This 11/2007 review tells you all you need to know:
Quote:
Many car manufacturers would give their eye teeth for an easily recognised brand, but sometimes your name can have negative connotations. Cadillac is just such a brand. Mention the name to any car enthusiast and they will tell you that the company has never produced anything particularly relevant to British drivers.
Think back to the last time you saw a Cadillac on British roads. Youll be excused if you cant think of a single occasion because (since 2004) only 700 were shifted from dealerships in that time, which means that each car has around 357 miles of UK road before it chances upon another. Despite massive promotional spends, Cadillac has never really had the right mix of products to appeal to British motorists and the tiny dealer network hasnt helped in this regard either.
Two petrol engines are offered to British buyers. The entry-level unit is a 2.8-litre V6, good for 208bhp but the more satisfying option is the 306bhp 3.6-litre V6.
Both powerplants can be teamed with either a six-speed manual, which really doesnt suit the nature of the car, or an automatic which does. In 2009 there is talk of a diesel being slipped into the line up and the lack of an oil burner from launch will dent the CTSs chances.
Yes, there are some scratchier finishes than youd expect to chance upon in an Ingolstadt product but its attractively styled and has much more of a personality than the reheated Saab innards that its little brother, the BLS, serves up.
An indicator of how far it has to go in terms of efficiency and engineering comes when comparing the CTSs 3.6-litre engine to the powerplant found under the bonnet of BMWs 530i.
Both engines will get the cars to 60mph in 6.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph, but due to having 183kg less to haul about, the BMW does it with 268bhp where the Cadillac needs 306bhp. This translates into fuel economy figures of 36.7mpg for the car from Munich and 23,5mpg for the Caddy.
Emissions? 182g/km for the BMW and 285 for the CTS. That would be forgivable if the CTS were a markedly bigger car but open the boots and theres 520 litres of room in the 5 Series and 373 litres of bag space in the Cadillac.
The CTS is the very best weapon in the portfolio of Cadillac products and it remains a little off the pace of the best of its German rivals. Thats not to say its set to continue Cadillacs run of dismal sales. What the big Caddy has in spades is likeability and that goes a very long way. It feels an honest product and looks great inside and out
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And overall this was a very positive review.But it damned the car with faint praise. 'Honest and Likable' is not 'hot'.
- As dear as a 5-series BMW or Merc
- Uses a lot more fuel
- Less utility (smaller boot, so-so appointments)
- No diesel - death in the continent where more than half new sales are oilers.
- Materials issues
- Emits a lot more - Euros are taxed annually for registration on Co2 emissions
- Small dealer network
- Questionable resale
No good moaning about the price in Europe, as the US has tariffs on imports, so do EU. GM made the CTS compete with the 3-series, there it's playing against the bigger brothers.
That plain fact is, Cadillac is a brand taylor made for the US - including the CTS. It stands out like dogs balls to anyone else on the planet. Everything from the styling to the non-standard labelling with strange acronyms on the controls. Most new cars sold in Europe are 3-sized or smaller and fours, mostly diesels. To think you're going to sell shiploads of large petrol sedans there is fanciful. Cadillac is competing in a smallish pool of potential executive sales against more than competent competitors who are strongly established. Things like the Escalade, STS or XLV are irrelevant to Euros, 0.00000001% of who could afford to buy and run one, let alone have the space to park it.
Cadillac's best chances of future international success are to build a range of models which dominate the market in the US - not the 'fish in a barrel' market of oversize SUVs, but beat the pants off import luxury cars of the same size and spec. ATM that is not the case. The CTS appears to sell on Caddy's sales pitch of 'almost as good as a 3-series but more car for less dollars'.
The time to be exporting is when your cars are flying off the lots for top dollar, and walking over the competition in sales. If US citizens don't eat their own dogfood, why should anyone else on the planet?