2008 Cadillac CTS: MLKD Road Trip

Wow over 25k huh. How long have you guys had it and are keeping it?

I like the styling, and am encouraged to hear how popular it is with the staff. I like the idea of owning a CTS over almost any other sedan.

i considered one myself a while back but they're expensive!

Last Summer I had one of these for about a week from one of the rental companies "prestige collections." It looked exactly like the dark red one in this picture. It wasn't loaded but it had the panoramic sunroof. I really enjoyed it and was very impressed with the interior and blue ambient lighting. Such a solid, well built car! I can see why these are so popular. In about a year, I might take a look at buying a CTS-V.

I am really glad to hear that the CTS is holding up well. I really wanted this car to succeed, if for no other reason than just to prove that GM still has a lot of life left in it. I still don't care for the way it looks and I feel like the interior is remarkably cramped for its exterior dimensions, but I could actually see myself driving this car. That says a lot coming from someone who has owned exclusively German cars.

I drove a CTS this past weekend - DI with sport package. It was... smooth, powerful, comfortable, planted, solid, and pretty luxurious. The engine pulls as nicely as an inline 6 - much nicer than Infiniti's VQ and Lexus's 3.5. The handling was pretty confident and the car's body-roll was fairly controlled (especially for such a heavy car).

Interior I found seating comfy, low position snug and much like a BMW. The ergonomics were nice and the ride smooth even with 18s. Little miscues aside (center peedo, plastic center console, dorky wood trim), the interior was an decent place to spend time. The interior felt tighter than a BMW or G35 - that's a good thing as both of those cars feel obnoxiously large inside.

The automatic was fairly bad - not as awful as the 5 speed in the 2008 G35 (I've heard the 7 is much better in the 09s) or as balky and crudtastic as a BMW e90's LazyTronic, but still not good enough that I would want to live with it daily. I asked about a manual and the dealer laughed at me. The same thing happened in 2003 when I looked at the last CTS. Jerk. This was a different jerk but a jerk nonetheless.

Overall, it was a pleasant, luxurious car. If i were 10-15 years older, I might consider it over say a Genesis or 5 series. That said, the price was a bit too high (in my eyes) at 44k MSRP* but again I expect more sizzle with my steak and the CTS doesn't have much sizzle. In the bends it's competent but given my daily drive, I want ears-pinned-back-fun.

* I know it can be had for less than invoice. Still think its pricing isn't right for me unless it dipped to about 30-32k as equipped.

"That says a lot coming from someone who has owned exclusively German cars"

No offense, MercMan, but that means more coming from you yourself than just any German auto aficionado. While I respect the craftsmanship that goes into German cars, I do not carry the same respct for the folks that typically drive them.

Where abouts in the Sacramento area?