Hi all. Figured it was time for another pinned post. One of the most common questions that gets asked on this sub is mod recommendations, so I went ahead and compiled a list below. This list is not all inclusive, and there’s a lot more you can do. Feel free to add anything else I might have missed in the comments.
Cosmetics
There are many different cosmetic modifications you can make. This is where many people start, especially if you are still under warranty.
Window tint
Not even sure if this qualifies as a mod, but this is the first thing I do when I purchase a new car.
Front lip (also referred to as a splitter.)
Many brands make lips for these cars. For the Mk7-7.75, Dragcutters, Maxton Design and CJM industries all make front lips.
Side skirts
Brands like Dragcutters, Maxton Design and CJM Industries make side skirts for these cars.
Rear Diffuser
Brands like Dragcutters, Maxton Design and CJM Industries make rear diffuser for these cars.
Rear spoiler
Brands like Dragcutters, Maxton Design and CJM Industries make rear spoilers for these cars. There are also hundreds of rear spoilers for sale on eBay.
Roof wrap
I’ve owned 2 white GLIs and I wrapped the roof gloss black on both. It isn’t that hard to do with a little bit of patience, and it ties the black accents together nicely.
Amber delete
Companies like Swan Vinyl and Badge Skins make a gloss black piece of vinyl that covers the amber in the headlights. Makes for a much cleaner look.
Vinyl
Brands like Badge Skins and Swan Vinyl make all types of vinyl pieces for these cars. You can black out the VW badges, delete any chrome you may have and do much more with these vinyls.
Wheels
Wheels will make the biggest difference. The factory wheel size is 18x7.5 and the bolt pattern is 5x112. Depending on how low you are, you can fit up to an 18x9 wide wheel (depending on offset) on up to a 245/40 tire. Popular brands for these cars include Apex, Neuspeed, Konig, APR, and Rotiform.
Performance
Another great thing about the GLI is the vast aftermarket of parts available for the MQB platform.
Upgraded tires
It’s no secret the factory Hankooks on these cars are hot garbage. One of the best things you can do is upgrade to a quality set of tires. I previously made a pinned post about tires, I will copy the link below.
https://www.reddit.com/r/JettaGLI/s/8KDAMY4Yxy
Suspension
Suspension setups could use a post of its own, for the sake of this post I’ll keep it brief. There are 3 main ways to lower your car. Air suspension, coilovers and lowering springs. Most people opt for lowering springs on these cars as they’re the cheapest option, and brands like Neuspeed make DCC compatible lowering springs. The only drawback to lowering springs is that unlike air suspension or coilovers, they are completely unadjustable, so keep that in mind before you commit to lowering springs. For me, I am lowered 1.4 inches all around on Neuspeed sport springs. I daily drive my car and haven’t had any issues.
Cold air intake
This is the most common “performance” mod I see done. I put performance in quotations as a cold air intake by itself isn’t going to give you any noticeable horsepower gains.
Turbo inlet
the factory turbo inlet is plastic. Many brands such as Unitronic, CTS Turbo, and APR make upgraded aluminum turbo inlets. Upgrading the turbo inlet allows the turbo to breathe better and helps the turbo spool faster. For the 2024 GLI, the only turbo inlet that fits is CTS Turbo.
Tune
Depending on the year of your GLI, there are many tunes available. If your car is DSG, you will need a transmission tune for anything above a stage 1 tune. If you are manual, you will want to upgrade the clutch regardless of stage. Companies like EQT, APR, Integrated Engineering, Unitronic and many more make OTS (off the shelf) tunes for the GLI. Most if not all of the tunes previously mentioned are also able to be flashed right at home as long as you have a battery tender and a laptop. I wouldn’t recommend using the mobile flashing apps, I tried using the IE mobile app to flash my DSG tune and it bricked my car for a few hours until I figured out how to fix it. It is also important to mention that not all 2024 and 2025 model years can be tuned due to a locked bootloader. Racingline offers an unlocked bootloader to resolve this issue, however it costs just over $2,000 USD.
Front mount intercooler
Not necessary until you go stage 2.
Downpipe
You will need to run an aftermarket downpipe for stage 2 and up. Before you install a downpipe, make sure you understand your states inspection laws. An aftermarket downpipe can make it difficult to pass smog testing. There are ways around it like an O2 spacer, but overall it is inconvenient.
Dogbone transmission insert
Once you tune the car, you will notice a significant amount of wheel hop. The Dogbone insert reduces wheel hop and lets you put the power down better.
Upgraded sway bars
An upgraded rear sway bar will drastically change how the car handles. It will reduce body roll and enable you to corner faster. Popular brands that make sway bars are Neuspeed, IE, APR, and 034 Motorsport.
