Remember when you had fun driving?
By Gary S. Vasilash
One of the problems with sedans is that people think people aren’t buying them and so being inclined to do what everyone else seems to do, those people go to a dealership and ask about a crossover.
But in point of fact, people do buy sedans.
For example, last year Toyota sold 248,088 Corollas and Honda 238,661 Civics, and although in each case there were some hatchbacks sold, for the most part they were straight-up four doors.
To put those numbers in perspective, know that in 2025 Buick—the entire division–sold a total of 198,155 vehicles, all of which were crossovers. Of the four models on offer, its biggest seller was the Envista, with sales of 58,949.
Over at Chevy, the only vehicle that outsold the Corolla and Civic was, yes, a crossover, the Equinox, which had sales of 274,356.
But then it is worth noting there were 316,185 Camrys sold in 2025, and the only model Chevy had that outsold it was the Silverado light-duty pickup truck, with 362,909 units, and pickup trucks are another story entirely.
Still, the number of mainstream sedans is small compared to the crossover segment.
And a consequence of that is people who haven’t been in a sedan for a while have forgotten that driving—even while doing daily chores—can be, well, fun.
Now the VW GLI is a peppy variant of the VW Jetta, a compact sedan that competes with the likes of the Corolla and the Civic.
Peppy? Well, the standard Jetta has a 1.5-liter turbo I4 engine that produces 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque.
The GLI has a 2.0-liter turbo I4 that produces 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.
What’s more, whereas the regular Jetta has an eight-speed automatic, the GLI is available with a seven-speed DSG, or dual-clutch gearbox, which quickly shifts gears (no clutch required). (The GLI is also available with a six-speed manual for those who are inclined to like clutch pedals.)
As visually the GLI is sportier, as well, with standard 18-inch wheels (rather than standard 16-inch), honeycomb top and bottom grilles, a red accent stripe across the front fascia, and an integrated light bar across the front of the vehicle. And on the inside, there’s red stitching on the leather seats and trim, metal sport pedals, and a 10-colar ambient lighting system.
The GLI has a multi-link rear suspension, a rear anti-roll bar, and sport-tuned gas-filled shock absorbers. All of which means it can be driven in a spirited manner and the setup helps keep things in order, yet when driven in a more straightforward manner it is a comfortable ride.
What may seem like a trivial thing, the steering wheel is substantial, which underscores the fact that this is a car to be driven, not some sort of thing that you climb into and then otherwise distract yourself from the act of driving.
And while the 8-inch infotainment touchscreen provides access to such things as navi, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there is also a Performance Monitor that can be called up so as to get real-time driving performance data.
Because you never know when you might want to know what the G-forces are.
And you probably wouldn’t in crossover.
Grown-up fun in a car (yes, car) that starts at $33,795 that can also take the kids to school and carry the groceries.
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