“… a true German road car …”

Volkswagen’s Jetta sedan was all-new for the North American market for the 1985 model year. The top-of-the-line version (and the one that attracted the most attention from the “buff books”) was the GLI. The Jetta was a small car by modern standards—the 171.7-inch length makes it more than a foot shorter than the 2025 Jetta.

Under the hood was a 100 bhp 1.8 liter/109 ci inline four with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection. A five-speed manual transmission completed the rest of the powertrain—an automatic transmission was optional. Car and Driver recorded a 10.9-second 0-60 time and a 108 mph top speed in a vehicle with a 2,460-pound curb weight. Fuel economy was rated at 26 city/32 highway (23/29 by today’s measures); a 14.5-gallon gas tank gave a 340 to 375-mile range with a 10% fuel reserve.

The Jetta GLI’s base price was $10,315—about $31,600 in 2025 dollars and just a little less than the 2025 Jetta GLI goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a front spoiler, aerodynamic halogen headlights, tinted glass, quick ratio power assisted rack and pinion steering, power-assisted four wheel disc brakes with the front brakes ventilated, and 185/60HR14 performance series steel belted radial tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch styled alloy wheels. Inside, fully reclining front sport bucket seats with adjustable headrests, a 4-spoke leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel, a leather shift knob, a center console, and an electric rear window defroster were included.

Options & Period Reviews

Individual options were relatively few and included a manual sunroof ($335), metallic paint ($150), air conditioning ($725), cruise control, and an AM/FM stereo cassette with four speakers ($575). The $595 power-assist group included power windows, power door locks, and power mirrors.

The 1985 Jetta GLI got good reviews—Car and Driver‘s tagline was “one of the most capable sport sedans.”

The View From 2025

Second-generation Jettas have a following, and GLIs are occasionally featured in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Black, please.

I have also written about the 1981 Dasher station wagon, the 1981 Sirocco S hatchback coupe, the 1983 Rabbit GTI hatchback coupe, and the 1985 Cabriolet.

“Once again Volkswagen brings a breath of fresh air to the automotive world.”

For the 1985 model year, Volkswagen changed the name of its Rabbit-based convertible in the United States from Rabbit Convertible to Cabriolet. One reason for the Cabriolet rename was likely its base price—at $11,595 (about $35,600 in today’s dollars) around 66% higher than the Golf hatchback coupe’s base price. Another driver was that the Cabriolet retained the Mk1 Rabbit as its basis, rather than joining the Mk2 hatchback coupes and sedans, which were new for 1985 in the United States. All Cabriolets were built by Karmann Coachworks, with most components supplied by Volkswagen, and all had a Karmann badge placed forward of both doors.

The Cabriolet’s standard powertrain was the JH 90 bhp 1.8 liter/109 ci inline four with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection paired with a five-speed manual transmission. An automatic transmission was available. Motor Week recorded a 0-60 time of 11.8 seconds with the five-speed in the approximately 2,275-pound Cabriolet.

Volkswagen’s Cabriolet brochure boasted that it was “perhaps the most efficient way to drive from one place to another with the wind in your hair.” This statement was likely correct in 1985; with the five-speed manual, fuel economy ratings by mid-eighties standards were 24 city/29 highway (21/26 by 2025 standards). With a 13.8-gallon gas tank, a Cabriolet owner could expect a range of between 290 and 330 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior equipment for the Cabriolet included an insulated three-layer convertible top with a heated glass rear window, a boot for the top, tinted glass, and remote-controlled mirrors. Mechanical equipment included front-wheel-drive, a sport suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, power ventilated front disc/rear drum brakes, and 175/70SR13 tires (a size still readily available) on 13-inch wheels. Inside, reclining front bucket seats, full instrumentation, and an electronic AM/FM stereo cassette with four speakers were included.

Options, Competition, & Production Numbers

Options were relatively few: metallic paint, white sidewall tires, 13-inch light-alloy wheels, power steering, cruise control ($200), air conditioning ($725), and cloth sports seats. The Triple White Bestseller package included Alpine White paint, a white convertible top, and white seats. Later in the model year, the usual Wolfsburg Edition promotion was available, with Flash Silver Clearcoat Metallic paint, 185/60HR14 steel-belted radial tires, 14-inch alloy wheels, power steering, a full leather interior, and sports seats.

The mid-priced four-seat convertible market for 1985—all in the $10,500 to $13,500 range—was suddenly rather crowded. In addition to the Volkswagen, potential convertible buyers could choose from the AMC Renault Alliance, the Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunbird J-cars, the Chrysler LeBaron/Dodge 600 K-cars, the Ford Mustang/Mercury Capri Fox-bodies, and the Toyota Celica. Despite this various and varied competition, Volkswagen sold an impressive 12,637 Cabriolets in 1985.

The View From 2025

There is definite collector interest in the Cabriolets, and there’s also a lot of information on Cabby Info. Cabriolets are regularly featured in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Flash Silver Metallic, please.

Other Volkswagens I have written about include the 1981 Dasher station wagon, the 1981 Scirocco S hatchback coupe, the 1983 Rabbit GTI hatchback coupe, and the 1985 Jetta GLI sedan. I’ll have to get to the Quantum and the Vanagon at some point.

Last updated August 2025.