 By Rich
Automotive Traveler GM has proven with its revitalization of  Cadillac, that when their designers, stylists, and engineers are unleashed, they can produce world class products. Nowhere is that more evident than with the all-new 2008 Cadillac CTS. In one fell swoop, Cadillac has gone from a bit player in the under $40,000 sport sedan category, to a world class competitor to the leading brands from Germany (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz) and Japan (Infiniti and Lexus). It?s a game-changing paradigm shift. More...
The base 3.6-liter Cadillac CTS, while priced to be competitive with the BMW 335 benchmark, is sized somewhere between the benchmark 3-Series and its larger 5-Series stable mate, the 535. If you measure such things by the pound or in inches, this is certainly an advantage to Cadillac, but unfortunately buyers in this segment put more stock in the cache of the propeller or three-pointed star on the hood. This certainly sells the new CTS short.
Our test vehicle was the CTS DI performance sedan with a base price of $34,545, but it was packed with options bringing the final line of the window sticker up to $46,695. It is motivated by a direct-injection 304-horsepower V6 mated to a smooth shifting 6-speed automatic. (The base CTS is powered by a non-direct-injection 258-horsepower V6.) The premium luxury package, which added $8,165, included a Bose 5.1 surround sound system with 40GB of MP3 storage space and XM satellite radio, and a fully integrated navigation system with XM Nav Traffic, which gives real time traffic information on-screen, heated and cooled front seats with leather seating surfaces throughout the cabin.
Our tester also included 18-inch performance wheel/tire package, sport suspension, HID headlights with fog lights integrated into the front fascia, all for another $1,740. The last two options were $995 for the Thunder Grey Chromaflair premium paint and $250 for the compact spare which replaced the standard tire inflator kit.
On the outside it?s sharp and chiseled, certainly not Teutonic with a front grille inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen concept from 2003. The new CTS certainly won?t be mistaken for anything else on the road, with the possible exception of the last generation CTS which was a strong effort overall but not able to generate the kind of conquest sales that GM originally envisioned.
Where the new CTS excels is in the area of fit and finish and no where this is more apparent than at the base of the A-pillar. Here you?ll notice panel fit that rivals Lexus, which is the acknowledged leader in the class. The chrome vent, which looks so out of place on many current vehicles, seems just right here; maybe it?s because the vent appears to be honed from a billet of steal rather than plastic injected into a mold. From front-to-rear the CTS is a stylish execution that exudes class from every angle.
The interior is where GM has made measurable strides, just as they have done with the new Chevy Malibu, which has gone from also-ran to top tier when it comes to measuring overall interior quality. The last-gen CTS was clearly deficient in this area, to the degree that even GM product czar Bob Lutz admitted so, as soon as the original CTS was introduced back in 2003.
The CTS interior on our featured the full length glass sunroof which gave the Light Titanium leather interior a spacious, open feel, taking full advantage of its extra length. Competitors, such as the Mercedes-Benz C350 feel cramped in comparison. And at night, this feeling, and that of the interior?s class-leading quality levels is reinforced by the ambient lighting system which provides a line of soft light running A-pillar to A-pillar beneath the sumptuous sapele wood trim. Instantly, the CTS moves from mediocre to head-of-the class in terms of interior quality and appointments.
Nowhere is this more evident than the fully integrated 300-watt, 10-speaker Bose cabin surround sound system with its XM Nav Traffic-supported navigation system with pop-up screen. The sound was rich and full, pushing the sense of the sound stage out beyond the confines of the cockpit, providing the illusion that the interior was even larger than it was. The rock solid center channel image provided by the centrally located front-middle speaker added to the sensation. And the intuitive, easy-to-use navigation system was a joy to use; its re-routing function was welcomed in our week-long evaluation here in traffic-choked Southern California.
On the road the CTS feels rock solid but even with the performance suspension it seems that the settings are bit biased towards ride comfort. We?re sure that this was a point of contention with the engineering team; just how far does one deviate from Cadillac?s traditional core values? This is not a bad thing, it?s just illustrates that the priorities of the CTS suspension team were different from its competitors at Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz.
While the CTS certainly feels substantial it carries around more weight than we?d prefer to see, almost 4,000 pounds. So even with 304-horsepower on tap, 0 to 60, which comes up in 6.5 seconds by our stopwatch, falls a bit short of its two closes competitors, the BMW 335 and the Infiniti G37, which reach the same benchmark in a heartbeat more than six seconds. Conversely, 6.5 seconds is nothing to be ashamed of and only whets our appetite for the 550-horsepower Nurburgring Nordschliefe-bred V-version coming in the fall. For the very first time, the M3 and the AMG C-Class will have a true domestic competitor.
Conclusion
Clearly it was very difficult to hand the keys back to Cadillac after our week-long evaluation drive. With the exception of the Corvette, no car in GMs rapidly improving inventory is so clearly focused at its mission as the all-new CTS. In an extremely competitive category populated by an outstanding group of cars, the CTS now needs to make no apologies for its inclusion. While it approaches the performance benchmarks set by its leaders, it takes a back seat to no one with regard to its levels of quality and the execution of its class-leading interior, thus moving to the head of the class.
What?s more, if you?re willing to swap two doors for swoopy coupe styling, you?ll only have to wait about 12 to 18 months for the stunning 2-door version that was shown in concept form to universal acclaim at this past January?s North American International Automobile Show. When the car was unveiled, even the jaded automotive press corps was stunned with its drop-dead proportions, looking like no other coupe on the planet. And when the car was moved to its permanent display for the show, a near riot broke out as the scribes and shooters put nose prints on the glass trying to get a closer look. 2010 promises to be a great year for Cadillac.
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