Category Archives: Cadillac Models

Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is for you if…

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Cadillac offers a Sport Wagon variant of the CTS Sedan.  The CTS Sport Wagon is a new take on the classic station wagon — full CTS luxury in front, full hauling space in back.

2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Rear View

The Escalade offers a ton of room.  The SRX offers similar flexibility.  What the CTS Sport Wagon offers is the great sedan ride and handling and the flexibility and utility of a wagon.

If you need  to seat 4 or 5 occasionally and you need space with easy access to haul scuba gear, golf clubs, TVs — the things we end up needing to haul now and then — the CTS Sport Wagon makes it easy to get them in and out of your Cadillac.  That is what luxury is all about — a vehicle that makes your lifestyle easier.

Today’s question to ponder: Are these the tallest tailfins Cadillac has ever offered?

Fun fact: If you look closely at this photo from Cadillac, that is the 2.9L Diesel variant, only available in export models.

2010 CADILLAC CTS SPORT WAGON ELEVATES AND ADVANCES A CLASSIC BODY STYLE

Cadillac’s first-ever North American wagon is a progressive take on the classic wagon body style that delivers significant functionality and fuel efficiency, including up to an estimated 28 mpg highway. It is a unique vehicle intended to connect with the changing priorities of luxury consumers.

The CTS Sport Wagon is essentially the same size as the acclaimed CTS sport sedan on the outside. However, the new Sport Wagon nearly doubles carrying capacity, with 25 cubic feet (720 liters) of space behind the rear seats; and 53.4 cubic feet (1,523 liters) with the rear seat folded. Design highlights include:

  • Signature V-shaped deck and tailgate motif
  • Large, vertical taillamps with light-pipe technology
  • Power-opening liftgate (via key fob or in-vehicle button)
  • CHMSL-integrated roof spoiler
  • Integrated roof load management system with cross bars for a seamless appearance
  • Cargo management system with adjustable in-floor containment
  • New 19-inch wheels
  • Large available panoramic rear sunroof

Available features include those of the well-appointed CTS Sport Sedan, including all-wheel drive, a 40-gigabyte internal hard drive, pop-up navigation screen and a hand-cut-and-sewn cabin.

Design details

“It’s a taut, sleek design,” said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. “The drama of the sedan is amplified in the wagon, as the centerline cue that is part of the exterior and interior is more prominent and plays a stronger role in defining the design at the rear of the vehicle.”

One of the more interesting integrations of form and function is the seamless roof load management system. Rather than stylized stanchions, brackets and cross bars that protrude above the roof line, the CTS Sport Wagon’s system blends with the roofline, maintaining an uninterrupted appearance. The center section of the roof panel angles downward inside the roof edges, allowing an unobtrusive placement of the cross bars – and creating a subtle fin effect at the trailing edges of the rear panels.

“They’re not fins in the classic sense, but they work to help disguise the cargo load system and they acknowledge Cadillac’s design heritage. Functionality was certainly a guiding factor during development, but so was our desire to inject emotion into the normally sedate wagon category,” said Dean.

The interior of the Sport Wagon is common with the sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents with French stitching.

Powertrains

Direct injection (DI) technology is integral to the CTS Sport Wagon. It maintains fuel economy and lowers emissions, while improving power. DI delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion. This means less fuel is consumed and lower emissions created; it also reduces cold-start emissions by up to 25 percent.

A 3.0L DI V-6 is the standard engine and it’s rated at 270 horsepower (201 kW). Along with direct injection technology, the 3.0L engine employs variable valve timing to optimize power and fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Estimated highway fuel economy on 3.0L-equipped models is 28 mpg.

The CTS Sport Wagon also offers an optional 3.6L DI V-6 engine that produces 304 horsepower (227 kW). It is a larger-displacement member of the engine family that also includes the standard 3.0L engine. Both engines balance performance and efficiency while operating on regular unleaded gas – many competitors to the CTS require premium fuel.

GM Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmissions back both engines. The CTS Sport Wagon – like the CTS Sport Sedan – offers optional all-wheel drive.

Interior elements

On the inside, the CTS Sport Wagon takes the successful formula of its sedan predecessor and adds a level of storage capability, making it a compelling alternative to an SUV or larger vehicle. The rear cargo area contains an integrated cargo management system that stows neatly under the floor when not in use. The standard power liftgate is operated by push-button and can be programmed to lift to a specific height.

The cockpit and rear seating areas of the Sport Wagon are shared with the award-winning CTS sedan. The CTS’ interior emphasizes technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details. An integrated center stack design, with either a satin metallic finish or genuine Sapele Pommele wood, blends into the lower instrument panel that sweeps forward and away from front-seat occupants. The hand-assembled center console leads seamlessly into the center stack, providing a sportier “cockpit” feel for the driver and passenger without compromising space.

Available heated and ventilated seats incorporate “thin-seat” technology for maximum occupant comfort and enhanced rear-seat leg, knee and foot room. French stitching is used throughout the interior, including the upper instrument panel, door inserts, seats and the shifter boot.

Driving dynamics

The CTS chassis enables a great balance of performance and luxury. The hardware includes structural enhancements via a tower-to-tower brace; large, four-wheel disc brakes and premium steering. Three suspension tuning levels are available: FE1 (standard), FE2 (standard on 3.6L models and optional on 3.0L models) and the FE3 sport suspension with a summer-only tire (RWD only).

All models feature an independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension system, with performance characteristics optimized with the use of low-mass aluminum for the upper and lower control arms, as well as the knuckles. Hydraulic control arm front bushings are used for motion control and help minimize high-speed road vibration by damping energy transmitted through the vehicle structure. Also, hollow front stabilizer bars bring weight savings and are sized specifically to each of the three available suspension levels.

A multi-link rear suspension, with a fully isolated subframe that delivers excellent kinematics, contributes to a superior ride with excellent handling. The CTS Sport Wagon also features advanced chassis technology in the form of Cadillac’s StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system. It integrates the car’s standard four-channel ABS with the full-function traction control, hydraulic brake assist and engine drag control systems.

Infotainment and vehicle technology

The CTS Sport Wagon incorporates the industry’s best attributes, advanced technologies and electronics, including:

  • Integrated iPod/MP3 capability
  • Hard drive audio system
  • Navigation system
  • Adaptive forward lighting system
  • Available Bluetooth connectivity
  • Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start
  • Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround™ audio system
  • Ultrasonic park assist and more

Safety features

The 2010 CTS Sport Wagon is designed to enhance Cadillac’s reputation for providing safe occupant environments in luxury vehicles. Details include:

  • Dual-stage driver front air bag
  • Segment-first dual depth front passenger air bag
  • Driver and front passenger side seat-mounted pelvic/thorax side air bags
  • Roof-rail side curtain air bags that cover front and rear seating rows
  • Front safety belt pretensioners
  • Tire pressure monitoring system
  • Body structure with strategically placed high-strength steel

As with other Cadillac models, the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon comes standard with a full year of OnStar, featuring Turn-by-Turn Navigation, a factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system.

BMW 335is versus Cadillac CTS-V

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Often the Cadillac CTS-V is compared to the M3 or to the M5, since these are maximum performance BMWs.

However, a new entry, the BMW 335is is now available.  Trimmed with similar equipment as the standard equipped CTS-V, according to bmwusa.com it costs $57,675.  The starting price for a already well equipped Cadillac CTS-V is $62K.

BMW 335is

Here are the options I selected to get a comparable build:
My 335is Coupe 3.0-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower Turbo technology rear-wheel drive
. Base MSRP $49,650
. Alpine White $0
. Black Dakota Leather $0
. Dark Glacier Aluminum trim $0
. Convenience Package $1,500
. Premium Package $2,650
. Heated front seats $500
. Navigation system $2,100
. iPod and USB adapter $400
. Destination & Handling: $875
. Total MSRP as Built$57,675

Cadillac CTS-V

The BMW 335is is a sport version of the 335i. By retuning the engine to give additional boost for short periods, BMW has created a sporting model that is more capable than the standard 335i but less expensive than the M3.  The BMW M3  starts at $55K and quickly scales up from there.

Engine: The 3L Turbo Inline six is a nice engine and well suited for this application.  It is significantly less powerful however than the CTS-V’s supercharged 6.2L engine which provides 556 hp and 551 lb ft of torque.

Braking: The CTS-V comes with Brembo brakes front and rear, and is track ready.  The 335is can be made track ready by replacing the brakes with aftermarket units, at additional expense.

Suspension:  The 3-series suspension has been well lauded, but is a conventional suspension.  The CTS-V has the high tech MR, magnetic suspension that reacts hundreds of times per second to road conditions.

Reliability between these two is probably a toss-up.  Cadillac reliability has been very good, and the CTS-V powertrain is bullet proof.  The 335is engine is a new design or configuration.  Both BMW and Cadillac offer a 48 mo, 50K mile warranty.  Cadillac also includes a 60 mo, 100K mile powertrain warranty.

Maintenance: BMW includes 4 year maintenance in the price of the 335is.  Maintenance on the CTS-V will be at owner expense.

Configurations: BMW offers the 335is in coupe or coupe convertible form.  Cadillac currently offers the CTS-V in sedan (4 door), and will offer the CTS-V Coupe (2 door) beginning this summer.  Cadillac does not offer a CTS-V Convertible.

Summary: When shopping between the BMW 335is and the Cadillac CTS-V one has to consider — are you after the pure driving experience?  Then the CTS-V would be your choice.   If you demand the cachet of the BMW, then a standard 335i or a low-option M3 might be better choices than the 335is.    There may be a window in which the BMW dealers mark up the M3 above retail however, and the lower cost of the 335is just keeps it within budget, and a used M3 is out of the question for some reason.  In that case, the 335is could be your BMW, and the Cadillac CTS-V would be the road not taken, that perhaps offered more.

Friday Test Drive: 2007 Cadillac STS 1SE

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I popped over to a local Cadillac Dealer to look at a low mileage 2007 Cadillac CTS-V that they had:

2007 Cadillac CTS-V

Unfortunately, another couple was just taking it out for a test drive, then heading to negotiations as I arrived, so I missed meeting that Cadillac.

2007 Cadillac STS 1SE

Meanwhile, I spotted a 2007 Cadillac STS 1SE on the lot with 42k miles.  The 2007 STS has the 320 hp Northstar 4.6L V8 with variable valve timing.  The 1SE designation means that this is a V8 Luxury model, and not the 1SG Performance Model.  These have to be taken as you find them however, because they can be optioned up quite closely to the 1SG.  The feature that the 1SG has that these don’t get is the MR magnetic suspension.  This one has the Navigation with Premium sound system, and Sunroof so it is a reasonably well equipped example.

I have been shopping around between the 2007 CTS-V, the 2008 STS-V, and the 2009 STS Platinum or STS 1SG models.  I wanted to test drive this Cadillac because it models very closely how one might expect the 2009 STS Platinum or 1SG to drive.  Same engine, same transmission, same vehicle except for some option differences and year differences.  This example was Light Platinum exterior, ebony interior.  The dealer has it on the net for $25K.

2007 Cadillac STS 1SE interior with Nav

We took the 2007 STS 1SE out for a test drive, and up on the Tollway for a bit.  In general it felt strong, but not really better performance than my 2005 CTS 3.6L with CAI & Corsa Catback.  Now since my CTS and this STS have similar 0-60 mph performance that was not surprising, but it does confirm the armchair prediction.  The interior features are good on this car, and the car looked good.  The STS received a redesign that improved the exterior styling in 2008, so I would definitely shop for a 2008+ model however.

After driving this STS my feeling is that I will now exclude the STS V8 1SG from my shopping list, and focus on the 08/09 STS-V, or hold out another year for the prices of the 2009 CTS-V sedans to fall closer to my budget.  I suppose a 2009 STS Platinum might be interesting, but is unlikely to fall to my price range.  The STS 4.6L V8 became interesting because I see that they are in my price range.   They are great cars, and offer very good performance.  I really want my next Cadillac to have break-away performance however, so I’ll have to look for the rare 2008 STS-V at a bargain or wait for the 2009 CTS-V to come into range.