2008 CTS: First Drive and Impressions

[Ghrankenstein]

2008 Cadillac CTS: First Drive and Impressions


In(s)ane Notes by Ghrankenstein


Hello everybody, and greetings from the front lines. I’m writing today because our first 2008 CTS arrived yesterday, and I was lucky enough to sneak a quick drive. This isn’t a full review, or anything even close to a review, but it’s a chance to throw out a few early opinions and maybe get a few people psyched up for when I write some kind of actual review. I’ll have a ride-and-drive training event in a couple of weeks that will give me a lot more insight, as well as a chance to drive the CTS against some competitors (probably an ES350 and a 3-series, but who knows?), but for now there I have some early impressions that are worth relaying.

A late delivery and too much sunlight prohibited me from snapping the brooding twilight shots that I really wanted to take, so I don’t have any pictures of the CTS. Since I’m frequently criticized for my lack of pictures, I have to fall back on a metaphor for life that I have yet to figure out beyond the context of Zippy the Pinhead: When in doubt, 1950’s robot (thx, mbukukanyau).

In person, the new CTS is pretty impressive. I’ll save the in-depth analysis for later, but a few things stand out. The fender flares are muscular and mean looking, and the tire-fender gaps on this 18” FE-2 car (all-season tire performance) are satisfyingly meager. I’m still searching for the right way to photograph this. Next, the graceful curvature of the roofline’s apogee is lost in photographs, which tend to highlight the sharpness of the window outlines, which are chromed. Much like the early Lexus LS-400, it might just be the prettiest aspect of the CTS’s design, if not the most easily noticeable. Finally, the grille is much more impressive in pictures than in person, especially once the hood is opened. It looks like it’s made out of the same stuff that they used in the first-generation CTS headlight clusters. It has some little vertical chrome pieces that make it look good from a distance, but it lacks the impact of the Escalade’s grand fascia or even the sport-package SRX’s body-colored affair with its bright mesh backing. It’s kind of a letdown in person, at least at first look.

On the inside, the new CTS is the upgrade that all but the most cynical of us expected, but there are some surprises. On the good side, those surprises include a sturdy and well-damped glove box cover, and the refreshing lack of the old dust-collecting cup-holder slide. Even more impressive, the [automatic’s] switchgear has the solid, quality feel that was lacking in the earlier CTS. Finally, the Nav-Traffic function is elegantly integrated in the easy-to-use navigation screen. On the downside, the shorter roofline sacrifices rear-seat headroom that the STS doesn’t. Legroom and knee room are quite good, but the cabin ceiling “cutout” is narrow, and I’m still ducking at a shallow 6-3. The trunk-mounted battery cuts into valuable golf-club space, and the overall interior design is more baroque than organic. Cadillac can get away with baroque, but drivers who aren’t Super Kings might be a little jarred by the frequent interruption of lines that could flow more easily. Ergonomically, the new buttons placement will take some time to learn, and functionally related buttons aren’t always located near each other, but I’ll be able to better report on the overall functionality in the future.

On the road, the FE-2 felt aggressively stiff, and even a tad more massive than the more compliant STS. From a suspension perspective alone, this CTS had limits far beyond what I could test on my limited drive, with customers who insisted that I drive it because I hadn’t yet. Since my time in Benzes is dwarfed even by my limited time in Bimmers, I’m not ready to call it “Teutonic,” but the ’08 CTS feels much more broad-shouldered and solid than the ’07. At the same time, the added heft siphons away a bit of the friendliness that I felt toward the old 2.8L model, at least on this early drive. The new CTS is more dominant, more badass, and it seems to care a little less about what I think while performing its more mundane chores.

The steering will take some acclimation. The gear is the new ZF Servotronic II setup that all the young people seem to like these days. Keep in mind that I’m still feeling out the language, but my first experience was a little disappointing. The new fat steering wheel feels great in my hands, but around town about all it communicates is something about going to Nordstrom, and since I topped out at about 50 mph, I didn’t get much of a chance to read anything else. I’ve struggled to remember exactly where I’ve felt steering like this before, and the closest I can come is the 2005-2007 C6 Corvette, at about 80 mph. I’ll give the car a chance, certainly, since this is just a first impression, but the stone-age regular old steering of the previous CTS was a lot more exuberant about going to get frozen chimichangas. Look for a better interpretation in the future, but for now the unchallenged demeanor of the new CTS is a little too Lexus-like for my tastes.

I’ll end on a high note: the powertrain. Not only was this an FE-2, this was a 3.6L DI FE-2. The new direct-injected incarnation of the 3.6 will put off a few NVH “enthusiasts,” but for GM fans and Super Kings it’s a fanfare of triumph. The engine idles quietly, and minds its manners when shuttling the family to Ted Drewe’s, but when asked to perform it erupts into a proud, rasping bark. If it’s too loud under acceleration for you, then you don’t have my sympathy. I like to hear my engines when they sound really good. It reminds me of a tenor version of the Escalade’s 6.2L V-8 baritone. The new CTS will easily push its occupants back in their seats, and if it feels heavier than it is, it also feels faster.

I had no complaints about the older Cadillac’s 5-speed automatic, but this new six-speed does almost everything better. As I’ve frequently commented on the Escalade, and GMC Yukon Denali, the new 6-speed family always seems to have the right gear and it shifts smoothly and precisely. Manual mode shifts are especially improved. To me, shifts feel quicker than with the VW DSG box, but with a little added harshness due to the momentary rev-matching on downshifts. We’re splitting hairs here. I can comment that the 6-speed, in PAL (Performance Algorithm Liftfoot) mode likes to downshift two gears more frequently than the older 5L45E, and it’s now noticeable where it wasn’t in the 5-speed. It’s a small price to pay when six forward gears are necessary to be “competitive,” and the way I see it, the crisp and quick manual downshifts are a bonus.

There’s a lot about this car that I can already tell hasn’t been covered, and I’m only scratching the surface. I like it, and I’m impressed as heck by it, but I’m not completely sold on its driving dynamics as of today. The 2008 CTS has a much richer story yet to tell, and I can guarantee you that I’m going to tell it.

Thanks for reading.

Insane W. Ghrankenstein

[Sal Collaziano]

Thank you for the review! It sounds like the new CTS is going to have a large aftermarket for grilles...

[mdavis2]

And do we get a real transmission so we can choose our own gear?

[TaHoE]

I'm excited to read your whole review. I hope you'll have better things to say about the steering/handiling then.

[nsap]

Originally Posted by mdavis2

And do we get a real transmission so we can choose our own gear?

A 6-speed manual is standard in the 2008 CTS.

[IROCNROL1]

The eyes on the 1950s alien/robot appear to be independently articulated. I'm not sure if even the terminator had that feature.

[yamahr1]

I'm surprised you thought the old CTS had auto transmission shift gear that didn't feel up to snuff. Having driven an '05 recently, I thought it felt just right, with a quality feel missing in from the more lowly GM brands. That this one feels even better, though, is good news.

[guitarlix]

Excellent review. Don't bother with the ES350 for your comparison because I can already tell you that's it's junk compared to the CTS. But I'm not sure if the ES is the CTS's competition. (seems more like GS, 5 series, M45 etc.)

[BerettaZ]

Great read - thanks for the first impressions. Looking forward to a follow up down the road.

[Ghrankenstein]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

Excellent review. Don't bother with the ES350 for your comparison because I can already tell you that's it's junk compared to the CTS. But I'm not sure if the ES is the CTS's competition. (seems more like GS, 5 series, M45 etc.)

I'm more guessing what GM's gonna have for us to drive, and if they give me something to drive I'm going to make the most of it. I might not particularly care for the ES, but a chance to know it better is something I won't take lightly.

[mbukukanyau]

I get to be acknowledged in the post! Te he he.. Exellent review, I look foward to your full review ooh green one

[tgagneguam]

I'm infatuated with the new CTS. I think it's pleasing in so many ways. And I think the above commentary captures some of that.

Ghrankenstein, I think you know that I really do appreciate your reviews. They're thoughtful and balanced, like several of the reviews written by other contributors on this site. But the part that separates them a bit is that they are generally well-written. They kinda remind me of stories written by Jamie Kitman or Don Sherman (you're not quite there, yet, Ghrank, so don't be getting a fat head!), even if I sometimes take exception to their points of view. Not to be too melodramatic, but good writing is hard to achieve, and I think reviews like the above will elevate the status of this site.

[Greg Burr]

I test drove a fully loaded CTS. Love the car, but access to the power windows is awkward because of the door handle. I also don't understand the gaps between the dash and the door -- is this because of the stitched dash?

The car in mant ways exceeded my expectations, and it would make a breat car for business. For personal use, I would like it smaller. This is coming as a coupe, right?

[newclasshero]

Man, metal clad robots get ALL the hot women.

Nice review... I wonder if after futher driving it is a "it has grown on me" thing as far as the steering goes. I am excited to see it here in Canada.

[jwrebholz]

I think the dealers are getting wise to my joyriding. I pretty much get the cold shoulder no matter what dealer I go to--even ones I've never been to before.