In the last decade and a half,
Cadillac has undergone one of the greatest transformations in the luxury car market, going from early-bird special
to being mentioned the same breath as the likes of the German luxury sedans, and it's
almost entirely been on the back of this car, the CTS. If you don't believe us, let's hop in and take a look.
The model we're in now is the Prestige trim. It has a 3.6-liter
V6, makes 335 horsepower sent to all-wheel drive through an 8-speed automatic
transmission. Now that represents the middle of the lineup. At your base level, you have a
2-liter inline four making 268 horsepower. Now on the top end, you have the V-Sport model -
that has a twin-turbo V6 making 420 horsepower. Now you can slot through the gears
using the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, or there' s the drive-mode selector down
here. It changes the suspension, throttle response, and steering settings for one
of three driving modes. You can use it for Touring, Sport, or Snow and Ice.
Now Sport mode quickens the throttle response, including the steering, for a more
fun driving experience.
Touring mode softens things out for those longer hauls, and Snow and Ice tunes your
steering and throttle response and manages the all-wheel drive to keep you
safer even in the harshest driving conditions. But the CTS's real calling
card is its technology. It has touch-capacitive controls, a fully customizable
dash,
and the centerpiece of it all is Cadillac's CUE infotainment system. CUE puts a lot of
climate and audio controls behind this large center touchscreen. Now it's not
exactly the most ideal menu setup. We found it crashed in the week that we had
it, but it's a real touchscreen, and that's more than what the Germans have to offer
when it comes to infotainment controls. The CTS does come with Apple CarPlay, which is basically
an Apple iOS for your infotainment screen. Now with CarPlay you can use Siri
on your own iPhone to place calls, dictate texts to send to people, and have
texts read back to you - all using voice control. Now if you don't like Cadillac's
navigation system, you can use your own Apple Maps through CarPlay, but the
real feature that I like is the ability to scroll through your own podcasts and
Pandora and features like Spotify. Like most modern luxury cars, the CTS comes
loaded with high-tech safety features. It's got blind-spot monitoring and
a back-up camera with surround-view monitor and a proximity warning system.
That last one's going to be key in the city, because the CTS's long wheelbase means it doesn't exactly
have the tightest turning radius.
The CTS also comes with big wheels with low-profile tires, which will be an issue if you
live in an area that has a lot of potholes and bumpy roads. But that's a
problem with all modern luxury cars.
The CTS starts at $45,000 - with options it can go up to as much as 70 grand. Now meanwhile the Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts at $53,000 and with
options can go skyrocket up into the eighties. Not too long ago, opting for a CTS over an E-Class sounded like a crazy
idea, but the 2016 Cadillac CTS has the power, refinement, and tech features to take on the likes of
Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. Thanks for watching our review of the Cadillac CTS. To read my full review on this car,
go to CarGurus.com. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and be sure to leave a comment and get involved in the conversation.