Tested: 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Is Still Great Without the Stick

08/06/25 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.

A Volkswagen Golf GTI without an available manual transmission is like Queen without Freddie Mercury. Sure, "Bohemian Rhapsody" still gets everyone to sing along, but the magic inherent in Fred's iconic vocals makes for one tough act to top. Stripped of its stick shift for the first time in the OG hot hatch's 50-year history, the GTI does give up a bit of driver involvement. But does that nullify its many other desirable traits? Nope. While the 2025 VW Golf GTI might be missing the six-speed, it benefits from a mid-cycle refresh that addresses most of our biggest gripes.

Consider this GTI as Adam Lambert–era Queen: not exactly the same as before, but still capable of rocking hard and selling out arenas nevertheless.

New Makeup, Same Superb Chassis

It wouldn't be a mid-cycle update without some styling tweaks. The GTI's face looks sleeker thanks to a lower grille that adds fanglike elements around its distinctive five-pod fog lights. Every model now has an illuminated strip linking the headlights, and the thin red trim strip atop the running lights now extends fender to fender. The front VW badge lights up too. A pair of new metallic paint colors (Alpine Silver and Slate Blue) are joined by new GTI badges on the front doors and a fresh set of 19-inch wheels that mimic those from the fifth-generation GTI.

If you're wondering why VW killed the GTI's DIY gearbox, changing regulations and a lack of interest abroad are to blame. All GTIs now feature the familiar seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which has a snappier-shifting S mode and feels much smoother than the Hyundai Elantra N's similar gearbox. The GTI's venerable EA888 2.0-liter turbo four still makes 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque (same as before) and remains a lively mill that never leaves you wanting.

How quick is the two-pedal 2025 VW Golf GTI? It hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds at our test track, which matches the dual-clutch Jetta GLI we tested and is a tenth of a second behind a 2022 GTI equipped with the same transmission. The new GTI is also notably quicker than the manual-only Honda Civic Si (6.8 seconds) and the hatchback Acura Integra A-Spec, which features a continuously variable automatic (CVT) and posted a 7.1-second 60-mph run. Meanwhile, speed freaks searching for an even speedier sport compact that starts around $35K can look to the Hyundai Elantra Nand its optional DCT, which is good to hit 60 mph in a hasty 4.8 ticks. Despite being slower than the raciest Elantra, the GTI features a more responsive turbo four and a less flatulent exhaust note.

Shod with 19-inch Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 summer tires, our 3293-pound VW needed 158 feet to stop from 70 mph and posted a decent 0.91 g of grip on our skidpad. While the latter figure is only a smidge better than that of the 2022 GTI we tested on narrower 18-inch all-season tires, the braking result is notably shorter than the previous model's 179-foot emergency stop.

Volkswagen didn't do anything to the four-door hatchback's chassis for 2025, which is fine by us, because it was fantastic already. We spent an afternoon bombing up, down, and around the back roads between the automaker's North American headquarters in Reston, Virginia, and Summit Point Motorsports Park in nearby West Virginia. While the racetrack was our final destination, we had enough fun exploiting the GTI's playful nature on the region's narrow roads. The Golf's just-right size, quick steering, and dependable brakes reminded us that it's a sports car that just so happens to be shaped like a box. But that shape contributes to its greatness, affording an adult-friendly back seat and cargo space that rivals small SUVs.

Once we reached Summit Point, we swapped our base-model GTI for a top-of-the-line Autobahn variant. The Autobahn replaces the lesser trim's passive dampers with adaptive units and ditches the all-season tires for grippier summer rubber. During our three laps around the course's 1.7-mile Jefferson Circuit, we appreciated the brake pedal's resilient firmness. The dual-clutch gearbox also let us keep both hands on the wheel and the four-pot on boil.

There is still room for improvement, though. The GTI's mediocre steering feedback made us miss the Honda Civic Si's more communicative tiller. The dampers, despite being in their stiffest setting, couldn't stop the hatch from listing around the track's 14 corners. Still, you won't have this much fun in any similarly priced SUV, and the GTI will reward amateur hotshoes on any given weekend.

The Refresh Makes Amends

To make up for killing the manual (probably), Volkswagen fixed one of the worst things about the pre-facelift eighth-gen GTI: the steering wheel. What was wrong with it? Let's just say the touch controls were triggering—as in, their awkward placement easily triggered unwanted changes to the audio system or the heated steering wheel. The return to user-friendly buttons is a much-appreciated improvement and proof that VW is following through on its promise to replace the universally maligned capacitive controls.

The jury is still out on the GTI's new infotainment system, which it shares with the VW Atlas and the Microbus-like ID.Buzz. The new 12.9-inch touchscreen is considerably larger than before and has bigger icons that are easier to operate. Overall, it's a better interface that's more responsive. That said, we still wish for a tried-and-true volume knob instead of those silly sliders. The same goes for the climate controls, but at least those are all illuminated now. The introduction of ChatGPT voice recognition might appeal to younger buyers, but some of us aren't super psyched about AI adoption, mostly because it feels like Big Brother is riding shotgun. (And, you know, the whole writing-pays-our-bills thing.)

Even with all its new features, the 2025 Golf GTI's prices are barely higher than before. The entry-level S starts at $33,670, the mid-level SE at $38,645, and the fully loaded Autobahn like our test car opens at a lofty $42,105. Since the GTI is built in Wolfsburg, Germany, it's subject to the United States' fluctuating import tariffs. That could eventually cause prices to go up, but Volkswagen is holding things firm for now.

While we're sad that VW's legendary hot hatch has lost its manual transmission, this love story has not yet reached the end of the road. The GTI remains one of the best-driving bangs for your buck, no matter what your feet are doing.

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