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MotorWeek, Testdrive.com | Road Test: 2016 Cadillac CT6

4K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  AMcA 
#1 ·
Two new test drives to kill some time on:


 
#6 ·
Absolutely. I even had to get used to regular backup cameras. I know it's a camera, I know it's realtime. But for some reason I just didn't trust it at first.

I hate when reviewers will trash an interior because they don't understand every feature of the car within seconds of sitting down (as with CUE). In the real world, drivers are going to possess the car for an extended period of time. They'll learn all of it's features and get comfortable with the ergonomics in a short period of time. The only way that every feature of a car can be obvious and intuitive the first time you sit in a car is to limit the features offered.
 
#27 ·
I finally saw one on the road for the first time. And I live in an affluent area of Phoenix, which ought to be domestic car country.

I have a terrible fear the CT6 is going to be a major yawn in the US market. Which is a terrible shame given what a fine car it is.
 
#12 ·
John Davis has been reviewing cars on Motorweek since the early 1980's and I respect his opinion immensely. He called it the best Cadillac ever and a worthy flagship I agree. I respect his opinion more than the other guy. The only real negative comment he had was the leather and different interior textures. Can someone tell us specifically what he's talking about ? GM has been panned for this before. Now he didnt mention the hard plastic on the lower doors or the cente4r console which has been brought up on many GMI threads before. Caddy should get rid of the hard plastic, include some knobs to give people an alternative to the touch screens when driving and offer the V8 option when it becomes available.
 
#14 ·
I think he meant that the quality of the leather in the Cadillac isn't quite up to the standards of the leather in a Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar. Part of this might be tactile, as it doesn't quite feel the same, but part of it might be a matter of smell. The new car smell in some luxury cars is mostly the smell of the leather, and at one time, the smell of Jaguar leather could be considered akin to that of a English riding saddle. As a personal opinion, a few things could be simplified in the CT6 interior, and it would be for the better. The leather around the CUE touch screen could match the surrounding part of the interior, or be deleted entirely. Does the strips of wood on the dash need to be accompanied by strips of carbon fiber? I also wouldn't mind if, for the 70K or so of the CT6 3.6 Luxury I drove yesterday didn't have the same cloth headliner of my 2016 Chevrolet SS, meaning the same material that Jason Cammisa described as scratchy, while otherwise participating in an ode to that car. Does Alcantara really cost that much?

That said, I like the CT6, may try out the Platinum later, though it might be academic. I liked that the ride didn't even try to beat me up in sport mode, that, unlike my SS's myLink system, the CT6 system indexed my iPod Classic 80GB practically instantly, allowing me to divert from the first thing it could play to Chris Isaak's Silvertone album quickly. Considering how I like music while driving, that's actually very important to me. The steering was sharper than I recall in drives of a W221 S-Class or the previous gen 7 Series. It was, though, an admittedly brief test drive, though.
 
#15 ·
I think I understand John Davis' issue on Cadillac leathers. Yes, it's leather but the texture/suppleness of the leather could be better. I see this in my 2015 CTS Vsport where despite a leather interior, it could be a softer, must supple grade of leather. I've only sat in the CT6 a couple of times at my dealer and haven't driven one yet but my impression was that the leather quality wasn't much different than my car....maybe it is in the Platinum.

And this has been a problem for years. I remember getting a tear in the driver leather seat for my 1993 Deville I was driving years ago and I went to a local place in my town that specializes in car interiors (they do a lot of classic car interior restorations and are a favorite of the local luxury car dealers). The piece of leather this shop put in my car was perfectly color matched to the interior, but it was a far better grade of leather than everything else next to it...all you had to do was touch it. Immediately I wanted the entire seat to be made out of this leather.
 
#24 ·
I think I understand John Davis' issue on Cadillac leathers. Yes, it's leather but the texture/suppleness of the leather could be better. I see this in my 2015 CTS Vsport where despite a leather interior, it could be a softer, must supple grade of leather. I've only sat in the CT6 a couple of times at my dealer and haven't driven one yet but my impression was that the leather quality wasn't much different than my car....maybe it is in the Platinum.
But what if there is a trade-off between "supple" and durability? I'd rather have my leather feel a little less supple if it means it will hold up in the long term.

We have a 2005 GMC Envoy that has leather seats that could maybe pass for good vinyl (they have a rugged looking grain texture), but damn they still look new after 11+ years.

The (black) leather on my ELR is smooth and featureless, and feels firm rather than supple. I'm fine with it. I also think the interior smells great (or at least did when brand new). Unlike the ATS my partner is driving, the interior of which smells like plastic chemicals.
 
#19 ·
Envoy posted it several times in discussions about CT6. Try to find them. The results were predictable. CT6 interior looks 10-15k cheaper than the one in S-Class. But I prefer making up my mind when I see it in real-life.
 
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