Category Archives: CTS Sport Wagon

Test Drive 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon: 3.0L DI V6 with 6 speed Automatic

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I have a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon from Crest Cadillac in Plano for a weekend test drive review.

The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon comes with a choice of 2 engines, the 3.0L DI V6 with 270 hp, or the more expensive configurations with the 3.6L DI V6 with 304 hp.  Both engines come standard with the excellent 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The Cadillac I am testing is the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Luxury Model, with the 3.0L DI V6 and 6-speed automatic.  This is a very efficient engine, producing 270 hp from only 3L of displacement.  It uses the very latest engine technologies, including direct injection and variable valve timing to achieve this high output level.  270hp is very comparable to the outputs from high performance V8s a decade ago.

2010 CTS Sport Wagon Engine View - 3L V6

In the CTS Sport Wagon the 270 hp 3L V6 moves the Sport Wagon along very well, and offers the best fuel economy as well as the lowest price of entry.  For the best performance, the 3.6L V6 with 34 more horsepower of course will be more capable.

The 6-speed automatic in the CTS and CTS Sport Wagon offers 3 modes of operation.  First is “just put it in Drive and go”.  This is normal, quiet, smooth mode.

Next is fully manual mode which allows one to select gears and shift the car like a clutch-less manual.  This gives you the greatest level of control.  In this mode or in Sport Mode the dash changes to indicate the current gear that the automatic is in.  That alone is worth sliding the selector to the right, because it gives you much more insight into how well the transmission manages things.  Seeing a Cadillac make a quick shift from 6th to 2nd and lunge forward is very inspiring.

The ‘third’ mode which may not be obvious to many, is ‘Sport Mode’.  If you slide the automatic to the right as if you plan to shift it manually, the transmission goes into ‘Sport Mode’.  If you then don’t shift it manually, but allow the transmission to continue managing shifting, it does so with a more sporting aspect in mind, holding gears longer, shifting later, using engine braking, and generally behaving in a manner most conducive to FUN driving.  This is the mode I suggest is appropriate for most entertainment driving in the CTS Sport Wagon.

I would prefer the 3.6L, 304 hp engine in this CTS.  However, I was interested to drive the 3L especially in the CTS Sport Wagon with the extra weight to see if there was still fun to be had.  My conclusion is that this is a smooth, willing, capable power plant.  Yes the larger 3.6L has more power.  The 3L is an acceptable selection, particularly as it costs quite a bit less. If you want a capable Cadillac but are the type of Driver who is  not going to miss 13% more power the 3L is a good selection.

I tried in this photo (but I am afraid failed) to show how well the front seats in the CTS look from the side — very sculpted.

The seats are very comfortable, and are surprisingly thin from front to back.  This maximizes rear leg room, and continues the overall artful theme of the interior.

My Host for this test drive is Crest Cadillac of Plano, Texas.  They are located at 2701 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas.  You can contact them by phone Toll-free at 1-866-697-9144 or locally at (972)578-7511, or on Twitter or Facebook

Test Drive 2010 CTS Sport Wagon: Sports Sedan in Wagon Form

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I have a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon from Crest Cadillac in Plano for a weekend test drive review.

2010 Cadillac Sport Wagon

Saturday evening I took the CTS Sport Wagon out for a nice drive by the lake and on some winding roads to really get a feel for it as a sport sedan in wagon form.  What I wanted to know is once I got into the corners, hunting for the apex, accelerating briskly through the turn, would I forget that this was a CTS Sport Wagon and not the CTS Sport Sedan?

The CTS Sport Wagon is the same overall length as the CTS Sedan –191.6 inches long.  The Sedan weighs 4,212 lbs, while the CTS Sedan weighs 3,861 lbs.  Add a bit more for the Ultraview sunroof.  The Sport Wagon weighs 350 lbs less than the CTS Sedan.  The Sedan and the Sport Wagon 3L Automatic are both rated 18 city/27 highway mpg.

However, the CTS Sport Wagon weighs 1,255 lbs LESS than the 5,467 lb Cadillac SRX, which is rated 18/25 mpg city/highway.

The Sport Wagon drives like the CTS Sedan.  It corners like the CTS Sedan.  It accelerates (except for the extra 350 lbs of weight) like a CTS Sedan.   That’s the ideal reason to get a CTS Sport Wagon — if you want the luxury performance of the CTS Sedan, but also need the utility that the Sport Wagon offers in terms of carrying capacity, ease of loading/unloading, and specialized load support.

Also, if you just love the thought of a wagon that can accelerate and corner, this is one.  Of course, the planned CTS-V Sport Wagon should arrive this summer and is on the list of a lot of people who want a real Hauler.  But if you want a win/win/win vehicle in terms of sporty performance / utility / mpg efficiency, the test model is the right Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon for you.

Let’s look at the rear cargo deck of the CTS Sport Wagon:

2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Anchor System

This is a close-up image of the CTS Sport Wagon Cargo Anchoring system. This system is easy to use, and completely adjustable.  There is a rail like this on each side of the floor of the cargo area.   The oval anchor points slide back and forth along the slotted track.  So it is easy to perfectly position the anchor points where you need them to secure your cargo.  If on the other hand you need the back area to be perfectly flat, you simply slide the anchor points to the wide opening in the track and pull them off.   These could not be easier to use, and like the Pet Cargo Guard System are very thoughtful additions.

There is a handy storage area there to the side for a flashlight or emergency kit, and there is under-floor storage as well.

My Host for this test drive is Crest Cadillac of Plano, Texas.  They are located at 2701 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas.  You can contact them by phone Toll-free at 1-866-697-9144 or locally at (972)578-7511, or on Twitter or Facebook

Test Drive: 2010 Cadillac Sport Wagon Feature: Pet Guard Cargo Net

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I have a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon from Crest Cadillac in Plano for a weekend test drive review.

The Cadillac CTS Wagon has this terrific feature as part of the CTS Sport Wagon 1SD Luxury Collection, the Pet Guard Cargo Net:

ARH NEW! Pet guard cargo net, heavy-duty
1 – Included in (Y40) Luxury Level One Package.
2 – Included and only available in (Y40) Luxury Level One Package.

Here is one of the places this can be setup:

Pet Guard Cargo Net

The Pet Guard Cargo Net itself has a fold-able metal support at the top, fine mesh safety netting, and seat-belt like anchor straps at the bottom of the netting.

The Pet Guard Cargo Net can go into brackets immediately behind the front seats, as shown.  The rear seats can be up or down (shown folded down). This serves to help a pet in the rear seat stay in the rear seat area and not scramble, climb, or fall forward into the front seat area.  This is a VERY thoughtful feature and nice, flexible execution, and comes standard on the CTS Sport Wagon Luxury Model.

It can also go behind the rear seats, blocking the pet into the area behind the seats.

Clearly this could also be useful when carrying some types of cargo in addition to pets, to ensure items stay in the back where they belong.

My Host for this test drive is Crest Cadillac of Plano, Texas.  They are located at 2701 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas.  You can contact them by phone Toll-free at 1-866-697-9144 or locally at (972)578-7511, or on Twitter or Facebook