carcounsel.com |HID|

I’m fairly critical of cars that manufacturers cobble together in a hurry and charge more for whether they be body on frame SUVs, sedan-based coupes, hardtop based convertibles, or the new strain of ‘four door coupes’ (e.g. MB CLS, BMW X6, VW Passat CC) if only because the consumer seems to be getting a raw deal when paying a premium for what is in many ways an inferior, more compromised car.

But as this quote reminds us, in some cases such cars are a second chance for a carmaker to make right a previous attempt. And if I take off my cynic’s cap for a moment, you have to applaud anything that leads to more choice for the consumer and fewer dull, ‘me-too’ cars on the road.

The whole idea seems an extravagant folly, a marketing indulgence of almost Phaeton-like magnitude. But then the regular Passat, while a competent car, is hardly an object of desire. The CC offers a chance of one-upmanship sufficient, maybe, to secure a purchase instead of passing the Passat by. [The resulting car offers] Mercedes indulgence at a sensible price – evo

(As an aside, note a comment that applies to the standard Passat and most front drive sedans in general):

Best version? Not the V6 3.6 4Motion, which feels too heavy and clunky. It’s the entry-level 1.8 TSI with 158bhp, a crisp, punchy engine powering an agile, comfortable car. Less is more here, too.

So has VW produced nothing more than a shameless and superficial CLS knock-off? That’ll be the widespread public reaction. But you can’t really blame VW. The Passat is a worthy-but-dull saloon, just as the E-class is. Benz’s makeover into the CLS sprinkled some showroom fairy-dust onto the range, and the Passat’s CC transformation looks likely to be just as successful. And the CC’s mission is exactly the same as the CLS’s. Neither replaces any existing car. They just give a slinkier choice to anyone needing four doors and four seats but not wanting the staid profile of a saloon… In fact, the CC wasn’t even going to be badged a Passat to begin with. Then they thought about calling it Passat Coupe, but the American dealers objected: “That ain’t no coupe, sir – it’s got too many doors.” So we ended up with CC which stands for ‘comfort coupe’ not, as every other manufacturer uses the abbreviation ‘coupe cabrio’. – Top Gear

The second generation is more evolutionary than revolutionary. And in the time following the Mini’s arrival, the GTI has arguably become king of this category, one we’re not sure the new Mini can dethrone. Many judges also feel ergonomics have taken a step back: neither the center-stack controls nor the Mini’s version of iDrive are intuitive. Offering go-kart fun in an incredibly charming package isn’t enough for the Mini to earn the title of Car of the Year, especially when some aspects of the car aren’t as good as those of the one it’s replaced. – Motor Trend

As I hinted at months ago, VW has officially announced the 7 speed version of it’s DSG tranny. One caveat: for now at least its available with the 1.4L TSI engine, not with larger, torquier motors which makes a lot of sense when you think about it: while marketers tend to add more ratios to larger engined models it’s the smaller, efficiency minded mills that need the extra cogs the most…

This is not a driver’s car. The abiding dynamic characteristic is torque steer… it’s not sporty. Its damping is similar to base Audis; it makes for a comfortable ride, but the car doesn’t like quick bumps, and it wallows and complains when pushed. “A significant annoyance,” said Sherman, “is the throttle damper. Lift abruptly off the gas, and the throttle stays open for a second or three. You want to slow down, but the car doesn’t.” Many other testers echoed his complaints… To start the Passat, the driver must insert the key—a handsome little black-and-chrome wedge—into a slot in the dash and then push on it just so. It might sound easy, but it was often like trying to shove a pill down a dog’s throat… To own the last Passat was to announce that you were a little smarter, a little edgier, and a little more interesting than the guys in the Camrys and the Accords. This new Passat—a very good and, in our case, a very reliable family sedan—has lost some of that hard-to-define intrinsic value…The old Passat felt like ‘new luxury.’ It was special, beautifully trimmed, and overly loaded. This one would be lauded if it were a Ford family sedan, but it’s a sad drop from the Passat’s glory days. – Automobile

In this piece on the new TT (worth a read in its own right) one of my favorite new journalists explains the differences between three kinds of cars. So next time someone says one car is ‘better’ than another, ask them to clarify which kind of car they gravitate towards…

The Driver’s Car – It’s hard to explain unless you’ve driven one, but there are cars in this world that are just as fun to drive at 15 mph through a school zone as they are to blast down back roads. They are cars like the first-generation Mazda Miata, the original VW GTI, and the BMW E30 M3. They are cars that read the road surface to your fingertips with all the subtlety of a megaphone, that demand all of your attention all of the time. They don’t necessarily need to be that capable (and by modern standards, those that I’ve mentioned aren’t); they just need to be communicative and involving.

The Atari Car – Cars to which I refer as “Atari Cars” are a modern phenomenon. They are cars that feel like a video game. Atari Cars are immensely capable – they can often out-perform supercars without even breaking a sweat. And that lack of sweat defines them – they shrug off insane speeds and laugh at corners. Nothing unsettles their suspension. They’re so good that the driver has no idea how fast he’s actually driving. These are cars like Audi’s very own RS4, a Mercedes E63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT, and, to a lesser extent, cars like the Subaru WRX STi.

The Sports Car – A sports car (in the World According to Me) is that rare car that combines the communication of a Driver’s Car with the capability of an Atari Car. The quintessential sports car that comes to mind is the Porsche 911. It, like other sports cars (the Ferrari F430 and Lotus Elise come to mind), is among the world’s most capable machines, and yet remains so communicative and interactive that its owners take the long way to the grocery store.

...can be seen here (but don’t close the window until you read about the revised ABS system).

Run after run, the Volkswagen’s steering response time was nearly identical. In contrast, the Avalon’s series of step-steer efforts displayed noticeable variation—while the Azera’s proved downright inconsistent. Evidently, only the Germans seem to understand that the foundation of good handling is predictability. – Motor Trend

Redline is a sad 5500 rpm, 1000 revs less than the inline-five found in the Chevrolet Colorado pickup. Just when the Rabbit’s lump starts to sing, you have to shift. That said, there’s plenty of torque available to lug in higher gears all day long… – Car and Driver

Apparently VW’s product planners have been monitoring VW enthusiast message boards; the ‘07 GTI and GLI are to receive the slightly lower springs and DSG launch control features the rest of the world gets.

(Now how about a 4MOTION model or some sort of limited slip device?)