Cadillac introduced the all new 2014 CTS at last year’s New York Auto Show in an event staged, ironically enough, at the Lincoln Centre. As media and GM types mingled onstage afterwards, I remember saying to a CTS engineer that if it drove as good as it looked, they had a winner.
Well, after spending a week with the car, I have to say mission accomplished. The rear-wheel-drive sedan really does drive as good as it looks - and that’s saying something because Cadillac stylists are on a winning streak and this is their best yet.
It’s also one of the best equipped - especially in the Vsport Premium trim of this week’s test car. On top of all the standard CTS features, Vsport adds adaptive cruise control, parallel parking assist, automatic high beams, full magnetic ride control, heated rear seats and panoramic sunroof.
The base CTS engine is a 2.0L turbo, but our test car was equipped with a twin turbo 3.6L V6 that is exclusive to Vsport and is capable of generating 420 hp and 430 lb.-ft. of torque - numbers that are competitive with Caddy’s German rivals. And exclusive to Vsport’s twin turbo V6 is a new 8-speedautomatic that can skip a gear or two when either upshifting or downshifting for better fuel economy and response.
Accelerating from 0-100 km/h takes just 4.6 seconds.
I took the CTS on a road trip to Dearborn, Mich. with a friend riding shotgun. He’s a big guy and the first thing he does is send the passenger seat back as far as it will go. Even then, he sometimes can’t get comfortable, but he raved about the Cadillac’s seat for all of the 1,000-km trip.
Meanwhile, I raved about the way the CTS accelerated and weaved its way through traffic and the colour head-up display that offered so much information my eyes always could stay directed at the road ahead. I had no complaints about my own comfort, or driving position, and I really appreciated the quiet and well crafted cabin in Kona brown and jet black leather with real elm wood trim - one of seven interior themes available.
However, leaving Dearborn heading east on Michigan Avenue I encountered a problem. We were talking and I missed the exit for Interstate 94 to Port Huron. The closer we got to Detroit, the neighbourhoods got shabbier and shabbier. Nope. Not going there. So I turned around and activated voice commands for the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) system.
I didn’t want to ask for directions to Canada because I knew the system would send me over the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit with Windsor. Nope. Not going there, either. Too much truck traffic.
So I asked for a route to Port Huron and the Bluewater Bridge to Sarnia. I may as well have asked for directions to the moon. The system wanted to send us anywhere but where I wanted to go. It even hung up on me. Twice.
Eventually I stopped, deactivated voice commands, and got a route by punching in a manual request.
Yes, I could have hit the OnStar button and asked for turn-by-turn instructions but, quite frankly, I didn’t think of that until it was too late.
The incident didn’t spoil my experience with the CTS - the car was too good for that. But it did make me wonder why Cadillac can’t come up with a nav system as easy to use as the one in a $25,000Hyundai.
Some of Cadillac’s recent offerings have begun to reverse the flow away from its showrooms to those of Mercedes, BMW and Lexus. The CTS Vsport could help speed up that process.
Base models for Motor Trend’s 2014 Car of the Year start at $50,895.
Fact File
Year/make/model: 2014 Cadillac CTS
Trim level: Vsport Premium
Price as tested (before taxes): $77,780
Freight/PDI: $1,700
Options on test vehicle: Kona brown leather seats with jet black accents ($1,735); White Diamond tricoat paint ($1,295); all-weather floor mats ($145); performance brake linings ($110)
Configuration: front engine/RWD
Engine/transmission: 3.6L twin turbo V6/8-speed automatic
Power/torque: 420 hp/430 lb.-ft.
Fuel (capacity): premium (71.9L)
Fuel economy ratings: 13.5L/100 km city; 8.4L/100 km highway
Observed fuel economy: 9.5L/100 km over 1,075 km
Warranties: 4 years/80,000 km comprehensive; 6 years/100,000 km powertrain
Competitors: Audi S6; BMW 5 Series; Infiniti Q70; Jaguar XF 3.0; Lexus GS; Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Strengths: ride & handling; interior comfort; sophisticated drivetrain
Weaknesses: CUE system; needs premium gas; $1,295 extra for paint??
Report Card (out of 10)
Fuel economy: 6 - reasonable for a performance sedan
Equipment level: 9 - not much more to add at this trim level
Price: 7 - competitive in its segment
Styling: 9 - further redefining the marque
Comfort (front): 9 - fine individual seats
Comfort (rear): 8 - and the outboard positions are heated
Storage: 7 - spacious trunk; could use more bins in the cabin
Handling: 9 - quick and precise
Performance: 9 - really quick with excellent throttle response
Overall: 8 - a serious sporting sedan for serious drivers
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