2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - Drive Time Review with Steve Hammes

[avro206]

going by the spec sheet it seems to meet my needs. Too bad it needs premium gas--with direct-injection it really shouldn't need it. A few more colour selections and interior colours would be plus. Great review by the way!

[kobe552266]

ugly rims,

[SwPiotrek]

I've watched this review few times - because it's great!

Elizabeth Kreft review of this car is adorable, but yours is even better!

[therealjohnio]

Awesome, love hearing those tires scream !

[DjGodie]

hmm... Well i do like the interior and its rims, but the whole outlook of the jetta i personally feel like its lost. I'm an owner of a jetta VR6 2001 and was thinking of buying a GLI, but I like the 2005 better than this one. Again, my opinion.

[tepeke88]

I dont know if you have done so already but you gotta review the new golf r! Pleeease. :0

[BigOvi8]

I think the GLI is perfect for someone who wants a nice compact sporty vehicle. I love the red accent stitching. And the seats just look great. Definitely a turn from the base Jettas.

[Dumblikeyoutu]

It looks like it needs to be manhandled to get anything out of it in the curves.

[sirtubbyhayes]

Great car...very spot on review!

[UZBEKSOLDAT]

0:18 Drift didnt work

[Dumblikeyoutu]

@UZBEKSOLDAT That's what I thought.

[kalargyi]

GLI is a keeper, look at him drive, drifting every corners

[MaliciousSRT]

Nice car, needs about 70~ more HP to be perfect though.

[jet79637]

1:27 Steve is flying! lol

[juukame]

definitely nice to see that they've made the gli more of a real volkswagen. But I would still take the GTI any day; you just can't beat the original.

[PassionOfTheMan]

It's just so hard for me to get excited about this car anymore. $27K for a de-tuned engine, cheap interior, and those cheesy old halogen incandescent headlamps?

[adooooo45]

@PassionOfTheMan come on man...think about it. Yes the 200hp/207tq is pretty weak but if you get an apr tune for $600 (some are cheaper) you can get 256hp/297tq! You're car will come to live trust me. The interior is not cheap at all...the steering will is sweet as fuck with all the necessary buttons, audio system is raw as fuck. Suspension is GREAT...you will feel the difference. For 27K+$500 you are getting a lot of car

[adooooo45]

@adooooo45 don't mind that I can't spell steering wheel for shit...or life*

[silvadollaa]

i agree with you passion, not to worry though man next years gli will be much better then the 2012 it will have led headlamps and a back up camera in the navigation screen!! thats when im getting mine 2013 better to wait one more year!

[colla555]

Jetta a.k.a Bora

[vwmatt33]

Fantastic review!! I love the GLI......but it was to small for a growing family.....got a VW CC with a manny tranny.....fantastic car too!

[superbigdeal1]

Someone got fancy with the editing!

[stevehammes]

@superbigdeal1 Yes, we're really taking things seriously now ;-)

[ms3bani]

too bad the base jetta is so lackluster. i guess this is VW's new formula - make the base model so dreary that even a modest overall improvement is a revelation.

[betrapvideos]

Kia Optima? or Jetta? Im so confused lol....I think Kia is copying though, as usual

[camaroman101]

@betrapvideos who exactly is kia copying?

[betrapvideos]

@camaroman101 Well Kia known for modeling many of it's cars after other car companies...For a while their cars looked like cheap Jaquars in the early 2000's, then in the Mid 2000's their cars resembled honda's and toyota's mixed all together into one design...and now the newest cars look cross between audi's and toyotas....Hyundai does the same thing as well, One year the Sonata look like a jaguar,the next it'll like like a Accord, and then it'll look like an Camry, I guess next will be a BMW

[betrapvideos]

@camaroman101 I mean look up the Kia Forte, that is nothing but a cheap honda Civic

[InevitableBlue]

Nice! Steve, are you going to test the new Passat?

[stevehammes]

@InevitableBlue Funny you ask. That review will be up later today.

[snowysnowcones]

Great review! Always enjoy your reviews the most

[iwingkitli86]

great honest review as usual. keep it up!

[itsTiLER]

for me it would be a toss up between this, a GTI, Jetta Sportwagon TDI or Golf TDI

[kalargyi]

at the same price, This or Mazdaspeed3 or Impreza WRX or BRZ(FR-S)?

I would wait til May to get me the BRZ.

[tjstreeter]

Wow...who was the bald guy driving the hell out of this car? Nice to see some spirited driving for a change. :)

[LeastOfTheMajority]

I'd buy it simply for the steering wheel.

[computergames5]

Would you consider the Cost-Cutting a good idea for this type of car?

[davidhalifax]

This new Jetta looks too much like a 'family' sedan and not cool enough to deserve the turbo engine.

[hondaftw1234]

Didn't VW sell enough of the old Jetta? Hm, the more money you get the more you want, greed.

SMH

[igeekone]

The Jetta lost it's "it" factor that made people fall in love with the quality you never expected in this price level.

[triplexxxsatyr]

The Chevy Cruze, Ford Fusion competitor. Another crowded market.

The car seems to hit all the marks except as you said when it comes to the interior appointments normally expected from a top-level trim package.

[kfr19]

What are the cost-cutting missing amenities that you alluded to?

[stevehammes]

@kfr19 Leatherette as opposed to leather, manual seat adjustments, no navi or telematics, no smart key, no back-up cam...stuff you could argue should be in the top trim Jetta. 

[axlplayer14]

@stevehammes I agree with you that they should be in the top trim. But, I hope that the people that drive this remember how to do all of those things. like most people should.

[gadgetguy4000]

@stevehammes option for leather, keyless start, and navi

[76carmel]

@kfr19

He's right. I think this Jetta is built in the same VW plant as the Pasaat in Chattanooga, TN. You'd think all of the high end stuff is in the SEL top of the line. In addition, the GLI uses a rear multi-link suspension as compared to a torsion-beam to the other Jettas.

[RomaniaMoldova]

very nice review buddy

[DevPack]

so the current GLI feels like a jetta. So the older GLI probably was 2x better than the new one.

[honeyisaac]

200hp -_-

[bajabusta]

it amazes me how dull the base jetta appears, yet in top GLI guise it looks very exciting and very VW!

[newera3443]

Drove the GLI 2 months ago, and I fell in love. But it does not have the luxury of n A4 that I currently have.

[carsaregood911]

Great review!

But I would appreciate a GTI review sometime soon =)