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Volkswagen calls the all-new 2009 CC a German luxury car without the German luxury price tag. At first glance, the CC certainly seems to deliver on that promise -- it offers the smooth "four-door coupe" profile of a Mercedes-Benz CLS for less than half the price. But is the CC more than just a pretty face? Read on. $27,480 base, $41,980 as tested, EPA fuel economy estimates 17-21 MPG city, 25-31 MPG highway.
First Glance: You sexy beast
Larger photos: Front - side - rear - all photos
Most car fans remember Volkswagen's first attempt at a luxury car, the ill-fated (ill-phaeted?) Phaeton. The Phaeton was a truly brilliant automobile: Fast, comfortable, and technically sophisticated. One could make a convincing argument that it was equal (if not superior) to the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Unfortunately, Americans just couldn't get their heads around the idea of paying $80,000 to $100,000 for a Volkswagen. The Phaeton sold poorly, and I understand you can pick up a used one for a song. (Something I would seriously consider, by the way.)
The CC is Volkswagen's second attempt at a luxury car. It employs the sleek, swoopy "four door coupe" look pioneered by the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Under the sexy skin, the CC is basically a Passat. Pricing is much more palatable than the Phaeton; the CC starts out at $27,480 and tops out at $43,255, a price that people seem to be willing to pay for a Volkswagen, as proven by the success of the Touareg SUV. And the CC really is a beautiful car -- I think it's even better looking than the Mercedes CLS, and the addition of familiar Volkswagen styling cues enhances the CC's beauty.
Volkswagen sells the CC in four models: Sport, Luxury, VR6 Sport and VR6 4Motion. All get heated power-adjustable front seats (link goes to photo), alloy wheels, electronic stability control, and a 6-disc CD changer, and all but the Sport get a huge full-width sunroof, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror and leather seats.
In the Driver's Seat: Mayday! Mayday!
I loved the CC from the outside, but once inside, things started to go awry. The CC shares its dash with the Passat, which means it's handsome, but not terribly unique. I liked the two-tone interior; solid black is also available. But I thought the driving position was rather odd -- I had to either drop the steering wheel so low that it blocked the gauges or crank up the seat so high that my head grazed the roof. (I'm only 5'6", so I don't require much headroom.)
I expected problems with the CC's back seat, and I wasn't disappointed. The low roofline limits headroom and makes it difficult to get in without clonking your noggin, and the fact that the back seat is carved out for just two occupants limits the car's usability even further. The trunk stows just 13 cubic feet -- about 3/4ths the trunk volume of the smaller Volkswagen Jetta.
One bright spot is the CC's new touch-screen navigation system. The dial-operated nav found in other VWs is without question the worst in the biz, but the CC's new system fixes all of the old one's problems: It's easy to program, quick to calculate, and has a crisp, clear, and easy-to-configure display, plus it includes an excellent backup camera. I can't wait until this system makes its way into other VW models. But as cool as the nav system is, it's about the only high-end feature you'll find in the CC. Keyless ignition? Nope. Radar cruise control? Uh-uh. At least it has LED taillights, right? Wrong. Oh, and the giant sunroof I mentioned earlier? It tilts up, but doesn't slide open. How silly is that?
On the Road: Not-so-good vibrations
Since the CC is based so closely on the Passat, there aren't any surprises in the mechanical department. CC Sport and Luxury models are powered by Volkswagen's 200 horsepower two-liter turbocharged and direct-fuel-injected engine, which I think is one of the greatest four-cylinder engines on the market. The Sport is the only CC offered with a manual transmission; all other CCs get a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. I drove the VR6 Sport, which has a 280 hp 3.6 liter V6 that does a convincing imitation of a rocket motor. I took the CC on a road trip, so most of my drive was at freeway speeds, where the V6 returned fuel economy in the mid-20s; in town I averaged in the high teens. My CC had front-wheel-drive, but VW also offers the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system for a reasonable $1,000 above the VR6 Sport's price.
Since the CC is a Volkswagen, the handling is pretty much beyond reproach; it's crisp and responsive, if a bit businesslike. But the ride was firmer than I expected, and whole cabin seemed to resonate on certain types of sectional highways with a low-frequency vibration that pummeled my backside and pounded my eardrums. It was similar to what I've experienced when driving at high speeds with the sunroof or a single rear window open -- except the CC did it with all the windows and the sunroof closed. I've never encountered anything quite like it, and I don't know if it's a characteristic of the CC or just a strange flaw unique to my test car, but it sure did make for a lot of unpleasant hours on the highway.
Journey's End: Strike two
The CC raises an obvious question: Why buy one, when the Passat is more comfortable, more practical, and more affordable? Turns out that VW has that covered: For 2009, they've chopped the Passat down to a single model, the ridiculously overpriced 2.0T Komfort ($29k with vinyl seats and a 4-cylinder engine). Features like a manual transmission, V6 engine, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, and all-wheel-drive have been stricken from the Passat's option list. If you want any of those things -- in a Volkswagen, at least -- you'll have to buy a CC. (Why didn't VW try something similar with the Phaeton? If they had simply eliminated every other model -- no Jettas, no GTIs, no Touaregs, no Golfs -- then buyers would have had to buy Phaetons, right?)
VW has an exceptionally loyal fan base, and I'm sure many will latch onto the CC simply because it's a Volkswagen. For the rest of us, well, I don't have enough room to list all the cars I'd buy before the CC. Top three: Mazda6 (more affordable, fun to drive, and practical), Hyundai Genesis (dripping with luxury for $33k), and Infiniti G37 (a proper sports car disguised as a luxury sedan). If you've got your heart seat on overpaying for a Volkswagen, then I'd consider the Passat, which is comfortable and great to drive, or the Jetta, which, though smaller, is more practical and family-friendly. The CC may be beautiful -- okay, it's gorgeous -- but it proves that VW hasn't learned much about luxury cars. Maybe their third attempt will be better. -- Aaron Gold
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