Inside Line Technology Review: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

The new 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is equipped with basically the same electronics package as the 2008 Cadillac CTS. There's a lot to like about the system, but there are some deficiencies, too.

It's a comprehensive setup with a video monitor that motorizes up and down, navigation by Alpine and a 5.1 surround sound system.

Basically, the entertainment system can handle almost everything you throw at it. You can watch regular DVDs, play your 5.1 discs and listen to CDs. You also have a hard drive for storing your music, iPod playback and satellite radio. The video quality on the monitor is not exactly high-def, but then you're not going to be sitting in your car for hours watching videos. It's good enough for what it is, but the audio reproduction quality isn't where it should be.

Audio quality is also a problem despite the Cad's 10-speaker setup. It simply doesn't provide quite the immersive quality you might hope for. The sound stage lacks breadth and the tonal qualities are bland. Your 5.1 discs will sound better than CDs, but the realism is lacking. The different EQ settings each have advantages and disadvantages. There wasn't one that could be considered the best compromise.

I listened to an Emma Shapplin 5.1 disc in DTS. The song "Leonora" begins with the sound of thunder and bass strings. The rumble just wasn't quite there and the speakers seemed to struggle to play the bass note. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sounded better, but the dynamics were average. By adjusting treble, midbass, bass or trying the different EQ settings for each song I was able to get some better results, but I doubt many drivers would be willing to tinker with the configuration every time -- and they shouldn't have to.

Audio quality aside, in terms of functionality for an iPod, the system is just fine. I connected my iPhone via Cadillac's proprietary USB cable in the center console compartment and was able to access my tracks instantly. You have to scroll through your playlists, or songs or artists, etc., but fortunately the system scrolls through even thousands of tracks very quickly. I wished I could've selected an artist by choosing a letter, but it didn't slow me down much to find a specific song.

The best part of the technology package was the voice-recognition feature and the navigation. The latter allows you to add a voice tag to a location, making it easy to set a destination. I find voice recognition is often buggy in factory or aftermarket products, but here selecting music or nav commands by voice made things very convenient. The software worked without major issues, and the traffic information is among the best I've sampled, with quick updates and accurate data.

I like the ergonomic layout and overall design of the center stack on the CTS-V. Once you understand that the Audio button is for selecting a source, and not making audio adjustments (that's what the Config button is actually for) you'll be fine.

The hands-free calling, however, might be an issue for some drivers. That's because the built-in option is provided by OnStar (or else you need a portable Bluetooth product or earpiece for your mobile phone). The upside is that using OnStar probably will allow you to make calls over a greater area; and the audio quality and phone connection were indeed very good.

On the downside you'll have to buy minutes for your OnStar account. And it'll take you a long time to verbally add all your contacts with voice tags to your OnStar system. It would be easier to load your address book from your phone onto a standard Bluetooth system. That being said, I should note that GM will be offering Bluetooth in some other '09 models. -- Ben Oh, Inside Line Contributor

IL Tech Ratings (10 is Best): 2009 Cadillac CTS-V
Audio: 7
iPod: 8
Navigation: 9
Ergonomics: 8
Bluetooth: N/A (OnStar hands-free: 8)

Categories: Cadillac,Car Tech