I test drove this vehicle (the GLS model actually) when it first came out. I was really interested in how well the engine would perform, as I'm a power/speed oriented driver. I was always a fan of the exterior styling but in person it wasn't quite as nice as I thought it would be. For sure the Passat CC is a nicer looking vehicle on the outside. When I got into the vehicle I was very surprised just how nice the interior was, in fact I was so impressed I was a bit disappointed that my 2010 Santa Fe didn't have a similar set up. Then I started the engine and like mentioned in the article it does have a bit of harshness at idle and low speeds (under 30km per hour), but nothing that I would say would be a deal breaker. The article said it was diesel like and if he was referring to the new VW TDI engines then I'd agree but not if he was referring to the older diesels. Once away I did my usual route of highway, backroad, and city roads. Merging (30km-90km) was surprising considering this is not a V6 or turbo 4, I think it's the closest a 4 cylinder can get to feeling like a V6. Definitely something that V6 buyers should at least try out, especially if that V6 is over 5 years old because a lot of those had similar power to this 4 cylinder. At highway speeds it is quite and smooth, but I will say that the VW Passat CC was quiter and a bit smoother, especially over the uneven surfaces on the back roads. Overall I think this vehicle is a huge improvement for the segment and will help shape the midsize sedan market.
This article mentions the lack of radar sensing cruise control, and I have to ask why? Is there any other vehicle in this category that has that option. I can understand the blind spot thingy as the Mazda 6 and Fusion do offer that, but no other midsize family vehicle has this radar sensing cruise option. I will say that in a couple of years I can see this option to show up in some midsize family vehicles.
I've heard a lot of owners of this vehicle complain that their vehicle is not getting close to the fuel economy numbers, but I take that with a grain of salt as there are other factors working against this. One being that it's a brand new vehicle and engine so it will usually take 5,000-10,000 kms before it is broken in, a lot of the people who complain about the fuel economy have no idea how to drive fuel efficiently (using the gas pedal as an on/off switch), and the posted fuel economy numbers are best case senario and rarely ever reached in real life. I will say that Hyundai could have made this more fuel efficient with a CVT but thankfully they listened to the consumer and stuck with a much better option of 6-speed tranny.
Now for some news, the new 2.0L turbo version will be GDI and tweeked from the Genesis Coupe vehicle to make an amazing 274 HP! That's class leading and to go along with that the fuel economy is just slightly worse than the 2.4 GDI, meaning it will be way better than any V6 option the competition has to offer. I can't wait to try that engine out. I'm sure it will have a $2,000+ premium compared to base 2.4L engine but in my books it will be worth it. Also there will be a hybrid version that will get about the same fuel mileage as the ford fusion hybrid (a bit worse in the city, but a bit better on the highway). That vehicle will look very distinct compared to the non hybrid versions and will have a combined power of 210 HP. So i'm guessing it will have about the same performance as the 2.4L powered Sonata. Again they left out the CVT and I really appreciate that as a lot of those are just terrible to drive. In any case I think this is the midsize vehicle to beat.
