Cadillac's new star 2009 Caddy CTS

By Jenny White
Rocky Mount Telegram

Friday, May 22, 2009

I hate to hear about GM’s money problems and possible demise. I have high hopes that it will survive – maybe not in the same company that exists today, but in some form.

GM has made some unbelievable strides in recent years, enabling it to compete better with foreign cars on the market.

Product design, price points and overall reliability quotient have surged in the past few years. The Chevrolet Malibu, the Chevy Traverse, Dodge Charger and Buick Enclave come to mind as some new products, or revised stand-bys, that put GM products at the front of the list of possible choices buyers should consider in many vehicle categories.

The Cadillac CTS is just such an accomplishment. No, it won’t save GM, with its niche market (luxury sedan), but it proves the point that GM is a contender.

The CTS underwent a complete redesign last year which earned it the coveted Motor Trend Car of the Year award and many Caddy fans are thankful Cadillac came out with a luxury sedan that made sense to buy instead of an Acura, Lexus or BMW.

Cadillac knew it had a jewel and left it alone.The only thing different for 2009 is some changes with the Bluetooth technology.

Cadillac may have made the CTS more competitive with the foreign brigade, but I like how it didn’t try to make the CTS look like an import.

It’s all-American.

With its fat grill and muscular body, you won’t mistake it for anything but American-made. But it has a politeness to it too. It’s kind of like a muscle car with a tuxedo on. There’s a regalness that you only find in Cadillacs.

Under the hood, you’ll find one of two possible V6 engines. Standard power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 with 258 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, while the available 3.6-liter direct-injection (DI) V6 (my test vehicle had this engine) offers 304 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the base engine, and a six-speed automatic is available.

The DI engine has the automatic as standard and the manual as optional.

At no point, during my week in the CTS, did I wish there was more power. It was more than enough.

You can also choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The CTS offered an excellent ride and stability and handling were top-notch.

For me the benchmark for a smooth and comfortable ride is usually in the Lexus products, but I found a new benchmark in the CTS.

You’ll be hard pressed to find more comfortable seats, better handling or a quieter ride, than what you get in the CTS.

Inside the CTS, you find all the makings of a super-luxury car. Soft leather, wood accents, sleek black accents, power everything, premium audio system, easy-to-use controls and all the extra technology drivers want in a car of this caliber.

I loved the 40GB hard drive included with the premium Bose surround-sound audio system which stores digital music.

Even my 9-year-old son commented on the well-designed iPod integration interface. With this setup, AM/FM and satellite radio can also be rewound, paused and resumed.

Pretty cool.

The base price for the Caddy CTS, with the DI V6, was $37.080. This is a little less than the BMW 3 series or a comparable Lexus ES 350. It’s a bit more than an Acura TL.

With options, my test vehicle was $49,700.

With the CTS, you get a roomier cabin and more nifty techno gadgets for the price.

The Cadillac CTS should be a first choice for those looking for a luxury sedan.