[Carguy]

Audi has a AWD luxury sedan in the A8 why is it people think Cadillac can not have the same thing? Also the new XTS is on a modern platform that is capable of a lot in the way of performance and luxury the old W-Body platform of the DTS dates back to the 80's in some forms and was modified to FWD and RWD applications.

The DTS is not based on the W body but on a much newer and more advanced version of the old Aurora's G body.. And the W body never had a RWD application. If only it had GM would most likely be better off today.

 

[JBsZ06]

Its pretty impressive that a foreign car magazine like car and driver picked the CTS over the Japanese competitors.. That alone is a massive statement to how good the CTS is.

I recently saw the new 5 series and it blows the current one out of the water.

BMW usually (except for one recent S4 vs 335I test) wins....blah..blah...blah...

The CTS really is an exciting advancement for GM ...and look at who it beat!!!

The CTS V is the performance icon of the brand.. The 300hp CTS AWD fe2 is a great vehicle. Choosing a Jag, a MB or a Bimmer over it was never going to happen unless it blew them out of the water..

If they are equal...you can rest assured C & D will pick the imports..

No shame in that. Its just what they do.

For my hard earned money? I chose the CTS! Others can do as they please. Its that good...I don't really care.

As far as the luxury XTS.. which is supposedly beautiful.. I can't wait...and the upcoming ATS V is enough to get me excited to drive one..

I drove the CTS V and holly crap.. Now thats a machine to pine for ..IMO

 

[goatgary]

I am 6'4" and additionally compromised in the front seat, in the driver position. Everything feels cramped and undersized except the exterior! Also the DI 3.6L unacceptable IMO from the position of NVH. Moreover, having only owned V8 Cadillacs, that were very quiet and refined, left the CTS seemingly crude by comparison.
:drive:

The V8s you owned were undoubtedly a DeVille or DTS (or both), build for a quiet, smooth boulevard ride as opposed to sport handling. The CTS was rated as a sports sedan, not a cruiser. I have owed DeVilles, a CTS and an STS, all designed to fill different niches. The tuning of a sports sedan engine is intended to have a more robust exhaust note....without the raspiness of a Vette. In all the journalists tests since the current CTS was launched, NVH has not been a negative for the 3.6, which is highly regarded by people who's business it is to critique powertrains.

Also, I am 6'2 and the driver compartment is fine for me....and I never, ever carried anyone that tall in the rear...so not an issue for me.

That said, at 6'4" you are probably playing "kneezees" with the center stack. You might want to consider a Lacrosse....or DTS.

 

[tgagneguam]

The CTS was up against some very strong competitors, and it's hard to find significant fault with the results.

I do chuckle at the M's last-place finish, though I'm envious that Infiniti will be bringing to market a 420-hp AWD(!) beast come 2011. Yikes!

If I bought a foreign car, I'd hate to have to explain to anyone why I betrayed my country.

People might explain their foreign car purchases in precisely the same fashion that you would if you were pressed to explain the many, many undoubtedly foreign-manufactured products that can be found in your home: electronics; the oil/gas that undoubtedly powers your home's furnace/vehicle; the clothes on your back; and a host of other products. And before you say that many of these things no longer are made in America, I say that you're not searching hard enough or simply are not willing to pay the higher cost generally associated with American-made electronics, clothes and the like. Homes can be heated and cooled with geothermal/photo-voltaic cells, can be powered by windmills and solar arrays, and more. You just have to be willing to spend the dough.

Be careful when you accuse people of betraying America; you might have to aim those sharp arrows at yourself.

 

[rueben44]

The Audi A8 also sales considerably fewer models per year then the S class and BMW 7 series as well as has decades of proving its A8 as a decent car. Cadillac will be releasing the XTS with a bad image and I do not see how it will compete or the logic in producing it the way they are.

I will give you that but I think that is because it is bland as he&&. Every generation of it has been very dull without much in the way of character. With Cadillac styling I really don't see what the issue is going to be. Nobody is racing large luxury sedans they want luxury and competence in emergency situations....generally speaking.

 

[mbukukanyau]

Its pretty impressive that a foreign car magazine like car and driver picked the CTS over the Japanese competitors.. That alone is a massive statement to how good the CTS is.

I recently saw the new 5 series and it blows the current one out of the water.

BMW usually (except for one recent S4 vs 335I test) wins....blah..blah...blah...

The CTS really is an exciting advancement for GM ...and look at who it beat!!!

The CTS V is the performance icon of the brand.. The 300hp CTS AWD fe2 is a great vehicle. Choosing a Jag, a MB or a Bimmer over it was never going to happen unless it blew them out of the water..

If they are equal...you can rest assured C & D will pick the imports..

No shame in that. Its just what they do.

For my hard earned money? I chose the CTS! Others can do as they please. Its that good...I don't really care.

As far as the luxury XTS.. which is supposedly beautiful.. I can't wait...and the upcoming ATS V is enough to get me excited to drive one..

I drove the CTS V and holly crap.. Now thats a machine to pine for ..IMO

Also folks need to consinder that the CTS is getting old, already going into its 3rd year. and the price has gone up, it was designed to be somewhere between the 5 series and the 3 series.. now a 5 series...

That said, to knock out heavy weights like the Acura RL and Lexus GS is simply a huge victory for Cadillac.

 

[rueben44]

The DTS is not based on the W body but on a much newer and more advanced version of the old Aurora's G body.. And the W body never had a RWD application. If only it had GM would most likely be better off today.

I stand corrected on the DTS platform but the W body platform came from or I should say was modified from GM's G or A platforms if I am correct. Which was offered in RWD and FWD applications. The Deville is still on the K body right which dates backs to the 80's thought the Deville did not use it till the 90's. The original K was RWD but a FWD version was created from it.

 

[Carguy]

I stand corrected on the DTS platform but the W body platform came from or I should say was modified from GM's G or A platforms if I am correct. Which was offered in RWD and FWD applications. The Deville is still on the K body right which dates backs to the 80's thought the Deville did not use it till the 90's. The original K was RWD but a FWD version was created from it.

The old RWD G bodies were replaced by the FWD W body in 1987 as 88 models. They have nothing in common besides model names and a 108in wheelbase. While the old G bodies were full framed (Monte Carlo,Regal,Cutless Supreme ect.) the W body that replaced them were FWD unitized bodies and all new. The Deville/DTS and previous FWD STS are based on unique and fully modern unitized G bodies related to the first Olds Aurora and others much newer then the W bodies. There was only one platform in GM's history that was both offered in FWD and RWD and that was the late 1960's-early 1980's Cadillac Eldorado,Olds Toronado both FWD and the Buick Riviera that was RWD.

 

[PAULSTS1]

The V8s you owned were undoubtedly a DeVille or DTS (or both), build for a quiet, smooth boulevard ride as opposed to sport handling. The CTS was rated as a sports sedan, not a cruiser. I have owed DeVilles, a CTS and an STS, all designed to fill different niches. The tuning of a sports sedan engine is intended to have a more robust exhaust note....without the raspiness of a Vette. In all the journalists tests since the current CTS was launched, NVH has not been a negative for the 3.6, which is highly regarded by people who's business it is to critique powertrains.

Also, I am 6'2 and the driver compartment is fine for me....and I never, ever carried anyone that tall in the rear...so not an issue for me.

That said, at 6'4" you are probably playing "kneezees" with the center stack. You might want to consider a Lacrosse....or DTS.

Sorry Goatgary:

Never owned a Deville or DTS, all three Cadillacs 84 Seville Elegante w/Touring Suspension, 98 Seville STS, 06 STS. While in the latter 2 there were compromises in space, all these cars were vault quiet. My current CLS550 is quieter, just by a hair than the 06 STS. The passive electronics (pre-set memory) in my last 3 vehicles made the entrance and exit issues, moot.

BTW, I am in the market for replacement of the 98 STS, I am considering an 2011 Dodge Challenger or Charger Hemi. The Lacrosse doesn't offer a V8.

:drive:

 

[brian5o]

[The CTS received high marks for braking, steering feel, automatic transmission, and overall sporting feel.]

I think that they should have went with the manual, myself!:drive:

 

[PistonsFan]

If the XTS and SRX are any indication the next CTS will be FWD and weigh 500lbs more.

I'm sorry, but I'm not bullish on a brand that seems to think Acura is the target.

The SRX doesn't say a whole lot about the direction of Cadillac as an isolated event, but when you couple it with what will amount to a stretched AWD Lacrosse, then you really do see the Acura RL and MDX are the targets.

Next-gen CTS is not FWD.

And ATS has a new RWD platform developed specifically for its application... to be a 3-series fighter.

They aren't chasing Acura at all. And seeing you post that clearly tells me that you are pushing some agenda to diminish what others think of Cadillac.

Take that nonsense elsewhere.

 

[1G6]

I take my (admittedly limited) economic impact very seriously. I am every bit the fanatic my posts imply.

People might explain their foreign car purchases in precisely the same fashion that you would if you were pressed to explain the many, many undoubtedly foreign-manufactured products that can be found in your home: electronics; the oil/gas that undoubtedly powers your home's furnace/vehicle; the clothes on your back; and a host of other products. And before you say that many of these things no longer are made in America, I say that you're not searching hard enough or simply are not willing to pay the higher cost generally associated with American-made electronics, clothes and the like. Homes can be heated and cooled with geothermal/photo-voltaic cells, can be powered by windmills and solar arrays, and more. You just have to be willing to spend the dough.

Be careful when you accuse people of betraying America; you might have to aim those sharp arrows at yourself.

 

[mgescuro]

If I spent $50k on a sedan, I'd hate to have to explain to anyone why I didn't buy a Mercedes.

Wouldn't be me. I bought the Mercedes. :fall:

 

[sepi]

The CTS is over-priced by $10k - it is not luxurious - and in base form it is not sporty. I fail to see how it should be compared with anything more substantial than a Taurus or Chrysler 300.

 

[Parlay84]

This outcome was to be expected for the CTS. It beat some older cars and a over-priced fake(RL) The newer Jag, Audi, and MB I expected to do well. The real surprise is the BMW winning with a new version around the corner.

Problem is when the new Infiniti gets here and Lexus works on the GS where will that leave the CTS? When is the MCE to be expected?

 

[Gm786]

I think the main thing GM needs to do to the Cadillac CTS is make it a bit more lighter and give it better seats. I've sat in the Cadillac CTS a few times and the seats offered plenty of comfort although they could of used more lateral support. I can assure you that if the Cadillac CTS was 200 to 300 pounds lighter it would sprint to 0-60 much faster and achieve much better MPG. :yup:
All in all the CTS is a great sport luxury sedan and considering the fact that GM built the current one with the mind frame of it competing with the BMW 3-Series even though spec wise it competes with the 5-series, it's holding up very well. And when I'm in the market for a luxury sedan the CTS is the first one on my list.

 

[Gm786]

Wouldn't be me. I bought the Mercedes. :fall:

And why am I not surprised?

 

[goblue]

Next-gen CTS is not FWD.

And ATS has a new RWD platform developed specifically for its application... to be a 3-series fighter.

They aren't chasing Acura at all. And seeing you post that clearly tells me that you are pushing some agenda to diminish what others think of Cadillac.

Take that nonsense elsewhere.

It's no agenda. I've just had it. The XTS is supposed to replace the DTS and be the flagship? On a modified Lacrosse platform?

I can sort of understand the reasoning for the SRX. However, the XTS is an abomination for a flagship - if that's even what it is. Are the CTS and XTS sharing the flagship spot? Is that the plan, one RWD, the other FWD?

Someone else put it best. Kill the STS, XLR, and (rumored) shrink the Slade onto a FWD platform. Put the SRX on a FWD platform. The ATS is the exception to this trend - it ought to be the rule. It's a bad trend!

I'm sure the CTS will remain on a RWD platform, but given these trends, I stand by my statement - chasing Acura - 3.6L hooked to Haldex is the RL's powertrain. No one else has been stupid enough to copy that in a full size sedan...yet.

Who are they going after? It's certainly not BMW, Mercedes, or even Lexus. They've decided the 50K+ pricepoint isn't worth competing in for cars. (CTS-V is niche and doesn't count)

They had it right years ago - all they had to do was some incremental improvement. Now, its all a mess except for the CTS and the Escalade - the only 2 cars left that have any kind of model reputation.

 

[ledfoot73]

Ok I just have to say it. If Buick was truly, truly a competitor to Lexus, like so many keep saying. Could the new fwd platform Regal sport model, even an awd version be a consideration for this list, especially if delivered with underwhelming horsepower. Oh wait, maybe it's not really a luxury sedan. I truly miss the old days when Buick truly was a world standard that was unique to America, not trying to be Toyota, and would have been a contender for this list.

 

[motorman]

Executive Privileges: Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison

For Those with the Means, Eight Lovely Sport Sedans...
December 17, 2009 / Photography by Brian Vance

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...om/roadtests/sedans/1002_luxury_sport_sedan_comparison/index.html#ixzz0auqub8DU


"Scan the present offerings -- Acura RL, Audi A6 3.0T, BMW 535i, Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI, Infiniti M35, Jaguar XF 4.2, Lexus GS 350, and Mercedes-Benz E350 -- and the average base price comes out to nearly $49,000, with a high of $52,000 (XF) and a low of $44,650 (CTS). Through September 2009, sales of these nameplates were down 29 percent compared with 2008, but that still translates to nearly 110,000 Americans writing $50,000 checks during those nine months. Recession? That just means S-Class buyers and the like are stepping down to E-Class territory."

This is the how MotorTrend ranks the $50,000 luxury cars.

1. BMW 535i
2. Audi A6 3.0T Quattro
3. Mercedes-Benz E350
4. Jaguar XF 4.2
5. Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI
6. Lexus GS 350
7. Acura RL
8. Infiniti M35 S


The CTS received high marks for braking, steering feel, automatic transmission, and overall sporting feel.

The CTS was heavily dinged for a lack of comfort, too much mass, and not enough space.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...adtests/sedans/1002_luxury_sport_sedan_comparison/2010_cadillac_cts_3_6_di.html

i agree not enough space as i rented one for a trip to Fla. and with 4 people it was not a pleasant ride because with people in the back seat the people in the front seat had to move their seats more forward than was comfortable for them.