2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI Long-Term Road Tests Archives

You guys are great! It was really hard to decide. There were so many funny entries. But I have to give it the master ergsum once again.

I also want to give props to vgx and vt8919 for referencing other blog posts. Nice work all around.

Here are the others that made us LOL:

Don't worry, we can buff it out. (ergsum)
CTS hit by Pierce Arrow (ergsum)
That confirms it we're here. (drhorrible)
Cadillac's Last Stand (ergsum)
That's one helluva dipstick (vgx)
A taste of government intervention (mini2009)
Cadillac, aim higher! (ergsum)
GM, we missed it by... that much! (bal169)
Cadillac CTS, now with the optional Steve Martin package. (wshuff)
Objects in sunroof are closer than they appear. (good_2_go)
You are here. (ahightower)
Pontiac's revenge. (eidolways)
Another successful launch for North Korea. (ergsum)
I see the compass in this car is stuck, too... (vt8919)
Find your car in the parking lot... there's an app for that! (vwthing1)

What was your favorite?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,Caption Contest

As we say good-bye to our long-term Cadillac CTS, let's give it one last chance at the caption contest.

We suggest "I'm with Cupid"

Can you do better?

We'll post our favorite at 4:00 PM Pacific Time

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,Caption Contest

It's time to say goodbye to the Caddy. The Long Term Test of our 2009 Cadillac CTS V6 DI is over. It's sold. And so, to fill the void until the Long Term Wrap is posted, we bring you another installment of Parting Shots.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

Magrath: Okay, by training you're a scholar of religion, and I'm a journalist. So let's dive headfirst into a heated, highly sensitive, incredibly difficult business topic: Detroit.
Magrath: You cannot be relevant with a headquarters in the midwest. You can't be impartial and forward-thinking when 8/10ths of the people in your area depend upon you and buy your products.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2006 Pontiac Solstice,2007 Cadillac SRX,2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT,2007 Chevrolet Tahoe,2008 Buick Enclave CX,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Pontiac G8 GT

So I get asked all the time, "Hey, what's the difference between dealerships?" "What happens when a dealership has both premium and non-premium brands under the same service roof?" Well, here's a good visual representation for the only difference in service when you bring a premium (Cadillac CTS-- Top) and a non-premium (Pontiac G8 GT -- Bottom) to the same dealer (Martin Cadillac in LA). Notice the difference? That's the only one.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Early in the selling process for the 2008 Cadillac CTS we wrote about how a woman emailed us with an offer for $20,000.

She wrote: I could/would go 20k on the cad. off the mark I know, but what the hell.

Some of the people who commented agreed with this woman saying that our Caddy wasn't worth anything close to the $28,500 we were asking.

Well, I'm here to seek vindication for Edmunds.com TMV and for the "Cad." We just closed a deal for it at $27,500.

Here are the details.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

Sadlier: So, continuing its pattern of hiring random people to do important things, GM taps us to be the guys who make sure that the new GM is devoid of the stupid stuff that plagued old GM. Where do we start?
Magrath: I suppose we start from the outside in. It's how I pick my books and women; why not evaluate companies likewise?
Sadlier: Good, let's focus on outer beauty. It's the LA way.
Magrath : GM has never really had a problem selling to GM fans, so the trick, it would seem, is to get non-GM folks to take the cars seriously. This means that Chevrolet, the largest and most important brand, needs to ditch the bowtie.
Sadlier : The bowtie is obviously tainted, but I think it's potentially salvageable. Hire a design firm with money they don't have and sex it up.
Magrath : Salvageable? Except for Colonel Sanders and Tucker Carlson, who wears a bowtie? And as you may recall from Jon Stewart's pummeling of Tucker , the bowtie was a key part of Stewart's argument that what Tucker did on Crossfire is theater and not real news. Bowties are gags.
Magrath : They could try to sex it up, but that would end with the thing being a bolo tie like you see at rodeos or in Arizona. There'd be turquoise and a cow skull...not good.
Magrath : Besides James Bond, whom I don't think GM wants to evoke unless the new Camaro is a submersible, name something positive associated with a bowtie.
Sadlier : Ummm...the tuxedo? 17th-century Croatian mercenaries ? Balzac ? Hell, the Playboy bunny wears a bowtie. This is too easy.
Sadlier : The bowtie can rise again. Just not in its current form.
Magrath : Fine, then if GM is sticking with a bowtie, Lexus should switch from a stylized "L" to a mawashi .
Sadlier : Deal.
Magrath : And GM cars should be available only in black and white, or in Croatia.
Sadlier : ...with your choice of a complimentary Playboy playmate or French novel.
Magrath : I'm in.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2007 Cadillac SRX,2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT,2007 Chevrolet Tahoe,2008 Buick Enclave CX,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Thanks to spen1818 for this week's favorite caption.

There were a lot of good ones this round. You were really on.

Here are the others that gave us a good hoot:

How the mighty have fallen (tryan)
Crap, we'll never outrun the Sleestak now (oldchap)
Extinction, what a bitch!!! (b_cvijasiu)
Don't look now, but I think our carbon footprint is following us! (ergsum)
Oooh! Ahhh! That's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming. (ergsum)
He died for your driving pleasure, enjoy it while it lasts! (ergsum)
Objects in Mirror Are Closer to Extinction Than They Appear (ergsum)
Brachiosaurus meets Rattlesaurus (subytrojan)
We stopped for a rest because we had a Megasaurass (actualsize)
A sight for 'saur eyes. (stpawyfrmdonut)
Cadillac CTS pictured here with Cadillac DTS. (jriz)
Say, does that big guy look plastered to you? (mnorm1)

What was your favorite?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,Caption Contest

Our Detroit Editor Dan Pund took this photo of the Cadillac CTS on a road trip.

Senior Copy Editor Doug Lloyd suggests "Jurassic Parking Lot"

Can you do better?

We'll post our favorite at 4:00 PM Pacific Time.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,Caption Contest

Here are the fuel economy numbers for 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll add them as they come in and I'll let you know in the comments.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

When I got into the 2008 Cadillac CTS two weeks ago the average fuel economy on the dash was 17 mpg (our records show the lifetime average at 19 mpg). I zeroed it out and began my highway commute of 62 miles per day and now it's a pretty respectable 23.6 mpg.

It's my job to sell the long term cars when we are done testing them. I often get an earful from other staff members along the lines of, "Who would want to buy that piece of junk? Can you believe how many rattles it's got?" This makes it harder for me to sell the car since I have to believe in its value. And there is value in every car for someone.

Case in point.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?

It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us. 

Continue reading...

Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2004 Toyota Prius,2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI,2006 Lexus RX 400h,2007 Ford Edge SEL,2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Audi R8,2008 BMW 135i,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe,2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Here are the fuel economy figures for April 2009. As usual, we've listed the best and worst tanks and the average over the entire life of the vehicle.

We're missing a couple of cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time we took the readings.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Continue reading...

Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2004 Toyota Prius,2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI,2006 Lexus RX 400h,2007 Ford Edge SEL,2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 BMW 135i,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Among entry-level luxury sedans, the 2008 Cadillac CTS is pretty accommodating in the rear-seat department, but it's not perfect. The 3 Series is perfect of course, or maybe I'm kidding.

To start, I can easily do the sit-behind-myself test in the Cadillac, which is good since I'm 5'-10" -- so four average-size adults could ride comfortably in the CTS. Unfortunately, the bench is mounted low, so even though there's ample legroom for my 34" inseam, the seat-bottom cushion doesn't quite support my thighs. It's not terrible, but I might whine about this on a 5-hour road trip. Still, the fact that I'd even consider taking a road trip in the backseat of the CTS says plenty -- I wouldn't do that in our A4 Avant.

It's pretty obvious why the bench is mounted as low as it is when you assess the headroom situation. There's not a lot to spare over my head and I'm not the kind of person who needs a lot. Still, carrying a six-footer back here shouldn't be a problem (unless that person is also whiny about thigh support). For shorter people, it's worth noting that the low bench doesn't impede outward visibility too much (because the car's beltline is not too high). Also, the rake of the seat-back cushion is comfortable.

Rear-seat amenities in the CTS consist of individual reading lights and a fold-down center armrest with cupholders. I'm a little disappointed with the adjustable vents on the back of the console. I don't necessarily expect discrete temperature control at this price ($46,690), but some kind of rudimentary warm/cool adjustment would be nice.

P.S. I forgot to give the CTS big credit for having a lot of footroom under the front chairs. This is never a sure thing when you have deluxo-power-adjustable seats up front, and it makes a huge difference for long-legged people in back.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 28,325 miles

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

  We haven't updated our Cadillac CTS' fuel economy in a looooooong time -- updating the fuel log just took me 30 minutes. But here's the damage.

Overall Average: 19.2 mpg
EPA Combined: 20 mpg

Best: 32.5 mpg (Bravo, Scott Oldham)
Worst: 9.9 mpg (Double bravo, Mike Magrath)
Longest Distance on One Tank: 401.2 miles (25.6 mpg by Dan Pund)
Most Fuel in One Tank: 20.598 gallons

(Update: As a sharp reader noted, the CTS only has an 18-gallon gas tank. Not really sure how the 20.598 happened. Maybe someone filled up their lawnmower on the company tab.)

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 28,313 miles

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

A Cadillac doesn't need to handle like a BMW, providing Nurburgring corner-taking on American streets.

A Cadillac doesn't need to ride like a '98 Cadillac Deville, wafting down the road as if on American coastal waters.

The CTS thankfully does neither. However, I don't think it achieves the appropriate balance between the two that would represent what an American luxury car can be in the 21st century.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

By now you might be able to recognize what you're seeing without me going on at length. After all, there are only so many ways to lay out a suspension.

Our 2008 Cadillac CTS has a double-wishbone setup with a high-mount upper arm, and it uses a lot of aluminum bits and pieces.

The difference between the double wishbone and double control arm designation amounts to a technicality, but I'm going with double wishbone here because the one-piece aluminum lower control arm (blue) is generally A-shaped, not L-shaped.

An earlier post of mine mentioned that our CTS has forward-mounted steering (yellow), as opposed to the CTS AWD, which does not. Our RWD CTS steers quite precisely, so it paid off. 

And our CTS has very functional front brake ducts (black) that shoot air gathered from front grille openings onto the front rotors.

Continue reading...

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,Suspension Walkarounds

2008 Cadillac CTS navigation screen deployment.

Dan Edmunds, DIrector of Vehicle Testing @ 28,200 miles 

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

OK, time to get all riled up.

Have you driven a CTS? Write your own review in the comments.

This car is coming near the end of its long-term test. Anything you'd like us to cover that we haven't already?

Anyone want to arm wrestle over which is better, the CTS or anything German?

Let the games begin.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

View from the cockpit

You posed some questions in the comments of the previous post:

Steering wheel: Yes, it is rather large but it has power-adjustable controls and doesn't feel too oversized when driving. And the feature buttons are a nice thumb-size so there's no fumbling about when advancing tracks or changing volume.

CTS Wagon vs. SRX: Yes, the wagon will come here and the SRX is getting smaller. So, it will be a matter of preference. How high do you like to sit?

The plastic thingy near the shifter: Dan answered this is a previous post:
2008 Cadillac CTS: What Does This Thing Do?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI