Text by Tom Appel
2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE
Specs
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Country of Manufacture: Germany
Miles driven: 143
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | B |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | B |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | B+ |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 241-horsepower, 2.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged 4-cylinder |
| Transmission | 7-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | Front-wheel drive |
Observed fuel economy: 23.7 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 24/32/27 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Regular gas
Base price: $37,420 (not including $1225 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Mats ($190)
Price as tested: $38,835
Audio-System Brand
N/A
Audio-System Quality
Poor Fair Good Very-Good Excellent
Pros and Cons
The great: A joy to drive
The good: Roomy front-row, composed and comfortable ride, uses regular-grade gas
The not so good: A little pricey, no manual-transmission option
Review
Don’t blame Volkswagen, but the Golf GTI has put on a little weight. Since its U.S. introduction in 1983, the GTI has gained more than 1000 pounds. One would assume that packing an extra half ton of mass onto a car would necessarily diminish its performance, but we’re happy to report that simply is not the case.
Weight Gain
And in fairness, every vehicle on the market today, if its lineage goes back that far, taxes the scales with more mass. The Ford Mustang, for example, weighed in at about 2700 pounds in 1983, today the lightest of Ford’s legendary pony cars comes in at 3600 pounds.
Blame safety equipment such as side-impact protection and rollover protection for the weight gain, as well as consumer-demand features including standard air conditioning and automatic transmission. Wait, you didn’t know about the automatic? Here’s the deal…
2025 Update
Freshened for the 2025 Model year, the Golf GTI, along with its steroid-abusing big brother the Golf R, the Golf’s were treated to a number of design tweaks, as well as one major mechanical update.
Among the styling changes are a revised front end including a new bumper and grille design including a light-up VW logo, and grille-wide LED light bar. Cabin revisions included a larger touchscreen, and fewer haptic controls.
Automatic Only
But the big news for serious driving enthusiasts is the disappearance of the 6-speed manual transmission. Volkswagen representatives cite the complexities of emissions-certifying manual-transmission vehicles along with falling demand for the self-shifters.
There is a silver lining to this whole automatic-transmission-only drama, and that’s that VW’s 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is an absolute honey of a transmission.
Prices and Trim Levels
For 2025, the Golf GTI is offered in three trim levels:
- S ($33,670)
- SE ($38,645)
- Autobahn ($42,105)
For a complete review of the 2025 Golf R, click here.
Autobahn models include larger wheels and tires and adaptive suspension among a number of other features, most of which are cosmetic.
Engines
All GTIs come equipped with a 241-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four mated to the aforementioned 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All GTIs are front-wheel drive and run on regular-grade gasoline.
Note that the GTI goes largely unchanged for the 2026 model year.
Test Car
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2025 Golf GTI SE in Kings Red Metallic. All told, our test car came to $38,835, including the destination charge.
Cabin Appointments
Starting inside, the GTI cabin is tidy, businesslike, and seemingly well screwed together. There’s a little more hard plastic lining the GTI interior than we’d like to see in any vehicle at this price, but overall, we appreciate the serious look.
Room and Comfort
The 4-door GTI offers plenty of front-row seating space, and easy access to the cabin via large, wide-opening, front doors. Visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent in all directions. Rear seat space is good, provided the person in front of you doesn’t adjust their seat too far back.
Controls
The updated controls work pretty well, and we appreciate the move from haptic (non-moving) controls for most functions, especially the climate system. Steering-wheel controls remain haptic, however.
But, let’s get to the good stuff…
Ride and Handling
And that good stuff, good news really, comes when the GTI is in motion. And at its core, despite all the available power, the GTI is a tossable blast to drive with fantastic steering, great body control, and firm, responsive brakes.
And, about that transmission…
Power and Performance
Frankly, it’s excellent. The DSG automatic intuitively picks correct gears, and the shifts are firm, decisive, but never harsh. Coupled with the willing 241-horse engine, the automatic makes the absolute most of almost every situation, and sounds and feels good doing it.
Fuel Economy
And, not including the monthly payments, all the fun comes largely guilt free. We saw just under 24 mpg in routine test, including some spirited on- and off-ramp exercises. We’d expect even better fuel economy in daily driving or on a long highway trip.
Fun to Drive
Maybe because of the power, and the much-larger wheels and tires, the modern GTI feels a little less frisky than GTIs of yore, and perhaps a little more, well, serious. That said, the new Golf GTI still honors brand tradition with a chassis tuned to make drivers giggle, and enough power to exploit that athleticism.
Value
As a legacy model with a long history of happy customers to appease, the Golf GTI is a huge success. It is fun to drive, completely practical, and only a little expensive. And while the R is empirically the better performing Golf, we’re not sure we like it more. The Golf R is a great and rewarding-to-drive performance machine, but it isn’t frisky, and the GTI is.
So sure, the GTI has packed on a few pounds over the years, but it’s mostly lean muscle. And if you’re shopping for a daily driver that is as good for your soul as it is for your commute, you need to add the GTI to your test-drive list.
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2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE Pictures
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