A couple years ago, Volkswagen, already one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world, announced that they wanted to step sales up further, especially here in America. Here’s the strange thing though-when VW made this pledge, there was nothing wrong with their cars. Far from it. Fun to drive, expertly engineered, and boasting near luxury car standards on the interiors, the powers that be at VW saw one problem. You certainly got what you paid for, but the reality was, Volkswagens cost a little more than its competition. The brass at VW North America seemed to think this was their Achilles heel.  The solution? An all new Jetta and Passat, except this time we’ll sell them at a much lower price, drastically reduce the quality of the materials in the cabin in which we had grown such a great reputation for, and offer the Americans a cheap but roomy interior. They’ll never notice. And by golly, they were right. Us Americans are really that stupid. Sales went up because VW was now selling cheaper, but inferior cars than before.

But not all Americans. Before VW decided they wanted to conquer the sales charts, they had a hard core fan base here, who loved and embraced their cars because they were simply excellent cars. While all the media focuses on the ‘American-ized’ VW’s, Volkswagen still quietly offers cars for the loyal folks who have been long time fans and customers. The Volkswagen CC is one of those cars. Originally sold here as the Passat CC, VW wisely distanced the CC by dropping the Passat moniker once the Passat sold here took a new path.

The CC is part of a small, but elite group of German sedans whose styling is meant to mimic that of a coupe, albeit in four door form. The CC is easily the most handsome of all VW’s currently sold here, with a level of class and sophistication it’s siblings cannot even come close to matching. In 2013 the CC received some minor styling revisions front and rear, but with such timeless styling, VW has not tinkered much with the look of the car. Sure, I love the silhouette of a Mercedes-Benz CLS, but cannot afford it. The VW CC offers the same styling concept at a much more approachable price.

Inside the CC, you can set aside any reservations you may have about VW’s appetite for cost cutting. This is the VW you know and love from ten years ago. Excellent build quality, and rich feeling materials. The design is clean, simple and elegant. This is an easy cockpit to get to know and use, but I find VW’s infotainment/navigation system a step behind the competition. Up front, the CC is plenty roomy and extremely comfortable. However, there is a trade-off for the swoopy exterior. Rear seat headroom isn’t great, and the trunk space is merely adequate. The good news is that VW ditched the center console that ran the length of the car front to rear, so the CC now can seat five adults instead of four.

The CC is offered with two engines, the first a 2.0L turbo four cylinder rated at 200hp. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG automated manual. The Garage last sampled a CC back in 2010, and we had the turbo four with the DSG, and for a car this size, I came away satisfied. This time around, our CC was fitted with a 3.6L V-6 rated at 280hp, paired to a six-speed automatic and 4Motion all-wheel drive. VW offers the CC with a diesel engine in Europe, but not here. Sure, the six under the hood adds a little more refinement, but considering how well the turbo four performed, I’d save my money and take that motor over the V-6 and enjoy better fuel economy and only losing a couple tenths of a second on the 0-60mph run. The CC is comfortable and compliant, but is not what I would call a sports sedan. Quiet and comfortable, the CC was a perfect accomplice to cruise the interstate for a family party in north eastern Connecticut.

VW offers the CC in Sport, R-Line, and Executive trim levels. Our test car was the CC V-6 4Motion Executive, otherwise known as the top dog in the CC family. Standard equipment included navigation, premium Dynaudio sound system, panoramic sunroof, rear view camera with park distance control, bi-xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights, dual zone auto climate control, power rear sun shade, leather seats, and front heated and ventilated seats with driver massage. Total price comes to $43,310USD, including destination charges. You can argue that is a lot for a VW, but I dare you to find a sedan that looks this good, with this level of content for less money.

There has been plenty of hand-wringing about VW going mainstream here in the US, and coming from someone whose first car was a VW, and has owned more VW’s than any other brand, I can’t say I am impressed with the latest cars. But, when a car like the CC is dropped off at my door, it is with a sigh of relief, and a reminder that the folks at Volkswagen still remember how to build a great car with the solidity, elegance, poise, and luxury that once defined Volkswagen’s presence in North America.

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