Attractive cabin
The dashboard looks virtually the same as in the regular Passat, with the exception of the climate control interface. But to go with the stylish exterior, the CC gets a new steering wheel that looks more upscale and ribbed leather seats that are both rich-looking and comfortably supportive.
The radio, however, looks the same as in a $20,000 Rabbit; a more elegant interface would be nice, even if the same unit resides behind. And we're not big fans of the insert-the-key-and-push ignition. But these are minor complaints, because in general, we like the Passat CC's instrument panel.
Rear-seat access isn't as good as in the sedan, of course. The low roofline of the CC (which stands for Comfort Coupé) means getting in and out of the back of the car might induce head pains if you don't be careful. Once sitting down, though, the seating position and comfort is top-notch.
Alas, with such a sloping rear window and small side windows, visibility out back isn't great. It could be better, but it's not a dealbreaker, and a rear view camera is included with the $3,450 Technology Package that also features the navigation system.
Competition
The 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC Highline V6 4MOTION costs $44,975. For a car this gorgeous, that's a reasonable price, but a base Sportline with front-wheel drive and the 2.0-litre turbo starts at $31,975.
The Passat CC V6 4MOTION rivals these mid-size and full-size sedans:
Acura TL SH-AWD, 305 hp, $44,490
Buick Lucerne CXL, 227 hp, $35,820
Chrysler 300 Limited AWD, 250 hp, $40 045
Ford Taurus Limited AWD, 263 hp, $40,199
Honda Accord EX-V6, 268 hp, $35,390
Hyundai Genesis 3.8, 290 hp, $37,995
Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV, 290 hp, $38,700
Pontiac G8, 256 hp, $32,450
Toyota Avalon XLS, 268 hp, $37,955
The dashboard looks virtually the same as in the regular Passat, with the exception of the climate control interface. But to go with the stylish exterior, the CC gets a new steering wheel that looks more upscale and ribbed leather seats that are both rich-looking and comfortably supportive.
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| In general, we like the Passat CC's instrument panel. |
The radio, however, looks the same as in a $20,000 Rabbit; a more elegant interface would be nice, even if the same unit resides behind. And we're not big fans of the insert-the-key-and-push ignition. But these are minor complaints, because in general, we like the Passat CC's instrument panel.
Rear-seat access isn't as good as in the sedan, of course. The low roofline of the CC (which stands for Comfort Coupé) means getting in and out of the back of the car might induce head pains if you don't be careful. Once sitting down, though, the seating position and comfort is top-notch.
Alas, with such a sloping rear window and small side windows, visibility out back isn't great. It could be better, but it's not a dealbreaker, and a rear view camera is included with the $3,450 Technology Package that also features the navigation system.
Competition
The 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC Highline V6 4MOTION costs $44,975. For a car this gorgeous, that's a reasonable price, but a base Sportline with front-wheel drive and the 2.0-litre turbo starts at $31,975.
The Passat CC V6 4MOTION rivals these mid-size and full-size sedans:
Acura TL SH-AWD, 305 hp, $44,490
Buick Lucerne CXL, 227 hp, $35,820
Chrysler 300 Limited AWD, 250 hp, $40 045
Ford Taurus Limited AWD, 263 hp, $40,199
Honda Accord EX-V6, 268 hp, $35,390
Hyundai Genesis 3.8, 290 hp, $37,995
Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV, 290 hp, $38,700
Pontiac G8, 256 hp, $32,450
Toyota Avalon XLS, 268 hp, $37,955
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| With such a sloping rear window and small side windows, visibility out back isn't great. |