It's official: 10,000 miles in the GLi

"PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power" (petarvn)
04/23/2015 at 22:45 • Filed to: None

On august 16th, 2014 I bought my first car. A CPO 2012 VW Jetta GLI Autobahn. It's odometer reading: 23,034 miles

For the past couple of days, I've been smiling about that number. 23,034. a very odd number. Well, that number is now long gone. It it's place right now sits 33,225. That means that since the 16th of August, or in about 8 months, I've done over 10,000 miles. Considering I live 1.2 miles from school, and 1.9 miles from work, this is a huge number!

The car, now on a set of Pilot A/S 3's, and with a tune, has been turned in to a near-perfect first car. Comfortable, Reliable, Fast. It does everything I need of it, and a helluva lot more. My 16 year old ears appreciate it's 4-pot wail up to the now raised 6,500rpm redline, and the deep, bassy tones of it's 400 Watt Fender sound system.

Granted, for the sale price of the car ($23,043 after tax, which is really close to the mileage on the car when bought) I could have had many other, new cars (looking at you base Camaro/Mustang) and even saved some money due to rebates. But to be honest, I don't regret it almost at all. It was a good, safe choice.

And now, 10,000 miles later on, I've learned not only to drive this car well, but I've learned all of it's quirks. I've learned how much turbo lag it has, and how I can spin the wheels with VW's Nazi traction control. I've also learned how to properly go around the 1st gear lockout when going down from 2nd, and when exactly the car will start understeering.

It truly is a great car, and now with 255hp and 289ft-lbs, it's more than enough to get those happy juices flowing when you pound the gas.

Here's to 10K GLi, thanks for being awesome!

*insert image of GLI because fuck you kinja*

DISCUSSION (14)

whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/23/2015 at 22:53

My dad is currently looking at buying a used one of these. Anything to know/avoid?

jkm7680 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/23/2015 at 23:02

Glad you’re happy with it! Sounds like you’re taking good care of it. Pat it on the hood from me!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU
04/23/2015 at 23:27

A few things actually:

The bad:

-the 2L TSI engines sometimes have issues with the fuel and water pumps. My fuel pump sensor module went out the day I bought it, and I took it in to get it replaced under warranty.

-the ESP can be really annoying in the wet, since the car kills power after a few seconds of wheelspin. if he gets a 2012, he can't shut it off, so be wary of that.

The good:

-The car is downright fast. with just a $600 tune (incl. labor) it's been turned in to something that surprises drivers.

-It's comfortable. a long drive is no issue, unless you're used to air suspension or a big truck. Coming from another Jetta, it's very smooth and composed. It's best suited for highway cruising at 75-80mph

-price point: for $18-$22K you can pick up a slightly used, well kept 1 owner example, and I'm talking GLI autobahn like mine. Sunroof, heated seats, AWESOME sound system, dual zone AC... you name it, GLI's got it

-it's not too bad on gas. I drive it hard, and take it to redline frequently. It still returns about 22-28MPG, considering how I drive. most of my driving is city, so it's usually in the first 3 gears.

extra notes:

-VW maintenance is expensive. a service at my dealer is about $150.

-Tires. USE MICHELIN PILOTS LIKE ME. these are the best tire for the car. bar none.

-Rims. The 18 inch rims on my car come with 40-series rubber. While good for smooth roads, the wheels do take a beating on rougher streets.

-when tuned, the car actually delivers higher MPG numbers. I usually average about 33-35MPG highway which is more than the factory 31 rating.

-You will need 91 octane for it. do not put regular in it. won't do you any good.

-The back seat is comfy enough for a 6'4" adult sitting behind a 6' driver

-There is A LOT of storage space.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > jkm7680
04/23/2015 at 23:29

Yep! I still want RWD, and am selling it right after HS for something with RWD, but it's a great first car. honestly, the tune woke it up and made it perfect!

And I try. The car has some rock chips, and curb rash that it didn't have 10K miles ago, but I have shit roads and sometimes unpaved roads to thank for that....

Will do! :)

whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/24/2015 at 00:51

This is all extremely helpful, thank you! My dad was concerned about space in it, as he’s driven Tauruses for quite some time, but as both he and I are the largest potential occupants at 5’10”, I think it would be plenty spacious.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU
04/24/2015 at 01:48

yep, glad I could help! I'm exactly 6', and have quite long legs, and I easily fit both front and back! My girlfriend, who is a gymnast and a dancer, has enough room to do stretches in the front seat of the car! (she's only 5'5" though) still, Jettas are very large cars!

milkywhitemk6 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/24/2015 at 09:35

I have a 14 since Oct, just hit 5800. I want the tune, but worried about slipping at higher rpms. Have you had any issues?

Wpro3 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/24/2015 at 11:05

Do you enjoy the 4cyl exhaust note more then the old 5cyl?

I had a mk5 2.5 that was straight piped, haven't been able to find a exhaust note that sounded as visceral and unique

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > milkywhitemk6
04/24/2015 at 17:24

No slipping yet. I’ve had the tune for about 2 months now, and it really woke the car up wonderfully!

Also, didn’t know we have more gli people here! Awesome man!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Wpro3
04/24/2015 at 17:26

I learned to drive in a 2.5 mk6.

The 5-cylinder rumble is amazing. I adore it. The 2.5 sounds about 10 better than the GLIs TSI

But the gli is a tad faster

milkywhitemk6 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
05/29/2016 at 13:57

18k in, still holding strong. Minor slip at low rpms in 6th. Fuel economy has improved too.

Best bang for the buck, for sure.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > milkywhitemk6
05/30/2016 at 02:19

mine’s been tuned for 25K as of yesterday! i’m doing a write up on it as we speak hahah

milkywhitemk6 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
07/28/2016 at 16:56

Off topic question, but my lady has a 14 gli as well. I have leatherette and she has cloth, both seats tore in the same spot. 20k on mine, 35k on hers. Vw wont fix, anyone else have this problem???

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > milkywhitemk6
07/29/2016 at 10:27

drivers seat, left bolster? yeah my seat tore there a bit, but I don't care that much....