Vehicle: 2008 Cadillac CTS RWD with Performance Package
Price as tested: CDN$52820

Performance:There are 2 powertrains available on the new CTS. Both are 3.6 liters of displacement. The only difference is the uplevel 3.6 comes with direct fuel injection while the standard one doesn’t. Subject to our tester comes with latter, which is good for a whopping 305 horses and 273 lb/ft of torque. The level of refinement and flexability have to be considered as one of the best in the industry. Throttle response is brisk and linear, without the usual over-sensitive character associate with previous Cadillac products. On the other hand, its operation is quiet and smooth, which could easily be mistaken as Caddy’s more expensive Northstar V8. Even if the maximum torque arrives at 5200rpm, 273 lb/ft provides plenty of torque down low without sacificing the high rpm breathing of this very powertrain. Another bonus to this engine is GM’s wonderfully smooth 6-speed manumatic. Unlike Caddy gearbox of yesterday, this one allows enthuisastic driver to rev pass redline before up and downshifting. Not only its a huge step forward for a once-conservative company, its also a huge step up for enthuisasts to enjoy this great car. As usual, GM’s automatic gearbox is smooth with decent gear ratios. With an excellent set-up, anyone can enjoy the sweetspot of the powertrain.

Handling: When you mentioned Cadillac, hardly anyone would mentioned driving dynamics along the same sentence. With the introduction of the new CTS, not anymore. It all begins with an excellent platform that is stiff, at the same time, completely free of cracks and rattles. That can give the suspensions a place to hang its hats. On the subject of the sports suspension comes with optional Performance Package, amazing is just the understatement to describe how capable it is. The suspension is capable enough to handle through all the black top twisties without losing a sweat. On the other hand, it doesn’t lost the composure of being a luxury car. The ride motion is well-controlled with a sense of Teutonic suppleness dialled in the whole suspension system. It absorbs all the roughness and patholes exceptionally well. The Stabiliztrak system, which is Caddy’s word for stability control, doesn’t kick-in until driver completely out of control. That’s a refreshing change from GM stability control of yore. It allows a sense of oversteer slide-out before it steps in. Both the understeer and body rolls are minimal. Steering provides tons of feedback and response, with top-notch precision when driven through a tight circuit. What a car! We can only imagine how great the upcoming CTS-V would be.

Brakes: Another area where Cadillac engineers have taken a huge attention is the braking system. GM’s brakes used to feel mushy and lots of fade after hard stops. What a big difference this CTS makes. The pedal feel is solid and reassuring, without all the mushiness once associated with Caddy.

Interior: Slip behind the wheel of the new CTS, you would be amazed on how well-made it is. Instead of wrapping the dashboard up with plastic, Cadillac designers decided to wrap it up with the same grade of leather as those on the seats. All the leather on the dashboard are very well-stitched and put together, the same goes for those nice seats. The wood and aluminum trim have a desirable effect as it gives the black interior a nice constrast. Both the climate control and stereo are ergonomically layout. If there is one drawback, however, its the screen for climate control is too tiny sitting right beside the center console. Its best if Caddy can put those information in the navigation system. Even if Cadillac’s target audience for CTS is young professionals, however, those elder ones would certainly attract by its overall package. That slight ergonomic pitfall could hurt CTS in the long run if they don’t fix it sooner.

There are plenty of head and legrooms at the back. As expected, rear passengers also have the chance to enjoy the high-quality wrapping of the interior.

Although the trunk liftover remains high, the easiness of lifting the cargo into the back of CTS is much more convenient than its predecessor. However, the split fold-down rear seats add more than enough cargo space for this compact Cadillac.

Conclusion: Without a doubt, the new CTS is the best Cadillac ever. This car is not only a giant leap forward over its predecessor, it also stands for a whole new direction for Cadillac as a company.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2008 Cadillac CTS
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.75/5