2008 Cadillac CTS: Understands My Plight

This should be an entertaining week. Given the recent M3 vs CTS-V flame wars, I'm sure the CTS will spark some more debate.

Does the CTS' steering wheel look like it's rather large or am I imagining things?

I do really like the stitching that is on the dash though, looks really good. And, is that real aluminum on the center stack or plastic?

Center stack has plastic.

There will be no debate, people don't get mad about the CTS UNLESS someone suggests its a reasonable alternative to a BMW. We can praise the CTS but must remember its not even close to a German made sports sedan. Its that simple.

audisport - that picture does have a way of making it look a little on the largeside.

1487 - Honestly, could you at least wait until somebody acutally says something before you go of whining??? I mean damn, you're just proving peoples points about you. I'm usually on your side (to a point), but this is just bad.

I'm looking forward to this week. This is considered one of the best vehicles to be created state-side in a long while. Chisled lines, nice engine, well done interior. I say, Giddyup!

I think that the CTS is a good alternative to a German premium/luxury sedan. I just don't dig the styling. I hate the chrome on the grille and the chromey rims ( I think that they are polished alum.) The 3.6DI seems like a pretty sweet engine, BUT I like the understated look of Audi's and some Bimmer's. Plus where I live in Metro Detroit CTS' are all over. They are a dime a dozen.

"1487 - Honestly, could you at least wait until somebody acutally says something before you go of whining??? "

My comment was in response to doug saying we should see some vigourous debate about the CTS. Not sure where you get off suggesting I was "whining" about anything. Did you bother to read any of the posts before mine?

Yup, sure did. All that was said was "should be an entertaining week." That's it.

"We can praise the CTS but must remember its not even close to a German made sports sedan. Its that simple"

That's whining about what hasn't happened yet (although it probably will) plain and simple.

Oh yeah, and auidisport liked the stitching on the dash...How dare he bash it like that???

Audi:

Glad you are reasonable. CTS' are very common here too, but not as common as 3 series cars. A4 is fairly common too. I can't think of any entry level lux model (maybe the MKZ) that I don't see frequently here. The TL is probably the biggest offender here and thats one reason I would never drive one. EVERYONE has a TL.

Kind of a small tanget here, but how much do you guys think the CTS wagon will fight the new SRX for sales?
I like the idea for both, but am worried about another GM 'whoops'.

smilez:

My comments are directed at the appropriate people. If they were not aimed at you there is no need to get upset. I was saying to Doug (not you) that there wont be any debate about the CTS as long as we don't dare suggest its on par with anything BMW makes. Thats all I said. I didn't say YOU had a problem with the CTS or IL or anyone specifically. The parties I am speaking about are well known around these parts. You, nor Audisport were implicated in any way. Some people believe that this is a subjective limit to how great a non German product can be and get bent out of shape if people suggest there could be parity between a German car and a car from another country.

CTS wagon is destined for low sales here. They plan to export it to Europe. The CTS wagon and SRX differ on a few levels, one being that the CTS is RWD.

1487 - I understand. All I'm saying is wait till they get to this post, unless it is your plan to egg them on to get it all started.

Now if that's the case, well then giddyup.

I guess my mind is mountain oriented. Because I'm comparing the CTS wagon and SRX in AWD form.

And yes I know they differ on a few levels, but I can see someone saying, "why do they have both?"

the CTS wagon mainly exists for other markets. They are just hoping to get a few thousand extra sales from the US. There are some people who resent SUVs and love wagons. The CTS wagon appeals to that small segment of people. BMW has a 5 series wagon along with the X3 and X5.

Smilez and 1487 - I'm one of those wagons guys - i live in the northeast and need awd but cant stand the thought of an suv (yea i know a awd wagon and a small suv what's the difference) - I like the wagon wherein everything is accesible but it is still a car - I have an a4 wagon now and love it - looking forward to the cts wagon as i like the look of it; but I can do without the chrome or chrome looking rims.

"Now, this traffic report isn't the CTS's fault. I've yet to find a real-time traffic feature that can actually give you traffic in real time. Some day."

That's because the source information is the same, XM radio. Basically, you cannot expect one system to perform any better than the next since the problem stems from the information itself.

At the bottom of the gear selector is a plastic "button" made form the faux aluminum plastic the rest of dash is made of: What is it for?. It looks horrible and is the first thing I noticed at the autoshow. You can see it in the picture above between the shifter and the storage in front of the armrest.

Yeah, they probably could have sprung a few bucks for some nicer aluminum on the center stack. Since the center stack is often looked at and touched alot throughout a normal commute. Plus the aluminum wears better. The alum. trim in my car looks pretty good after 50k miles. The plastic crap in my last A4 didn't fair so well.

"By 1487 on April 27, 2009 7:05 AM

We can praise the CTS but must remember its not even close to a German made sports sedan. Its that simple. "

Excuse me? Could you be any more obnoxious 1487? Are you on a German's payroll?

Every comparison of the CTS with a German competitor, be it BMW, Mercedes, or Audi, has concluded that the CTS is as good as the best from Germany, and in some cases, better.

So is the entire automotive press wrong, and you're right?

It's simple, really.

I'm on your side stingray. I was being facetious. I was saying that the BMW sharpshooters only surface if you dare say the CTS and BMW products are on the same level.

This is all just too funny...

audisport, it's *because* the trim is in places that people touch often that they can't use aluminum. If you lived in Phoenix you'd understand what I mean (and you'd understand why a G35/G37 with automatic is literally painful to take it out of "Park" after it's been in the hot sun due to the well-placed aluminum strip down the center of the shifter). Is painted plastic ideal to look at? No. But as such things go, Cadillac's silver is probably the best in the industry along with what's in the new Acura TL -- if you look closely at it, it's actually got a very nice brushed finish to it, with a slightly matte clear-coat on top of that. And unlike many (actually, every) other carmakers' silver finishes I've seen it wears like proverbial pig iron -- I've seen a rental CTS with 25K miles on it and the silver finish didn't even have the tiniest scratch.