Passat CC 1st birthday

[Leagle]

Can't believe it but it is almost a year since I have taken delivery of my Passat CC. For anyone out there considering buying one I thought I would share my experience thus far with the main highs and lows

Highs
- Design. I still can't help but look at it every time I park it. I still get many admiring glances and its amusing to see how many people simply stop and stare at it each time I park it (ok, I admit it I am the first to join the queue).
- Quality. My car is rattle free and still looks and feels like it did on day 1. That dashboard/interior rivals that of any BMW, Merc and Audi costing up to $100K more!
- Performance. The 3.6L V6 (same as the R36) is seductive. Unlike my previous car (WRX) it can be silky smooth for when you want to settle back and cruise. But when you poke it in the guts - as anyone with the CC V6 or R36 will know - it turns into a real sports car. Its a lot more responsive than the turbo 4 in the WRX which means that it the power is actually more useable and quicker too in every day application.
- Handling and ride. The real surprise for me is how great the handling/ride balance is. It definitely does comforting ride (especially with the Adaptive chassis setting set to "comfort"), but a recent blast through Kangaroo Valley in "sports" chassis mode (which the WRX always loved) highlighted how impressive handling is as well. In fact, whilst the CC does not seem as "agile" as the WRX, dare I say I think it actually handled better!
- Noise. This is a real jekyl and hyde car. Cruise and there simply is a lack of noise. It does a very good impression of an S class Mercedes Benz. But put the boot in and it emits a nice sporty V6 growl too.
- Reliability. So far I have not had to take it back to the dealer to fix anything (apart from a loose connection to my Kufatec blu tooth mike). There is a minor oil leak that I will need to look into at the next service though.
- Gadgetry. For a gadget geek like me, the CC is proving ridiculously amusing. The fact that my iphone4 works seamlessly (most of the times) with the Kufatec blu tooth/RNS510, the great GPS, all those sensors, cooling seats, a car that parks itself! It never ceases to amuse and amaze.
- Storage. The boot is so huge and there are so many storage binnacles that I simply cannot see why anyone would need a wagon.

Lows
- It doesn't really bother me but I have to admit its not the most fuel efficient car I have owned. In city driving, I typically use between 12.5 to 14L per 100kms. In freeway conditions, I get down into the 9s which is more reasonable.
- The self sealing continentals don't get you out of all trouble and are expensive to replace. Ok, I have not had a flat tyre yet so I cannot argue that the tyres do their job of keeping small punctures at bay. However I did have a recent experience at a car park where the rear tyre was damaged by a jutting kerb. It slashed the sidewall and although the tyre still retained pressure, it was deemed "unroadworthy" and hence I had to replace the tyre. There is a full size spare in the boot but I bit the bullet and bought a new one. Tyre cost me $350 to replace. Ouch.
- Lack of 5 seats. The fact that there are 4 sculptured seats including handy storage for the kids in the back is actually more of a positive than negative. However even I concede that there have been 1 or 2 times this year when having a fifth seat would have been a little more convenient in carrying an extra passenger.
- Rear seat height space. Yes a few passengers have had to lower their heads when entering into the rear of the car. Not a problem for my kids though. But again a very minor limitation and definitely a lot more convenient than your typical "coupe" which the CC is meant to be compared with (though it does have 4 doors). Overall though the CC is very spacious inside for both front and rear alike.

Anyone else with CCs are invited to share their high and lows here. Overall I am very happy with the CC. It really does represent outstanding value for money compared to all those overpriced "premium" germans and surprisingly (for the relatively minimal extra outlay) even seems better value than some of the cheaper quasi luxo Japanese cars out there.

[OilBurna]

great review leagle thanks for sharing saw three parked at bayford vw epping this morning...

[eggywawa]

I recently bought my CC 125TDI new....very impressed with its styling and fuel economy (Driven only 500km so far, fuel tank is almost half full still)

I wasn't that lucky since my CC's AC doesn't really work from day 1.
Sent the car back to dealer on 2010-Nov-19, and nothing was done.
Waiting for VWA's response.......errrr......

The other concern is excessive noise from tyre? or chassis?
What sort of tyre pressure everyone is running at? Me running F/R: 260kPa/280kPa

[ctan]

I have the same complaint about tyre noise on my Golf TSI Comfortline which I purchased in July this year. The car is awfully quiet on good roads, no wind noise even at high speed. But on rougher roads the tyre noise is mars an otherwise quiet car. I keep tyre pressure to 280 kpa front and back. I have a 17 inch wheel. Don't know replacing the tyres will help. I have come across similar complaints in the Golf VI forum.

[Caddyman]

I drove a Mk6 golf (118TSI) as a loan car and was amazed the difference in tyre noise from my Passat Wagon, the passat is very quiet - running on 18 inch Continental CSC3's whereas the golf was very noisy. My mates Mk6 GTI is the same, a lot more tyre noise than the passat.

Matthew

[Leagle]

I recently bought my CC 125TDI new....very impressed with its styling and fuel economy (Driven only 500km so far, fuel tank is almost half full still)

I wasn't that lucky since my CC's AC doesn't really work from day 1.
Sent the car back to dealer on 2010-Nov-19, and nothing was done.
Waiting for VWA's response.......errrr......

The other concern is excessive noise from tyre? or chassis?
What sort of tyre pressure everyone is running at? Me running F/R: 260kPa/280kPa

Sorry to hear about your air con. Many years ago I was driving around in an airconditionless Charade (with a suit on!) so I know how uncomfortable it is not to have air con.

My air con has been faultless from day 1. One of the reasons I did not pick the panoramic roof (aside from the fact that it did not slide, only tilted) was to ensure my car remained cool and rattle free. I am not sure if you have the pana roof, but I have heard that this could be a factor in reducing the effectiveness of air con. Of course I also have installed the cooling seat option too which keeps the derriere cool.

I don't find tyre/chassis noise to be an issue although I agree that on some particularly coarse/rough roads (eg Parramatta Road), it is noticeable. Overall though I have found the car to be very quiet, comparable to a friend's new E250CGi Mercedes Benz - although the V6 in my CC sounds way better than the turbo 4 in the Merc BTW, I drive with 40psi in all four tyres which I find rides well.

BTW, congrats to the Passat CC for again taking out top spot for best luxury car under $60,000 in the 2010 Drive.com.au awards. Obviously this is more a win for the fuel efficient diesel CC as the V6 CC costs over $60,000. However, despite the additional thirst (and cost) of the V6, I think the V6 still represents fantastic value for money for what you get.

[eggywawa]

I, too have GOLF 118TSI which was purchased with CC.
I love the cabin and admire its engine and DSG.

Again, the tyre noise is #@$@%#$%.
Tried different tyre pressure, can't feel much difference.

[JustSayCC]

Great review above. I had promised the same at 3 months but well.. at least now I can provide my two cents worth...

Still feels like a new car to me !

Plus points:
1. Still looks good, contemporary styling and stands out from crowd. Nice wheels.
2. 4 seats have been fine for me. Headroom no problem if your passengers are less than 6'1".
3. Good creature comforts that a lot of rivals don't have at that price (park assist, brake assist, rearview cam, adaptive cruise control, RNS 510). Should have got lane assist and more importantly panoramic sunroof, but didn't have a lot of choice when car was bought (it was in the first batch and specs were predetermined).
4. Fleet discount applies (10% off)
5. Performance from the v6 can't really be faulted (tried and tested in the r36)
6. Interior finish (especially two-tone leather, which doesn't cost more) still looks good.

Bad points:
1. Brakes are excessively sensitive (you get used to it). Also means it can stop on a dime (especially with the radar assist feature).
2. Mine had a leak in the door seal - fixed at VW 2 weeks after purchase. Carpet got wet and had to be replaced (by VW). No probs since.
3. Premium bluetooth seems an excessively expensive option (>$2K installed). Most competitors have a good enough version of bluetooth built in (better than the parrot version). Has stopped me buying this yet.
4. Because of the response and braking, is a little more difficult to get used to for new drivers (eg wife). She got a Merc C250CGI recently and found that much easier to drive (although completely different car and far less performance, of course).

[eggywawa]

after over 2 weeks of waiting waiting waiting....

STILL NO RESPOSE!!! AC STILL DEAD~

tried to contact the dealer and VWA.... NO RESPONSE!

Does anyone know a direct phone number for VWA?
They only have email on their website!!!

[tessie]

...had my CCTDI for 10 months now. Due to unforseen business reasons I did'nt think I would have to drive it so much. I've racked up 23000k in that time. However its been faultless, not an issue.(touching wood as I type) What they are is a unique good-looking
(inside and out) economical comfy cruiser. I reckon the equivalent BMW is a better drive and is even more powerful & economical with the same size engine, but it looks boring compared to a CC. I don't think its particuarly sporty (to drive) even in sport mode, which is too hard except for billiard-table roads, but it does'nt matter, its just such a nice thing to be in. Don't care its a 4 seater, hardly ever need that extra seat anyway. Besides, for 2 people in the back its very cosy for them. All-in-all, glad I've got it, for my stage in life & the things I wanted in a car, I could barely have chosen better.