In the end, it came in a close third behind the BMW 335 and the Infiniti G37, which I reviewed. I think that speaks quite well for this car.

While it’s not a road rocket in the idiom of the G37 or 335, the actual performance numbers aren’t that far off (the CTS gives up about .75 seconds 0-60 – not insignificant, but still quite competitive). The feel is what’s different – while the 335 and G37 are bonafide sprinters, the CTS exudes the feel of hushed, subdued power that you normally find in a Mercedes.

Ditto for the suspension, which has a more deliberate feel, but is still quite willing and competent. It’s worth noting that the ride is also far superior to either the 335 or G37, particularly those equipped with the sport packages.

While the 335 and G37 feel more spare and purpose-built, the CTS has a more sumptuous, luxurious feel – again, like a Mercedes.

Last I checked, nobody would argue that being like a Mercedes is a bad thing…

And since I decided on the 335, only to discover it’s useless as a family car, I might have to take a second look at the CTS.

No, it’s not just you. I sat in the CTS yesterday at the Atlanta auto show and was immediately struck by how uncomfortable the center console was on my right knee. I’m an average-sized guy. There is no way that car should have been released with that glaring defect. Sorry Cadillac, that would have been a deal-breaker for me if I was seriously looking at you.

A couple of other things… Does everyone realize that the best this car could do in the frontal crash test was four stars? Not good for a clean-slate design. I’ve also had enough of the garish chrome everywhere. There is just a bit too much for my tastes. I know that the wheels could be optioned without it, but the vents and such are a bit overdone. Subjective stuff I know.

I’ve been reading all of the Edmunds blogs on the CTS – what an eye-opener. This thing has failing trim and horribly squeaking seats and interior bits. The cheap feeling brake release is a let-down. Get with the program and use an electric one a-la VW/Audi. That pedal and clunky release handle are very out-of-place in a Cadillac in 2009. Like most Cadillacs (GMs) I’ve sampled, the trim pieces and places where you touch simply don’t have the high-quality feel that they need to. Take the hood, for example, your hand is greeted by a sharp, cheap chrome trim piece that feels like it will last all of 10K miles. Looks like that’s about how long a lot of bits on that car will last, judging by Edmunds.

I read this review and not a very informative counter review of a superb luxury sedan.

JLM

I know, I know…a good story needs a twist, a unique take, and your perspective here is of interest. But what’s wrong with un-adulterated praise for a GREAT CAR delivered by General Motors, the Kings of Mediocrity and Corner Slicing? They actualy delivered a product that is desirable, distinguished, and sexy – and it wasn’t a ‘Vette!

I think some of the other comments here nailed it: what Cadillac IS on this day, not 40 years ago, is GM best effort at building a luxury automobile. The Germans defined (and continue to define) that market, have dictated to it, and now GM has a very credible – hell, a SWEET CAR, and a GENUINE ALTERNATIVE to BMW, Audi, etc.

Thanks for the perspective, and great review.

Cheers,
Jeff

I can only assume you’ve never been up close to an XLR/XLR-V, nor parked it side by side with their price peers. The Lexus has a certain look of craft to it, but the materials are no better and in some cases are arguably worse. The body panel gaps are a little smaller on the Lexus, but this is mostly due to the XLR having a composite body rather than steel. The Lexus us a unibody car, while the XLR is built on the Corvette’s uniframe.

The Mercedes SL interior photographs better than it looks and feels up close. Outside, again except for the panel gaps issue intrinsic to the composite body and which isn’t a large difference anyway, the SL is put together like any other reasonably well made unibody car. These are all mass-production machines that when examined up close, are not assembled or finished much differently than today’s $35,000 cars. The leather is nicer on all the touch points. The price difference and the value is in the underlying engineering and performance components, as well as some exotica in the systems.

I’ve had XLR-V, SC430 and SL550 side by side in the past 10 days for close comparative examination. Look beyond the superficials and you’ll see that plastic is plastic, and none of these three really have advantage in cosmetic build quality over the others. They are very different cars at an engineering and technical implementation level, however.

“Price in Germany: for the 2.8L V6 211 HP base model, GM is asking 36k Euros. That’s around 53K US$, folks.

Well, yes and no. A Euro price of E36K is only equivalent to US$53K in exchange rate terms while we have a weak dollar. In 2000 it would have been equal to about $30K. The only thing that matters is what else E36K buys in Europe, not what the car would cost at the exchange rate price in the US. Granted, the weak dollar should allow GM to be more aggressive in pricing but I’m sure they don’t want to be too vulnerable to a rise in the dollar either.

No chance for any success over here at that level. That’s BMW 5-series league, for a car with much less space, serious drivetrain deficiencies, and lousy resale.

The 5 series is not a spacious automobile, especially relative to its exterior dimensions. The new CTS will not feel like a car “with much less space” than a 5 series. Can’t say about resale there, but I’ll presume you’re correct. As for the drivetrain, Cadillac would have made a better debut with the 3.6L/6sp drivetrain, with a sharp price.

What is the Caddy-ness that the CTS exudes?

The new CTS is visually distinctive, is currently available in relatively powerful V6 configurations, and when you’re in it, it puts you in an environment of craft and comfort. All good Caddy traits. It needs a V8 option, but the DI6 is Cadillac-consistent.

Maserati’s solution is to make the cars less Maserati-like, such as by putting a slushbox in the Quattroporte. I’m not sure that strategy is going to work.

The ZF 6 speed in the Quattroporte Automatic isn’t the lazy-shifting slip-swapper in your average sedan of yore. The prior transmission, still available in the Duo-Select, was graceless in all-but open-road conditions, which drove even admirers of the Maser from considering the car. Even the Auto is widely considered the most sporting luxury sedan available. In true Italian fashion, it drives “smaller” than it is when handling counts, but is supple and comfortable. Its interior outclasses anything in its price range, and has that sweet Ferrari mill.

The Cadillac 4.4L Supercharged Northstar in the XLR-V and STS-V, mated to the excellent GM 6L80 double-clutch automatic has similarly engaging character. Maserati’s strategy of combining expressive visual styling with only-in-Italy interiors and sweet muscular drivetrains that accommodate the luxury car buyer has given the marque a measured comeback in the US. The beautiful new GranTourismo Coupe should further contribute. With the CTS in place, Cadillac’s upper tier should get attention next, rather than a baby sedan, and they must keep the distinctive visual drama coming.

Phil

But RF’s point about “tight” brand concepts is exactly right. Brands must stand for something distinctive and they must be uncompromising about building whatever that is into every product. What is the Caddy-ness that the CTS exudes?

I think there are parallels between Cadillac and Maserati. Maserati isn’t a weak brand but it’s not well-known. Given its product line and distribution, Maserati could have committed to positioning itself as an enthusiast’s brand, more exclusive than Porsche but more accessible than Ferrari. Instead, Maser decided to pursue a broader market, perhaps with the goal of becoming the Italian BMW. The problem is, the cars are too extreme for that. Maserati’s solution is to make the cars less Maserati-like, such as by putting a slushbox in the Quattroporte. I’m not sure that strategy is going to work.

“Price in Germany: for the 2.8L V6 211 HP base model, GM is asking 36k Euros. That’s around 53K US$, folks.

…

Why do they even bother?”

Well, people generally make more money in Europe, and things cost more there as well. I don’t know how much a 5 series costs in Europe, so it’s hard to say if Cadillac can be competitive or not. Plus I doubt Cadillac cares much about that market – what would be the point? It’s an American luxury car, aimed at Americans

Sammy Hagar:

“Again and again we get this analogy that the “new” Cadillac is on par w/it’s German counterparts. However, due to the fact NOBODY drives these things at speed on the world’s most demanding roads, it will forever remain a pretender.”

You know that all CTS and CTS-V models were tested extensively at Nürburgring, right? GM made a lot of noise about that. And if by “most demanding roads” you mean autobahns, you should know that there’s zero difference between an autobahn and an American freeway, except for the whole speed limit thing.

Price in Germany: for the 2.8L V6 211 HP base model, GM is asking 36k Euros. That’s around 53K US$, folks.

No chance for any success over here at that level. That’s BMW 5-series league, for a car with much less space, serious drivetrain deficiencies, and lousy resale.

Why do they even bother?

The CTS should be a Buick. The problem GM can’t seem to resolve is that it’s cars still need to fit into a hierarchy. In the past, there wasn’t much if any overlap in price between divisions. Now – well, if I could buy a Malibu LTZ I might well be able to afford this entry level Caddy. It’s only 4 grand difference, and for many buyers, that 4K isn’t a bar. So honey, do we want to plunk our money down on the Chevy or the Caddy?

IOW, it should never occur to anyone to use the words Cadillac and “entry level” in the same sentence. If Caddy can’t ask and get 40K for this car, then Buick division should get it. (Chevy, at the other end has no business making cars that sticker for 28K)

This idea that every division needs a car in every segment is what is killing brand ID at GM.

Is Lexus perfect? No. The LS-series is overweight and the hybrid makes no sense. They have too many guzzing truck-based SUVs that are obvious badgejobs. Their rep for quality is slipping also.
Is Infiniti perfect? No. It looks like the G-series can be a hit, but the M-series looks bloated and not worth the extra money from a G, the FX is getting a little long in the tooth and there is still the bad taste in the mouths of people who purchased Maxima and Sentra-based Infinitis.
Is Acrua perfect? No. They canned the RSX for “not fitting the model lineup” but the RL is barely noticed and the TL is due for a refresh any minute now. Much like Infiniti 10 years ago, they need to rethink their identity.
Is BMW perfect? No. The styling is not for everyone, iDrive is still a nightmare after six plus years, quality scores are in a freefall, and the cost of admission for even the small 3-series makes first-time buyers twitch.
Is Mercedes perfect? No. They are a very easy target though. They’ve AMG-ed everything including (probably) a go-cart line, resale value due to that is not good, quality is wretched, too many models and they’ve lost the scorecard on German styling. I followed an early-90’s E-class for a while and after looking at it in traffic for a long time, it reminded me what Mercedes was, not what they’ve become. Plus they still need to explain the need for the R-class.
Is Audi perfect? No. Like Caddy, they seem to be on the up and up, but once again quality scores are low and the stigma of VW calling the shots when VW can’t fix their own lineup might spell trouble soon.
Is Lincoln perfect? No. I’ll take a crude F-150, put 300 pounds of chrome on the outside and make it a Lincoln. Ditto with an Expedition. This is a dead brand on the side of the road.
How about the “British” companies? Land Rover has a guzzling product line and Jag needs help ASAP.
The Swedes are a mixed bag – GM wrecked Saab and Ford seems to have helped Volvo.
So, does the CTS have to be flawless? Not really, but they do have the perception to demolish. Their ads need to ATTACK the Germans head on and I think the CTS can win. They should play the game of having demo CTS models ready for serious to semi-serious buyers to drive one for a week or so. They should the common folk take one around a parking lot track so people (with families) can sit in one and experience it. If the car is good, word of mouth will do wonders.
I firmly believe the CTS, the G8, and maybe the Malibu can finally start the turnaround provided GM doesn’t screw up with the dealer orders, price increases, a lack of constant improvement, and poor service and quality. What’s the saying – with a positive experience, one person tells another person, but with a negative experience, 1 person tells 10. That’s a tough cycle to break.

Know when I really started to notice the current Cadillacs? When I saw CTS-V race cars running SCCA events alongside BMWs and Audis. If Cadillac wants to get some sporting cred, that’s a good place to start. And I’ve long thought that if any American marque belongs in Formula One, it’s Cadillac. Maybe there they could start to regain that reputation as the Standard of the World.

A few models are an exception to the rule… for now. The Mercedes C-Class doesn’t have a cheaper companion in the states. The 3-Series covers such a wide gamut that it practically competes with itself. I would argue that the A4 and A3 provide far different driving experiences as well.

But the Japanese and American cars? The only one that will make a semi-strong case is Infiniti… and even then I think it mostly comes down to interior materials and insulation.

Cadillac may actually have the best all-arounder in this entire market. All the other models appear to be ‘the best’ at something while the prior generation Cadillac CTS was actually good at everything (except for some of the interior components). The styling’s definitely not my cup of tea, but as a daily performer this new Cadillac may actually give the best bang for the buck for those who want a ‘little of everything’.

Imagine a commercial in which Ed Wasser, dressed to resemble his Babylon 5 character Morden, asks people in 1958 – 2008 his character’s signature question: “What do you want?” Each respondent (one per decade) answers “I want a luxury car that also [has whatever desirable attribute fits the Cadillac of the time],” with the 2008 respondent answering “I want a luxury sedan that also drives like a sports sedan.” (This last response would, of course, be tailored to the Cadillac model being advertised.)

Next, “Morden” asks “But what do you want?” Each respondent, in turn, replies “A Cadillac.”

Finally, the model in question is revealed, with a voice-over along the lines of “The Cadillac [insert model here]. It’s the car you want.”

All right, so this idea relies a bit too much on science-fiction geekery. That doesn’t mean that some similar way of bringing Cadillac’s past to the present wouldn’t work.