2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI S Review & Test Drive

There are moments that are rather refreshing when I get in a vehicle that brings back my enthusiastic passion from the 1990s and early 2000s over sport compact cars. Such a time was when the Volkswagen Golf GTI was in my top 5 for vehicles that I wanted to purchase, and I was delighted to see the German pocket rocket on my local streets. Today, that passion seems to have stood the test of time in that it somewhat lives on in the latest VW Golf GTI, even though the manual transmission is long gone.

For the 2025 model year, VW gives the Golf GTI a few minor tweaks and keeps it as the base version of the Golf – there is no other lower version of the Golf, which is good for enthusiasts considering the performance of the GTI. In terms of performance, the VW Golf GTI continues on with its 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque and is now exclusively mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to power the front wheels. While the 6-speed manual transmission is now gone, the GTI still does well to scoot along with a fun factor if you desire to bang through the snappy DSG transmission’s seven gears. There’s no apparent turbo lag and the engine feels stronger at midrange than it does on paper – thanks to that expected VW torque!

Thanks to a torque-sensing, limited-slip differential up front, the Golf GTI manages to keep the good times rolling in a harmonious way with both wheels up front when demanded. Doing so with launch control will get you a 0-60 mph time of about 5.6 seconds. The automated clutch is often aggressive for the creep of the vehicle from a stop, which can be alarming in heavy stop-and-go traffic, as you’re almost forced to creep up to a few MPH without use of the gas pedal. Otherwise, the driving character is excellent as is the surprising handling abilities of the Golf GTI, which harkens back to the same character it’s had for many years. There’s certainly a welcoming German autobahn-tuned aspect of the GTI to appreciate that hasn’t been watered down. Thanks, VW!

Volkswagen seemingly and quietly addressed many faults in previous iterations of the VW Golf GTI with the new 2025 model year. For starters, the bright and colorful 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen and its software perform better than before, and the touch capacitive controls for the volume slider and climate control temp adjustments are now backlit at night. Overall, the system is just better and easier to operate after overcoming a learning curve that may take some longer than others, as it now has ChatGPT voice recognition. The wireless integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ‘plays’ well, and the wireless smartphone charger pad seems to work better than a lot of others on the market and keeps your phone in place when you’re having some street excitement.

The interior of the VW Golf GTI continues to be impressive, with its premium theme, sporty heated cloth bucket seats up front, and a plaid design. It’s almost like VW keeps with their Porsche-light theme in many ways, which enthusiasts welcome with wide open arms. The rear seats continue to be spacious, along with a decent cargo area for the almost-boxy GTI hot hatch. The 2025 VW Golf GTI seems like an OG that you just naturally appreciate, and I like such a homage to its 50+ year lineage roots.

Having the base S trim of the Golf GTI takes away some desirables, such as having smaller wheels (18-inch vs. 19-inch on the top-level Autobahn trim), sunroof, dual-climate controls, upgraded sound system, upgraded seating surfaces, adaptive dampers (chassis control), and the wanted convenience of keyless access – even though there is still a keyless push-button start/stop. Otherwise, there’s still a lot to appreciate in the simplicity of such a vehicle, but it still has the necessary tech to keep it relevant, such as a feature-packed infotainment system and digital gauge cluster with several customization functions, including live mapping features.

Some of the basics of the new VW Golf GTI come with a welcome basic price landing at $33,860 for my test vehicle, which includes a $1,225 destination charge. Such a price point isn’t bad considering what else out there doesn’t necessarily offer up the versatility that the Golf GTI has in its hatchback form. Kudos to VW for keeping such a vehicle around and giving it some fun aspects, even with them taking away the beloved manual transmission.

2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI S Specs

Vehicle Type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
Base Price $32,445
As-Tested Price $33,860
Options: Monster Mats $190

Powertrain

Engine: Turbocharged 2.0L DOHC 16-valve inline-4
Horsepower: 241 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 273 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

Dimensions

Wheelbase:103.6 in
Length: 168.9 in
Width: 70.4 in
Heigh: t57.7 in
Passenger Volume: 51 cu ft (front) / 41 cu ft (rear)
Cargo Volume: 35 cu ft (behind front) / 20 cu ft (behind rear)
Curb Weight: 3,293 lb

Performance

0–60 mph: 5.6 sec

EPA Fuel Economy

City – 24 mpg / Highway – 32 mpg / Combined – 27 mpg

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