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YOUNG SIBLING MAKES GOOD; Finery exceeds GLI's faults.(Volkswagen Jetta GLI)(Product/service evaluation)
The new Volkswagen Jetta GLI isn't a star like its sibling the GTI (DoubleTake, May 1), but GLI owners who contacted us love their cars, citing most particularly the slick DSG transmission, the interior's excellent materials and workmanship, and the FSI 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger.
About that I4, one GLI owner said the engine is amazingly quiet at idle, while one of our track testers claims you can only hear the turbocharger whine when driving at speed. "It really wants to cut loose,'' he said. "I was doing 100 mph a few times coming back through traffic and didn't realize it. In traffic, it's fun to drive.''
We didn't find it so fun to drive through our slalom course. "By the fourth cone the GLI would be hanging way out, and it would have spun if we didn't catch it,'' said one tester. The GLI is slow to respond to throttle when entering the slalom, while weaving through the cones requires extra-smooth throttle manipulation.
Suddenly backing off the gas upsets the car and makes the tail come out. Keeping some right foot in it does keep the back end loaded, and through less challenging scenarios than our tight seven-cone, 490-foot slalom we're sure the car would handle better. "On a winding road course this car might be a lot of fun,'' said a tester. "That doesn't mean it gets crazy in a double-lane change.''
The GLI does better on the skidpad. Holding the steering wheel steady and working with the throttle, we found only a mild amount of understeer. The turbo lag doesn't even come into play. In fact, we could hardly tell there was a turbocharger there.
With a quarter tank of fuel, stability control switched off and the transmission in sport mode, we hit the drag strip. The GLI shifts into second gear at its 6500-rpm redline, with subsequent shifts occupying upward of 6800 rpm. It needs third gear for 60 mph and fourth for the quarter-mile.
A slight tailwind at launch helped us get our best 0-to-60-mph time, 6.88 seconds, and a best quarter-mile time of 15.31 seconds at 92.3 mph. A GLI rival, the Acura TSX, posts a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.38 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.60 seconds at 91.7 mph.
- Volkswagen Jetta GLI a family sedan that's also fun to drive.
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...sporty sedans, but for sheer driving satisfaction, the Europeans continue to lead. Case in point: The 2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLI. It does everything a family sedan is supposed to do _ rear seat room is a bit tight for adults, but fine for...
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- Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times Dan Jedlicka August 7, 1986 700+ words
...functionalism and performance. I tested the Jetta GLI Wolfsburg Edition model, whose name...Mercedes. So they should know the basic Jetta GLI without many extras probably will make...Mercedes. Volkswagen is targeting the Jetta GLI at yuppies. The car's standard computer...
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- Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times DAN JEDLICKA February 4, 1989 700+ words
...oriented Fox to high-performance Jetta GLI 16V (16 valve) sports sedan. A major...performance. I tested the $14,770 Jetta GLI 16V and found it to be a practical...run for the money. The front-drive Jetta GLI 16V's 1.8-liter four-cylinder...
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- Newspaper article from: The Washington Times June 2, 2006 700+ words
...features and plucky, fun-to-drive attitude. For 2006, VW cranked up the heat to surface-of-the-sun temps with the new Jetta GLI. The most enthusiast-driven Jetta version yet, it features a turbocharged four-banger and a beefed-up sport suspension...
- Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Dates Announced.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire February 12, 2008 700+ words
...schedule of the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup race series...Mazda MX-5 Cup and Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well...convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat...vw.com/. 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule...
- Volkswagen Jetta and GTI Win 2008 AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire May 29, 2008 700+ words
...today that two of its models, the Volkswagen Jetta and GTI, have each received a 2008...consumers believe in them as well." The Volkswagen Jetta ranked first overall in the Mid-Size...Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and...
- Volkswagen Jetta and GTI Receive J.D. Power and Associates Apeal(SM) Awards.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire July 2, 2007 700+ words
...passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America...
- Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Registration Deadline Nears.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire February 4, 2008 700+ words
...passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America...