Cadillac CTS (05-07) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Cadillac's return to the UK market was spearheaded by the CTS. Rather than simply flogging us an American car, they made considerable efforts to emulate the standards of European prestige manufacturers and you'll be relieved to know it's even right-hand-drive. It looks quite unlike anything else you'll currently see on British roads with distinctive, angular styling. There's a generous level of equipment and a lot of effort went into making the driving experience match that of European rivals. They've even honed it at Germany's Nürburgring to bring its handling up to scratch. As a result you'll like it if you want a relatively sporting driving experience, but the ride is rather too firm to be considered luxurious.
3 out of 5

Other Cadillac reviews

3.5 out of 5

Performance

At present there are just petrol units to choose from: a 2.8 and a 3.6 litre V6 and in the CTS-V, a big lump of American V8 that's been lifted from under the bonnet of the absurdly quick Corvette. The V6s are expected to account for the bulk of sales, particularly the larger of the two. It'll hit 60 in a respectable seven seconds, but bear in mind that it's only available with an automatic gearbox. A manual six-speeder is offered to left-hand drive markets. Don't fret, as it isn't a lazy Yankee slushbox, it's actually the same five-speed unit that BMW buys from Cadillac for their 3.0 litre versions of the X3 and X5 models. Floor the throttle and the engine is immediately dropped into its most energetic zone. Great for going quickly, but not so good for Grandma's comfort...or fuel consumption.

3 out of 5

Handling

Cadillac really want this car to please the driver. All their saloon cars are now rear-wheel-drive and the CTS has been given a sophisticated suspension set-up and an extremely stiff chassis. As a result it responds well to being driven briskly, but the trade off will be felt by your passengers as they hunt around for something to hold onto and you'll be aware of Britain's frequently poor road surfacing. Although it's an improvement over previous big American saloons, it still doesn't give the same ride and handling quality of a BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi.