Used Volkswagen CC 2012-2017 review

If you were to compare cars to ice cream flavours, the Volkswagen Passat would be vanilla: pleasant, straightforward and inoffensive, but hardly the most exciting of flavours compared with Dulce de leche or Halva. The CC is basically the same flavour as the regular Passat underneath, but its sleeker styling is the equivalent of the sprinkles, sauce and flake garnish that makes the CC much more desirable, even more so now that used CCs can be found for less than £6000.

There was a choice of 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol engines, as well as 2.0-litre diesels with 138bhp or 177bhp power outputs (later uprated to 148bhp and 181bhp). A petrol-powered CC is quite rare on the used market, because most buyers went for the sensible 138bhp or later 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The diesel can make its presence known under hard acceleration, but it will quieten down once up to cruising speed and manages exceptional fuel economy.

The interior of the CC will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the inside of a 2005-2015 Passat, because it has exactly the same layout and even uses an identical infotainment system. It’s a well-built interior and the materials used are of high quality, but the infotainment screen is definitely the part that dates the CC most, because of its small size and limited functionality compared with rivals at the time. It is at least easy to use and has plenty of shortcut buttons to help you out.

Due to the sleek shape and sloping rear roofline, head room for rear seat passengers isn’t stellar. Earlier Passat CCs had only two perches in the back, but this was increased to three for the CC. Those up front have plenty of space and the driver should have little trouble getting comfortable, because there's plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel. The boot has a smaller opening than the standard Passat saloon's, but the overall volume is similar to the regular car.

One word of warning, though: the CC has a high tail and shallow back window that can make reversing an issue. High-spec GT CCs come with parking sensors, which help, and the optional reversing camera can provide even greater assistance.

Early 2012 examples with galactic mileages can be picked up for as little as £5500, but we’d suggest you spend £8000 or more to find something with less than 70,000 miles on the clock. A 2015 CC with the more powerful range of diesel engines can be found from £11,500, while a last-of-the-line R-line with just over 20,000 miles is around £16,500.

Check the value of a used Volkswagen CC with What Car? Valuations

The cheapest CCs to run are the two 2.0-litre diesels and the later 1.4-litre petrol, while the 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrols will be the most expensive to own.

Both the 181bhp and 148bhp 2.0-litre diesels equipped with DSG automatic gearboxes return a combined NEDC fuel economy figure in the high 50s and cost £120 per year in road tax. A manual 148bhp diesel with Bluemotion technology is even more frugal at just over 60mpg and costs just £30 to tax. The 1.4 petrol has a combined figure of 51.4mpg and costs £120 per year to tax.

Neither the 1.8 nor the 2.0-litre petrol returns more than mid-30s, and they cost £195 and £250 per year to tax respectively.

Most examples of the CC are old enough to be eligible for Volkswagen’s fixed-price servicing scheme for cars between three and 15 years of age. A minor service every 12 months or 10,000 miles is £179, while a major service every 24 months or 20,000 miles is £349.

You’re unlikely to find many petrol examples on the used market, because most people were encouraged to buy diesel at the time for tax reasons. Of the diesels on offer, the 138bhp and later 148bhp models are good choices, because they’re economical and provide plenty of torque that make them relaxing to drive.

GT seems to have been the most popular trim, because you get plenty of equipment, including leather seats, sat-nav, Bluetooth, climate control, DAB radio, parking sensors and cruise control.

Our favourite Volkswagen CC: 2.0 TDI 150 GT

The obvious choice is the Mercedes-Benz CLS, because that’s the car Volkswagen chose to emulate with the CC. You will have to spend a bit more money to get into a CLS of equivalent age and mileage, but you do have the option of some larger and quieter 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines in the CLS, as opposed to the more agricultural-sounding four-cylinder diesels in the CC.

The award-winning BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé arrived later to the party than the CC, but it is a very welcome addition because of its sleek shape, more practical hatchback boot opening and the fact that it’s rear-wheel drive and therefore has more engaging handling. There are plenty of petrol and diesel engine options to choose from, too.

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