2008 Cadillac CTS Road Test

There is absolutely no mistaking the 2008 Cadillac CTS for any other car on the road, or any other car on the planet, for that matter. The CTS is ‘styled’ to within an inch of its life, with no panel, surface or component avoiding the strong, sweeping strokes of the designer’s pen. Call this car bold, ‘pimped-out’ or just plain crazy, call it what you want, but there is no escaping the super-styled CTS – this is a car you just have to look at. And it is very likely that it will be during that very first glance that you’ll set your mind in stone as to whether or not you like it. You see, the CTS is so striking that it evokes opinions instantly, and ‘high-styling’ on this level is a brave step by any manufacturer. Do you like it?

I certainly do. Without doubt this midsize saloon is as bold as a blow to the head and if making a statement with your style floats your boat, the CTS will have you sailing happily into the sunset. But, I have a strong background not only in new car testing, but also in modifying and restyling cars, so whenever I look at a new model for the first time I think forward to how the car could look, with the addition of say, a larger set of wheels, a lower suspension stance and a more vivid paint job. I also relish the chance to stand out and the new Caddy would certainly ensure that I could never stay anonymous, especially after the aforementioned trip to ‘Pimp My Ride!’

Hyper-sharp body lines, huge ‘boxy’ chrome-trimmed grille, vertically stacked headlights and taillights, the wide stance with flared wheel arches, all wrapped-up in a very coupe-esque, athletic silhouette - you could easily imagine this car cruising The Strip in downtown Las Vegas, bright neon lights reflecting off that sculptured body, with the 18-inch, 9-spoke alloy wheels in that mirror-like ‘high-polish’ finish spinning to a reflective blur. If you look at a car the way I do and its shape and style evokes strong feelings, then I think we can agreed that that’s a good thing and that the CTS designers have done their job. The only downside to ultra-bold styling is that there is a very thin line between love and hate, and for a car to make its styling statement so strongly firmly sits it on that thin line. Just one look at the CTS will probably make your mind up for you, even before you test drive it. If you love the looks, the test drive is a must, and if you don’t like the looks very much at all, you should still take a drive… because this ‘Yank tank’ is certainly no slouch.

This AutoMiddleEast.com test car came packing the 3.6-litre V6 VVT (Variable Valve Timing) engine, which produces 278hp at 6400 rpm and 360Nm of torque at 3100 rpm. Now, 278hp isn’t a huge amount of power, but coupled to the accurate 6-speed automatic gearbox, it was definitely a very useable amount of power and I really felt a decent shove in my back when my foot was floored, as the CTS jumped eagerly into its stride. The sprint time and top speed are confirmed to be easily as exciting as the feeling of getting there, with a shade under 7-seconds to 100kph away from the traffic signal and a shade over 200kph at maximum velocity.

The soundtrack is all there too with the big-capacity V6’s voice sitting somewhere between the sting and fizz of a smaller V6 and the thump and pump of a really big V8 engine. I wouldn’t call the sound a roar, but it’s definitely the right sort of growl to get your pulse racing. There’s also a noticeable step-up in power as the tacho needle sweeps effortlessly (in the lower gears at least) towards the redline – a power-boosting bonus of that Variable Valve Timing and direct injection; modern day engine technologies that save you fuel and serve you up extra helpings of performance.

All that juicy power and performance is delivered to the Tarmac with respectable control and composure, too, with a well-planted nose to the car and good levels of grip. This CTS does not, however, have a limited-slip differential (LSD) even though it is a fairly high performance car, so when things do get a little edgy out the back, the run-off-the-mill differential just makes a mess of things even further. For most drivers an LSD is of little or no importance, but when you are pitching your car (as Cadillac are) as a RWD sporty saloon, then an LSD would make all the difference to the keener drivers out there. With the driver aids engaged the car remains fairly tight and tidy as you push it through the bends and turns, but switching the driver aids off doesn’t really bring any more fun to the party because when the rear end does start to loose grip, the basic differential, as I said, just gets more and more confused. Overall though, the handling dynamics are fun enough for a car that is very comfortable, relaxed and quiet to drive. Some would say the steering is a little heavy, but I liked the extra feel it gave me.