Compare the2023 Genesis G70VS 2022 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the G70 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Genesis G70 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The G70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The G70 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The G70 3.3T Sport Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

The G70’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the G70 and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the G70 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Jetta GLI is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

The G70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Jetta GLI’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G70 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta GLI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta GLI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The G70’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Jetta GLI runs out after 100,000 miles.

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G70 for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Jetta GLI (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

The battery on the G70 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G70’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Jetta GLI’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G70 second among compact premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Jetta GLI isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 74 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 62 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 19 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The G70 2.0T’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 24 more horsepower (252 vs. 228) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The G70 3.3T’s standard 3.3 turbo V6 produces 137 more horsepower (365 vs. 228) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the G70 3.3T 3.3 turbo V6 is faster than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI (automatics tested):

In a Car and Driver race course test, the Genesis G70 was clocked 4.9 seconds faster than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI (187.3 sec. vs. 192.2 sec.).

The G70 has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Genesis G70 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Genesis G70, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Jetta GLI.

The G70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the G70 3.3T’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Jetta GLI:

The G70 stops much shorter than the Jetta GLI:

For better traction and acceleration, the G70 has larger rear tires than the Jetta GLI (255/35R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The G70’s 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta GLI’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G70 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Jetta GLI.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the G70’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (111.6 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G70 is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta GLI.

The G70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Jetta GLI’s (58.6% to 41.4%). This gives the G70 more stable handling and braking.

The G70 handles at .95 G’s, while the Jetta GLI Autobahn pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The design of the Genesis G70 amounts to more than styling. The G70 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is lower than the Jetta GLI (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the G70 get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the G70 is quieter than the Jetta GLI Autobahn:

The G70 has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the G70’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The Jetta GLI’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the G70. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the G70’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The G70 Advanced/3.3T Sport Prestige also has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The G70 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Jetta GLI uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the G70 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Jetta GLI. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The G70 3.3T Sport Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The G70’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Jetta GLI’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

When the G70 3.3T/Sport Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Jetta GLI’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The G70’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Jetta GLI has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the G70 and the Jetta GLI have standard heated front seats. The G70 Prestige/Sport also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Jetta GLI.

On extremely cold winter days, the G70 AWD/3.3T Sport Prestige’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the G70 and the Jetta GLI offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the G70 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Genesis G70, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend selected the G70 as their 2019 Car of the Year. The Jetta GLI has never been chosen.