VW CC is a Steal

Volkswagen CC Courtesy of NetCarShow.com

I’m a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz CLS63, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, and Audi RS7. All are 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 around $130,000. Yeah right! There’s a way to get all of the style of these Autobahn blitzers with the sticker of a loaded Honda Accord.

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. 

Pop the delicately-formed hood to peer over the 2.0-liter turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine that delivers 200 horsepower and 22/31-MPG city/hwy. Max torque of 207 lb.-ft. comes on at a low 1,700 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. Let the six-speed automatic shift itself, or use the steering-wheel paddles.

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. Our well-equipped model came to $34,125-a steal among its rivals and a whole lot sexier than a comparably-priced Camry, Accord, or Fusion.

2014 Volkswagen CC
Five-passenger, FWD “coupe”
Powertrain: 200hp 2.0-liter Turbo-4, 6-speed. auto transmission
Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind
Wheels: 18-inch/18-inch alloy f/r
Brakes: disc/disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have features: Style, price
Fuel economy: 22/31 mpg city/hwy
Assembly: Emden, Germany
Base/As-tested price: $31,795/$34,125