Cadillac CTS reviews

2011 Cadillac CTS Driving Impressions

The Cadillac CTS is cast in the mold of a classic European sports sedan, and it's formed particularly well. It compares nicely with its luxury import-brand competition, and in some respects beats the competition on its own terms.

The CTS is responsive, lively and athletic. It handles as well as the best European sedans, yet it's also comfortable, smooth and quiet. It delivers a good mix of interior space, substance and manageable exterior dimensions. With a wide range of engine, suspension and tire/wheel packages, and optional all-wheel-drive, the CTS wagon and sedan can satisfy a wide range of needs and tastes.

Both V6 engines employ the most up-to-date control and materials technology, with dual overhead cams, variable valve timing and high-pressure direct fuel injection. As a result, they are both responsive and lively. The direct injection gives both extremely good throttle response, with more fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

The 3.0-liter V6, with 270 horsepower, is a fine base engine, although it doesn't match the torque of the upgrade 3.6-liter V6. Somewhat surprisingly, there is little or no penalty in fuel economy with the larger engine, so if the additional expense is not an issue, we have to recommend the 3.6, most especially when choosing the optional all-wheel drive. With 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, the 3.6-liter is ready to go out and play anytime the driver wishes, delivering a solid combination of power, fuel economy and assertive sound when the throttle is opened all the way.

We love the fact that Cadillac offers all CTS models with a manual transmission, regardless of how many buyers actually choose one. We found the 6-speed manual has easy, smooth clutch action and requires only a light touch on the shift lever to change gears. It's a good choice.

The 6-speed automatic is responsive in full automatic mode, rarely stuttering in its gear selection or balking when it's time to shift down a gear or two. It's also very quick and positive to shift manually, up or down, with a little bit of throttle blip on the downshifts to keep the drivetrain happy and the tires from skipping and chirping. The choice comes down to personal preference. We liked both transmissions, though our affection for the automatic increases with the 3.6-liter V6, thanks to that engine's additional torque.

Steering in the CTS is excellent: very accurate, with good feel and a nice, weighty demeanor. This, perhaps surprisingly, is one area where it surpasses some of its European competitors, which are still sorting through the introduction of fuel saving electric power-steering pumps. The CTS steering system uses a forward-mounted power rack-and-pinion that pulls, rather than pushes, the steering arms. (It pulls on the steering arm of that front tire which will be on the outside in the turn, so in a right-hand turn it is pulling on the left-side steering arm, placing that side in tension rather than compression.)

The brakes are excellent, too, equipped with advanced electronic controls and Electronic Brake-force Distribution. They provide impressive stopping power, with almost no fading in truly aggressive use, in a car that approaches two tons of mass.

For all its steering, cornering and handling prowess, the CTS doesn't exact a stiff penalty in noise or harshness over the road. Even the base car is well damped, so the ride is smooth but not floaty. If the optimal balance of handling response and ride quality is the priority, we recommend a CTS with Cadillac's optional Magnetic Ride Control variable suspension. Originally developed by GM, and billed as the world's fastest-reacting suspension technology, MR has since been adapted by several manufacturers, most prominently Ferrari.

In all cases, the CTS feels very solidly put together. It's quiet inside in all circumstances, expect when the gas pedal is floored. The standard 17-inch all-season tires are quietest of all, though they lack the ultra-sharp steering response of some the larger performance-tire upgrades.

All-wheel drive is optional on CTS sedan, wagon and coupe models. Even in ideal conditions, AWD makes the CTS feel extra stable, and it enhances driver confidence on winding roads. While it comes with a slight weight and fuel-mileage disadvantage, the advantages of all-wheel drive in sloppy weather or big rain are substantial.

The driver of a CTS Sport Wagon will have a difficult time finding any dynamic distinctions from the sedan. The wagon is just as smooth, precise and well-planted. On the road, the only issue is rearward visibility. The wagon's wider rear roof pillars and upright rear window narrow the scope of the view through the rearview mirror, so it's a little harder to identify what's approaching from behind.

Driving a CTS-V model raises the experience to another level. The CTS-V supercharged V8 is different from the V6s, with an old-school cam in the engine block and push-rod operated valves. Yet that shouldn't be taken as a problem, because the CTS-V's 6.2-liter V8 is thoroughly modern in operation and performance.

The CTS-V models deliver a remarkable combination of sporting entertainment and coddling everyday transport. The steering feels more natural and satisfying than what's found in a lot of sports cars. Clutch and brake action are better than any Cadillac ever, and better than the super-tuned luxury hotrods from some European manufacturers. Despite a substantial increase in pavement grip, thanks largely to its extra wide, sticky performance tires, the CTS-V's standard MR variable suspension never feels too harsh. At two thirds of its 179-mph published top speed, the CTS-V sedan is as stable as granite.

And boy oh boy, that engine. It's a feast of visceral excitement at just about any speed up to its 6200-rpm redline, if you can afford the gas. Its supercharger is very quiet in operation, and it keeps pumping acceleration-building torque at high revs. The CTS-V scoots from 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds, but there is a ton of acceleration no matter how fast it's already going. There's so much torque that gear selection, road or engine speed almost don't matter. Step on it anywhere, at any speed, and the CTS-V flat flies.

Still, the CTS-V's most valuable asset is its level-headed approach to the business of driving. It's a big car, with a slight bit more weight over its front wheels, but it takes some cruel treatment to make the CTS-V bite. In a sense its unflappable, except that unflappable implies restrained, and the CTS-V is always lively and fun. Its stability control system is anything but a straight jacket, allowing both ends of the car to slide a little before the electronics go to work.

Bottom line, the CTS-V's strength is the same as the CTS's in general, only dialed up a notch or two. It's the satisfying, integrated experience in the driver's seat that impresses most. It just happens to be one of the absolute fastest sedans in the world.