2012 Jetta GLI; A year in review

"PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power" (petarvn) 09/08/2015 at 23:41 • Filed to: None

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(Full Disclosure: VW built this car in april of 2012, and sold it to some guy who drove it for about 2 years, before trading it on another GLI, and allowing me to afford a basically fully-loaded CPO GLI for about $5K off MSRP.)

17,000 miles and 12 months. That is the time I’ve had to bond and grow to love my car. what started off as me picking the car I wanted as my first one grew in to a love for the car, and a huge respect and admiration of it’s capabilities and performance. It also brought me in to the PNW’s VW culture, which is huge and filled with great people. This car was definitely the right choice for me as my first set of wheels.

The past twelve months have also seen the car’s mechanical virginity to modifications go away. Since I bought the car; I’ve goon through 6 Michelin Pilot A/S 3’s (4 being on the car, and 2 being completely shot); and I’ve done a bunch of modifications that fit the car; such as:

APR Stage 1 Tune (91 Octane)

H&R lowering springs (1.25”)

Resonator delete; replaced by 3” pipe

APR shifter bracket

Accompanying bushings

Upgrade to Ultra-high performance Michelin Pilot A/S3 all-season tires

Now, without further a do: let’s get in to some of the details on the car. This will not be a typical 100-point jaloppo review, as I just wanna touch on some ownership characteristics, and not truly quantify it. that said, I will categorize some things.

EXTERIOR: 7/10. Despite what people say; I think the GLI’s exterior is subtly classy. it’s a nice shape; and it has good proportions. the little lip spoilers on the front and rear give the car just that bit of “mean” it needed over the stock jetta. Add nice polished 18” rims, and a GLI-unique front end treatment, and you have a sporty sibling the GTI does not mind having at all!

INTERIOR: 8/10. Comfy. Simple. Functional. Those are the first three words that come to mind. the HVAC controls are easy to use, the seats are good for both distance and spirited driving, and it has ample leg room front and rear. very good overall!

Performance: 9/10. This car drives basically perfect (for what it is). The 260hp and the 290ft-lbs on tap are MORE than enough to allow me to pass people on a whim on 2-lane country roads, but it also keeps most cars off my tail as well! the 0-60 time is in mid-5 second range, and the top speed is well north of 145MPH; something I haven’t yet attempted to achieve. The handling is also superb. with it’s soft Michelin rubber, and lower center of gravity; the car dances down most backroads, and I have no trouble out-pacing WRX’s, SRT4’s, ST’s and some V6 pony cars. In a straight line it’s not a rocketship, but it is quicker than most people expect it to be. The one little downside is the stopping power. While it has 4-corner discs, and while they do a good job, they fade quite quickly in spirited driving, and leave you having to engine-brake a lot more than you’d truly want to.

Toys: 9/10. Full disclosure. I am 17. there are a few things that matter to a 17 year old in a car. performance, features, and sound systems. I did cover the performance, so i’ll jump straight to features. My GLI is an autobahn, so it came with a lot of stuff most VW’s don’t have. I for instance have the RNS510 touchscreen audio interface. this also comes with a 6CD changer. the sunroof that is also on the car is huge and lets a lot of air in. the seat heaters? always a hit in the PNW! and the dual-zone AC? all my friends love it! As for the sound system? I have the 8-speaker+Sub fender system. this system has 400 Watts, and sounds really good. it’s more tuned for bass-heavy music, but handles my Toto and Phil Collins well as well.

Respect: 8/10. This one’s a tricky one. I’m adding this, as it is an important aspect of this car. Most people at my school know me as the guy with the fast red VW. there are three people whose cars have more impact. one’s a black on red 2011 stang v6, the next one’s a 2009 E92 M3, and the last one is a brand new all black 2015 stang. my car is considered cool by most, and that’s a good thing.

Value: 6/10. of course, this will always be subjective, I think that my car was pretty good value for money, but I could have done better. for $21,000 it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t too good either. add to that the $1200 in tires, and $2350 in mods, and you can see where the value falls off...
Still it’s a wonderful car, and I adore owning it!

P.S. the mopar-esque stripes are long since gone, as they we’re cheesy. yay for plastidip.

TheHondaBro > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/08/2015 at 23:45

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Where were these photos taken?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > TheHondaBro 09/08/2015 at 23:47

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Alki beach; the boat launch there is quite cool! was thinking of doing a seattle-oppo meet there at some point

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/08/2015 at 23:55

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It looks like a little Audi, and that’s a good thing.

I just realized that at no point during my search for a car (or ever, come to think of it) did I drive a Golf GTI. I should change that.

Your boy, BJR > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2015 at 00:03

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Your boy, BJR > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:11

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2 things I took away:

1) respect? Is is NFS underground or some shit?

2) Toto is god-awful. Like, just the worst. Phill Collins is less awful, but you shouldn't proudly name drop listening to either.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:11

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Mazda 5 is here to get jiggy with teh youths

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Your boy, BJR 09/09/2015 at 00:15

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1) respect is not a video game Ben, respect is a noun.

2) There’s a thing called taste. every person has it. some people like toto, while others prefer the musical works of Snoop dog, Eazy E, N.W.A. (which I actually like myself) and a lot others.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 09/09/2015 at 00:18

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lol yep. exotics at RTC as everyone’s leaving gets a little weird

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2015 at 00:19

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hahah it drives a bit like one, and gets confused for one as well!

although it’s no ayaytel ;)

AND YES DRIVE A GTI DO IT YOU WILL LIKE IT A LOT!

Your boy, BJR > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:21

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Nigga get on my level:

Also, toto being terrible isn't an opinion. It's an accepted fact/scientific law.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:21

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As I always say to Vicenete, flattery will get you nowhere! NOWHERE I SAY!

I need to find one. Preferably an auto, because I don’t feel like ruining some poor dealer’s clutch with my limited gear-rowing experience.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2015 at 00:23

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heh, I went in with a year’s worth of experience, and shocked the salesman :D

and I'm NOT FLATTERING I'M SAYING THE TRUTH!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:25

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Oh stahp.

That car is probably even more gadget filled than my technobarge.

And yeah, I test drove a stick once, but I knew the owner of the dealership and he was encouraging me to learn stick.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Your boy, BJR 09/09/2015 at 00:26

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interesting taste there ben. wouldn’t mind overlaying this in a 1970’s car chase.

And nah. I want proof of your PHD in Totology

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2015 at 00:31

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i don’t have power seats, or rear-seat climate control, so those are plusses over me already :P

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:32

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I don’t have GPS, Bluetooth, or satellite radio.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2015 at 00:33

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I don’t have GPS either (i wish) i do have BT, and I haven’t paid for Sirius in 10 months so......

Your boy, BJR > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:39

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Demon Pete > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:40

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Totology is not a school of thought.

Demon Pete > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:42

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I almost bought this used at the lot the other day.

Demon Pete > Your boy, BJR 09/09/2015 at 00:46

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See, this guy’s got the right idea.

Demon Pete > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:48

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Almost got myself a Jetta at a used lot a while back. Good to know!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 00:49

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Bruh, we need more pics like this:

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 09/09/2015 at 00:56

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I’ve not done SCCA stuff :((((((

but standing pics yo!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 01:03

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Standing pics?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 09/09/2015 at 01:11

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car's parked. standing still, not moving

jkm7680 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 07:32

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OH GOD, WHY???!?!?!?!?!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > jkm7680 09/09/2015 at 09:34

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did you read what the P.S. said?

go back and read it.

Have you read it now?

Yep, they're gone :P

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/09/2015 at 10:17

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JUST DO IT

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=…

for Michigan > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/13/2015 at 04:58

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This post is really well written. The combination of writing quality and subject (17-year-olds buying $20K+ cars is a foreign idea to me) had me thinking this was written by someone much older until you mentioned your age. Color me impressed.

Also, I’m so glad the stripes are gone. Not a good match for the Jetta.

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 09/14/2015 at 01:45

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Toto! Phil Collins! I have taught you well indeed.

Also, nice Passat 1.8 TSI SEL

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 09/14/2015 at 22:58

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heh, you taught me? I knew of them a long time ago; from a land down under (when women cry and men plunder....)