Business and Information Technology Tangents

2010 Volkswagen CC Review – A test Drive Bashing

Posted on February 23, 2010. Filed under: Car Tangents |

By: Brenton Blawat

Originally Posted – February 23, 2010

UPDATED 9/21/2010 - OK… I was a bit harsh on my review, and honestly I was my first bitter impression of the vehicle when it was first released. I’ve had comments of “did you really drive this vehicle” and “worst car reviews that I have ever seen”. Well for starters, I did really drive 2 CC’s at Fox Valley Volkswagen, in Schaumburg, IL and another one at Hall Mazda and Volkswagen, in Brookfield, WI. Both dealerships are wonderful dealerships with very knowledgeable staff. My grip is directly with the Volkswagen CC. I’ve updated the entire article to display WHY I bashed the 2010 Volkswagen CC. So here we go again

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This article is the first of many car reviews for 2009/2010 vehicles. I chose the Volkswagen CC as the first review as it was the most intriguing to write about out of the 20 or so vehicles I was able to test drive.

2010 Volkswagen CC 

In an effort to raise the ‘class’ bar for VW, the Volkswagen created the Passat CC to replace standard VW Passat. At a first glance, you see a Mercedes CLS-class but after closer inspection, you realize the branding on the front is Volkswagen. This immediately intrigued me, and a test drive was in the works for the vehicle. After the test drive(s), I thought, with such sleek exterior styling, how did Volkswagen get it SO wrong?!!

 

Interior – Is it really that Luxurious?

Can anyone tell me which vehicle is the CC and which is the Passat?

With interior reminiscent of its Passat sister, I was really hoping for more. The dashboard gauges and steering wheels are exactly the same, while the shifter and the seats are slightly different. To answer my question above, the image on the [left] is the Passat CC and the Image on the [right] is the Standard Passat. Scary how close the interiors are. If the CC is supposed to be a ‘luxury sedan’, above it’s sister Passat, can’t they do something different other than the fake wood trim? – That’s about all they changed.

Why is this such a big deal? The Washington Times raved the Passat CC as having “classy-looking interior”. The new slogan speaks of luxury – but is it really? The Touch Screen radio is more of a gadget than a luxury option like the i-Drive on the BMW. The stereo is good but is known for cutting off at the top end when you are blasting the stereo – not so cool. I also do not like the fact that navigation is such a costly upgrade ($2,640) for such a small component to add to the stereo.

The ride is what I would expect from a German car with low road noise and it passes the door closing test. The door closing test is one where when you shut your door it is a solid thud. It shouldn’t have any radiating vibrations or rattles coming from inside the door or in the cabin. While the frame and chassis of the vehicle are solid, the interior still needs some major work to make you feel like you are in a luxury car.

I still don’t like the cylindrical shifter. It really forces me to stay away from playing in manual sport mode. When I am driving a ‘luxury sedan’ that has 280hp, I’d like to be able to feel like I can play. I just feel like the sliding the shifter to and from the manual sport mode just doesn’t have the same effect; much like having a shifter on the tree.

While I can admit that the CC’s seats are comfortable, I get very close to the same support in the Passat. The rear seat has a cup holder as part of the seat making the vehicle a true four seat vehicle. There will be no cramming three kids in the back and any person with young children that requires a child seat, be disappointed with cleaning the grooves in the cup holder and its cover. What about putting a child seat in the center like most parents do to keep their children in rear view? Yet another WHAT?!? Volkswagen moment. My second concern with this center console is hauling any items in the back seat such as a large cooler (one which wouldn’t fit in the opening of the trunk). I would be afraid of cracking the plastic on the cover of this cup holder. Good thing there are talks by Volkswagen to have a five seat option; but why not on the first release?!

The second gripe I have with the Volkswagen CC has to do with the headroom – more appropriately the panoramic sunroof. Such a fancy name for a vent and obviously a mistake to not design it to retract. It comes off as an after thought of “Do you think people would like this feature? Crap!”. The sunroof doesn’t retract it only pops open to provide added cabin sunlight and ventilation. If you get a VW without the sunroof, your headroom is decreased by several inches and any six foot man would start to get a claustrophobic feeling inside the cabin. Also to mention, during the test drive, I was fortunate to have a friend with me, and she confirmed (with her being 5’9”) she felt as if the roof was collapsing on her as well. This is because we transitioned from a Passat to the CC which has one inch less head clearance. It seems anyone over 5’8” requires the panoramic sunroof which was only available on the luxury package – (at the time of posting) – another “really??” moment. Thank god they now offer this panoramic sun roof for the standard model. Talk about being out of touch with your market.

Engine Performance

Performance? Nothing new… nothing real exciting. They still have the same 2.0T and VR6 engines.

The first gripe I have with the Volkswagen CC has to do with the 2.0 liter turbocharged automatic. The dual clutch system (DCS) (or direct shift gearbox (DSG); same thing) in the vehicle gives the feeling that you are consistently missing the gear at take-off, and during mid-gear acceleration (like the Lancer Rally Sport). While the salesman insisted it was the turbo lag – any seasoned turbo driver (such as myself) – knows that it’s the gear not engaging smoothly in the vehicle. To know the difference — turbo lag dips the RPM prior to an explosive take-off. The feeling you will get is that you are riding the clutch before it engages. The result is feeling like you are going to break the transmission when driving it. The throttle response is thus affected, and takes the fun out of driving the vehicle. When switching to the VR6 version of the VW CC, you’re immediately engaged and the engine grunt makes you feel – this is cool. The numerous reported issues with the VR6 engines require a second thought which purchasing the vehicle for engine longevity over 90k. JD Power and associates rated the VR6 engine the LOWEST in it’s class.

Midsized Sedan Performance Comparison

2010	Passat CC VR6	Nissan Maxima	Toyota Camry	Subaru Legacy GT	Dodge Charger RT	Ford Taurus SE	Pontiac G8 GT	Honda Accord EX
Cost	28,600 – 40,420	30,400 – 33,180	22,500-29,700	20,995 – 29,995	25,080 – 39,195	25,170-37,170	28,250-37,610	21,855 – 29,305
Engine	3.6 V6	3.5L V6	3.5L V6	2.5L H4	5.7L V8	3.5L V6	6.0L V8	3.5L V6
HP	280	290	268	265	368	263	355	271
TQ	266	261	248	258	395	249	385	254
0-60	6.6	6.5	6.2	5.6	5.7	7.6	5.3	7.5

 

Summary – If it’s a performance midsize sedan you’re looking for, the Passat CC doesn’t line up. In fact, the Pontiac G8 GT starts at $31,000 and has been compared to a reasonable BMW 5 series at Motor Trend. For starting $35,000, you can get into a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO which has 365hp/250tq at 1500 RPM to put you to 60mph in 5.5 seconds; or the Charger SRT8. I was being fair to leave these out of the above specs even though the VR6 is the fastest engine selection for the Volkswagens. So when you get yourself into an on ramp race to the top, be assured you can beat a Ford Taurus SE and a Honda Accord Ex.

Midsized Luxury Sedan Performance Comparison

2010	Passat CC VR6	BMW 3 Series	Audi A4	Infinity G37	Acura TL	Mercedes C-Class	Lexus IS350	Lincoln MKS
Cost	39,600 – 40,420	32,850 – 50,700	37,200 – 44,100	33,250-46,950	35,105 – 42,385	33,990 – 58,200	37,595 – 44,890	40,870 – $47,760
Engine	3.6 V6	3.0L V6	3.2L V6	3.7 L V6	3.7L V6	3.0L V6	3.5L V6	3.5L V6
HP	280	300	265	328	305	268	306	355
TQ	266	300	243	269	273	258	277	325
0-60	6.6	5.2	6.9	5.5	5.5	6.3	5.5	5.5

Please note for this comparison I decided to increase the bottom line price of the CC to that of the VR6 Sport Package.

Summary – With all things considered, it doesn’t look like the Passat CC can keep up with these vehicles either from a performance standpoint. In this section, the BMW 3 series is known as the hands down segment leader by Motor Trend. I guess it’s not that impressive of a luxury sedan.

How did they miss the mark?

Well lets see what others are saying:

“In its highest trims, however, the CC is more expensive than some editions of the BMW 3-Series or Infiniti G37 – cars that run circles around VW’s effort on the track and carry luxury car cachet.“
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Volkswagen_CC/

“We must conclude that despite its similarity to the far pricier CLS, the $42,630 CC is too expensive to be considered a value-even against a Benz.” — Car and Driver

“Volkswagen blurs the semantic distinction between coupe and sedan, but at $42,650 (almost) fully equipped, we call it overpriced…For the kind of money you could spend on a V6-powered CC, you could haggle your way into a pretty decent BMW, for instance, or drive off in a platinum-plated, mink-upholstered Cadillac CTS with enough left over to buy a Vespa.” — Los Angeles Times

“Not only one expensive Volkswagen, but an expensive sedan among its peers. The 6-cylinder model is priced well above a comparably equipped Mazda 6 or Nissan Maxima, and within sight of rear- or all-wheel-drive competitors from the market’s most highfalutin brands.” — New York Times

“Nevertheless, if a serious sport sedan is what you seek, the Subaru WRX will clobber the CC every time at roughly the same price point.” MotorTrend

 

My Final Thoughts:

I still firmly believe that the Volkswagen missed the mark with the Passat CC in many ways. If it were a two door vehicle the rear seat configuration might make a little more sense, but it’s not. If it had a retractable sunroof it would make the headroom issue go away, but it doesn’t. If it was priced like other midsized sedans I would have given it serious consideration, and it wasn’t. If it has an impressive supercharged VR6 engine like the S4, I would have paid $40,000+ to get it, but it didn’t.

I can’t begin to tell you how awesome the exterior looks on this vehicle, but its extremely disappointing on the inside. If I were Volkswagen, I would take a serious look at their placement in the market and realize that they need to stick to either a mid-size sedan or a luxury midsize sedan.

Midsize Market Failures:

- Lower the cost of the vehicle

- Add that fifth seat that is rumored

- Add the Panoramic Sunroof as a standard feature (done)

- Reduce the cost of the tech navigation package.

- Offer a STANDARD 100,000 mile Power Train Warranty

- Offer a STANDARD 50,000 mile Bumper to Bumper Warranty

Luxury Market Failures:

- Performance is needed to keep up with the 300+ HP engines. It would make this car competitive with the Ford Taurus SHO and other Performance Luxury Sedans.

- Increase top speed stability over 130MPH.

- Chrome everything should be Standard.

- Rear side airbag should be Standard.

- Bi-Xenon Headlamps should be Standard.

- Run flat tires should be Standard.

- Front and rear park distance Standard.

- Better Voice Command System.

- Motorized side-mirrors.

- Upgrade the interior with different shifting mechanism, leather dash, electronic rear temperature controls, rear media upgrades, cooled seats, etc etc (its this kind of stuff that someone with money and wants a luxury sedan likes. Its the features we can show our friends like look at what my car can do that yours can’t).

 

End Result: EPIC FAILURE.

Updated End Result: Still Fails all of my points.

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