2008 Cadillac CTS Review | Buyer Guide
Cadillac’s All-Star Gets Even Better
The CTS could be called the car that saved Cadillac. At the very least, it was the car that turned the company around. Its edgy styling and fine driving dynamics sent out a message that Cadillac had changed. Here was a car that someone under 60 would buy. And buyers, who might otherwise might have bought an import, came to Cadillac dealers for a CTS. Now, Cadillac has redesigned the CTS for 2008 and built on the strengths of the original car, while eliminating its shortcomings.
The new CTS gets a more aggressive look. Cadillac broadened the stance of the car by a couple of inches, and added a bold and massive grille. When you see a CTS come up behind you on the freeway, your impulse is to get out of the way—it’s that intimidating.
On the inside, the interior is all new, and it’s light years better than the old one. The last CTS went for the “modern industrial” look. The dash featured a plug-in type module for the center control panel. I thought it looked cheap. The ’08 CTS gets a handsome, smooth-flowing design, with high quality materials and hand stitched trim. I particularly liked the soft-touch surface on the top of the dash.
Interior space in the CTS is about the same as it was in last year’s car. Front passengers have plenty of room, and the seats are supportive. In the rear, the seat cushions are a little skimpy, but the backseat will accommodate three adults. The trunk is slightly smaller this year at 13.8 cu-ft. Standard equipment includes an excellent audio system, with XM satellite radio, MP3 capability and eight Bose speakers. A more powerful surround-sound system, with a 40-gig hard drive for an iPod, is optional. Also optional are high-tech features, like adaptive headlights, keyless entry and start, and a navigation unit with a pop-up screen on the dash.
Buyers get a choice of two 3.6-liter, V-6 engines. The milder of the two carries over from last year, and puts out 263 horsepower. The higher-performance version (new for 2008) uses direct fuel injection to pump out 304. Both engines run on regular gas. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions complete the power train. The automatics come with a manual shift mode, but unfortunately, no paddle shifters on the steering wheel. All-wheel drive is now optional for the first time on a CTS.
My test car was a high-output V-6, automatic, with rear-wheel drive and the optional sport suspension. Cadillac engineers tuned the suspension of the CTS on Germany’s famed Nurburgring, and the car reflects this when you put it through its paces. It tracks around corners precisely, although there’s more body-lean than you encounter with a BMW or Audi. But on the other hand, the CTS is more compliant on rough roads, and overall, more comfortable. Additionally, Cadillac enhanced the sound insulation to insure a quiet cabin.
Although the specifications of the CTS compare favorably with midsize Audis and BMWs, the Cadillac is priced more like compact luxury cars. The base model starts at just $32,990, and the high-output V-6 comes in at $35,290.
Snapshot Review
Aggressive Styling
Well-Appointed Cabin
Excellent Handling
More Power
