The Volkswagen Golf GTI is known for its fun driving dynamics, whether commuting to work or winding on country backroads. This hot hatch gets some improvements and updated tech for 2025, and few match its blend of refinement and practicality. But there is one change that not everyone’s going to like – the elimination of a manual transmission. But even without a stick, the 2025 VW Golf GTI is still one of the most engaging compact cars.
Base Price: $40,880
As Tested: $42,295
Horsepower: 241
Mileage: 24 mpg city/32 mpg highway/27 mpg combined
The Golf GTI gets a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year and is part of the eighth generation introduced for 2022. Updates include some exterior tweaks, including an illuminated VW logo and light bar, a new 12.9-inch infotainment system with a better operating system, the return of physical buttons on the steering wheel, and some new colors and wheel designs. The powertrain doesn’t change, which is a good thing.
The 2025 Golf GTI comes in three trims: S, SE and Autobahn. Starting prices are $32,445, $37,420 and $40,880, respectively. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is not available. There’s room for five passengers in two rows of seating.
Under the hood, the 2025 Golf GTI continues to use Volkswagen’s EA888 evo4 2.0 liter turbocharged inline four, which makes 241 horsepower and 273 pound-ft of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels through a seven speed DSG dual clutch automatic transmission, now the only option since the manual transmission has been eliminated.
The loss of the manual transmission makes the 2025 Golf GTI less appealing to driving enthusiasts, but still, it’s one of the most fun cars out there. It scoots off the line and the engine delivers strong midrange torque, so there’s always plenty of power for accelerating at higher speeds for merging and passing. The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, especially in Sport mode. Steering is precise and there’s very little body lean when cornering. Visibility is good all the way around. Lower trims have a nice balance between control and comfort, while the top Autobahn trim adds adaptive DCC dampers, and the suspension can firm up for more aggressive driving, or soften when you’re commuting or taking a road trip. This makes the 2025 Golf GTI very pleasant as a daily driver.
Fuel economy is good for a hot hatch. EPA ratings for the 2025 Golf GTI are 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with a combined rating of 27. I got 27 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving.
The cabin is much improved in the 2025 refresh. Yes, there are some hard plastics, but the cabin is attractive and nice for the price point. One good feature is the return of real buttons on the steering wheel, which replace the capacitive touch pads that were cumbersome to use. There’s also a new 12.9-inch infotainment display that’s faster with sharper graphics and easier to use. Volume and climate controls are now illuminated, making them easy to see and reach. The sport seats are comfortable and supportive with strong bolstering that will keep you in place when you’re carving corners. Adults have decent leg- and headroom in the front row. Legroom is a bit tight in the rear seats. Although the second row can technically fit three, it’s more suitable for two average-size adults or three smaller kids.
Standard features include remote entry, push-button start, rearview camera, auto-dimming rearview mirror, single-zone front climate control, cloth upholstery, sport front seats, manually adjustable front seats with power recline and manual adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats, leather steering wheel, heated steering wheel, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, 10.25-inch digital instrument display, infotainment system with 12.9-inch touchscreen, navigation, voice commands, seven-speaker audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, USB ports, wireless device charging, ambient interior lighting, LED headlamps, automatic headlights, adaptive headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers heated mirrors and a panoramic sunroof.
Available features include proximity keyless entry, head-up display, tri-zone automatic climate control synthetic leather seating, real leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, Harman/Kardon premium audio system, universal garage door opener, and power glass moonroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include automatic forward collision warning, forward emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, pedestrian detection, traffic-sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors.
Available driver assistance technologies include automatic high-beam headlights and park assist.
The new infotainment system looks great with its large 12.9-inch touchscreen with backlit controls. It’s not quite as user friendly as systems in some rivals, but the system responds quickly to touch and voice commands. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard. One peeve – the haptic controls for volume and climate settings can be distracting to use while driving. Some good old-fashioned buttons or knobs would be better.
Cargo space is excellent for a compact car. There are 19.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 34.5 cubes with the second row folded. Volkswagen points out that this is enough space to accommodate a full-size bicycle. The cargo area is tall and wide, and the rear seats split-fold 60/40, providing flexibility in hauling passengers and gear.
The good:
Fun to drive
Strong performance
Balanced ride quality
Improved cabin
Many standard and available features and tech
Excellent cargo space
The not-so-good:
Not offered with a manual transmission
Haptic controls for volume and climate settings
Pricing info:
My Autobahn tester starts at $40,880. The set of 4 Monster Mats are $190. The destination charge is $1,225, bringing the grand total to $42,295.
Bottom line:
For almost five decades, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has been known as an excellent performance hatchback, with a good blend of engaging driving dynamics and practicality, offered at a reasonable price. For 2025, VW builds on that heritage and makes some improvements, including a nicer cabin and updated tech. Sure, some driving enthusiasts will lament the loss of a manual transmission, but the 2025 Golf GTI still shines as the benchmark hot hatch.
