Volkswagen GLI MPG by Year & Engine (EPA)

EPA fuel-economy ratings for every rated Volkswagen GLI model year from 1986 to 2027 — each engine and transmission with its official city, highway and combined figures. Over these years the GLI has been offered with 2.0L 4-cyl, 1.8L 4-cyl engines; the most efficient version is the 2025 (up to 30 MPG combined). All rated gas versions run on regular gasoline. Data: U.S. Department of Energy & EPA, fueleconomy.gov; prices are live medians from VehiSales listings.

Volkswagen GLI fuel economy by year

YearCombinedEnginesMedian used priceFor sale
2027 29 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2026 29 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2025 29–30 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2024 28–30 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2023 30 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2022 30 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2021 28 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
2019 28 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
1992 21 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
1991 22 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
1990 22 MPG 2.0L 4-cyl — —
1989 22 MPG 1.8L 4-cyl — —
1988 22 MPG 1.8L 4-cyl — —
1987 22–25 MPG 1.8L 4-cyl — —
1986 22–25 MPG 1.8L 4-cyl — —

2027 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2027 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 29 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 26 35 29 MPG

2026 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2026 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 29 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 26 35 29 MPG
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 26 36 29 MPG

2025 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2025 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy from 29 to 30 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 26 36 30 MPG
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 25 35 29 MPG

2024 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2024 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy from 28 to 30 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 26 36 30 MPG
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 24 35 28 MPG

2023 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2023 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 30 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 26 37 30 MPG
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 26 36 30 MPG

2022 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2022 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 30 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 26 37 30 MPG
GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 26 36 30 MPG

2021 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2021 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 28 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 24 33 28 MPG
Jetta GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 24 35 28 MPG

2019 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 2019 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 28 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Regular 25 32 28 MPG
Jetta GLI 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 6-spd Regular 25 32 28 MPG

1992 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1992 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 21 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 16v 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 18 26 21 MPG

1991 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1991 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 22 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 16v 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 19 26 22 MPG

1990 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1990 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (2.0L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 22 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 16v 2.0L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 19 26 22 MPG

1989 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1989 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (1.8L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 22 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 16v 1.8L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 19 26 22 MPG

1988 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1988 GLI was EPA-rated in 1 version (1.8L 4-cyl), with combined economy of 22 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 16v 1.8L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 19 26 22 MPG

1987 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1987 GLI was EPA-rated in 3 versions (1.8L 4-cyl), with combined economy from 22 to 25 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI/Wolfsburg Edition 1.8L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 23 28 25 MPG
Jetta GLI 16v 1.8L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 21 26 23 MPG
Jetta GLI/Wolfsburg Edition 1.8L 4-cyl Automatic 3-spd Regular 21 24 22 MPG

1986 Volkswagen GLI: engines & MPG

The 1986 GLI was EPA-rated in 2 versions (1.8L 4-cyl), with combined economy from 22 to 25 MPG.

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCityHwyCombined
Jetta GLI 1.8L 4-cyl Manual 5-spd Regular 23 29 25 MPG
Jetta GLI 1.8L 4-cyl Automatic 3-spd Regular 21 24 22 MPG

Frequently asked questions

What MPG does a Volkswagen GLI get?

Depending on year and engine, EPA combined ratings for the GLI range from 21 to 30 MPG. The most efficient rated version is the 2025 model year.

What engines does the 2027 Volkswagen GLI have?

The 2027 GLI was EPA-rated with 2.0L 4-cyl engines — see the 2027 table above for each version's exact city/highway figures.

Does the Volkswagen GLI require premium gas?

No — rated versions run on regular gasoline.

About this data: EPA ratings from the official U.S. DOE/EPA dataset (fueleconomy.gov), as of August 2026; refreshed monthly. Market prices and listing counts are live medians from VehiSales inventory, updated daily. How to cite: “VehiSales Research, Volkswagen GLI EPA Fuel Economy by Model Year” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/fuel-economy/volkswagen/gli.

Fuel economy of other models

Volkswagen Tiguan MPG by year · Volkswagen Atlas MPG by year · Volkswagen Jetta MPG by year · Volkswagen Taos MPG by year · Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport MPG by year

See also: Volkswagen GLI hub — live listings, prices & reliability · Most fuel-efficient cars by segment · Model price trends. Media inquiries: [email protected].

© 2026 VehiSales · Data from live US vehicle listings · Methodology · Editorial policy · About · Press: cite as “VehiSales Used Car Price Index” with a link to this page.