If anyone needs a reminder Cadillac builds some pretty darn good sedans, the CTS is it. Born years ago from the failed Catera, the CTS has become almost as synonymous as Escalade with the brand, mostly due to the bonkers CTS-V variant that has terrorized Mercedes-AMG and BMW’s M division for years.
Now, as buyers flock to crossovers, every automaker is taking a hit on its sedans. It’s a shame because we’re likely looking at the sedan’s tipping point. The most recent comparison test from Car and Driver reiterates this, and the 2017 Cadillac CTS V-Sport found a lot of love from editors.
Of each executive sedan brought in for the comparison — a Jaguar XF, Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class — the Cadillac is the one that put the “sport” in sport sedan. The CTS V-Sport came alive in the hands of drivers, offering engagement and fun factor not found in the BMW, Audi or Jaguar.
The love netted it a second place finish.
Why second? Because the CTS V-Sport is still more “sport” than “luxury” sedan in its execution. Build quality showed signs of trouble in the test vehicle; road and wind noise was pumped in more than any contender and the V6 was less refined as others in the stable.
We honestly look forward to what Cadillac’s reboot of the CTS and ATS will hold. These are already incredible driver’s cars. With a little more luxury, ATS and CTS could be real home runs.
Comments
So this Cadillac CTS-V sport is a better performance car then the others but comes in 2nd because it lacks what some people think as not being refined enough! What a load of crap!
These people just can’t stand seeing Cadillac beat the rivals from Europe and Asia.
It’s a performance car people that’s where the focus should stay at, not worrying about something in the interior!
Biggest complaint I see is the leather isn’t as nice as BMW and Mercedes and the Que system has some issues. I agree it’s a load of crap.
IT was an overall Test & Review, Brian, not specifically focused on performance/handling in which the CTS-V-Sport held its own or bettered the other vehicles in the report.
I’m a fan of Cadillac. My first car was a 48′ Cadillac 62-Series convertible and I have had a few others since, but the CTS is in a field of very tough competitors that have been honing their craft for a while. The ATS and CTS still leave a bit on the floor when it comes to cabin refinement, particularly the dash/instrument cluster. MB has some of the best or the best dash/instrument arrangements/displays in the this field of contenders. Cadillac has the sport down, now they need to add some that to the dash and deal with the NVH which is of paramount importance in this class of vehicles.
This is my point exactly! The testers are not testing the car for what it is purposely built for. They go off into area’s thar don’t apply .
When I read a review of a lambo I never here them say the dash is lacking so the cars a failure!
Jay Leno said it best if you are paying attention to the dash in a performance car then you are focusing on the wrong thing or maybe you picked the wrong car!
This isn’t a Camaro or Mustang. The segment is mid-size LUXURY sedan. Just take one look at the CTS interior and then go and see the equivalent Mercedes or anything else in the category, you will quickly understand that the CTS is completely, embarrassingly outclassed.
In fact, Cadillac doesn’t even belong in this test. As a brand, it’s near luxury ( as is Volvo, Acura, Infinity) and not LUXURY.
While I agree with you that the CTS is a sport-luxury vehicle, as opposed to a sporty vehicle (like the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger), I do not agree that Cadillac is a near-luxury brand, which is far from reality.
What separates near-luxury from full luxury today is the way the drivetrain is laid out.
Near-luxury cars use a transverse engine layout typically driving the front wheels (or all wheels using a front-biased AWD setup), resulting in a compromised weight distribution and inferior ride/handling qualities. This can be said of all near-luxury brands, including GM’s own Buick, along with Lincoln, Acura, Volvo, and some Lexus vehicles. This also applies to some Cadillac products such as the XTS and XT5.
By comparison, true luxury vehicles such as those from Cadillac, BMW, Mercedes, Maserati, Jaguar, and even the new Genesis brand use longitudinally-places engines driving the rear wheels, or all wheels via a rear-dominant torque split.
Audi fits somewhat in between all of this due to its unique Quattro drivetrain layout, which is front drove dominant with a longitudinal engine placement. This setup compromises handling due to the engine being ahead of the front axle, but is better than typical transverse layouts.
That is what truly separates actual luxury cars from near luxury cars. Everything else, such as interior materials, styling, and trim, can be done on any car, regardless of powertrain placement.
It is this way because rear-drove, longitudinal platforms require their own investment and development, something that near-lux brands typically can not afford to make.
And so in that regard, every Cadillac sedan except for the XTS fits the criteria of being front-drive.
In terms of branding, Autoline defines Cadillac as a premium brand. Check at the 2 minute mark.
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/?p=48904
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I’m not in agreement with this, but it seems that with the emphasis on gadgets/electronics and self driving, younger drivers are placing increasingly less importance on handling and engine placement.
That does not seem to be a good way to define a brand or its products.
You (and Autoline) are referring to reputation, while I am referring to product, price, and substance.
In the case of Cadillac, the brand’s reputation is lagging behind reality – which is common for brands/products that have not been well established or are undergoing a turnaround (both are true for Cadillac).
Meanwhile, BMW is a case where its reputation is built on previous success and is not representative of current/recent products… which some think are lackluster, as evidenced by the comparison referenced in this article.
So, from a product standpoint, Cadillac is as much of a luxury brand as anything else in the luxury car space.
I will try to define the brand and its products. It is the Cadillac of cars!
This points out the issue the CTS has had. GM has done well with the overall package but it has lacked in detail areas as they were never hive full control to do as they see fit at Cadillac.
Case in point the new CT6. Mark Ruess wanted better door handles but was over ruled for cheaper units. This was at a time the CT6 was to have been the flag ship. Now really you go cheaper for a few bucks on the flag ship?
This is why JDN was brought in and Cadillac moved to NYC so they can do their work with less GM looking over their shoulder.
I expect Cadillac will soon show what they can do with less GM cost counting.
Time for Cadillac to perform a mid-life refreshing of the CTS and since there’s no more powerful engine available, Cadillac will need to possibly focus on the CTS’ suspension to achieve better performance which means possibly transferring technology from Cadillac’s DPi-V.R team and Cadillac Racing ATS-V.R to the production CTS and ATS as suspension could be the key to achieving better times at Germany’s Nurburgring.
Suspension tuning is the least important matter that would need to be addressed. Have you not been keeping up to date with the accolades about the Alpha platform’s handling and suspension!!!!???? And what does a better time at Nurburgring have to do with sales?
It would seem that Cadillac has an opportunity to expand on its strengths and learn from its weakness in interior execution and also to flesh out its sedan heavy line-up with CUVs.
I am all for suspension upgrades but why should Cadillac do it? They won’t give Cadillac the credit it deserves for being a better handling car because somebody will point out a negative thing they see on the dash or center console! It’s just sad the way some people think!
All vehicles are evaluated in a number of build/design areas. The suspension of the ATS ans CTS is already top notch, as good as or better then their competition. The CTS doesn’t need to be Ring master, it just has to be competent in the areas its competition is. If it is a little better, it will be noted and appreciated by some owners.
GM has some of the best engineers/engineering in the automotive world, they are world class and the new Cadillac’s, Camaro’s, and Corvette’s are proof of that. It should be noted that for many years now, I have owned, and own and drive several BMW’s, but even well informed, fair minded BMW guys/gals, have to recognize Cadillac’s achievements in chassis/suspension design and execution.
Agreed. Now if we can just get the designers to put more focus on sightlines and visibility on the Camaro, smoother and quieter powertrains and better build quality/interior materials. Cadillac will never be the “standard of the world” until they do!
as long as Cadillac is too focused on performance and sports cars….it won’t be a full-luxury brand…it will just be a near-luxury brand….like Acura, Infinit, Lexas.
Question- why can’t GM/Cadillac ever seem to get fit and finish, build quality/materials and engine NVH right in any of there vehicles lately? For the fantasy land price of these things reaching up into the mid 70K range there is literally no excuse whatsoever why this stuff keeps happening. It’s almost as if they want Cadillac to fail and another reason they’re sedan sales are in a continual downward spiral. JDN, New York City headquarters, letter name changes and high prices will do nothing at all for this company. High quality class leading products with stand out styling and tech, smooth quiet powertrains and brand recognition are a good place to start. Copying BMW not so much!
i think cadillac makes some of the best cars out there. i was recently working at a dealership that would buy high mileage luxury brands .. 2015 mercedes s class’s bmw 750s, 635s cadillac xts’s with 190 k and escalades. of all the cars i think the cadillacs held up the best we had an xts with 193K miles that ran like it had 50 k and when we sold them they did come back with problems.. the mercs and bmws were a different story, with the bmws being the absolute worst. nothing but computer problems. that’s why there is no spare tire, the well is filled with computers. you’ll be ok if you lease you of these cars for 3 yrs. with a warranty but after that look out. i owned 2012 cts i now have a 2015 srx performance and just ordered a xt 5 i love these cars. they have the slickest interiors, the doors slam like vaults (get in a ct6) compared to the loose fit of a 6 series or x5 and once you learn the cue system (20 min. ) you will not want to play with a knob like the others. and to all you haters, i never like cadillacs either until i drove the 2012 cts..i had to have it , now i’m hooked
On Cadillac’s website the CTS-V shows a twin turbo V6 when you goto build a CTS sedan and select V series but when you goto the V series page itself it only shows the V8 version. Very strange, they have the V6 twin turbo version under the CTS sedan section and its like 70k but under the V section itself it only shows the 86k V* 620hp version. Just find it strange
The CTS V-sport and the CTS-V are two very different cars. Only the CTS-V is the big daddy that is totally in Cadillacs V-line of cars. The CTS V-sport is the highest trim you can get before stepping up into the CTS-V