In the world of sedans, you have two main categories: The ho-hum, everyday drive vehicles that offer little excitement, and the sport sedans that promise thrills.

With its Jetta sedan (a staple for four decades in the VW lineup), Volkswagen offers both of these options — a standard version for those on a smaller budget who aren’t seeing power, and the Jetta GLI offering that will spruce up your everyday drive.

I recently spent some time behind the wheel of the 2026 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which only comes in one trim called Autobahn.

Battling against other fun vehicles like the Honda Civic Si and the Hyundai Elantra N, as well as VW’s own Golf GTI hatchback, the Jetta holds its own quite well and is one of the most affordable sporty compact sedans available.

Read on for a full review of this performance-focused VW offering.