2009 Volkswagen CC: A Mercedes CLS Fighter?

What's New About the Volkswagen CC:

Volkswagen is back in the luxury game again with its flagship vehicle, the all-new four-seater CC. The CC, which stands for Comfort Coupe, looks similar to the Mercedes CLS. And unlike the Benz, the CC is capable of achieving 500 miles on one tank of gas, when equipped with the 4-cylinder engine. While the vehicle is designated with the initials CC, it’s quite obvious this upscale looking VW is a four-door sedan; however, the sloping design of the rear roof line looks like a coupe.

In case you’re familiar with VW’s history, you’ll realize this isn’t the German automaker’s first attempt at building a luxury vehicle. A few years ago VW discontinued the super expensive $67,000 Phaeton, which competed head-to-head with its upscale sister division, Audi. This time we believe VW has gotten the package and pricing right with the head-turning design of the CC.

Must Have Goodies:

The four-seater CC we reviewed, with the frameless doors (typically found on coupes), came equipped with VW’s luxury package, which consisted of a 12-way power front wavy designed leather seats, a three-position programmable heated driver’s seat, dual zone a/c, two programmable and heated outside mirrors, automatic headlights, a Sirius satellite 10-speaker Dynaudio word class live concert-like sound system with an-dash CD/DVD player, a panoramic tilt-only sunroof and a push button on-off starter.

What Rocked:

From the exterior design to the uncluttered layout of the instrument panel to the heated exterior mirrors with the European style integrated turn signals almost everything about the CC rocked. Every piece of the seamless instrument panel fits neatly in place. Besides the VW badging on the grille and trunk, there wasn’t anything to identify it as being a CC. (However, due to consumer requests, the CC badge will appear on the 2010 models.)

Everyone who came in contact with our CC during our review loved the low-profile stance of the sporty luxury sedan, which was equipped with the 17-inch wheel package (an 18-inch wheel tire/package is available). It was easy to mistake the CC for the premium class Mercedes CLS, which starts out in the seventies. In fact, many folks who encountered the CC couldn’t believe the vehicle we reviewed was only $36,000. Just based on the exterior appearance alone, many believe this vehicle would have been priced closer to a Jaguar, BMW or Mercedes.

In addition to the bargain basement pricing structure, the CC was also equipped with VW’s exclusive auto hold feature, which is a great for stop-and-go traffic. By simply pressing a button, the brakes no longer have to be applied when stopping. We believe this feature should be standard on all vehicles. Lastly, rear occupants are able to lock and unlock the rear doors via a power switch, which is typically reserved for the front doors. Like in most VWs, we also appreciated the height adjustable front cent armrest.

What We Hated:

While we like the curvy design of the rear roof line, which makes the CC resemble a coupe, large adults found it difficult to enter and exit the rear seats. And as opposed to the vehicle being equipped with a rear back-up camera, the CC was equipped with an optical Park Distance Control (PDC) sensor system. Like with the auto hold feature, the PDC was activated by shifting into reverse or by pressing a button next to the shift lever – beeping and buzzing as you backed-up or attempted to parallel park. VW officials advised us the audible sounds could be disengaged, if we became annoyed by it, which we did. For this class of vehicle, we would have preferred an actual real rear view camera.

Furthermore, the cool looking oversized panoramic glass roof only tilts upward, as opposed to sliding backward. Lastly, for a smooth looking vehicle like the CC, the engineers should upgrade from a manual to an automatic tilt/telescopic steering wheel.

Any Juice:

Surprisingly, the quiet tuned smooth-shifting CC we reviewed was equipped with a 200-horsepower 4-cylinder engine. Because of the 207 pounds of torque, we thought we were driving a 6-cylinder. For those who must have a 6-cylinder in a luxury sports sedan, VW offers a 3.6-liter, which kick out up to 280 horses from underneath the hood.

Verdict:

Everything about this car exudes class and elegance, but in an extremely affordable package. If you’re looking for a sophisticated and sexy luxury sedan in affordable package, consider the CC, which is available in 5-trim levels, with either a manual or automatic transmission. Pricing for the CC starts at $27,100 and can climb up to $44,000, when fully optioned. As opposed to buying the Mercedes CLS, which also has a coupe like design, you could afford to buy a pair of CCs. And, oh yes, maintenance is covered for up to 3 years or 36,000 miles and all VWs. While VW doesn’t typically shy away from offering rebates in order to maintain a healthy resale value, consumers in the market should be able to find some great lease deals.

Out of all of the vehicles we have reviewed this year, this one is definitely at the top of our list.

Competition:

Acura’s TL, BMW’s 3-Series, Cadillac’s CTS, Hyundai’s Genesis Sedan, Nissan’s Maxima, Mercedes’ C-Class and Lincoln’s MKS.

To build or check the price on the all-new CC or other vehicles, visit the New-Vehicle Pricing Guide on the right side of the website.