Volkswagen CC Is Bargain Fashion

I’m a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz CLS63, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, and Audi RS7 -- all super sexy four-door German super coupes.  Packing muscles of the gods, they romp from 0-60 mph in less than 3.5s and touch 190 mph with their 560 horsepower V8 engines.  Of course, these fabulous show ponies cost well over $100,000.  Yeah right!  There’s a way to get all of the style of these Autobahn blasters with the sticker of a loaded Honda Accord.

High Price Style

Volkswagen calls it the CC, a four-door coupe with the underpinnings of the last-generation Passat that’s perhaps the most beautiful car to ever hail from Wolfsburg.  The roofline is drawn low to elongate the body, accentuated with neat creases and gentle curves all-around.  Headlamps and taillights are surrounded with LEDs like an Audi’s.  Tight ridges on either side of the hood demonstrate attention to detail while 18-inch alloys convey a sense of hunkered swiftness. 

There’s a reason cars like this are called four-door coupes instead of sedans.  Like coupes, function follows form.  You sit down low with a roofline that sweeps your hair; rear passengers bend a bit to get inside.  However, unlike a coupe, four ride very comfortably once ensconced and the trunk, which contains a full-size alloy-mounted spare tire, can hold a week’s worth of get-away gear.  Flip the seats to toss in a bike.

Scrunch inside to feel special.  Deeply-bolstered heated leatherette seats grip in corners and should repel wear like grandpa’s Carhartts.  Front and rear passengers enjoy overhead reading lights and wide armrests.  Stylists graced the dash with wide expanses of aluminum-look trim and elegant curves.  Sure, there’s some plastic and rubber, but you’ll get over it.  In the main seat, drivers grip a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gaze at large analog gauges.  Automatic climate control, navigation, USB, Bluetooth, and surround sound match luxury expectations.  There’s nothing like the Bentleyesque precision of a Volkswagen door clicking through its sweep.

Luxury Coupe Performance

Pop the delicately-formed hood to peer over the 2.0-liter turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine that delivers 200 horsepower and 21/32-MPG city/hwy.  Max torque of 207 lb.-ft. comes on at a low 1700 rpm.  There’s a tiny bit of turbo lag off the line before the devil awakens and your foot leaps out of the throttle.  It’s not quite that dramatic, easy to modulate, and a joy to drive.  You can get a six-speed automatic, but I love the six-speed manual and love that you can get one in a car like this.

Nothing drives like a Volkswagen.  There’s a lightness to the steering that complements the agility of its suspension and capability of its brakes.  The chassis is compliant in a straight line, absorbing road rough like the German athlete it is.  But, stretch onto the freeway or bend into a corner, and it transforms into a sport coupe.

If I owned the super-duper ‘Benz, ‘Bimmer, or Audi, I’d probably love them.  If you can afford them, what’s not to love?  However, you can get the style of the expensive German rides and practicality of a Volkswagen with the CC.  Call it the automotive world’s version of bargain fashion.  Our well-equipped model came to $35,520 -- an insanely ridiculous steal among its rivals and a whole lot sexier than a comparably-priced Camry, Accord, or Fusion.

Storm Forward!

See Casey’s video review of the VW CC; follow him on YouTube and Twitter:  @AutoCasey.

2016 Volkswagen CC

• Five-passenger, FWD “coupe”
• Powertrain: 200hp 2.0-liter Turbo-4, 6-spd. manual trans
• Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind
• Wheels f/r: 18”/18” alloy
• Brakes f/r: disc/disc
• Must-have features: Style, price
• Fuel economy: 21/32 mpg city/hwy
• Assembly: Emden, Germany
• Base/As-tested price: $31,570/$35,520