This past summer started a trend for me; my aunt and uncle on my dad's side of the family live in Boise, and for my birthday, their present was letting me pick a rental car for a day, under a certain price cap. My inaugural choice was the 2010 Cadillac CTS. Since we were going to be renting the car through the Boise airport instead of via a dealer, getting a V was simply out of the question, but I didn't worry; the less enthusiast oriented CTS is still a good car-- supposedly. I would find out whether or not it lived up to the magazine praise it continually racked up.
For starters, the CTS is Cadillac's competitor to the highly praised (and in my opinion, vastly overrated) BMW 3-Series sedan. Yes, the 3-Series has garnered so much it's pretty much beating a dead horse to say its a good car. When GM first tried the 3-Series competitor, the Catera, well-- it didn't quite live up to the Cadillac name; it was slow, quite bland, and didn't have a very good fit and finish level. In 2003, GM strove to change that notion; enter the Cadillac CTS.
The first generation lasted from 2003 to 2006 with minor trim level changes and colors separating the years from one another. The base cars came with either a 3.2 V6 for the pre-facelift cars,(post-facelift cars received a 2.8L V6) or a much better 3.6L V6 engine. Like the majority of luxosport sedans, these cars were mostly sold with an automatic. If you so desired, you could order one with a stickshift, a combination that is quite rare today.
In 2004, a high performance V Series was introduced, giving the Wreath and Crest brand a legit sports sedan. For 2009, the bar was upped. Instead of using a ho-him 400 horse LS2, GM opted for a full-bore LSA making 556 horses and sending them to the wheels with a six-speed stick. Of course a six-speed automatic is optional, too. But this isn't about the V. It's about the second generation 3.6 powered car.
When I first got the idea to rent a CTS, I was excited; I've been in love with the second generation CTS sedan since it made its debut in early 2007. From the first time I saw one in the flesh, I knew it was a game-changer. Slicker than the E90 3-Series in just about every way, this is one luxurious vehicle that can pull off both the luxury and sport spectrum of the scale pretty well. While this particular car is a generic silver metallic, it wears it nicely; it looks decidely classier than a comparable Mercedes C-Class and a BMW 3-Series sedan ever will. The 18s on this particular CTS, combined with the rather pedestrian color honestly make for a rather fetching vehicle, both in photos and in person. While I have no real complaints about the Caddy's exterior, the interior could use a few more dollars spent on fit and finish.
To the eye, the interior in the new CTS looks first-rate. Overall fit and finish are good, and the plastics are not hard and a cheap, as with GM cars of the past. Up close, and to the touch, small niggles are revealed. One major problem (although this could be due to this example being a rental), is the interior A-pillar trim kept popping out, particularly on the passenger side. Other than that minor setback, interior quality was pretty good. I've never sat in, or had experience with the previous generation car so I can't compare. The seats were firm, but supportive; providing good butt and a leg support, with moving bolsters to keep you planted during hard cornering. The steering wheel felt good, and and steering feel felt extremely driver-oriented for a car of this caliber. The ride is sporty, even borderlining on extremely harsh at times, but it's livable. I guess if you want a comfy Cadillac, an STS or DTS is more your thing, though those two cars wallow rather than handle. On the road, interior noise was non-existent, something that cannot be said for the one Mercedes C-Class I rode in.
I didn't drive it, so I really cannot comment there, except for even as a passenger, it seemed very lively, especially up Bogus Basin Road and Black Cat road. Compared with other cars I've ridden in, I would have to say this new CTS definitely qualifies as a "Must-drive" for any serious enthusiast. Just make sure you put it in "Competition Mode", and turn the ESC, traction control, ABS off for making the most of the twisties.
Would I rent one again, I'd likely say yes, unless they introduce a more powerful version. Is it still one of my favorite GM cars? Absolutely. I only wish I could experience it as a driver, instead of simply riding shotgun.
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