2025 VW Jetta GLI: Save the manuals, but not like this

Summary

While much of the controls sit within the infotainment touchscreen, major climate controls reside just below, using capacitive sliders. These sliders are not anywhere near as intuitive as switches and knobs, but at least you don't need to hunt and peck through endless menus to find them while driving. The Jetta isn't as modern as the 8th-generation Golf inside, but it's had a bit of a tech upgrade. Jim Resnick The Jetta isn't as modern as the 8th-generation Golf inside, but it's had a bit of a tech upgrade. Jim Resnick It's roomier back here than in the Golf. Jim Resnick It's roomier back here than in the Golf. Jim Resnick Here's the trunk. Jim Resnick Here's the trunk. Jim Resnick It's roomier back here than in the Golf. Jim Resnick Here's the trunk. Jim Resnick The GLI comes standard with active driver assists, including blind-spot warning, forward collision warning, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and emergency assist. Volkswagen managed to incorporate some pragmatic features and comforts. A 15 W wireless and cooled charging pad sits up front, and the trunk sports 14.1 cubic feet (400 L) of space with an actual spare tire under the trunk floor (although it's a compact spare with limited mileage range). The premium Beats Audio system in the Jetta GLI pumps 400 W through nine speakers, including a subwoofer. With all those speakers and electrons going for it, I expected way more than it delivered. It creates muddy bass frequencies that are simply inescapable, either by attenuating the bass or by lowering subwoofer gain. Despite the preponderance of directionless bass, the system produces very little body to the music played, whether it's jazz from Bill Evans or punk from Bad Religion. Midrange and high-end reproduction is no better. Shrill treble joins the errant bass, making everything sound muddy and indistinct. Delicate acoustic piano passages have little clarity, and Joni Mitchell hides behind a giant curtain of Saran Wrap. Poor...