2008
Cadillac CTS
by Steve Schutz, MD
Put up or shut up, the expression
goes. For at least two years
now, General Motors has been
quietly “putting up.” And that trend
is accelerating.
I first noticed the change when I
drove the 2006 Hummer H3 and
encountered an all-new (for General
Motors) interior, complete with an
attractive dash and ergonomic controls
made of modern, high-quality materials.
The rest of the truck was good, too.
Then I drove the 2007 Chevrolet
Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade, and 2008
Chevrolet Silverado, and I knew things
were definitely changing for the better
at General Motors.
Enter the 2008 Cadillac CTS, the best
General Motors vehicle I have ever driven.
It’s as good as the BMW 3-series,
Lexus IS, and Audi A4. And in some
ways — most notably interior and trunk
space — it’s better.
Certainly, it looks good. The original
CTS introduced in 2003 was eye catching,
but it lacked proportion, and the
design didn’t age well. The 2008 model,
on the other hand, is all about proportion.
And grace. Even the most casual car
spotter would tag this as a CTS, but it’s
so much more grown up and filled in
now. It’s like the awkward and gangly
16-year-old girl with the too prominent
nose who grows up to be Jessica
Simpson. The upright head and taillights,
big egg crate grille, sharp creases,
and high door sills are all there, but they
look so much better.
A couple of new details are worth a
mention: the head- and taillights now
have vertical LED accents that look terrific
at night. And both front fenders sport
prominent chrome louvers that add
visual excitement.
The interior has been similarly
enhanced. A few typical Cadillac styling
elements remain, such as gauges with
white numbers with red needles and
plenty of chrome, but everything else
has been transformed. The new buttons
and knobs are as solid and attractive as
they are in the Lexus IS and Audi A4, yet
they copy neither and instead look very
American. Particularly well done is the
navigation touch screen, which raises
and lowers at the touch of a button, like
Volvo’s. Unlike anyone else’s models
though, the CTS leaves a strip of screen
that displays radio station and volume
information when it’s in the “down”
position. I was also taken by the
(optional) soft lighting strips that accent
the dash and doors at night. Overall, the
interior looks tasteful, elegant, and modern— which presumably was the goal.
If the 2008 Cadillac CTS is nice to sit
in, it’s even better to drive. Thanks to
an extensively retuned suspension and
new powertrains, the newest Cadillac does well on the road. GM engineers
spent a great deal of development time
on the famed Nürburgring race course
in Germany — as they did with the
previous version — and it shows. The
slight increase in width gives CTS more
stability and allows it to handle turns
and transfer weight even better than
before. No, it’s not as sharp as the
BMW 3 series or even the Lexus IS, but
it’s good. And it offers an excellent ride
and handling balance that is very pleasing
for everyday driving.
While the base 258-horsepower 3.6-
liter V6 is a carryover, Cadillac also offers
a direct injection high-output version of
that engine that pumps out a very
healthy 304 HP. Both CTS engines are
available with a six-speed manual transmission
or a new six-speed automatic;
all-wheel drive is a new option but only
comes with the base engine.
Every CTS comes well-equipped with
17-inch wheels, leatherette seats, an
eight-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone
automatic climate control, and a
CD/MP3 player with an auxiliary audio
jack and satellite radio.
Not surprisingly, a variety of options
is available. The Seating Package
includes leather trim and upgraded
power/heated front seats. The Luxury
Level One/Two packages add a six-CD
changer, rain-sensing wipers,
heated/ventilated seats, power
adjustment for the tilt/telescoping
steering wheel, rear park assist, and
keyless ignition.
By the way, I love keyless ignition.
You leave the fob in your pocket and
don’t need to ever take it out; as long as
it’s on your person, you can open your
door by just pulling on the handle, and
once you’re sitting in the car, you simply
turn the ignition switch, and off you
go. Piece of cake.
The Premium Luxury Collection
Package includes the previous
options plus a 40GB hard drive-based
navigation system with real-time traffic
information, a premium Bose surround-
sound audio system, a sunroof,
additional wood trim, and LED
interior lighting.
Enthusiasts will want to select one of
two performance-oriented packages: The
FE2 sport suspension package features
18-inch wheels, a limited-slip rear differential,
performance cooling, and
adaptive xenon headlights; the FE3
high-performance suspension package
(available with the direct-injection V6
only) takes the driving experience to an
even higher level with high-performance
tires and more powerful brakes.
Unlike too many other past efforts by
General Motors, there’s nothing about
the CTS for which you have to apologize.
The car is as good as the competition,
which is surprising and encouraging.
But that’s the way it must be for
Cadillac to contend in the luxury market.
They now have the small luxury
sedan and big luxury SUV segments covered.
Their future will depend on how
their next generation of vehicles competes
with the BMW 5-series, Lexus RX,
and Mercedes S-class.
