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I need to say this
right up front: I can't imagine anyone who owns
a 3 Series BMW would be willing to get out of that
car in favor of the new, second-generation 2008 Cadillac
CTS.
That's not to put down the Caddy. After all, neither
of Cadillac's cross-town rivals, Chrysler nor Lincoln,
has a car that competes head-to-head with the CTS
when it comes to providing both the amenities that
Americans want in their luxury cars nor the dynamics
that people expect from an upmarket sports sedan.
For that matter, neither, in my mind, does Lexus
have a car that truly competes with the CTS, though
I think a case can certainly be made that the Infiniti
G35 doesn't shrink from comparison with the CTS.
But, as much as I like the new Cadillac sedan, as
much as it is an improvement over the first generation
just as the gen-1 was a mother-may-I giant step up
over the Catera (you remember the Catera, right,
the mildly modified Opel Omega launched with a little
duck character as its mascot), I'd still take the
BMW over the CTS.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about
the new Cadillac. It's going to be another huge success
for General Motors, because even though there will
be no stampede of BMW buyers eager to drive this
new CTS, people who demand a domestic but who also
want an upscale and sporty sedan are flat going to
love the new Cadillac.
For the extremists among auto enthusiasts, however,
that love must be patient, because it will be probably
a year or more before Cadillac rolls out the V-spec
version, the one with a V8 engine and truly serious
horsepower.
At its launch, the second-generation CTS comes with
the buyer's choice of 3.6-liter V6 engines. The basic
version pumps out 263 horsepower and 253 pound-feet
of torque. The optional version is equipped with
direct injection technology that boosts output to
304 horses and 273 pound feet and - get this - provides
3 percent better fuel economy, 25 percent fewer cold-start
emissions and still runs on regular unleaded gasoline.
At 304 hp, the 3.6 DI is the most powerful naturally
aspirated V6 that GM has ever offered to its car-buying
customers. (The GM V6 provides 4 more hp than the
BMW engine, but with twin-turbochargers, the Bimmer
also offers 300 pound-feet and a much more responsive
torque curve.)
To make sure enthusiast drivers get the most out
of both Cadillac engines, they're available with
either a new six-speed manual or a new six-speed
automatic transmission. For those who live in regions
were the weather is often wet or white, with this
new generation the CTS is available for the first
time with rear- or all-wheel drive.
In addition to the powertrain enhancements, the
'08 CTS has undergone extensive engineering updates
and upgrades. The body not only is new, but stronger,
and there is a long list of things that were done
to make the car not only stronger but quieter.
Three suspension settings are available. FE1 is
the standard suspension for North America and rides
on 17-inch wheels. FE2, with 18-inch wheels, is the
base setup for Europe, where drivers tend to prefer
the handling side of the ride/handling equation.
FE3, with aggressive, 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport
2 "summer" tires, is the performance-oriented
setup and is the same on both sides of the Atlantic.
While FE1 and FE2 may be the base suspensions, they
are not basic by any means and both feature Bilstein
shock absorbers. FE3 gets Nivomat self-leveling shocks
for the rear wheels.
Other dynamic enhancements include a track that
is two inches wider than on the first generation,
a brace that connects the front shock towers, larger
tires (and even the 18-inchers are wider than before)
and new ZF steering gear, which is mounted ahead
of the front wheels for better dynamic control and
response.
The new CTS not only goes better, it looks better.
Cadillac calls its design philosophy "art and
science." For this CTS, the designers used more
art than science, so the car isn't all creases and
sharp angles. The new Cadillac has a well-planted
stance on the road and looks less robocar--more properly
like an athletic motorcar.
The interior also has been thoroughly redone and
updated. You won't really appreciate all the changes
unless you get into the car after dark so you can
see the adjustable ambient lighting built into the
trim panels that surround a passenger compartment
that provides the sort of rear-seat leg room those
Bimmer buyers don't enjoy.
For those as much into audio as auto, the new CTS
had hardware from Pioneer and Bose and is available
with a 40-gig hard drive that not only allows you
to download your music, but that can record and pause
live radio so you take a call or run in for a latte
without missing any of Diane Reim's interviews or
a single play of your favorite sports event.
Cadillac introduced the CTS to American auto writers
on a drive from Silicon Valley to the Monterey Peninsula
where, yes, we did some laps around the Laguna Seca
Raceway. Racetracks can bring out the best and worst
in a vehicle. Steering, suspension (FE3, of course)
and the six-speed Aisin manual transmission all got
gold stars on the track. However, even the DI engine's
slightly more than 300 hp and sub-300 pound-feet
weren't nearly enough for climbing Laguna's long
straightaway or the hill that leads you to the famed
Corkscrew rollercoaster-like thrill ride.
On the other hand, each of the CTSs we drove to
and from the Peninsula was more than adequate to
the task of street driving, whether we were cruising
the Interstate or carving around some marvelous two-line
twisties.
The base model, with its 263-hp V6, FE1 suspension
and rear-wheel drive, was certainly the most comfortable,
and was always composed, smooth and not sluggish
at all. Its starting price was $32,450 and it was
$38,630 as tested with an automatic transmission
as part of a luxury option "collection"
that includes upgraded seats and some other luxury
features.
We also drove a model with all-wheel drive and the
DI engine ($48,485 as tested with options that include
a large, two-panel sunroof), and another with automatic,
rear-wheel drive and the DI engine with FE3 suspension
as well as both a performance collection with high-intensity
headlamps and limited-slip differential and a premium
collection with the upgraded audio system ($42,975
as tested).
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