Tag Archives: Cts

Road Test: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V vs. Audi A8L "Jekyll, Meet Hyde"

November 19, 2011 9:02 PM1 Comment

Life is full of polar opposites. For every man in a corner office endlessly gazing over spreadsheets there is a man who prides himself in the amount of light bulbs he can eat in one sitting. As much as the one looks down on the other, there is an unspoken acknowledgment that the one begat the other. And so we have come to a crossroads where two monsters of the luxury market meet. The Audi A8L is a car for the highfalutin, practical, and overall respectable drivers of the world. The Cadillac CTS-V is more of a car for those who exude adrenaline, take life as it comes, and for those who may have a slight tendency to keep their right foot planted to the floor. Both of the vehicles will require a check north of $70k and both offer the prestige and notoriety that you expect from brands like Cadillac and Audi. We have decided to dive deeper into both of these adversarial vehicles and present the information so that you may answer the  metaphorical question for yourself… will it be the blue pill or the red pill? Continue Reading →

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Road Test: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V "The Thunder Rolls"

January 4, 2011 11:16 PM2 Comments

 

As one of the worst rainstorms in recent history dumps over Southern California causing floods and landslides, I am handed the keys to a car that contains a presence that rivals the forces of mother nature. To say that the CTS-V is a fast car would be like describing getting struck by lighting as “tingly.” In terms of the numbers the Cadillac boasts a 6.2l V8 LSA motor that is a variation of the LS9 in the ZR-1 Corvette that churns out a measly 556 hp and 551 torque. That will project this heavy sedan from 0 – 60mph in around 3.9 seconds and onto a quarter mile somewhere near 12 seconds at around 118mph. The sheer power of this car cannot be explained simply by numbers. The best way to describe it may be to compare to a scene from the classic Disney film, “Angels in The Outfield.” A pitcher is helped by an angel who grabs the ball and flies into the catchers mitt unseen. When you are driving along at about 25mph and step on the right pedal… You’d be hard pressed to tell me a host of angels aren’t pushing from behind.

My main complaints in the CTS Coupe regarding the handling and overall “sportiness” of the Cadillac have been eliminated due to an upgraded suspension system using Delphi MagneRide technology… something about magnets and reacting quickly to changes in road conditions. The stuff works well. The CTS barge is stopped by Brembo brakes that are about the size of wheels on most cars. On the sharp corners up Glendora Mountain Road the Cadillac was simply fantastic. It brings you to a chuckle every time you throw the massive vehicle into a corner at a seemingly stupid speed and feel nothing but grip from the tires. The supercharger on this car does take a little while to spool up and you wont see its impact till around 40mph, but the engine alone is more than enough to do the job in most conditions.

The vehicle we tested was equipped with the Tremec 6-speed manual transmission which was very fluid and had a very nice, short throw to it. The initial takeoff turns into a burnout or stall situation for those more acquainted with a Ford Focus, but can be mastered quickly. The only real benefit I would have seen to the automatic was sharp turns in which 2nd gear seemed too high and 1st gear seemed like a death wish. The traction control in the car is simply stunning and was tested to its limits on wet asphalt that I would describe as driving on glass. The system was not intrusive when turned “OFF” and came in just in time to save your neck. And in TC “ON” mode you could sprint quickly onto a freeway and not fear that the back end would get twitchy.

The interior of the vehicle would be familiar to anyone who has been inside a regular CTS. The dash is filled with soft materials and the design is accentuated with glowing lights in the evening.  The only huge noticable differences are the ”microfiber suede” steering wheel with “V” logo, 14-way adjustable suede lined Recaro bucket seats, and the manual transmisssion. Cadillac also added a “G-meter” under the info on the display screen, for those who care. The Cadillac Navigation and Audio display systems are easy enough to use but lack certain features and easy of use that I found several weeks prior in an Audi A3. The seats were comfortable enough considering the track racer agenda of the car.

On the outside the Cadillac is in my opinion one of the most menacingly beautiful looking cars in my lifetime. The new “Evolution Green Metallic” paint for 2011 is now one of my favorite manufacture colors, you simply have to see it in person to understand how good it makes this car look. The car sits on 19″ wheels that were painted a gunmetal color. The headlights and tailights are fantastic looking in the evening.

Overall the CTS-V is simply stunning in nearly every way. Its one of the few cars I’ve had in awhile that seemed like a real “value” for the money you pay… if thats possible at $69k. When you look at the pricing on vehicles like the BMW M5, Mercedes E63, and the Audi S6 its simply a better car for the price. Its insane to think that in a time of automotive bailouts and green hybrid vehicles, GM releases a 556hp sedan that can outrun Porsches and Ferraris.  The Cadillac CTS-V is one of the few that has weathered the storm of the modern marketplace and truly stands on its own as a pinacle of great engineering.

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Road Test: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe "A Piece of Americana"

October 17, 2010 3:29 PM1 Comment

The picture above is obviously not of the new Cadillac CTS Coupe. It is a picture of a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood. At the time, this man represented someone who had “made it” in the modern world. He comes from a time when the phrase “Someday, I’m going to be able to buy me a Cadillac” was commonplace; from a time when you simply wouldn’t shop for a Mercedes or BMW. This man has never heard of brands such as Infiniti or Audi and is the envy of his neighbors as they see those signature tail fins peaking out from the garage and instantly recognize a man with taste. Elvis drove a Cadillac… Sinatra drove a Cadillac…

…now let’s move forward to modern times. The Cadillac that exists now has lived through the ’80s and ’90s. The elderly drive Cadillacs, cocaine dealers drive Cadillacs, Snoop Dogg drives  a Cadillac. A high schooler no longer longs to take dad’s Cadillac to prom or to the “lookout point.” A modern teenager would rather hide in the back seat, to avoid being seen, than use the back seat for… well,we won’t get into it. One of the company’s only high points in recent history is a “tarted-up” Suburban known as the Escalade, which was the company’s way of swindling money out of people who cared more about status than quality. There is, however, one other modern success story: the Cadillac CTS.

The first Cadillac CTS was seen as a huge breakthrough for the company and launched it into a new area of  design based on “Art and Science.” This design was supposed to have crisp-edges and show new advanced technology, but as Jeremy Clarkson famously put it; the CTS looked to be designed by “a man who was given only a ruler.” The new model of this CTS coupe, however,  looks fantastic from nearly every angle. It’s no Fleetwood, but the CTS coupe prompted many heads to turn and even caused one man to shout out “Nice Car!” as we drove by. While I personally don’t prefer the view from behind, I find the side profile of this vehicle to be nearly perfect.

The driving feel of the Cadillac is fantastic around town. The direct injection 3.6L V-6 with 304hp, combined with sport suspension, exhaust, and a shiftable automatic 6 spd transmission make for a surprisingly fun drive through the streets. The buttons on the steering wheel allow for selecting your own gears, which are then displayed in large red numbers on the gauge cluster. The transmission performed wonderfully even in the sportiest of situations where I asked for it to glide into 2nd gear well north of 40mph. The acceleration is adequate for most drivers and will leave few, if any, drivers wanting in most situations. The handling of this behemoth is another story.

In order to explain the handling of this car, you must first look at the sheer size of the thing. The closest natural competitor to this car, the Infiniti G37 coupe, weighs in at a hefty 3,636 lbs. To match the weight of the CTS coupe you would need your 273lb uncle Larry to sit shotgun in the G37 coupe. Yes, nearly 2 tons of Cadillac is what we have in the CTS coupe, which is 50 lbs shy of a late ’80s Lincoln Town Car. What this equates to is a car that will have you sitting with a silly grin as you zip about town, until you hit a twisty mountain road, where you’ll want to pull your hair out. In no way does this mean the car is terrible; it’s quite the opposite in most driving conditions. It’s simply not designed to be a true sporting coupe, which is why the CTS-V Coupe exists. The other downside to the weight is the poor gas mileage I witnessed with the vehicle. Unless you drive like a nun or suffer from Morton’s neuroma, plan on seeing close to 17-20mpg in mixed driving.

Overall, the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is one of the better American vehicles I have driven. The interior is fantastic when compared to the bland, boring offerings from BMW and Mercedes. The styling and presence give the driver an air of importance. Driving through downtown Los Angeles with sunroof open, windows down, and music blaring through the Bose sound system, is one of the single best moments in my driving history. Cadillac has survived the wretched ’80s and ’90s to bring the spirit and pride back into its vehicles. They are once more becoming a part of modern Americana. When it was over and the keys were given up; I watched as the car drove off into the distance and I thought to myself  ”Some day you’ll be mine, some day I’ll buy me a Cadillac.”

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Photography courtesy of Jim Donnelly

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