At $4,450, Could This 2010 Volkswagen CC R-Line Be Quite The Coup?
While it has a sizable dent in the trunk lid and a broken taillamp, today's Nice Price or No Dice VW CC more than makes up for that with its turbocharged engine and six-speed stick. Let's see if its price tag is low enough to make us forget its unfortunate booty call.
African Impalas, scientifically classified as Aepyceros melampus, are agile and quick, able to leap over 10 feet high and run at nearly 50 miles per hour. Both male and female Impalas have Lyre-shaped horns; however, those of the males grow larger.
The 1996 Chevy Impala SS (Sport Sedan) we looked at last Friday shared several attributes with its ungulate namesake. It could also hit 50 mph without issue, had a horn, and... well, that's about it. Well-kept and in great shape, our Impala had the added benefit of not requiring a trip to Africa or the zoo to see it. Its $15,000 price tag proved contentious, however. That earned a 65% 'No Dice' loss in the voting, but based on the comments, many of you voted it down due to not liking the thought of owning such a beast, while acknowledging that the price is competitive when compared to other cars on the market. Let's call it a draw, then.
Getting comfortable
Like any company wanting to cover all the bases, every once in a while, Volkswagen gets a wild hair. That was just the case with today's 2010 CC (Comfort Coupe). The secret sauce was as follows: take the Passat and make it lower, longer, and fatter. Then shrink the trunk space and remove one of the seats from the cabin, meaning fifth-wheelers need to find another ride. Wrap the whole thing in swoopy bodywork engaging enough that no one will ask why a coupe has four doors, and you have a car that trades function for form. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.
This CC has the added benefit of a six-speed stick, bringing some fun along with those good looks. Another consideration: Volkswagen planned to sell a lot of these, but with the cheaper, more practical Passat competing for attention in dealer showrooms, the CC didn't come anywhere close to its sales projections. That means these days you're unlikely to see another one while out and about.
What's R-Line?
Along with the swoopy coupe-like roofline, this CC carries R-Line bodywork and 18-inch alloy wheels, giving it an aggressive stance and an overall look that doesn't feel 16 years out of date.
Adding to the sportiness factor is the 2.0-liter EA888 inline four matched to that six-speed stick. In this model year, that turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder made 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. A 276-horse VR6 was also available as an option, but that could only be paired with an automatic. These early EA888s had issues with timing chain guide failures, and at 121,788 claimed miles, this CC is right around the point where catastrophe could occur.
Fortunately, the seller notes in the ad that the car has had regular oil changes every 5,000 miles and will come with a stack of receipts for dealer-performed maintenance. Right now, the car is claimed to run "strong and smooth" and has passed its smog test.
Making a dent in it
On the downside, while the car looks great from most angles, it does suffer a sizable dent in the trunk lid, a broken tail lamp cover, and a pair of scuffs on the rear bumper. None of the impromptu redesign seems to affect the function of either the trunk lid or the rear lights, but aesthetically, it's pretty janky. The wheels have another demerit: the left-rear and right-front are missing their VW center caps. Those can be bought through Alibaba or Amazon for a few bucks, so that's an easy fix. None of these issues resulted in the car getting totaled by its insurer, as it still has a clean title.
According to the seller and as evidenced by the pictures in the ad, the interior is in great condition. There may be only four seats in the cabin, but their leather upholstery appears intact and in good condition. The dashboard, in typical VW fashion, is clean and well-screwed together. This is also a very well-equipped car, offering automatic dual-zone climate control, a small screen infotainment system, and power seats, windows, and mirrors.
Fun for a few bucks?
Okay, with all that in mind, let's get to the price. And there's some funkiness with that, so be forewarned. The listing headline says $4,450, while the body of the ad says $5,450, so before even kicking a tire, we'd definitely ask which number we're actually negotiating from. For our purposes, we'll go with the lower number, since that already gives us an edge.
And, if the service history checks out and the mechanicals are as good as advertised, this could be one of those wonderfully oddball used cars that gives you far more personality than its price suggests.
What do you think? Is this CC worth that $4,450 asking price even with the bent booty? Or do the bodywork issues and the general limitations of the model's coupe-like form factor make even that amount a no-go?
You decide!
San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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