CTS broke the Caddy mould
LUXURY, PERFORMANCE: The mid-sized sports sedan changed the look of Cadillacs
The modern transformation of Cadillac started with the introduction of CTS back in 2003. It replaced the image of an Eldorado with big cow horns on the end of a hood the length of a football field with a mid-sized sports sedan with edgy styling that sends power to its rear wheels.
A complete redesign for the 2008 model year took CTS to another level of styling refinement (inspired by the Sixteen concept car) and added a technically sophisticated 24-valve 3.6-litre direct injection V6 engine, which not only provided more power (304 horsepower), but also offered better fuel economy. Yes, a Cadillac with decent fuel economy, but make sure that it has the DI engine as the base version came with the older 3.6-litre V6 engine without DI.
The transmission in this generation CTS will be either a manual with six gears or an automatic with six speeds, which also has a manual shift mode. All-wheel drive was also an option to just rear-wheel drive. A new wider track suspension offered a nicer balance of performance and luxury ride and Cadillac fine tuned the handling performance of CTS at the hallowed Nürburgring race circuit in Germany.
The interior appointments in CTS are comparable with high-priced European sport sedans. It offers an impressive blend of handcrafted details, including hand-sewn upholstery, cutting-edge technical features and an impressive array of accent lighting. Interesting new advanced technologies available in this CTS include an adaptive forward-lighting system, rear ultrasonic park assist, keyless entry and remote start systems.
A robust body structure and six standard airbags, including dual depth passenger frontal airbag, active headrests and head curtain side airbags, helped the CTS earn Top Safety Pick recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Motor Trend magazine voted the CTS its Car of the Year.
In 2009, Cadillac added a highperformance supercharged V8 (550-horsepower) CTS-V to the produce line. A Sport Wagon (a first for Cadillac) was added in 2010 and it offers almost double cargo carrying capacity, with 1,523 litres (53.4 cubic ft) with the rear seat folded. And the CTS family grew again in 2011 with the introduction of a CTS Coupe.
The CTS got a “recommended” rating in the latest Consumer Reports evaluation, even though its overall rating for reliability is considered “average.” Electrical and suspension (see recalls) were the areas that owners reported most problems and the engine, transmission and climate control systems got much better than average ratings.
A sports sedan that rivals the best from Europe, the CTS is a new breed of Cadillac.
Used vehicle prices will vary depending on general condition, distance driven (odometer reading), usage history and options fitted.
Regardless of its general reputation, a used vehicle should be checked by a qualified auto technician or the BCAA Vehicle Inspection Service (604-298-2755).
Safety Recalls on the 2008 to 2011 Cadillac CTS:
2008/09: Vehicles equipped with a Heated Washer Fluid System may experience a short circuit on a printed circuit board for the washer fluid, heater, which may overheat. Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module.
2009: Software within the Passenger Sensing System may disable the front passenger airbag when it should be enabled or vice versa. Dealers will reprogram the passenger sensing module.
2009/2010: A wax coating applied to rear suspension toe-link jam nuts may allow them to loosen and make a metallic clanking noise. The loose toe-link may eventually separate and allow the rear wheel to turn inboard or outboard. Dealers will clean the wax residue from the rear suspension toe-link and install two new jam nuts. If required, the rear suspension toe-link will be replaced.