLI that's been a good car for him. These new ones with the latest refresh really do look great, too. It would be DSG all the way for me, since my commute has me sitting in traffic a lot, but it's good to hear that they are still fun to drive.
This, with a manual, in wagon form would be very tempting.
Yeah, sadly this is the only new VW still offering a manual trans. It's a solid package in a slimming sea of sedan competitors.
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