Now that the hype surrounding the 2014 CTS has come and gone, we felt it appropriate to take the time and reflect on Cadillac‘s all-new midsize sedan. There is much to like about the new CTS, and not much to dislike. So here we go:
What We Like
The design
Photos of the 2014 Cadillac CTS don’t do the actual car justice. Its rakish, yet polished design placed on a nearly perfect profile shape strikes us as one of the best in the segment. And that’s saying a whole lot. Strong emotions were felt each and every time we gazed at the new CTS, and we really couldn’t get enough of it. Would we have liked to see more creative effort in the rear fascia? Sure, but it doesn’t even come close to spoiling the overall looks. Hats off to the entire team involved in designing the 2014 Cadillac CTS.
The relatively light weight
In its most basic form, the 2014 Cadillac CTS lost 244 pounds over the previous-generation model, despite being longer and wider. At 3,616 pounds, it is the lightest vehicle in the segment. Much of this is thanks to GM’s Alpha rear-wheel-drive vehicle architecture, first introduced in the smaller ATS, which is also light for its class. The utilization of aluminum and magnesium in its design, instead of heavier steel, also helped the all-new CTS keep the weight down. The weight savings will most definitely pay huge dividends when it comes to driving dynamics — something that Cadillac seems to be doing better than everybody else these days.
The power
We may prefer the LT1 V8 over the twin-turbocharged LF3 V6, but there’s no denying the amount of power the engine brings to the table. At 420 horsepower the engine outright embarrasses BMW’s twin-turbo V8 in the 550i, in that it produces more horsepower (420 to 400), with two less cylinders. But even for those who don’t want that much power, Cadillac will also offer the very potent 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder engine making around 270 horsepower, and the 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 with roughly 330 horsepower.
What We Dislike
The lack of a manual transmission
The 2014 CTS might be introducing a new engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission in the VSport version, but somehow, for some reason, a manual transmission slipped through the final product, at least at launch. It puzzles us why such a driver’s car isn’t going to be offered with a driver’s transmission. We’ve heard the rebuttal that the take rate would be too low, but nobody really offers a manual transmission in a vehicle these days thinking that sales would be significant. Besides, the Buick Verano Turbo has one.
The lack of a friction bubble in the VSport model
The 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport may not be the impending, full-on next-gen CTS-V, but at 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, coupled with Magnetic Ride Control, it would fit in just as well on the track (which Cadillac expects owners to visit) as it does the street. So why not give it some track-oriented amenities, such as a friction bubble, which monitors lateral and longitudinal G-forces? At the very least, VSport owners can brag to all their BMW-owning friends, who were tricked into thinking that their 550i is still some sort of sport luxury car (maybe it is, but definitely not as fun of a driver’s car as it used to be). Besides, the Buick Regal GS has a friction bubble, with just over half as much horsepower (and half the price tag, probably) as the VSport. But which one strikes you as the better track-day car? Our bet’s on the Cadillac.
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Comments
Uh, to be fair, BMW bumped up the power of the 4.4L for the 7-series applications, and they HAVE been known to under-rate their engines.
Just sayin’…
@John Madden Yupp, BMW has been known to under-rate them… but GM’s numbers for the LF3 are SAE-rated. Doesn’t get any more official than that.
But even assuming a slight under-rating by BMW of the 4.4 TT, how much power are they not reporting?
What a great looking car, I cannot wait to see one in person! I do think, though, that there is one glaring omission from the dislike list: limited rear seat legroom. It will be an issue for prospective buyers in this category. I recall someone else wondering on this website if maybe the Alpha platform cannot be stretched any more than this. I’d really like to know that as well. If it can be, there seems to be little excuse for the new CTS to be 5 inches longer than the old car but only 1.2 inches longer in wheelbase than on the old platform.
Normally it is difficult to revise wheelbase and FOD (width at front of dash)/width at sills within a platform. To do so you either need to develop/tool up very expensive specific lower body parts or creative design such as slip joints.
For a low volume vehicle this is cost prohibitive. I can just imagine the body and interior engineers trying to creativity extend the interior knee room and hip width.
“Would we have liked to see more creative effort in the rear fascia?”
Any such effort would have likely made the CTS less elegant than it looks. A bolder rear end would play off the aggressive front fascia, giving the car a less sophisticated look. Cadillac’s designers needed to balance out that front end, and they did so successfully.
Dang, you didn’t have to write anymore after longer and wider! I hate it when ‘Mmerican cars get smaller, this is great news. Have not seen it in person, but I’m already warming up to that back end, that bumper has a bunch of creases adding A LOT of character compared to all the generic rear ends from team Lexus. It has fins, which are a MUST. Love the new “see thru” emblem on the back, first time I’ve seen that in ‘Cadlac history, makes the emblem custom for every color- let’s see the Japanese do that!
I don’t like that the Vsport isn’t available with awd (at least yet?…). Also, could we see an ATS Vsport? That sounds more interesting to me.
GM has a group of serious artists, i.e. designers, sculptors, fabricators, engineers. It seems they are collecting the cream of the crop and hand picking talented students from famous art schools. Brilliant and bold designs, pushing the boundaries and thanks to Bob Lutz and the visionaries for bringing art back from the dead. No looking back now.
what would the XTS with the TT engine called? XTS V-sport?
I wish the interior felt as inspired as the exterior. I just don’t see the same refinement. Take a look at the new Grand Cherokee. That’s the new standard. I think they have a German running interior design now. No wonder.
I don’t mean to be a fanboy, something I’d look down on, but I severely disagree with you. The new GC may use real wood, but its design lets it down. The design crashes into itself and makes no sense and it already looks old. View the new CTS, and everything runs in harmony and quality. But I like the new GC, don’t get me wrong there.
Simply, the new GC is no Caddy.
New Grand Cherokee’s interior is really sharp…I do not like all the black Cadillac uses this year for carpets and trimwork…too austere for a luxury car unless it is an all-black interior.
If the only complaints are the lack of a manual tranny in the V6 and you want a bubble level on the dash then they did ok.
I can not blame them for the lack of the manual as generally they see the numbers sold and they know that most that will buy one will be in a V series anyways. It is a automatic world like it or not.
As for the toy it is just a toy that often gets forgotten about 6 months after the car is purchased. I have had these things my self and after a while you tend to forget about them. Now things like Launch control etc they still come in handy.
The only mistake here is having smallest in class rear seat. It is not much smaller but enough to distract people with this small criticism from the whole package.
They did not have to be the largest but you never want to be on the short end of anything be it power or space. Even if you are second to last smallest it seldom comes up.
I sat in the back seat, and I had a good amount of clearance. My 5’8″, 190lb frame wasn’t cramped by any means. And the differences could simply be from automakers measuring rear legroom differently, rather than using the SAE standard. Besides, rear legroom doesn’t matter as much to the luxury sedan buyer as it does to the mainstream sedan buyer.
Yeah, manuals are so last century. Hey it’s 2013, F1 has been using clutchless paddle shifting auto transmissions for decades. If auto is good enough for F1, it is good enough for any car.
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I like the improvements they made to the CTS. That being said, I still prefer Mercedes to Cadillac and other luxury brands.
Wish GM would start offering all high end vehicles like this, an EV drive train like the Volt. I really love this new CTS, but after owning the Volt, I can never go back to gas. The extended range EV drive is the best and deserves to be offered in great cars like this.
Manoli, I’m not surprised there is enough rear seat legroom for your 5’8″ frame. Trouble is, people buy this car to take their teenage son in, and when I look around most of them are taller than I am (5’10”), with legs like stilts. If they cannot be as comfortable back there as in the competitor’s vehicle, then they will buy the other car. All else being roughly equal, that is the deciding factor. I sure hope not as many decisions like that as I worry there might be, because this beautiful car should be bought and enjoyed en masse.
And I don’t worry about there not being a manual transmission, because even far fewer people buy a mid size luxury car to hustle it around a track or rip off 0-60 times. They want to cruise along, often in heavy city traffic, and an auto is the way to go for this.