2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Long-Term Update 1

I took the GLI on its first adventure, a round-trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with my wife and daughter. When I told my wife we'd be taking the GLI, she just gave me the "are you serious?" look, being that the VW is a smallish sedan and we'd be taking all our stuff and a ton of gear (stroller, Pak-N-Play sleeper, diaper bag) for our baby girl. I assured her it would all fit. "Trust me, honey, the GLI's got a big trunk," I said with a hint of doubt as I realized it might indeed be too small. But with a sizable 15.5 cubic feet of cargo space, the GLI managed to swallow (barely) our 15.4 cubic feet worth of stuff. GLI fully loaded, we set off for Sin City, and soon my wife began to heap praise on the VW. We both found the seats comfortable (the heating feature is great), the ride composed and quiet, the nav adequate and useful (though a bigger screen and traffic info would be nice), and the Fender audio system pleasing. Cruising on the highway, the GLI's satellite radio and cruise control helped make the miles fly by, and the bi-xenon headlamps with LED running lights did a fine job alerting slower drivers that we were coming. I do wish the GLI's 14.5-gallon fuel tank were a bit bigger. As is, the cruising range is 464 miles (I was seeing the fuel light come on around 400 miles), which is certainly decent, but I sure like getting at least 500 miles on a single tank. On our 700-mile trip, the GLI returned 28.8 mpg, a little above its combined EPA rating of 27 mpg.

I love quick cars that also get good fuel economy. The GLI has a 6.5-second 0-60 and, thus far, has returned 25.3 mpg.

I'm already starting to view the GLI as a budget A4. For about $15,000 less than a comparably equipped Audi, the VW comes with most of the A4's goodies (nav, bi-xenons, backup camera, sunroof, 18-inch wheels, keyless access with push-button start, auto climate control, and 2.0-liter turbo four), and even offers more rear legroom and a bigger trunk.