Feedback

Long-Term Road Tests

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI

July 10, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Our Favorite Caption

cadillac-cts-arrow-caption.jpg

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

2008 Cadillac CTS: You Write the Caption

cadillac-cts-arrow-555.jpg

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

July 6, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Parting Shots

PartingShots_01.jpg

Caddy LT snow 005.jpg

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...

July 3, 2009

2008 Pontiac G8 GT, et al.: Textcast -- How To Fix GM, Part II

GM Textcast Part II 1.jpg

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...

2008 Pontiac G8 GT and 2008 Cadillac CTS V6: Dealer Differences

G8 Service reciept.jpg

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.

ServiceCTSReciept.jpg

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant

July 1, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Finding a Buyer -- It Only Takes One

 IMG_2015-1.jpg

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...

June 30, 2009

2008 Pontiac G8 GT, et al.: Textcast -- How To Fix GM, Part I

GM Textcast 1.jpg

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. Chevy Gold Bow Tie.jpg
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...

June 5, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Our Favorite Caption

cts-dino-caption.jpg

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

2008 Cadillac CTS: You Write the Caption

cts-dino-555.jpg

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

June 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - May Edition

dodge-challenger-fuel.jpg

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.

  Car
Best
Worst
Average
  2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.0
  2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.8
18.0
  2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
18.2
  2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
  2009 BMW M3
18.8
9.6
15.4
  2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.3
  2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
22.3
10.3
16.0
  2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.4
  2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
  2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
  2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
31.5
  2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
  2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.0
  2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.4
23.3
  2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
27.2
11.7
17.3
  2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
18.2
  2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
  2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.5
  2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.4
  2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.6
  2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.0

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

Continue reading...

May 26, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: MPG, Squeaks and the Importance of Demographics

 Caddy mpg.jpg

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...

May 23, 2009

Would I Buy One?

G8-at-the-station.gif

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...

May 1, 2009

Big List of Fuel Economy - April Edition

fuel-economy-160.jpg

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.

Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.3
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
9.5
19.8
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
14.6
19.1
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
16.8
9.6
14.8
2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.2
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
18.1
10.3
16.3
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.6
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
32.0
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.1
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.5
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.2
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
21.3
11.7
16.8
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
19.4
14.1
17.3
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.7
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.5
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.3
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
49.1
26.2
38.8

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

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Continue reading...

2008 Cadillac CTS: A Review of the Backseat

car-of-the-week-banner.jpg 2008cadillacctsbackseat.jpg

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.

2008cadillacctsbackseat2.jpg

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 28,325 miles

April 30, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Fuel Economy Update

car-of-the-week-banner.jpgCadillac CTS at the test track

 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

2008 Cadillac CTS: It's OK to Lose to BMW

car-of-the-week-banner.jpg2008 Cadillac CTS 3.6 V6

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...

April 29, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Suspension Walkaround

car-of-the-week-banner.jpg555 cts sus fr oa.jpg

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...

April 28, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Navigation Screen Deployment

car-of-the-week-banner.jpg

2008 Cadillac CTS navigation screen deployment.

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

2008 Cadillac CTS: Open Thread

car-of-the-week-banner2.jpgcadillac-cts-open-555.jpg

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

April 27, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Answers

car-of-the-week-banner2.jpgcadillac-cts-in-traffic.jpg

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

April 26, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Understands My Plight

car-of-the-week-banner2.jpgcadillac-cts-dsh-555.jpg

Driving home at rush hour in L.A. is always an adventure. It's like driving an obstacle course. Cars dart from lane to lane trying get home an inch sooner.

I was on my usual freeway route so I didn't bother with the nav system and didn't even have the map up on the screen. I was listening to rather loud music on my iPod and wanted the audio screen displayed. Then all of a sudden the music lowered and a soft, slightly melancholy voice said, "May I have your attention, in 1.8 miles, traffic jam."

Wow, thanks. That would be really helpful if I weren't already at a dead stop on the 405. But at least she sounded sympathetic.

I always find it disarming when features are working in the background when you didn't bother turning them on. I've had this voice talk to me even when I've had the screen closed.

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.

Our time with the CTS will soon be coming to an end. I'm going to miss it, as will other members of our staff.

So, we're giving this car one last shot as Car of the Week.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

April 24, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Date with the Dealer

 

cts.blog.jpg

First things first: Our CTS's on-board computer was calling for an oil change. It's one of those cars with the handy count down meter and unlike some cars I can think of (bmw) the CTS shows the time remaining in big numbers, not a flash across the screen for 3 seconds on start-up. Unlike the first service, this one was going to cost us. It was going to cost us $105.95 to be more specific. That pays for an all-synthetic oil change, fluid top off and check all external lights. So basically, it's an oil change where the six quarts of Castrol synthetic cost $47.70, the filter is $10.95 and then there's another $29.95 for labor. Then add $1.12 for hazardous waste disposal and $5.43 in taxes. While not a great price, add this up and the final cost was $95.15, about 10 bucks less than what we were quoted.

But that was the easy part. Next up were the tricky bits, listed in ascending order of trickiness:

Continue reading...

April 22, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Brakes Don't Feel Great

ctsatthetopoftheparkinggarage.jpg

I've driven our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS very rarely and whenever I do get into the car, my first thought is: "Why don't I drive this car more often?" The seats feel good, the driving position feels spot-on and the center-stack electronics feel state-of-the-art. And the exterior styling, while not to my taste, is like nothing else on the road.

Within a few minutes, though, this feeling is dampened by:

-all the rattles that have plagued our long-term CTS since the 10,000-mile mark;

-the glitchy audio/navigation system (XM shut down for 30 minutes last night -- it wasn't a signal problem; the screen just went blank. After a restart, all was well again).

Today, the brakes got on my nerves, too. They work. But the bite isn't immediate in our long-term car and pedal feel borders on mush. Our CTS just doesn't stop with the authority I'd expect of a sport sedan.

Continue reading...

April 21, 2009

2009 Cadillac CTS DI: Detroit > Seoul (in this case)

CTS San Francisco.jpg

I really enjoy driving our long term CTS. I also enjoy driving the LT Hyundai Genesis. The Genesis is a great value and a great highway cruiser. But I prefer the CTS.

The CTS has a better, more controlled ride than the Genesis. It's firmer for sure, because it also handles much better than the Genesis, with less body roll.

The steering on the CTS is way better than the Genesis, with better on-center and overall feel, and without the slight input lag that can appear on the Genesis.

Sure, there are creaks in the CTS. Most of them are coming from the driver's seat and from contact between the driver's seat and the center console. I don't know if these can be fixed. But I usually have the radio cranked up; then you can't hear any of it.

And the CTS drinks Mobil1 motor oil like there's no tomorrow.
It's a good thing it costs only (ha!) 6 bucks a quart at Walmart.

Then there's styling. I find the Genesis styling to be very derivative, while the CTS is quite original.
I previously wrote that I think the CTS's styling would not hold up over time. But I'm not sure that the Genesis' would, either.

So, the CTS holds up well against the Genesis. I prefer it overall.
But how does it compare to the BMW 750?

C'mon!

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Eval Engineer @ 27,970 miles

April 14, 2009

Where's the Clipboard Damn It, I Need a Car!

LT-clipboard-2.gif

What's it like working at Inside Line?

I get this question almost daily from somebody, and my answer usually blows their mind. I say, "Well, everyday this guy Mike walks up to me with a clipboard that contains a list of 15 to 30 cars ranging from a Smart to a GT-R and he says, 'Scott, what do you want to drive home tonight.'"

It's true.   

Continue reading...

April 13, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: And Another Thing...

CTSkey01blog.jpg

Why is the Cadillac CTS's key only half intelligent? I like that the key can remain in the linty depths of my pocket to gain entry to the car (I only need to pull the door handle). But why must I press the lock button on the key to lock the car? There's no mechanism, sensor, or exterior button on the handle I can touch/brush to lock the car with the key in my pocket. Lame.

Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor @ 27,563 miles

2008 Cadillac CTS: Audio Slave

CTStone01blog.jpg

I quickly scanned all 86 (!) entries on the CTS (currently tied with the Smart for most blogged--though our former Fit Sport holds the record with 96), and found not one praising the CTS for the nifty pop-up touch screen. I love that its top edge is useful even when the screen is mostly retracted into the dash. Presets and audio controls are still accessed simply by touching the mini-screen. Cool. The problem is that the audio system gremlins persist.

Continue reading...

March 29, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS DI V6 vs. 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6: Smackdown

CotW_04 copy.jpgCTS_GENESIS_lead02.jpg

"Gentlemen," Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf memorably advised, "This is about combat. There are no points for second place."

And so it is with our latest Edmunds Daily comparison test, which pits two of our long-term luxury cruisers against each other -- CTS vs. Genesis -- in a no-holds-barred battle for sybaritic sedan supremacy.

Check it out, and tell us which one you would have picked, and why.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com

March 23, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Nice View Through the Roof

cadillacsunroof-555.jpg

I kind of miss all the over-the-top names GM used to give its engines, transmissions and any other new fangled piece of hardware it was trying to promote - Fireball V8, Dynaflow transmission, etc.  

Turns out, the General still pulls out a good name or two every once in awhile. You see, this isn't your run-of-the-mill sunroof, this is an UltraView roof. Opens up nearly 70% of the roof to both the front and rear passengers, says so right there in the brochure.

It's easy to forget about when it's closed as the cover fits so snugly, but when its open the effect on the cabin is noticeable.  Sure, it only actually opens half way, but just having the clear glass achieves much of the same effect.

I also noticed that for a car with just over 27,000 miles on it, our CTS still feels rock solid. Yeah, it has its shares of small squeaks, but nothing that I wouldn't expect from a car with two years worth of miles on it.

Ed Hellwig, Inside Line @ 27,079 miles

March 13, 2009

Old Cars Out, New Cars In: Bye-bye R8, C300, X5 and Grand Caravan

R8-bbq.gif

In the past couple of weeks we've had a lot of turnover in our long-term fleet. Some cars have gone bye-bye and we've gotten a couple of newbies. I thought you'd want an update.

Gone are the BMW X5, Audi R8 and Dodge Grand Caravan. There will be no more blogs on these cars, but look for an in depth wrap-up on each in the next few weeks, just like the one we published on our Mercedes C300 today. All three are already missed. The X5 and R8 were staff favorites, and the minivan proved to be great at moving people and things, even if we didn't always shower it with praise.

New to the fleet is a bitchin' black 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T we purchased about a week ago. Look for its full introduction to this blog next week and a flood of posts soon after. We also recently acquired a Hyundai Genesis sedan and a Nissan 370Z, both of which we introduced to you and this blog recently.

Soon to finish up their time in our fleet will be the Cadillac CTS, Pontiac G8, the 2002 BMW E46 M3, our Subaru WRX STI and our BMW 135i. Any suggestions on replacements?


Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

March 9, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Yes We Can

CTS yes we can.jpg

Germanic ride/handling characteristics? Yes we can. Striking styling inside and out, with mostly high-quality cabin materials? Yes we can. Burly V6 with a properly sporting engine note? Yes we can (and no, Nissan/Infiniti can't). A car that's so good it doesn't require the familiar "...for an American car" qualifier? Yes we can.

But, um, yeah. Savage rattling and squeaking from the seats and a bunch of other places, even when the car's simply taking a set while cornering? At 26,250 miles, unfortunately, yes we can.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com

March 5, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Squeak Squeak Squeak Senora

ctscockpit.jpg

The Cadillac CTS has a visually arresting interior with excellent materials. It had a stitched dashtop long before the new $82,000 BMW 7 Series did. I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on the electronics lay-out, but I could certainly live with it. In other words, the CTS should be a perfect place to spend hours on the road.

Except that it squeaks more than a flock of mice that wandered into a River Dance rehearsal. It drives me nuts. Watch the video.

The second squeak is my left leg moving left and right. The first CTS short-term car' we had would squeak when going aggressively around corners. Now after 26,000 miles, our CTS does it all the freakin' time.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 26,028 miles

March 2, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: RWD vs. AWD Differences Revealed

555 cts red close.jpg

Right out of the gate, the first respondent spotted the difference between our two 2008 Cadillac CTSeses, despite a self-admitted alcohol impairment at the time (at least we're assuming it was alcohol.)

555 cts black close.jpg

The brake calipers on the RWD CTS (the red one) are located behind the front axle centerline, while those on the AWD/black CTS are situated ahead of the front axle centerline. But no one grasped the significance of this difference.

Continue reading...

February 27, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: RWD vs. AWD -- Can You Spot the Difference?

555 cts red close.jpg

The red Cadillac CTS above is our long-term test car. The black one below is another CTS I drove some time ago.

Something visible in these photos gives away the fact that one is rear-wheel drive and the other is all-wheel drive. Can you spot it? 

Tiebreaker question: Can you ID the black car's location? 

Disclaimer: Employees of General Motors, Edmunds.com and their families are not eligible to play.

555 cts black close.jpg

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 26,201 miles

February 18, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Still into it

track -jr.JPG

With about 26,000 miles on the clock, the Cadillac CTS is still a very good car. The front seat flaps Erin complained about are obviously a punt but it wouldn't keep me from buying the car.

So far I have just two issues with the car. 1) Once every other week or so, my iPod won't sync to the audio system. 2) I wish there was a thicker cover for the massive sunroof - I'd like the choice to totally block out the sun, as it stands there's just one thin cover. At times, it simply lets too much light into the cabin

Dynamically, the Caddy feels as tight as when it was new. The car's on board computer is now registering 22.4 mpg pretty much all the time - that seems fair for a sedan as quick and roomy as the CTS and considering it probably gets driven harder than the average CTS. Finally, I still like the exterior look, some cars with dramatic design elements can begin to look dated or unusual just a year into a redesign - not so with the CTS. What do you think, does the CTS still look good or is it already a relic? 

Brian Moody, Automotive Editor @ 25,746 miles. 

February 10, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Shortcuts That Try My Patience

ctsseatvelcro1.jpgAlthough I liked hanging with the 2008 Cadillac CTS last weekend, I wasn't blind to the annoying little problems in our particular vehicle.

I didn't experience any of the recently reported nav system glitches, but just as Chris noted, the passenger-side mirror would tilt down as I backed out of a parking space and still be tilted down when I got on the freeway. This happened six times on Friday night, but then, the mirror behaved itself the rest of the weekend.

My front passenger also pointed out the issue in the above photo. This is the fabric cover that attempts to conceal the wires at the base of each of the Cadillac's front seats. It's not a very elegant solution and, as you'll see, it's not really even a solution anymore.

Continue reading...

February 9, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: There's Warmth in the Way It Drives

baguetteincupholder.jpgI finally got a weekend with our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS. I enjoy being in this car. I like the sharp response when you jab the accelerator. The steering feels quick, too, and despite a slight gumminess off-center, there's a fluidity to it that most GM steering racks do not have (with a big exception granted to the current Cobalt SS). In addition, the brake pedal is nice and firm, as is the ride quality.

Sometimes, though, the ride is too firm -- to the point that the chassis feels unsettled on the grooved concrete slabs of the I-405 freeway. During these times, the CTS seems less sophisticated than other sedans you (or I) might spend $46K to buy.

Yet, I find myself wanting to forgive the car for this compromise. There's a unity and a warmth to the packaging of the second-generation Cadillac CTS. It reminds me of the Infiniti G35/G37: Not perfect like a BMW or Benz, but simultaneously talented and flawed in ways that tug at your heart. The only thing is, I think the cheaper Pontiac G8 might tug at my heart more.

But, look, the baguette I bought at the farmers market fits in the cupholders. It stayed put under (moderate) acceleration and braking, too.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 25,372 miles

February 6, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Even More Gremlins!

CTSscreen02.jpg

Driving home yesterday afternoon was frustrating. Not only because it rained (which always puts a hurt on my 40-mile commute), but also because the CTS seems to need a software update--badly. I didn't experience the glitches Josh did, but as you can see from the above photo, there's something finky going on, because there was no chance it was 32-degrees outside.

Continue reading...

February 4, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Will I still love you tomorrow?

San Francisco CTS

The CTS will be going away soon and it's too bad. I'll miss it.

I really like the CTS: decent handling combined with great ride quality, good steering (all of the aforementioned better than the C300), good brakes, great interior design and features, and sharp exterior styling.

Do I mean sharp styling as in handsome, or as in sharp edges? Well -- both.

And this is the one concern area if I were to consider buying this car: will the car's sharp-edged styling hold up over time?

You see, when I buy a new car, I want to keep it for at least 5 years, maybe 10.
(Edmunds/IL readers, though, should buy a new vehicle every 3 years to keep this Economy going!)
But what about the design of the CTS? If I were to buy one and keep it, would it end up being a $40K regret down the road?

Allow me to paint a heavy-handed styling classification, in broad strokes:

1. There are some cars that look good when they are released, and look good 10 years later (e.g., Ferrari Daytona, original Viper GTS (blue with white stripes, of course), C4 and C6 Corvette, Datsun 240Z).

2. There are some cars that were ugly when released, ugly later (e.g., Pinto, most everything AMC, new Ferrari California, etc, the list goes on...).

3. There are a few cars that were ugly when they came out, then got (way) better looking (e.g., '84 Testarossa, and ??).

4. There are cars where the styling is neither good nor bad: you just don't care (e.g, most everything out of Japan). This category captures most of the vehicles on the road today, I think, as most people own vehicular appliances.

5. And there are some cars that are good looking now, but will not look good 10 years from now.

Where to classify the CTS?? In Category 1? Or maybe Category 5? -- where it will be joined by the new 370Z. I guess if I bought a CTS, I could always sell it when I got tired of it and eat the depreciation.

And there's always leasing.

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 25, 000 miles

CTS Embarcadero.jpg

February 2, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Electronic Gremlins Persist

Stereo-settings.jpg

I drove the long-term CTS for the first time ever this weekend. Overall, a nice machine. As we've reported in various road and comparison tests, it's a capable handler and has adequate power.

But careful readers of CTS blog posts will remember a few unresolved issues with our CTS...

Continue reading...

January 30, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part VI

 

CTS-Dirty-1.jpg

Back in L.A. after 2,493.1 miles. Besides surgery to remove the severe cramping from my right leg and lower back there was really just one thing left to do...

Continue reading...

January 29, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part V

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.19.jpg

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.20.jpg

After taking the time to photograph our trusty steed in New Mexico and Colorado simultaneously we continued to drive west, me in the very dirty Cadillac CTS and Ed Hellwig in his new 33-year-old truck. Now our speed was limited to 68 mph so Ed could keep up, and we would need to stop every 150 miles so Mr. Hellwig could refuel.

At that rate, the Cad's average speed was plummeting, but its fuel economy was through the roof. On the final day of the trip I covered almost 800 miles of interstate, but averaged only 60 mph. Fuel economy jumped to 24.1 mpg. Good, but still way below the car's EPA highway rating of 26 mpg, no doubt due to the numerous elevation changes and high winds on our route.

More highlights on the next page.

Continue reading...

January 28, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part IV

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.10.jpg

It was somewhere between Kansas City and Durango (I think; it's all a blur.) that we found actual value in the Cadillac's OnStar system. We couldn't believe it either, but the system's turn-by-turn feature is actually really cool.

Here's how it happened. We looked up a hotel on Mapquest. Asked for directions from our location and noticed the "Send to OnStar" tab. We clicked it, put in our account number and zap, the directions were beamed to the car. Instantly the display within the speedometer was showing directions and a voice was telling us where to go.

And the best part? The directions were right.

Think about it. You can load the system with dozens of destinations before you ever leave your house. This seems like a real reason to get a car with OnStar. What do you think?

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.03.jpg

-- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

January 26, 2009

Our Mercedes C300 Sport vs. Our Cadillac CTS

Cad-CTS-1.jpg

Benz-C300-1.jpg

I just spend 2,400 miles driving out long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS from Detroit to Los Angeles. Then I just drove our long-term 2008 Mercedes C300 Sport for the weekend. Which do I prefer? Thought you'd never ask.

Exterior Style: Cadillac (Duh.)

Interior Comfort: Mercedes (Seats are better in the Benz.)

Interior Quality: Cadillac (The Benz is cheap and plasticy like Cadillacs used to be.)

List of Features: Cadillac (Cad has satellite radio and heated seats, Benz does not.)

Price: Mercedes (Cad costs nearly $7,000 more than our Benz.)

Engine Performance: Cadillac (Cad's larger engine has more power and gets as good or better fuel economy.)

Transmission: Cadillac (Usually I'm a fan of the Benz 7-speed, but it's tuning in the C300 makes it slow to respond and too top gear happy. Cad's 6-speed works better with its engine.)

Handling: Mercedes (I wears summer tires, while the Cad is on all seasons.)

Brakes: Mercedes (Tires help again.)

Steering: Cadillac (Benz steering has good feel, but it's oddly distant on center and often feels overboosted.

Ride: Mercedes (This is a tough call, but the suspension tuning in the Benz feels a bit more sophisticated.)

Durability: Cadillac (So far, more things have gone wrong with the Benz.)

Add up the score and I drive the Cadillac home. Which would you choose?

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part III

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.26.jpg

We were going to, but then we remembered that the CTS is not an E85 drinker. Neither is the X5. But through states like Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, E85 is all over the place. Back home in California we see thousands and thousands of Flex-Fuel Tahoes and Yukons around, but in Los Angeles E85 is like good Chinese food; it's just impossible to find.

e85-555.jpg

-- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

January 24, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part II

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.01.jpg

Soon after our meat sweats in downtown KC we reached the heart of dustbowl country. Time to boogie. We had an appointment in Durango, Colorado to pick up a 1975 Ford F-250 Factory Highboy pickup purchased sight unseen by a very trusting Ed Hellwig.

The plan was to buy the truck in Durango and drive it back to Santa Monica, so we knew that the 800-mile run from Durango to L.A. would be more like a walk. This was when we could make up some time, plus Ed was worried that if we were late, the truck would already be gone to a higher bidder.

I assured him that the line of F-250 Factory Highboy enthusiasts looking for a well-worn, rusty truck in Durango in the middle of winter was a short one, but he wouldn't listen.

Continue reading...

January 23, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Detroit to Los Angeles Part 1

08.cadillac.cts.roadtrip.14.jpg

I arrived in Detroit Saturday night after three days behind the wheel of our long-term BMW X5. On Sunday and Monday I attended media days at the Detroit Auto Show. Then, on Tuesday morning, Inside Line's Lead Senior Editor Ed Hellwig and I fired up our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS and headed back to Santa Monica. Here is Part 1 of that story.

Continue reading...

January 20, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: MLKD Road Trip

2008-Cadillac-CTS.jpg

Imagine, if you will, that the above photo depicts our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS speeding north up California's 5 Freeway. Although a dead camera battery prevents us from showing you an actual photo of this past weekend's 1000-mile road trip, it did happen. And with nearly 25,000 miles on the odo, the Caddy still looks every bit as good now as it did in this year-old photo.

The CTS had barely cooled its 304-horsepower V6 from its three-day Detroit-to-L.A. run before we gassed up for Sacramento.

With two cross-country drives and a months' worth of nasty Michigan weather in between, the CTS remains a staff fave.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 24,429 miles

January 16, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS: Installing Aftermarket Oil

CTS-oil-1.jpg

Today our 2008 Cadillac CTS drank the majority of that quart of Mobil 1 5W-30. The installation of the fluid took just a few minutes and we poured it ourselves. That is all for now.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 23,411 miles

January 13, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Increasingly remote

snowy caddy lead sized.jpg

As a farewell to the CTS long-termer Detroit gave the Caddy one last blast of winter. As I write this, Messrs. Oldham and Hellwig are driving the Caddy back to California to finish out its stay in the long-term fleet. Either that or Hellwig is pushing the CTS out of a roadside ditch along I-94 that's knee-deep in snow while Oldham screams from the heated driver's seat, "Come on, guy, put down your purse and push!"

Anyway, the picture above reminds me of one the Cadillac's attributes that I haven't given proper public credit: the factory-installed remote start function. I know Cadillac, or even GM, is not alone in having a factory system. But I can tell you that the pricier BMW X5 that the boys left with me in Detroit doesn't have it. I will miss it. It protected me from countless cold-induced muscle spasms and made me the envy of my neighborhood. (Yes, even more than usual). -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 20,800 miles

snowy caddy head sized.jpgsnowy caddy tail sized.jpg

January 7, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Short Fuses

caddy fuse sized.jpg

Gather 'round kids. Let me tell y'all the legend of the mini mini fuse. You see, it all started this gray morn when I pushed the windshield washer button for my (largely) trusty steed. But did I receive a quenching squirt to clear my view of accumulated road-salt residue and your garden-variety dirt? I did not. Uh oh.

Out comes the owner's manual to look for the location of the fuse that I am now praying will be blown so that I can replace it and be on my way. Under some black plastic engine-compartment trim and beneath the fuse box cover with its three locks, is my culprit. Yep, the tiny little red blade-style fuse is blown. Great. Easy fix.

So I truck myself up to a major chain automotive parts store (visibility through the windshield is not yet bad enough to justify wiping it by hand). But I can't find as tiny a fuse as I need. They have regular and they have mini but not this one. "Hmmm," says the store clerk when I show him the fuse. "I think someone came in here before with one of those. I've heard of them. But we don't have them."

He directs me to a parts store across town that caters to guys who actually fix cars instead of to customers who only mount their own Yosemite Sam mud flaps and air fresheners. When I show the guy behind that counter he says, "Oh wow, can I show this to another of our guys?" I hear him say, "This is what I was talking about. I wasn't making it up." He tells me he's trying to get a supplier for this new mini-mini fuse. "I want to be the only one with them."

"You're going to have to go to the dealer. Bring your own lube," he adds, helpfully.

Fine. The increasingly opaque windshield is beginning to give me pause but I mosey on down to Massey Cadillac, an old-school Caddy dealer if ever there was one. "I need one of these," I say to the man at the parts counter, pulling the microscopic fuse out of that tiny pocket within the right front pocket of my jeans. "Hmmm, lemme check [tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...] yeah, we've got one. Seven dollars." Oh, come on...er, fine. I pass on the 22-inch Vogue chrome wheel and tire package they're selling for $2,700 and the varsity jacket with the Cadillac logo for $215. I wonder momentarily if I could manage to expense an Escalade chrome gas door ($145) and if I can fit it to the CTS before giving the car to Oldham next week.

The fuse is replaced and the washer pump kicks out the juice something fierce now. An increasing number of new cars will be using this new teeny, tiny fuse, I'm told. I'm now considering getting in to the fuse business.

Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 20,772 miles

January 6, 2009

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Now with intermittent windows

caddy windows sized.jpg
I am reliably informed that this is an imperfect world. I offer yet more proof of this in the form of the Cadillac CTS' rear-window operation -- or lack thereof.

At first I thought it was due to the punishing cold. Sometimes windows stick to the seals until they get warmed up and the electric motors don't have the juice to bust them free. That the rear side windows responded sometimes in the deepest darkest cold night but ignored my request once the cabin was warmed up blew a hole in that theory. Sometimes the windows rise, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they make a clicking sound but no motion and sometimes they do nothing at all.

It looks like the fault is in the driver's side door switches, because the windows usually respond to the rear door window switches.

With the CTS going home to California next week and since it doesn't make the car dangerous to drive in anyway, we'll probably just wait until we get back to LA to have them looked at. --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 20,760 miles

December 29, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: The Fob's Fob

caddy fob sized.jpg

Now, it's a Caddy, baby. With the addition of this choice gold-tone key fob for the CTS', um, key fob, our BMW-fighting, rear-wheel-driving CTS sports sedan is now in touch with Cadillac's baroque recent past. We're shopping now for a vinyl top with landau bars (gold, natch).

Credit for the fob goes to the previous owners of my home, who graciously left the wreath-and-crest nugget attached to spare garage keys. It was commissioned by a south-eastern Michigan Cadillac dealer, which is apparently "Your Caring, Servicing, Selling Master Dealer." --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 20,725 miles

December 23, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Shall we play a game?

At last count, 31 of you faithful readers have smacked Edmunds.com Advice Editor, Phil Reed for choosing to drive the summer tire-shod Infiniti FX50 to snowy Colorado recently.

a game sized.jpg
Today, with a fresh couple of inches of snow on the ground here in Detroit, I decided to play a little game I've tentatively named, "Exactly how wrong was Phil?"

Continue reading...

December 22, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: The horror, the horror

day-after-tomorrow1.jpg
What you see above you is an approximation of what Detroit looked like last Friday, and through much of the weekend that just passed. I apologize for the lack of an actual photo. The thing is, I've been a little too busy trying to not die and/or get somewhere or another in the Caddy.

Remember how in my last installment of the Cadillac CTS long-term blog, I described the car's Michelin all-season tires snow performance as "Fair?" Yeah well, I take that back. I'm now deciding whether their snow performance would more accurately be described as "Useless" or in the words of (I think) Emerson Fittipaldi "The Tires, They Are Sheet!"

Continue reading...

December 17, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Welcome home. Here's your shovel

Caddy snow lead sized.jpg

I didn't have to wait long to get a good test of the Cadillac CTS' snow-driving prowess. Detroit got a good dusting last night and we were out early enough to drive the Caddy on lightly traveled roads. I got to Woodward Avenue just in time for the transition from pure pretty powder to snotty gray slush.

Our rear-drive CTS wears Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires, which Tire Rack classifies as Grand Touring All Season rubber. Slush counts as a full season in the upper Midwest and I'm not sure that's covered in "All." We concur with Tire Rack's assessment that this model Michelin exhibits "Fair" performance on snow and ice. That ranking makes the HX MXM4 the worst-performing in the snow of the Michelin models in its catagory.

Spoiled by dedicated snow tires on my personal car, I find the all-season Michelins only borderline acceptable, at least in the brief time I've spent with them on slippery stuff. Even with a very light throttle foot, I'm getting a whole lot of traction control interventions (stability control intervention comes with a heavy foot), making forward progress, um, deliberate. On the upside, the CTS' traction control system comes on smooth.

More study is needed though. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a large, empty, snow-covered parking lot to practice my donuts and drifting winter-driving techniques.

Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

caddy snow 2 sized.jpgCaddy snow 3 sized.jpg

December 13, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Joplin, MO to Detroit, MI

Cadddy lead sized.jpg

While I was away, the ground underneath Detroit collapsed and the sky lit on fire and the end of days was right up Woodward Ave. Honestly, can't we just lock UAW president Ron Gettelfinger and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker in a steel-cage so they might have it out for real? Only one will emerge under his own power. And frankly, at this point, I don't even really care which one it is.

Ah, but the CTS, right? Yeah, brilliant car. I really like it and it's not every car I would say that about after three days of non-stop driving across some of America's less-dramatic landscape. As my desire to reach home grew my patience with left-lane dawdlers shrank. Through Illinois and Indiana, where traffic was light, I set the CTS's cruise control to a speed that felt right in the Caddy but was apparently considerably higher than others on the road that evening. No problem: I got my system down and everything. 1. Approach slow car at good clip. 2. Make sure he knows you're there. 3. Flick off cruise and back off slightly. 4. Hit the resume button as he starts to swerve to the right. This method resulted in a minimal loss of speed for me and was unspeakably satisfying when it all went to plan. And when, it didn't, I always had the Caddy's 300-plus horsepower to power around the occasional comatose driver.

Make the jump for final figures and a special surprise!

Continue reading...

December 12, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Day 2: Grants, NM to Joplin, MO

Caddy lead sized.jpg

One of the dear friends we call a commenter, ace47, doesn't want to read any more about how the Cadillac CTS rides nicely or how its navigation system performs. Okay, ace. Here's something you haven't read before: Did you know that if you leave the Caddy's ignition in accessory mode while filling the car up with gasoline, you can watch the miles-to-empty readout climb as each drop of fuel fills the tank? Didn't think so.

Further, we're not sure if our man ace47 (let's face it: there's no chance he's a woman) knows that after you fill up the tank and go into the Norther New Mexico gas station and purchase a bottle of water and a coffee, the woman behind the register will ring it up and say, "Woo, boot da bead off da bat."

Continue reading...

December 11, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Day 1: West Hollywood, CA to Grants, NM

Caddy Day Two lead sized.jpg

The CTS might be Cadillac's attempt at a German-style sports sedan, but it is also every bit the Turnpike Cruiser. There's an ease - a lightness - to the whole operation. The steering system doesn't tire you with the need for constant correction. The suspension doesn't crash. The body doesn't hop or float. She likes 80 mph and is unmoved by strong crosswinds. So far, the CTS is a good road companion.

This is especially true on the largely straight and flat southern route we've chosen for the trip, using I-10 and I-40 as our primary eastward paths. The Cadillac's navigation system suggested we use the center route, through the Rockies. This is because computers are stupid and don't know from snow. Has the Cadillac's nav system been stuck in a blizzard near Eagle, Colorado where semi-trucks slide helplessly backward down a steep grade? No sir, it has not.

Continue reading...

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: The Prodigal Son

In trying times such as these, great American families - think the Corleones and the Waltons - draw closer, gaining strength from their primal solidarity, their shared blood. And so it is with a great sense of duty that our ruby-red Cadillac CTS will over the next couple of days make its way back to its ancestral home in Detroit.

Caddy intro sized.jpg

Also, Southern California, where the CTS has spent the first 18,000 miles of its life, is filthy with dinosaurs (see picture). This makes the region nearly a quarter as horrifying as a Michigan winter.

According to the Caddy's navigation system, the trip from West Hollywood to Detroit is 2,282 miles. If we choose to do the trip crazed-trucker style, the nav system claims we'll make it in 31 hours and five minutes. That's going to require a sustained speed binge (averaging an aggressive 74 mph).

We'll update you with progress reports and/or speed-addled gibberish as we go.

Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit @ 17,988 miles

December 5, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Likes and Dislikes

cadillaccts-001.jpg

Some things I like about our 2008 Cadillac CTS:

The day/night button for the nav screen (circled in blue in the above photo). You don't have to scroll through menus to find how to switch the nav to daylight bright or nighttime dim. Just push that button.

The volume and tuning KNOBS which are positioned above all the other buttons so that they're easy to grab without taking your eyes off the road.

How the driver-side climate controls are paired with the heating/cooling seat buttons, again for easy access.

cadillaccts-002.jpg

What I'm not crazy about...

Continue reading...

December 1, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Talking Turkey with the TL

2008 Cadillac CTS

Would you park this car in your driveway? I could, happily, as the CTS continues to impress as the perhaps the most well-rounded GM product available in eons. We scooted down to San Diego from L.A. for the Turkey Day holiday, where I managed some real-world feedback regarding one of the CTS's closest competitors.

Continue reading...

November 27, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Love the Nav, Love the Car

caddy nav.jpgI really like the CTS nav system with on exception. I wish I could pick "Full Map" (as shown here) and still see XM or iPod song info - like maybe at the bottom of the screen or something. Either way, it's not a deal breaker.

I've been driving this car for about one week straight and I cannot find anything significant to complain about - it is truly a terrific car.

The odometer is approaching 20k and there are no rattles or squeaks to note. The nav screen does make a little noise when it goes up and down but it seems like it only happens when the temp gets below, say 60 degrees.

Brian Moody, Senior Automotive Editor @ 16,803 miles

November 24, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: How Does It Compare?

CTS looking forward blog.jpg

We've had a lot of nice things to say about our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS. What we haven't really gotten into is how it stacks up against other midsize luxury/sport sedans.

For example, right now over on the Edmunds blog we've got a 2009 Sport Sedan Shootout featuring the Acura TL SH-AWD, Infiniti G37 and Volkswagen CC VR6 4Motion. What would have happened if we'd thrown our CTS long-termer into the mix?

For one thing, the CTS would have been the most expensive by a couple grand. Also, its FE2 suspension and all-season tires would have been handicaps in the twisties -- the Caddy's 63.5 mph slalom run trails the VW by 0.2 mph and the sport-tuned Japanese entrants by a wide margin. However, I think the CTS would give the CC a run for its money in a beauty contest, inside and out, and its DI-V6 and real-world ride/handling balance are quite impressive.

Where would you rank it?

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 16,358 miles

November 17, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: A Long Way

 

Cimarron 2_edited.jpgLet's consider the smallest Caddy's path to greatness...OK, that's enough. Cadillac, you've come a long way baby - the CTS is great looking, fun to drive and loaded with tech features that are both useful and cool. By the way, when I drove a V6 powered Cimarron, I don't recall totally hating it - was I bonked in the head since rendering my memory unreliable? Things...getting...dark - voices... distant....

07.cadillac.profile.jpeg

Thankfully, I'm clear as a bell when it comes to the CTS.

To avoid another day of So Cal smoke along with coughing and sore throat, my family bolted for the CTS and drove about an hour and a half down the coast to get some fresh air. The CTS is an excellent highway car, the rear seat is big enough for kiddie seats and/or adults, the stereo is good and XM's Nav Traffic helped us avoid closed freeways. I'm looking for something to dislike but so far I can't find a deal breaker.  

Brian Moody, Senior Automotive Editor @ 16,257 miles 

November 11, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6: Hidden Robot Music

08 cadillac cts center stack It Came from Detroit.jpg

While indulging in some rare quiet alone time while parked in a strip mall, I heard a strange sound coming from the center stack of our long-term Cadillac CTS. It was like a tiny, long-forgotten sound effect from Tron, played by a tiny Eddie Van Halen on a tiny electric guitar. It's a lot like bad sci-fi movie robot noises. Deetledeetledootledeetledeetledoodleedeetle. It just kept going.

It actually took me a while to figure out where it was coming from.  I had to really lean in close to the navigation controls to confirm where it was coming from. I didn't think of it again until the next day when I was driving around without the sound system on and heard it again. It was quite faint, but it was there. For the rest of my time in the CTS this weekend, I found myself constantly straining to catch an auditory wisp of the frantic notes. Anyone else every experienced this in a CTS? In another vehicle?

Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 15,520 miles

November 7, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Cheaper than the G8...

CTSmaintblog.jpg

Smart > G8 > Cadillac CTS. At least insofar as the first service cost goes.

Recently the CTS went over to Martin Cadillac for routine service; oil change, chassis lube, tire pressure, and fluids. The job took about two hours and the final cost was $0.00. Nice. Too bad the dealer's valet took 45-min to find and get the CTS back in my hands. You get what you pay for, right?

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 14,888 miles

November 6, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Make that 136 mph

Carmel 195 blog.jpg

All photoshop, I swear.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

2008 Cadillac CTS: Life is Good at 134 mph

CTS-Speedo.jpg

Closed course, professional driver, please don't try this at home, blah, blah, blah. Caddy like go fast, and it still had more in it.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 16,147 miles

October 21, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Floppy Top

cadillac-cts-sun.jpg

Time has loosened the cloth sun shade in the Cadillac CTS. It's got a little give to it now. So, when you drive with the windows down, it flops around loudly in the breeze.

I've never been in love with this shade anyway. I like to be able to completely block out the blistering California rays. But this shade is designed to let in some light.

By contrast, the shade in our BMW X5 is so drum tight you could bounce a coin off of it.

What's up with that, Floppy?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

October 17, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Real-Time Traffic Review

CTS-Nav.jpg

On Wednesday morning I had the unfortunate chance to make use of the Cadillac's real-time traffic feature, which is built into its navigation system. It was unfortunate because I was stuck in a big bad traffic jam (red dots), not because I used the system. In fact, the system worked great.

As you can see in the photo, it alerts you to which roads are clogged (red dots) and which are moving (green dots). It also tells you where there are accidents (yellow diamond shapes) and will route you around such holdups if you ask it to.

Unlike some gimmicks in new cars, this one works well and is easy to make use of. Put it on the worth-the-money list.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

October 16, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Low Range? Like, No Duh.

CTS-dash.jpg

Can somebody please tell me how the Low Range readout on the left is more informative than the needle approaching the 0 on the right. Both are telling me in not so specific terms to get some gas soon. But other cars in the Cadillac's price range have range readouts that will count down all the way to 0 (my wife's VW Passat included). And it's that last 30 miles or so when the Range feature becomes so much more valuable than the old analog gas gauge.

But not in our 2008 Cadillac CTS. At 35 miles to go the readout stupidly switches to Low Range. In other words it becomes useless.

The worst part? I wrote a similar blog about our long-term Chevy Tahoe nearly a year ago. You'd think GM would listen to me and address this obviously growing problem.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief  

October 8, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Putting Golf Clubs in the Trunk

CTS Trunk with Golf Clubs

You know how people claim that goose-neck trunk hinges are a sure sign of inferior quality and cost cutting, while struts are more expensive and therefore better? Well, here's a reason why that's wrong.

The struts shrink the size of the trunk opening, particularly on our Cadillac CTS. As the below video shows, it requires a bit of finagling to fit wider items like golf clubs through the opening. Once in, the battery compartment prevents you from fitting the clubs perfectly width-wise (which they did in a Chevy Cobalt nearby). This makes loading multiple golf bags or other items with the golf clubs more difficult. And since this is a Cadillac, how it holds golf clubs is certainly important.

Continue reading...

October 7, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Hey, I Can See That Building From Here!

Cadillac Navigation Little Building -- Click for Bigger View

Remember when I said I could see the outline of my apartment building on the Scion xB's navigation system? Well, the Cadillac CTS tops that. This navi adds little 3D animated versions of really tall and/or noteworthy buildings. As you can see from the photo above, the digital version is pretty darn close to the actual thing. If you scan left on the map, another similar building down the street is shown along with a digital rendering of one of the LACMA buildings.

Although this mostly seems like a "Hey, look what we can do!" feature, it's probably not a bad idea to have renderings of notable landmarks to assist in navigation.

I really want to know how they do it, though. Does someone go around taking pictures of random, big buildings and then hand them off to 3D animators to create the buildings? And what does Manhattan look like? I'll have to check that sometime.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 14,157 miles

October 2, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Audio On The Fritz

cadillacscreen_555.jpg

Above is a shot taken this morning of the multi-media screen in our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS. Everything is normal here.

Last night, though, the audio emitted nothing more than the sounds of flatulence, complete with little pauses and ripples just like the real thing. Changing channels, cranking the volume, switching among AM/FM/XM... nothing curbed the poop.

So many fart jokes to choose from that my mind is frozen. One might say... constipated.

Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 13,280 miles.

September 24, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Another View of the Cockpit

ctscockpit.jpg

Recently, a long-time friend informed me that he rented a 2008 Cadillac CTS in San Jose, CA, drove it to Santa Cruz on Highway 17, and loved it. This is a friend who has never owned a domestic-brand car. He's not really even into cars, but he has three requirements for the next car he buys:

1. Rear-wheel drive

2. Sharp handling (up to a point)

3. Able to accommodate his 300-lb bodybuilder frame

The CTS is the first moderately-sized sedan in a long time that he's been able to drive comfortably. (Sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G35 have been struck from the list because they pinched his shoulders and restricted arm movement.)

Continue reading...

The Big List of Fuel Economy

gasstation pump numbers 555.jpg

I was thinking the other day (always a dangerous proposition, I know) and wondering how all the current (or really, really recently departed) Edmunds/Inside Line long-term vehicles stack up against each other in fuel economy, at least the fuel economy we've been recording during their time with us. So I made a list. For you and for me. In case we were both wondering.

The only current vehicles missing from my list are the Audi R8 and the Dodge Grand Caravan, and that's because no one has entered any fuel data into the tracking spreadsheet for those vehicles yet. The very top and the very bottom of the list aren't going to surprise anybody (I don't think), but the middle is kinda interesting. Seeing the Rondo and the WRX so close to each other made me raise my eyebrows. Ditto the Ford GT's spot above the Veracruz. Ready to check it all out? Follow the jump with me.

Continue reading...

September 12, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Caddy Does Carmel

carmel blog 1.jpg

Earlier this week, after a brief stopover at the Romans estate (above left), our long-term 'Lac and I headed for Land Rover's Off-Road Driving Experience in Carmel, roughly 6 hours north of L.A. If it's trail-busting tales you want, you'll have to wait for next Friday's Weekly Top 3 post over at the Strategies Blog. But if you're jonesing for a fragmentary yet hard-hitting assessment of the CTS qua road trip companion, you've come to the right place. 

Stuff That Doesn't Work

The automatic triple-blink turn signal function when changing lanes to the right. Push up on the stalk and...nothing -- not even a single blink. You have to click it into place, as if you're turning at an intersection, and then click it back.  

Stuff That's Annoying

Squeaky seats. Wonky driving position. Crude power window switches. And a navigation system that takes an extraordinarily long time to calculate your route -- we're talking upwards of 30 seconds in some cases, which can be a bit harrowing if you've just plugged in your address and find yourself approaching a key intersection with your electronic copilot still deep in thought.  

Stuff That BMW Should Be At Least A Little Nervous About

The steering -- I really like it. It's virtually slop-free, there's a pleasant weightiness at speed, and the effort builds progressively around bends. And the body control -- it's really good, which is all the more impressive given that our car lacks the maximally sporty FE3 suspension. I took route 198 on the way up and route 58 on the way back (both highly recommended for enthusiasts), and the CTS delivered a command performance, faltering only in the tightest corners, where the Caddy's imposing heft and compliant suspension tuning conspired to upset its composure.

Stuff That Lincoln Should Be Petrified About

Everything. The CTS positively pwns the MKS in every significant way, except maybe Sync. Best American luxury sedan under $50k? It's not remotely close.

Stuff That Kicks A**

Rear-wheel drive, defeatable traction control, 300+ hp, and a gravel turnout in the middle of nowhere. Warning: gleeful doughnuts may cause scenic vistas to become temporarily obscured.

carmel blog doughnuts.jpg

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 12,310 miles

September 5, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Window Switch Woes, Part Deux

 

window switch blog.jpg

Unlike the CX-9's window switches, those in our long-term Cadillac CTS are working just fine. The problem is the way they feel. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the top edge of each switch is sharp in an unfinished sort of way. I can't think of another car in which this is the case -- power window switches always seem to have rounded edges, because (duh) fingertips prefer rounded to sharp.

This wouldn't be particularly remarkable in, say, a Cobalt XFE. But in a luxury sedan with a sticker north of $46k? Ouch. If Cadillac wants to build a world-beater, it's got to dot its i's and cross its t's. Magrath's fit-and-finish observations (most of which I can confirm) and this window-switch gaffe have got me thinking that The Mechanic has a point.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 11,493 miles.

August 26, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Piped light

Cadillac CTS Light pipe

I noticed the CTS tail lamps over the weekend for the first time. The press kit calls this lighting element a LED "light pipe" for the rear marker lamp.  But for me and a few others here, it looks like an incandescent or fluorescent bulb; LEDs are pretty small.  The Engineering Editor said that perhaps there are several LEDs distributed throughout, but the illumination seems too uniform for that. And the Director of Vehicle Testing said the pipe reminded him of this thing. In any event, the light pipe looks good and conveys the vertical styling theme of the tail lamps. Another great styling detail on a sharp car.

Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 11,461mi

August 18, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Noisy

CTS_blog_speedo.jpg

It's been about three months since I've been in our Long Term 2008 Cadillac CTS and I think that it's spent that entire time being driven over cobblestones. Even with the radio on, the slightest road imperfection causes the CTS to erupt with noise.

Here's a list of things that squeak or rattle in our CTS.

Driver seat (this is particularly bad when turning, braking or accelerating. Or entering / exiting the vehicle)

Passenger seat

instrument cluster (chrome surrounds buzz and rattle)

rear seats

sunroof

center console

Shift lever

Nav screen (intermittent when rising)

The driver seat-back also feels as if it's sagging down slightly to the right.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 10,943 miles

August 15, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: We should have waited

ctsblog.jpg
(Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation)

We should have waited. Our 2008 CTS has a lot going for it; looks, driving dynamics, kick-ass features. But it lacks a certain something. A certain wagonness. Trunks just don't do it for me. Not enough space, difficult access and stunted looks. Wagons are cool and I want this one. With a six-speed manual of course.

Click the link for the news story and more photos.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant

July 24, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: The CTS Lean

CTS int 001 blog.jpgOur long-term Cadillac CTS looks pretty bad, in Michael Jackson's sense of the term. Bad enough that I'm tempted to do the gangsta lean when I'm behind the wheel. Trouble is, the CTS has other ideas, thanks to its unfortunate dead-pedal-to-throttle relationship. Forget the gangsta lean -- the "CTS lean" is what our Caddy imposes on its drivers. (Photo explanation after the jump.)

Continue reading...

July 22, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS DI: City boy

Cadillac CTS.jpg

Although the Cadillac CTS is a supreme highway cruiser, it really enjoys the city life. The sharp, agressive styling stands out in the metropolitan streets, and imparts a sense of urban cool on its owner.  "Where's my car?" I asked the valet after already waiting for 15 minutes. "Sorry, sir, what vehicle was that?" he said. I proudly replied, "Red Cadillac."  Ten years ago, perhaps my response would have carried some embarrassment. But no longer. It was nice to not answer the valet with the trite BMW/Benz/Lexus response. The CTS confidently plays in the bigs with this trio. My only styling beef is with the wheels: they scream "Geez!"

Albert Austria, Senior Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 9744 mi

July 21, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS DI: MotoGP weekend

IMG_1880 blog2.jpg

I went up to San Francisco and Laguna Seca in the CTS this past weekend for the MotoGP race. I covered just over 1100 mi and got 25.0 mpg on the nose in a mix of highway, city, and curving road driving. It's a terrific highway cruiser and city car: great ride, decent handling, very good powertrain, and fantastic exterior / interior styling. I would choose the CTS over the ES and C-class, but not the 3-series and IS - they're better handlers. The CTS is a legitmate alternative to any of them. Several Edmunds/IL members were in MotoGP attendance, because they, like you, really love performance, whether on two wheels or four. You motobikers out there already know about that. Unless, of course, you ride a Harley...

Albert Austria, Senior Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 9298 mi

 

July 16, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS DI: Low oil

Cadillac CTS 007B.jpg

 

The oil level on the CTS was low at only 9075 miles, (it was within the lowest OK mark on the fussy dipstick shown above), so I added 1/2 quart of Mobil 1 5W-30. It calls for that oil right on the filler cap.  The Inside Line Executive Editor just drove back from an Aston intro in San Francisco, and it's taking me to the MotoGP U.S round at Laguna Seca this weekend. Stay tuned for more.

Albert Austria, Senior Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 9075 mi

July 3, 2008

What's our Most American Car?

A Buffet of Americana. Pity about that Caravan.

On the eve of Independence Day, I thought I'd peruse our garage for the most American metal. Amongst the many long-termers presently in the long-term fleet, we have quite the selection of cars built by domestic makers. Some are excellent representives of this great land, others ... not so much. And that's not counting the pretty cool American cars that reside in our editors' own garages: Trans Ams, Challengers, Corvettes and Schmidt's big ol' F-150.

Of course, what constitutes an American car these days is up for debate given the Focus is hecho en Mexico and our Hyundai Veracruz is hecho en Alabama. But I'll leave those determinations up to you. And the nominees for our Most American Car are...

Buick Enclave

Cadillac CTS

Chevy Silverado

Dodge Caravan (oh dear god, I hope not)

Ford Edge

Ford Focus

Ford GT

Pontiac G8 GT

Saturn Aura

James Riswick, Automotive Editor

July 2, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Subscriptions, Subscriptions

555 f34 1.jpg

Another night in our 2008 Cadillac CTS went without a hitch. It's a very nice car in nearly every way. My wife has never considered herself a Cadillac person, except perhaps in the rockabilly Kustom Kulture ironic sense. But she surprises herself for liking this one. "If only it didn't have so much cheesy chrome..." she mused, pointing to the plethora of shiny rings and bezels inside.

On another note, yesterday I had to approve a purchase request submitted for the renewal of the XM subscriptions in our CTS (yes, there are two) and it got me to thinking about subscription services in general.

On top of the car payment and the cost of filling the tank with gas, the CTS has no less than 4 subscriptions to renew if you want to keep all of the electronic toys up and running.

Continue reading...

July 1, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: What Does This Thing Do?

555 shifter w highlight.jpg   

 I admit that this post on the 2008 Cadillac CTS hasn't got a lot of meat on its bones. But anyone who has ridden in the car with me for more than an hour or so has asked the same question: "What's this thing do?"

It happened again last night. I had no answer except, "Nothing, apparently."

My best guess is that it hides a portal that, once opened, would reveal a black hole and catapult us all into another dimension. Either that or it hides a bolt that holds the console in place.

I'm tempted to pry it off, but I fear I'll break something. The owner's manual is no help, but a quick read did eliminate the "shift-lock override" theory.

Any other bright ideas?

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 7,733 miles 

June 30, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Tell Me Why I'm Wrong

Our Long Term Cadillac CTS is well worth the $46,000 as equipped sticker price. It's fun to drive, has plenty of cool gadgets not to mention it is a really attractive car. Looks aren't everything but I can't stand having something that everyone else has, that's why I like the CTS. I find my self looking over my shoulder or out the window just to get a glimpse...

Continue reading...

June 19, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Ridin' QWERTY

As much as I dig the Cadillac's fancy-pants infotainment system there is one aspect of it that I just cant get used to: The alphabetic layout on the destination entry screen.

Now, I'm sure a lot of you are going to ask "what's the problem? Everyone knows where the letters of the alphabet are!", but if you ask this via our blogs, and you aren't using a Maltron or a speech-to-type system, then you've just proved my point. QWERTY makes sense in a keyboard layout, we all use it every day...

Continue reading...

June 13, 2008

Our 2008 Cadillac CTS Has No Blue Teeth

With the July 1st hands-free mobile-phoning law just around the corner here in California, I thought I'd get acquainted with our 2008 Cadillac CTS Bluetooth pairing procedure. I exhausted all the intuitive hands-on paths within minutes and called (with a headset) back to the Mothership to ask if our CTS was even Bluetooth capable. "Nope, don't think so, but you should RTM and make sure before you post on it."

Continue reading...

June 8, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Burning oil and rubber

This weekend our long term 2008 Cadillac CTS took a little oil and left a little rubber.

Official numbers are:

1) 1.3 quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30

2) 38 feet

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 6,647 miles

June 2, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Radio Tivo

On the commute to and from work I found one aspect of the hard-drive Bose audio system in our 2008 Cadillac CTS to be invaluable: I can pause, rewind and resume playing any radio program. I can skip commercials. It's radio Tivo, folks (well, not actually Tivo brand, but you get the idea.)

Continue reading...

May 30, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Now That's More Like It ...

Eureka! The *accessory iPod cord we ordered for our 2008 Cadillac CTS came in. Boy does it transform the iPod experience.

Load times take about as long as it takes me to reach up to the touch screen after I snap my iPod onto the cord--in other words, negligible. And the GM logo now appears on my iPod's screen.

None of the tracks end up in the gibberish "No Info" file--they're all where they are supposed to be. Menu choices for "Playlist" and "Podcast" are now here (although the latter is one menu level down under "Genre" instead of being at the top level as it is on an iPod--no big deal).

*more like replacement--read on ...

Continue reading...

May 28, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: IPod Connection Incomplete

Right on the front page of the Cadillac CTS webpage, a list of key features is touted. Number 5 on the list is "Full MP3 and iPod connectivity." Well, our 2008 Cadillac CTS has the optional 40 Gb hard drive and USB port necessary to gain "full iPod connectivity," but it ain't that simple.

Why? You can't use your iPod's own USB connection cord. Even though it seems to plug in properly to our USB jack, it doesn't work right. Warns against doing so in the manual, too.

Continue reading...

May 27, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: A Nice Ride

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend in our 2008 Cadillac CTS. I hadn't spent much time in the CTS since I attended the launch of the car in Germany about 10 months ago, where I drove a 6-speed manual equipped FE3 on the Nurburgring.

My wife and I didn't take it anywhere near as spectacular, as we stayed in-town this weekend--too many races to watch on the Tivo and whatnot. But even on the freeway cruise to Griffith Park Observatory and on the roads around my neighborhood, the new CTS was still impressive.

Continue reading...

May 22, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: I Just Couldn't Buy One

2008 Cadillac CTS -- Photo by Scott Jacobs

I couldn't wait for us to get our Cadillac CTS. I eagerly pestered Phil Reed about what color we were getting and what items we would be adding to the options list. After my initial drive of a short-term car, I walked away very impressed by the solid driving manners that established a new sport sedan formula that is distinctly American. Most of all though, I loved the CTS' high style marks inside and out, high-quality interior materials and intelligent electronics interfaces that set it apart from the pack. This would be the car I'd buy in this price range.

But then I drove the LT car several times, and although my initial impressions held up, a few major negatives started to de-cloud my initial glee, which led me to the conclusion that I just couldn't buy one.

Continue reading...

May 20, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: A Design Detail Done Right



Why does the latest CTS look so much better than the previous version? Take a look at those front fenders. They not only add a few curves to the front quarter panels, they give the whole front end a more hunkered down, planted look. The fact that the wheels almost completely fill the space beneath them helps too...

Continue reading...

May 13, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Noisy

2008 Cadillac CTS

Our Cadillac CTS's interior is noisy. It's fine when you're driving in a straight line. (Well, except for the wind noise.) But when you're making a turn the leather creaks loudly. You hear "Creak, creak, squeak creak."  Read that part out loud, it's my best onomatopoeia...

Continue reading...

May 9, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Highway Ride

2008 Cadillac CTS -- Brent Romans

The FE2 suspension is the midlevel choice among three different suspension tuning options for the 2008 Cadillac CTS. I know we were keen on getting the max-attack FE3 package when looking to buy a CTS, but I think the (equipped) FE2 is the way to go.

I did two one-way trips in our CTS, each about 250 miles and four hours in duration. Based on this, I know I wouldn't want any more suspension stiffness than the FE2 provides if I had to drive our CTS every day...

Continue reading...

May 5, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Rear Visibility

2008 Cadillac CTS -- Brent Romans

It's hard to document this in a photo, but the CTS's rear visibility just plain sucks. The C-pillars are quite thick and the rear deck is high. In absolute terms, there are certainly worse vehicles. But as midsize sedans go, the CTS is below average...

Continue reading...

May 2, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Rev-Matching Downshifts

2008 Cadillac CTS -- Edmunds.com

The 2008 Cadillac CTS is available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Our test car has the latter. While most of us around here prefer manual transmissions for the more precise control they provide, the CTS' automatic does earn extra points thanks to its rev-matching downshift ability.

If you place the transmission in manual-shift mode and select a downshift, the transmission's controller will automatically raise engine speed (rpm) to match wheel speed for the lower gear. The result is a smooth downshift, just like a heel-and-toe downshift on a car with a manual transmission.

I've been playing around with the manual-shift mode. Its shifts are reasonably quick and the rev-matching feature is very cool. Of course, rev-matching for an automatic isn't new – some cars from Infiniti, BMW and Mercedes-Benz's AMG come to mind – but having it on the CTS certainly buffs the car's sporting credentials.

A (very) amateur video demonstrating our Cadillac CTS doing it's rev-matching 'thang follows after the jump.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor

Continue reading...

April 28, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: A Decade Later

2008 Cadillac CTS -- Brent Romans

When I first started working at Edmunds, the company was about a year into its first long-term evaluation of a Cadillac, a 1998 Seville STS. I remember that Seville having plenty of power and gizmos, but it was unreliable and marred by awful build quality. MSRP was $52,337.

Almost a decade later, we have a new CTS (with a $46,690 MSRP) in our fleet. You'd hardly know these two cars were from the same company...

Continue reading...

April 21, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Bum Turn Signal

Cadillac CTS

I thought I noticed this before, but I wasn't sure because it wasn't happening all the time. But now, it seems that every time you use the right turn signal to change lanes, it doesn't work. Nothing happens. Not great when you are driving on the freeway...

Continue reading...

April 3, 2008

2007 Infiniti G35 vs 2008 Cadillac CTS price

As our G35 prepares to depart the Edmunds Long Term fleet, I was initially struck with..., well I didn't really care much. It's a great car and all but I'd never get the Sport version and the six-speed manual only appeals to me when I picture myself living in Nebraska or Montana or anywhere that's not Los Angeles.

Just as I was all set to not care about the car leaving, I had a glance at the window sticker - $37,400 including Premium Package and Navigation. For that price our car has a Bose stereo w/ hard drive, Bluetooth, real time traffic info for the nav system, sunroof, power memory for seats, mirrors and steering wheel, heated seats and one touch windows all around...

Continue reading...

April 2, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: The Reason

The CTS is not a perfect car, there are a few things I wish it didn't do. None of them are enough to get me to dislike the car overall. Cadillac's excellent 3.6 liter direct injection V6 is all the reason I need to recommend the car.

This engine is smooth, responsive and has plenty of punch when you need it...

Continue reading...

March 31, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Perfect Old Man Car

Photo by Caroline Pardilla

When I was a kid, I remember my grandfather taking great pride in his Cadillac DeVille. That car just seemed to go on forever lengthwise but it was deluxe. Ever since then, every time I think "Cadillac four-door," I can't help but think "old man." I'm sorry, but that's just what I associate it with. So when I was given the keys to our new 2008 Cadillac CTS, I naturally thought, "OK, I'll be an old man for the weekend."

And when I jumped behind the wheel of this huge red sedan for the first time?..

Continue reading...

March 20, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: Track Tested (driver approved?)



No, we haven't decided to move our test track to a large dirt pitch. Rather, a certain Vehicle Testing Assistant forgot his camera and was graciously loaned a pretty CTS shot from one Mr. Mike Schmidt.

Click the "continue reading" link below to see how our CTS V6 (with direct injection) fared (at a paved track) in all of your favorite tests! 0-60, 1/4 mile, 60-0, skidpad, and slalom, all there for your reading pleasure.

Continue reading...

March 18, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS: Getting You "Through" the Traffic

It's always comical when you hear or see commercials where the product promises to help save time by "getting you through the traffic" in your area. Sometimes the commercial in question is for an aftermarket GPS nav system, sometimes it's for a radio station's frequent traffic reporting system, and sometimes it's for a vehicle's nav system. But in all instances, it's total B.S. With regard to our long-term 2008 Cadillac CTS, the car can most certainly inform you of traffic conditions in your local area.

But as far as getting you through these traffic conditions? Unless there's a teleporting or flying mode I'm not aware of on our CTS, I don't see this information actually helping someone save time in their daily commute across Los Angeles...

Continue reading...

March 11, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6: Kick Start

I love that the Caddy's front seats slide back so far but there's a price to pay. I slide the seats farther back than I normally would because..., well, because I can. The result is a lot of kicking and front seat backs that are frequently dirty. Hopefully, this will turn out differently with adult passengers...

Continue reading...

March 10, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6: Feel Good Inc.

The CTS doesn't shout but I get it, get it anyway. It's got just enough bling to get noticed but doesn't beg for attention. I typically like big cars - the CTS feels both big and small. It has a nice exterior  footprint for strip mall parking and one lane bridges yet doesn't feel small inside - lookin' at you 3-series. 

The interior feels large thanks to front seats that slide waaaay back - a  tilt and telescoping steering wheel helps too.

Steady, watch me navigate - this is by far one of the best factory installed nav systems around, it might even be the best...

Continue reading...

March 7, 2008

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI (Introduction)

2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI (Introduction)

We've added a 2008 Cadillac CTS to our long-term fleet.

Our shiny red beauty has GM's direct-injection V6, which is capable of 304 horsepower, and a six-speed automatic transmission.

We also went for the Premium Luxury package which includes 10-way adjustable and programmable heated/cooled front seats, rain-sensing wipers, heated washer fluid, interior accent lighting, 17-inch cast-aluminum wheels and keyless access.

Read the Cadillac CTS Introduction on Inside Line...

Continue reading...