Merc CLS or Jag XF or Passat CC?
Discussion
I'm soon going to change and think I've narrowed it down to one of these three. Budget is 15k so I'd be looking at maybe an 06 Merc, early XF or a much newer Passat. Anybody have experience of these, particularly the Passat. Keen to know if it feels as good as it looks. Would need to be a diesel I fear whichever I opted for. Thanks.
I can't speak for the XF or CLS but I do own a 60 plate CC so hopefully I can give you some insight.
IMO the CC is very dependent on spec, and one without the toys (and a manual) turns it into a pretty boring rep-mobile. With the right spec, it can propel it to compete with the the tpe of car you are looking at.
One thing to get out of the way first is the drive in comparison to the two you mention. The CC will in pretty much everyway, be worse than the two you mentioned. Slower, FWD etc... But IMO thats not what you buy this sort of car for.
Mine has the following interior spec which is all important:
Black, heated, electric leather
Sat Nav with excellent bluetooth system (best I've ever used)
Heated electric wing mirrors
E-parking brake with auto hold
Tinted windows
Parking sensors
Cruise
Multifunction leather wheel
Dual zone climate
I don't have the huge sunroof thing which would be good.
I have the 1998CC TDI (140) engine coupled to a 6 speed DSG auto which is a great combination. The engine is enough to get it around, although you won't be breaking any speed records in it. Its no slouch, but compared to a 3.0 Merc or Jag and it will be found wanting.
The DSG is excellent, very quick and seamless shifts, and even a bit of fun in tiptronic mode. I get around 55mpg on average which is great considering the size of the car.
Mine has the optional adjustable dampers (cant remember the terminlogy) which allows you to adjust the damp / rebound of the suspension on the fly. Sport (firm) normal and comfort (very wafty) means you can adjust to the road surface / conditions at the flick of a switch while moving along. I use this a lot.
The rear seats are excellent too, very luxurious feel in the back behind the tints, with your own climate control, acres of legroom and a fold down arm rest / drinks holder.
Boot is very very long, although opening is not that wide. I can easily get 3 sets of golf clubs in for example. And with the fold down rear seats really does make for quite the load carrier as long as you can get it through the boot!
Looks are of course subjective but with the right wheels they look great too:
In summary a great motor for the money in my experience. Brand new and money no object, the merc would get my vote. But for a third of the price new, the CC gets it to around 90% of the same car on all fronts except driving experience.
Hope this helps, happy to answer any questions about mine
IMO the CC is very dependent on spec, and one without the toys (and a manual) turns it into a pretty boring rep-mobile. With the right spec, it can propel it to compete with the the tpe of car you are looking at.
One thing to get out of the way first is the drive in comparison to the two you mention. The CC will in pretty much everyway, be worse than the two you mentioned. Slower, FWD etc... But IMO thats not what you buy this sort of car for.
Mine has the following interior spec which is all important:
Black, heated, electric leather
Sat Nav with excellent bluetooth system (best I've ever used)
Heated electric wing mirrors
E-parking brake with auto hold
Tinted windows
Parking sensors
Cruise
Multifunction leather wheel
Dual zone climate
I don't have the huge sunroof thing which would be good.
I have the 1998CC TDI (140) engine coupled to a 6 speed DSG auto which is a great combination. The engine is enough to get it around, although you won't be breaking any speed records in it. Its no slouch, but compared to a 3.0 Merc or Jag and it will be found wanting.
The DSG is excellent, very quick and seamless shifts, and even a bit of fun in tiptronic mode. I get around 55mpg on average which is great considering the size of the car.
Mine has the optional adjustable dampers (cant remember the terminlogy) which allows you to adjust the damp / rebound of the suspension on the fly. Sport (firm) normal and comfort (very wafty) means you can adjust to the road surface / conditions at the flick of a switch while moving along. I use this a lot.
The rear seats are excellent too, very luxurious feel in the back behind the tints, with your own climate control, acres of legroom and a fold down arm rest / drinks holder.
Boot is very very long, although opening is not that wide. I can easily get 3 sets of golf clubs in for example. And with the fold down rear seats really does make for quite the load carrier as long as you can get it through the boot!
Looks are of course subjective but with the right wheels they look great too:
In summary a great motor for the money in my experience. Brand new and money no object, the merc would get my vote. But for a third of the price new, the CC gets it to around 90% of the same car on all fronts except driving experience.
Hope this helps, happy to answer any questions about mine
The Passat looks absolutely fantastic on the outside, but then you feel cheated when you get in and it's just a Passat. I actually found a 2.0T on the lot last time I hired a car in the States. Looked fantastic, so I got in to take it and immediatly got back out and took an Infiniti instead.
In this company it makes sense only if you particularly want something newer - the XF and CLS are simply a class above.
If the question was 'Mondeo, Passat CC, Insignia' then it'd be the Passat hands down.
In this company it makes sense only if you particularly want something newer - the XF and CLS are simply a class above.
If the question was 'Mondeo, Passat CC, Insignia' then it'd be the Passat hands down.
Thanks for this. The info from reapercushions was very insightful. I would go for a decent spec but lean toward a 170 bhp Passat. Still not sure if I can deal with my own inner badge snobbery though and the CLS in black looks great. Being quite fussy, I've seen a few XFs and anything less than 19 inch wheels looks a bit weedy, don't know how this affects the ride.
Are the CCs refined? How obvious is it that it's an oil burner ?
Are the CCs refined? How obvious is it that it's an oil burner ?
No worries.
I find it a very nice place to be on the inside, very quiet (think the windows are double glazed or something?) and you can't tell it's an oil burner on noise alone. On the outside it does sound like your usual TDI though!
I drive a lot of motorway miles in mine, and it's great knowing I can drop into my cosy relaxing car for a few hours and feel great getting out at the end. Auto + Cruise + Comfort setting on the dampers makes for silky drive home.
I guess it depends where you've come from (I came from a 118d BMW) and it is very refined in comparison. Drive an XF or CLS then the CC, who knows!? I've not been in either Merc or Jag so can't directly compare. But in my circumstance as from the cars I've had previously, I feel like I'm wafting in something pretty nice to be honest, but it's all relative.
I find it a very nice place to be on the inside, very quiet (think the windows are double glazed or something?) and you can't tell it's an oil burner on noise alone. On the outside it does sound like your usual TDI though!
I drive a lot of motorway miles in mine, and it's great knowing I can drop into my cosy relaxing car for a few hours and feel great getting out at the end. Auto + Cruise + Comfort setting on the dampers makes for silky drive home.
I guess it depends where you've come from (I came from a 118d BMW) and it is very refined in comparison. Drive an XF or CLS then the CC, who knows!? I've not been in either Merc or Jag so can't directly compare. But in my circumstance as from the cars I've had previously, I feel like I'm wafting in something pretty nice to be honest, but it's all relative.
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