2025 Volkswagen GLI: MPG and fuel economy
The 2025 Volkswagen GLI is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 30 combined MPG, with 26 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway. That lands well below the average for cars in the Compact Cars class in the same model year.
This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2025 Volkswagen GLI. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. The EPA rates 2 separate variants of this car (different engine, transmission, or drivetrain combinations), and you can compare them side by side in the trims table. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.
Key takeaways
- Returns 41% worse combined MPG than the average car in the Compact Cars class for the 2025 model year (51 MPG class average).
- The most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2025 model year is the BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe (18 inch Wheels) at 116 MPG.
Fuel economy at a glance
These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2025 Volkswagen GLI. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.
When the EPA tests several variants of the same nameplate (for example, a front-wheel-drive version and an all-wheel-drive version), each gets its own rating. The figures shown here are the headline variant, taken as the configuration with the best combined MPG. The trims table further down covers all 2 variants side by side.
Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).
| Combined MPG | 30 MPG |
| City MPG | 26 MPG |
| Highway MPG | 36 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $2,000 |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 301 g/mi |
| Fuel type | Regular |
How the 2025 Volkswagen GLI compares
The 2025 Volkswagen GLI returns 30 combined MPG. Cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year average 51 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 41%.
The most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2025 model year is the BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe (18 inch Wheels) at 116 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Volkswagen GLI alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.
For broader context, the average new car of the 2025 model year (across all classes) returns 44.3 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2025 model year is on its own page.
Trim variants rated for 2025
The EPA rates 2 separate variants of the 2025 Volkswagen GLI. The differences come from the engine size, transmission type, and drivetrain (front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and so on). The same nameplate can land several MPG apart depending on the configuration you actually buy.
| Engine and transmission | Drive | Combined | City | Highway | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2L, 4-cyl, turbo, Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 30 MPG | 26 MPG | 36 MPG | $2,000 |
| 2L, 4-cyl, turbo, Automatic (AM-S7) | Front-Wheel Drive | 29 MPG | 25 MPG | 35 MPG | $2,050 |
Annual fuel cost across driving patterns
The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for regular gasoline, which is $3.99/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.
The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 500 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).
| Driving pattern | Estimated annual fuel cost |
|---|---|
| Light driver, 7,500 miles per year | $1,000 |
| Average driver, 15,000 miles per year | $2,000 |
| Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year | $3,333 |
Year-over-year MPG for the Volkswagen GLI
The EPA has rated the Volkswagen GLI across 5 model years, from 2022 Volkswagen GLI through 2026 Volkswagen GLI. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.
Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run, hovering close to 29 MPG.
| Year | Combined MPG | Open year page |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29 MPG | 2026 Volkswagen GLI |
| 2025 | 30 MPG | this page |
| 2024 | 30 MPG | 2024 Volkswagen GLI |
| 2023 | 30 MPG | 2023 Volkswagen GLI |
| 2022 | 30 MPG | 2022 Volkswagen GLI |
Compare against other Compact Cars for 2025
If you are cross-shopping the 2025 Volkswagen GLI, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe (18 inch Wheels) leads this group at 116 MPG, 86 MPG ahead of the 2025 Volkswagen GLI.
Specifications
The 2025 Volkswagen GLI runs a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with a manual 6-spd, sending power through front-wheel drive.
Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.
- Vehicle class
- Compact Cars
- Engine
- 2L 4-cylinder turbocharged
- Transmission
- Manual 6-spd
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Fuel type
- Regular
- Annual petroleum use
- 9.9 barrels per year
- Start-stop system
- Yes
Common questions about the 2025 Volkswagen GLI
Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2025 Volkswagen GLI.
-
Is the 2025 Volkswagen GLI fuel efficient?
Not particularly. The 2025 Volkswagen GLI returns 30 combined MPG, which trails the average car in the Compact Cars class for the same model year by about 41%. -
What MPG does the 2025 Volkswagen GLI get?
The EPA rates the 2025 Volkswagen GLI at 30 combined MPG, 26 MPG in city driving, and 36 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is. -
How much does it cost to fuel a 2025 Volkswagen GLI per year?
The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,000 for the 2025 Volkswagen GLI. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade. -
What fuel does the 2025 Volkswagen GLI use?
The EPA lists the 2025 Volkswagen GLI as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity. -
Has the Volkswagen GLI become more fuel efficient over time?
Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (2022 Volkswagen GLI, 30 MPG) and most recent (2026 Volkswagen GLI, 29 MPG) versions sit in the same range. -
How much CO₂ does the 2025 Volkswagen GLI emit?
Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 301 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 4,515 kilograms of CO₂. -
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2025 Volkswagen GLI?
City driving returns 26 MPG and highway driving returns 36 MPG, a gap of 10 MPG. A spread that wide is typical of cars with conventional automatic or manual transmissions, where stop-start city traffic eats more fuel than a steady highway cruise. -
What engine is in the 2025 Volkswagen GLI?
The 2025 Volkswagen GLI has a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine (EPA description: SIDI). Smaller turbocharged engines like this one tend to deliver bigger-engine power on demand while keeping fuel economy closer to a non-turbo version of the same displacement. -
What transmission and drivetrain does the 2025 Volkswagen GLI have?
The 2025 Volkswagen GLI comes with a manual 6-spd transmission and front-wheel drive. -
How does the 2025 Volkswagen GLI compare to the best car in its class?
The most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2025 model year is the BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe (18 inch Wheels) at 116 combined MPG. The Volkswagen GLI returns 30 MPG, a gap of 86 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.
Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.