Starts at $31,965
Rank
Pros
Cons
What's New for 2024?
The GTI is fundamentally unchanged this year, but note that there's a special GTI 380 designation that officially bids farewell to the three-pedal manual transmission. In addition to the stick shift, every GTI 380 comes with special gray paint, 19-inch wheels and adaptive suspension dampers, and the 380 bundle can be paired with any of the GTI’s regular trim levels.
FAST FACTS
"The GTI has become such an accomplished performance car that it could be a player in Super Sport Compact Cars, too, except that the Golf R lives over there. But it definitely reigns supreme in this category, even if we could do without this generation's fiddly touch-based climate and infotainment controls (improvements are reportedly on the way for the 2025 model year). No other sport compact can match the GTI's combination of joyous acceleration, nimble handling, thrifty fuel economy and luxury-grade refinement, while the almost SUV-grade versatility afforded by its hatchback body style comes as a welcome bonus. In a more sensible world, this VW would be one of the best-selling cars on the market."—Ranked #1 out of 7 Sport Compact Cars
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
Latest Reviews
Let's make it official!Be a good donkey and we'll deliver delicious car news straight to your inbox, spam-free forever.
