There’s no debating that the 2014 CTS will take the Cadillac brand to new heights: not only is the car the lightest in its segment, but it also looks like a million bucks, and represents a huge step forward for Cadillac any way you look at it… unless you’re looking at rear seat legroom.
The issue is that the new third-generation CTS has less rear-seat legroom than its most direct competitors from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz… and it also has less rear-seat legroom than the outgoing second-generation CTS, which strikes us as puzzling, to say the least.
2014 Cadillac CTS Rear Seat Legroom
2014 CTS vs. the competition| VEHICLE | REAR-SEAT LEGROOM (inches) | + / - NEW CTS (inches) | REAR-SEAT LEGROOM (mm) | + / - NEW CTS (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 CADILLAC CTS | 35.4 | N/A | 899 | N/A |
| 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS | 35.8 | -0.4 | 909 | -10 |
| 2014 BMW 5 SERIES | 36.1 | -0.7 | 917 | -18 |
| 2014 AUDI A6 | 37.4 | -2 | 949 | -50 |
| 2013 CADILLAC CTS | 36.06 | -0.66 | 915 | -16 |
Having studied the numbers above, it is worth mentioning that the 2014 CTS’ rear-seat legroom dimensions aren’t that much smaller than those of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and we don’t see it being much of a sales deterred in the real world. However, the topic possibly begs a bigger question: does the minuscule amount of second-row legroom in the CTS (at least when compared to the competition) endemic of GM? After all, no one needs a repeat of the 2013 Malibu and the rear-seat legroom fiasco (founded or not) happening with one of Chevy’s bread-and-butter models. Even so, perhaps what we should be asking is why the new CTS’ legroom shrunk, while the exterior dimensions grew. How’s that for space efficiency?
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Comments
The front of this car is very long visualy, and the cabin does seem to be tacked on to the front “along for the ride”… I was going to say something about these proportion odities sooner but had a fear of being branded a heritic and dragged off with pitch forks and torches. The Cabin just seems squashed slightly and the nose is elongated just shy of looking really awkward… I do however like the car, just wondering if it could use a little more refinement…
Long hood and short trunk is the name of the game
It isn’t that bad honestly. Seeing reviews and people sitting in the back, it looks like they have plenty of room vs the current CTS.
The only downside unless you’re the one stuck in the back seat.
This seems to be a common theme for GM’s cars: poor rear seat legroom compared with class. The hoods on GM cars are consistently longer than Asian cars in the same class as well. I wonder what the motivation is for these design choices??? GM consistently gets dinged by Consumer Reports for this problem (Chevy Cruze, Malibu, Cadillac ATS, etc)
It is not much smaller but I had hoped they has learned from the ATS that small details like this distract shoppers and reviewers from the whole picture. Too often a small detail like this blinds many from a complete package.
I hope they correct this in the LTS.
i’ve never understood why thats such a problem? how many buyers spent their time in the backseat? thats a problem for passengers, not the driver
This probably wont be as much an issue here as it is in the mainstream family sedans from Chevy. Why oh why do they keep doing this. Does the supposed “problem” stem from the global architectures which are known for this trait or what?
“Does the supposed “problem” stem from the global architectures which are known for this trait or what?”
I don’t think that’s the cause of the problem, as all of the competitors from Germany are global models. Instead, this seems to be a GM quality… one that I don’t think is that important or even an “issue”, so to speak.
All of the cars listed except the A6 have less rear seat leg room than the Malibu 36.8″ 935mm.
Interesting figures, but a nothing story, ultimately. I mean, their main competition of these (if you had to pick one) is clearly the Mercedes. And is someone going to buy/not buy a car over literally 1 centimer more/less room? How would one even notice this unless they brought a laser-guided ruler to the dealership?
First of all, i do think it’s an awesome car. But, I am disappointed that it has even less rear seat legroom than the outgoing CTS. And it is an issue. A friend has a 2009 CTS-V. 🙂 It’s an awesome car, except when there are more than two adults riding in it. We all want the front seat because we know legroom is limited behind the driver and front passenger. And btw we are both only about 5’10”. And when one friend who’s about 6’3″ and 250 lbs is in there, we have to squeeze him in front and have little room behind him for our legs. And this is in a mid-sized luxury sedan….
I’d rather have it weigh extra 200 pounds and have a useable trunk an roomier interior.
It doesn’t really matter that much.
In the words of Jeremy Clarkson: “Because look at it”.
Wow! 7 tenths of an inch less than the 2014 BMW. Really folks, that’s about the thickness of a good cigar! Hello!
How pathetic is this article?
Never mind the knockout looks, lower profille, lower -sloped front windshield. Nevermind the CUE has been updated and was better than what BMW offered in the first place.. ah… its the back seat now……Henri is spot on.
The truth?
The amount of space we are talking about is smaller that the thickness of your key fob.
Just the facts…..
Cadillac, once the wannabee, has (again) has beaten Mercedes and BMW at their own game, something that, since 2008, is now the norm.
This car was made to destroy the German competition. Everyone.
It will.
1inch big deal…dont get this car is to small by 1 inch…lolll
The other thing that is missed when discussing rear seat leg room is front seat legroom. After all, the seats slide back and forth? The CTS has quite a bit more front seat legroom than the competitors. If you add the front seat legroom to rear seat legroom, the picture shifts a bit for total legroom available to be divided between front and rear passengers.
front/rear/total
CTS 42.6/35.4/78.0
BMW 5 41.4/36.1/77.5
A6 41.3/37.4/78.5
MB E 41.3/35.8/77.8
So Audi has a half inch more total foot room and BMW has a half inch less. Much ado about nothing.