Bye Bye VW GLI - Long Term Review Wrap-Up

We said goodbye to our 2020 Volkswagen GLI Autobahn trim with the DSG 7 speed transmission in Pyrite Silver. After almost 30,000 miles and 20 months of ownership, we could just not pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the crazy car market. We traded the GLI for almost what we paid for it in 2020 and we were able to find a good replacement for a smidge under MSRP. We really did like the GLI and would have been happy to keep it for several more years. We loved the spacious cabin, the power of the 2.0 liter turbo, the infotainment system, and the incredible handling and ride quality combination. Turbo lag was though annoying and we could never quite warm up to the rather cold and stark interior. All in all the though the GLI is a great car and we highly recommend it. Maintenance will cost a little bit more than some cars and reliability will not be Toyota Camry like, but it is all worth it for the performance. In this video we provide an update on its reliability and give five reasons why we chose to move on to another long term car.

#Volkswagen #gli #vwgli

[omariwest]

I love my car! 2021 GLI Autobahn 6MT in pure grey. I love the value - $30k out the door and can sell it for that price 18 months later - inflation beats depreciation apparently. I love the interior - structured, austere, but bountiful, and driver centered like the GLI. I love the mileage - 38mpg on highway (800 mile roundtrip from LA to northern Mendocino County) driven hard - 2k rpm in 6th @ 70mph. I love the comfort - full bolstering for driver and auto adjustments; sport hunkers down quite noticeably; comfort is totally innocuous and unobtrusive.
I love the features - has everything you need (heated, ventilated, full digital functionality, large sunroof!). - but nothing you don’t. I love the looks - complements all day, but still understated. I love the room - I’m the oldest of 8 and my younger siblings come to visit all the time - alone and in bunches. Never had a problem picking everyone up at the airport and fitting all their gear into the trunk. I love the performance! - handled Mendocino county mountain twisties with aplomb! It’s no Porsche - sure. But you get the impression that you are driving a precise machine - never under power, total body control (LSD in effect), awesome brakes…and 6MT bruh. nuff said.😊

[Armc]

I have a 2019 GLI built in Mexico but for the Brazilian market. I bought it pre-owned with 18, 000 km (about 11k miles) for a nice discounted price. Great bang for the buck, even being 4 years old as of now, it stands out and delivers a fine experience. And it's light on fuel burn, being comparable to lesser or less performing cars in this matter.

I didn't experience the problems you faced, but I had to replace the rear pair of tires prematurely, because of hitting a pothole once that damaged the left aft one.

The GLI lacks a little of comfort and trim, but to switch to the next better option (MB, BMW or Audi) the price tag increases in at least 50%.

The tires shipped along the GLIs for Brazil are the Hankook Ventus Evo S3, they are not stellar but they certainly outperform any "all season" tire that is sold as standard for US GLIs.

I'm happy with mine, the time I will replace it will be for a higher tier (and more pricey) car. For the same price range or below, I'm not thinking about switching.

Thanks for the video!

[PhillJamess]

I am about to buy a 2023 Jetta SE. Got recommended this video. I'm surprised you do not have more subscribers. This is a very well made video!

[BeyondTheTestDrive]

In this vid I cover all the considerations on why we chose to go ahead and trade our GLI. Quite hard to do given how much we did enjoy and like the car. The GLI offers so much performance and value for the money we highly recommend it. In the video you will see the main reason we traded it was because we took advantage of this crazy car market where our 2020 GLI depreciated very little and we were able to try something else out without the crippling financial loss that typically comes with trading cars frequently. I think the mk7 GTI, with its nicer interior and legendary aura may still be the one to get if you can live with its smaller back seat and shorter overall length. But it’s hard to beat the GLI especially with the higher priced MK8 GTI out now.

[Silvane]

Great objective video. I've got my eyes on this car for a new purchase. I respect your views on the interior, however, the utilitarian look is actually what I like about the inside.

[LucidMSF]

Old vid, but commenting anyway!

Had a 2019 GLI, loved it for the first year, but then started to experience all sorts of rattles after 20k. After that, began to realize how cheap the interior was - lots of hard plastics and is basically a Jetta interior with a marginally better sound system and digital display.

After 60k - jumping ahead a lot - the car started stalling at low rpm and wouldn’t start. Had it towed three times and basically spent the next 6 months in about 8 loaners, and on the phone weekly with service. They couldn’t figure it out.

Finally walked away after both parties got tired and got a great trade in value - even though I needed (near the time of issues): new tires, new brakes, new windshield, and some other smaller service items.

Was lucky they had a 2021 GTI on the lot - fully loaded - so I stepped into that.

Is the GTI a perfect car? No. It has rattles, clicks, the suspension creaks at random times, and a fuel line rattle that’s been rectified - thankfully my relationship with service got me more attention.

The interior is much nicer, the sound system is far better and it drives like it you believe a car with the heritage should. I’ll gladly put up with those issues because each time I sit in it, it feels special.

And I’ve already put about 32k on in the first year.

IMO they did the GLI a dirty and could have added a bit of that zest. Simply adding the engine/transmission and a couple other items doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.

[richki.]

My wife;s 2019 Tahoe had crappy Continental tires that only lasted 3 years before we had to replace them ..

[backtoshallabal]

should i get the new GLI or finance my 2020 Civic Sport when the lease is done? Just not trying to wait long to get a new vehicle due to the shortage.

[pserotta]

Which episode did you talk about the fuel line rattle? I just bought a 2022 GLI and it had a fuel line rattle. I narrowed down the issue before going to the dealer and they quickly fixed it (I hope permanently) using some expanding foam.

[mojavedesertsonorandesert]

Don't see many of these VW's out here in the Palm Springs area. Great video. 🌞

[MeltingRubberZ]

Interesting perspective on the GTI vs the GLI. To me if I was going to spend the money towards a GTI, I'd buy an R.

[RandyRostie]

I got a 2019 GLI with 20, 000 miles last fall, and I agree I wish I'd gotten a GTI instead. I took a 2019 GTI for a test drive in May but I couldn't afford it at the time.

[bk]

What is the longest you have owned any car?

[dmikulec]

Interesting. My 60, 000 mile tires on my Altima went at 30, 000 miles.

[dauntlessasmr]

Just seems like it was a great idea to get rid of it, just for the # 1 reason alone.

[maverickfp]

Good day! I'm very seriously considering trading in my BMW 335 convertible for a more family friendly economical sedan with some performance. Can you talk about fuel efficiency at all? Highway cruising and mixed driving? Would greatly appreciate it!

[marzzgli]

I pretty much did the same thing on my 19 GLI S DSG. After a year the honeymoon was over and I wanted to install an exhaust, tune and wheels. I didn’t want to chance voiding that great warranty so I started falling out of love with it. Sold mine back to VW in Jan 2022 and made back my down payment, all 24 payments and about $2k extra. Took that money and went and bought an excellent maintained 2014 Audi A5 cash. But I do miss the GLI.

[matthewwalker]

Wasn't free when you got 1k less and paid sales tax. Still a good deal tho for 30k miles.

[Mark-ixrz]

I had a 2021 GTI. I like my 2024 Jetta SEL better.

[terrencebenjamin]

Very interesting. I am still considering trading in a 2020 Civic for a GLI Autobahn. You are right that to truly enjoy your car, one has to live it. I do love the civic except for the infotainment and TPMS. But i always wanted a GLI and may try to get one next year