I was smitten with the CC before I even drove it simply because of its classy, elegant styling. Getting behind the wheel, however, was slightly anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong; I liked it. But I didn’t love it as much as I hoped I would.
The test vehicle was a base Sport model with a starting price of $27,100, and it didn’t really add any options. Not that there are a lot of options to add at this level.
You have your Bluetooth and your floor mats and your cargo management systems for the trunk, but all these interior accessories are going to cost less than $400, and most are less than $200.
The only thing that’s really going to cost you at this level is the six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic. That will add $1,100 to the bottom line.
The biggest issue as I see it is first gear. Coming out of a complete stop, and lifting your foot from the clutch emits a loud grrring sound. No matter how quickly or smoothly I released the clutch there was no avoiding the sound.
Now for the second issue.
Forgive me for getting a bit girly for a moment (men, please feel free to skip this graph), but driving this car with 3-inch heels was a real problem.
I don’t know if it was the position or the slant of the pedal, but depressing the clutch while wearing heels put my left foot in an awkward and uncomfortable position. I have never encountered this before with another manual transmission test vehicle, so I thought it was worth noting.
There are four different trim levels for the CC: Sport, Luxury ($32,350), VR6 Sport ($38,700) and VR6 ($39,800). With a $12,000 span from base to top-of-the-line, there is a steady build in standard features from one trim to the next.
The Sport starts with standards like heated front seats, premium audio system, sport suspension, 17-inch Phoenix alloy wheels and eight-way power adjustable seats.
The Luxury model adds a power tilt-only sunroof, dual-zone climate control, Sirius satellite radio, park assist, memory function for the driver’s seat and 17-inch Spa alloy wheels.
The VR6 Sport upgrades to 18-inch Interlagos alloy wheels, Dynaudio premium sound system and bi-xenon headlights. At the top tier, you’re looking at 4Motion all-wheel drive and 18-inch Daytona alloy wheels.
If you wanted to completely trick out the CC – which would honestly bring it closer to what I had hoped for – you’re going to spend close to $44,000 for all the whistles and bells.
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The CC comes equipped with an inline four-cylinder spark-ignition engine with fuel straight injection and a turbocharger. It delivers 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.
This engine will appear in the Sport and Luxury levels. If you upgrade to the VR6 trims, you’re looking at a six-cylinder engine that delivers 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque.
Since the test vehicle was at the Sport level, it had the turbocharged four, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. For a 3,300-pound vehicle that has a length of 188.9 inches, it was actually pretty nimble and quick.
I had zero complaints in the power department and thought the four-cylinder engine did just fine. Another bonus with this engine is fuel economy. The test car was rated at 21 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
If you go with the six-cylinder engine, that drops to 18/27 mpg for the front-wheel drive VR6 and 17/25 mpg for the 4Motion model.
The interior of the test vehicle had the two-tone Cornsilk Beige and black color scheme. And I loved it. Combined with the black on the outer edges of the seating surfaces and the black top dash, the two-tone color scheme had a high-end feel to it. Plus, it was outside of the norm for VW’s typical monochromatic black schema.
The seating surfaces themselves were the V-Tex leatherette, which I like better than cloth. And leatherette versus leather doesn’t really mean much to me at this price point.
Especially since the front seats are heated – standard. The seats were comfortable and adjustable for a wide range of heights and body types. One thing to note, the CC is only a four-passenger vehicle. The center of the back seat is simply space for cup holders and an armrest.
The sleek exterior of the CC is complimented by classy yet somewhat drab paint colors. When I went to the Web site to configure a car, all the colors were quite austere.
From the Shadow Brown Metallic to the Iron Gray Metallic, there was nothing flashy. So if you’re looking for a red car, look somewhere else.
In all, I did like the CC. And I have a feeling that the anticlimax was due to some of the hype I’d read before getting this car for a test.
Similar to reading a review before going to the movie, I had built up some unrealistic expectations for a car that starts at less than $30,000. When you look at what the car is and what you get for the money, the CC actually exceeds expectations.
It’s got a great four-cylinder engine with really nice mileage ratings (21 mpg city/31 mpg highway) for a larger car. It’s comfortable and sleekly attractive. And, most important, it’s fast, fun and easy to drive.
Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen CC
2009 VOLKSWAGEN CC
Engine: Inline four-cylinder (base), six-cylinder
Horsepower: 200 (four-cylinder), 280 (six-cylinder)
Torque: 207 pound-feet (four-cylinder), 265 pound-feet (six-cylinder)
Transmission: six-speed manual (base), six-speed automatic with Tiptronic
Drivetrain: FWD (Sport, Luxury, VR6 Sport), AWD (VR6)
Wheelbase: 106.7 inches
Height: 55.8 inches
Width: 73 inches
Length: 188.9 inches
Fuel economy: 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway
Base price: $27,100
