2008 Cadillac CTS

[Sage]

It’s here, it’s here!

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=119071

I think the overall shape is a little too fat and puffy, but they really nailed the details this time around. 👍

 

[YSSMAN]

Photos? Photos?

(even prettier pictures here)

I have to admit that I am in love with this car. The looks are absolutely amazing, very edgy and yet very restrained at the same time. I'd easily rate this above the G35 and the 3-series in looks, but of course that is a bit objective between each person.

The good news is the power increases. In standard guise, the car will use the same 3.6L LY7 used currently, good for just shy of 260 BHP. The top-line engine in the V6 models will be a direct-injection version of the same LY7, good for nearly 300 BHP, and should make the CTS ever more competitive with the likes of the IS350, G35, and 335i.

Interior quality is obviously a vast improvement over the previous car (which really wasn't all too bad anyway), with higher quality plastics and leathers throughout the interior. However, the steering wheel still looks "cheap," so lets hope GM fixes that problem...

A very good car, indeed. With GM's mix of the new Sigma II and that of the current CTS-V, this car should be a performer even in basic spec. I'm crossing my fingers for a CTS-V debut in New York, as that thing should be outrageous...

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I never liked that big grille, but it seems OK for a luxury car.

 

[TopHat]

That is a great looking car there. I have always liked the looks of the current Cadillacs, This one is even better!

 

[exigeracer]

The last CTS had a proud, solid, bold front end that had something to say about itslef. It was finally a Cadillac that appealed to a younger crowd (not the usual 65 yearolds) with a figure that actually looked like it stood for something, that it could actually do something. This? The little detailing in the front end totally kills that. How the headlights and grille are made to look as if they extend to the extreme bottom of the car make it look exactly like the pictured doorstop. To me, they're now back to catering Florida's old people.

Good luck making that car look the slightest bit threatening in V trim.

Booooo!!!

 

[Tornado]

The hood angle is about 15 degrees to much, and the second grill is a pointless add-on. Niether grill fits the car good at all, and it looks like someone poorly photoshopped the Cadillac Sixteen front end on to it. There is far too much visual mass cluttering up the area above the wheel, and the allusions to power with the strong rear haunches of the current car are gone, making this look more front wheel drive than the BLS. Similarly, the relatively flat boot is very sloppily intergrated into the rear window line (not to mention to high to intergrate with the rear window line at all), and the C-pillar is stupidly thick. The whole car is a mix of both bad elements and bad details, which is rather rare. It is usually one or the other.
Way to go Cadillac. You've managed to copy Audi and BMW's ability to ruin their car styling for no apparent reason. 70% approval rating. Robert Cumberford is going to have a field day.

 

[Keef]

Perfect!

This is what Cadillac's design theme should have been all along, all the way back to the Evoq concept. It was refined by the Sixteen, and now, years later, we finally see it on the road. The interior looks great and I can't wait for the go-fast version.

 

[Philly]

The hood angle is about 15 degrees to much, and the second grill is a pointless add-on. Niether grill fits the car good at all, and it looks like someone poorly photoshopped the Cadillac Sixteen front end on to it. There is far too much visual mass cluttering up the area above the wheel, and the allusions to power with the strong rear haunches of the current car are gone, making this look more front wheel drive than the BLS. Similarly, the relatively flat boot is very sloppily intergrated into the rear window line (not to mention to high to intergrate with the rear window line at all), and the C-pillar is stupidly thick. The whole car is a mix of both bad elements and bad details, which is rather rare. It is usually one or the other.

Definitly agree

The styling makes the car look much bigger. Looks a bit too much like the STS. The old styling looked much better & suited to the car.

Though, that interior is quite nice. Maybe a bit overstyled, but still great.

 

[Vonie]

Love, love, loooooooove it.

 

[JCE]

I don't care about the base models. I want to see the V series...that's all that matters to me.

Approval rating of the non-V series: 80%. I'd add 5~10 points if it was in black.

 

[YSSMAN]

I don't care about the base models. I want to see the V series...that's all that matters to me.

The CTS-V will probably show up in New York just a few months down the road, and will probably hitting the streets by the end of the year. To be honest, I really have always liked the CTS in all of its forms, particularly the later models with the rather sweet LY7 V6 and the manual transmission. This new version of the direct-injection LY7 should sweeten the deal ever so much, and heres to hoping that Cadillac keeps the price control going on, and makes it a compeditor to the 3-series more than we would expect.

...Although I would be holding out for the long-rumored coupe or wagon versions of the CTS, if I had the money, the standard-fare model would seem to be worth the entry price, probably just shy of $30K. I'm wondering what the premium will be for the DI LY7 model, but even then, the standard LY7 is a plenty-great engine as it is...

 

[1X83Z]

Obviously, this car is gorgeous.

And it has tiptronic!!

 

[Jim Prower]

I think it looks sleeker and more muscular. even from the front.

 

[Slicks]

This car looks great. Definitely beats the BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus in my books as far as looks goes.
I think the oversized sunroof is a great idea.
My two gripes?

1. Center vents flanking the stereo. They look too long. While I'm sure it serves a purpose, it does look weird.

2. The trunklid. It looks like they stole it off the current CTS. It's got the same three lines across the back of it - Up the center, and from either side of the 3rd brake light up to the edges of the rear window. It still does look good, though.

 

[L8 Apex]

Aside from the 110% unnecessary fender vents, I love it. The interior panel gaps still look a bit big, but it seems like there's literally nothing else that it's still behind the imports on. Way to go GM! 👍 Now just make the rest of your products this nicely finished and designed and you can be a contender in the marketplace once again. (Not as big a contender, mind you, but a contender nonetheless.)

 

[super cirrus]

Looks ok but the grill turns me off.

 

[Jay]

I am not to fond of the nose low, tail high stance, much like VE's Commodores (Zeta).

 

[YSSMAN]

Some of the ordering information for the CTS is now on the interweb, and while glancing through it, I came across some interesting things:

- The new CTS seems to come with a lot of great standard equipment (SEE HERE)
- The new LLT 3.6L DI V6 should make for an interesting engine option considering the competition the CTS will be up against. With 300 BHP and 270 lb-ft to play with, it should be very interesting indeed...

But then I stumbled upon this oddity: The 2008 Cadillac CTS with the 3.6 DI and the Aisin 6-speed manual is lighter than the comparibly equipped BMW 335i sedan.

Check the Cadillac figures here (its the column on the right)

Cadillac CTS: Curb weight of 3509 lbs (1592 kg)

BMW 335i: Curb weight of 3593 lbs (1630 kg)

Odd? Very much. What about the others?

Lexus IS350: Curb weight of 3527 lbs (1600 kg)

Infiniti G35: Curb weight of 3532 lbs (1602 kg)

---

So, it makes you wonder: If the CTS is indeed lighter than the aforementioned vehicles, added with the similar power output, the six-speed manual (or automatic, only adds 60 lbs or 27 kg), etc... Will the CTS out-perform the others? On paper, things don't look good for the others...

 

[JCE]

Out perform I doubt, compete with maybe. You have to remember the suspensions in the aformentioned cars (minus Lexus) will be much better.

 

[Aquendwato]

The interior looks nice, but not sporty. Especially the analog clock, it doesn't seem fast like the IS does. On the exterior it seems to large and to boxy. Get rid of the second sub-grille and smooth out some of those lines and I think it would look a whole lot better.

 

[YSSMAN]

Its more or less a color thing really. I've seen it in Silver, and its hideous. The red and black pre-production models I've seen, thus far, look the best.

...Performance though is the big question in my book. If we can get a CTS to outdo, much less match the 335i, that would be a mighty-impressive feat for GM on the whole. Beyond that, considering that it is now technically a 5-series competitor (check the upcoming Alpha platform for the 'true' 3-series competitor), that makes the deal even more sweet...

535i performance for the price of a 328i? Check please!

 

[Omnis]

I hate it. It looks like a bloated post-modern polygonobox. Audi is the only car company that is killing with the front-grille and such. Cadillac obviously ripped that off, but it's the rest of the car that irks me.

 

[YSSMAN]

I think it looks damn-good in black. Better than most of the competition it is up against anyway...

 

[Wolfe]

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time around. This car is definitely the most impressive Cadillac yet. 👍 Between the improved looks, relatively light weight, much improved interior, and 300hp 3.6L V6 ( for a GM motor), this thing will no doubt be a worthy competitor when it goes up against its German and Japanese rivals.

So, it makes you wonder: If the CTS is indeed lighter than the aforementioned vehicles, added with the similar power output, the six-speed manual (or automatic, only adds 60 lbs or 27 kg), etc... Will the CTS out-perform the others? On paper, things don't look good for the others...

On paper. The new CTS has me in awe thus far, but the suspension and overall driving experience could still let it down when it comes time for comparos. The power/weight ratio isn't everything...unless you're Colin Chapman.

 

[V1P3R]

I'm not feeling it at all... I even like the old STS-V over this.

 

[YSSMAN]

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time around. This car is definitely the most impressive Cadillac yet. 👍 Between the improved looks, relatively light weight, much improved interior, and 300hp 3.6L V6 ( for a GM motor), this thing will no doubt be a worthy competitor when it goes up against its German and Japanese rivals.

The funny thing about the engine is it pretty much is a compendium of off-the-shelf parts that they already had with the LY7 program. If the power was able to jump by 25-50 BHP (depends on the version of the LY7) with the addition of DI alone, it does make you wonder what it could do for the Northstar program (or Ultra that is replacing it), or hell, even the Corvette LS-series V8s...

On paper. The new CTS has me in awe thus far, but the suspension and overall driving experience could still let it down when it comes time for comparos. The power/weight ratio isn't everything...unless you're Colin Chapman.

I didn't want to make any hard-line, certain decisions, but if we were to look squarely at the paper figures, its a very odd assessment of a car that is not only larger, but somehow lighter. I put it up to the GMI guys to see if they could figure it out, but I haven't heard back yet...

I'm going to expect it to out-handle the 3-series in any way, but with the aforementioned figures, the CTS may be one of the best alternatives to the two Japanese competitors in a long, long time.

Does anyone have numbers on the new C-class? That might be interesting to throw in the mix...

 

[Wolfe]

Does anyone have numbers on the new C-class? That might be interesting to throw in the mix...

I'm willing to bet the new CTS will handle better and be more involving to drive than the C-class, but here's your numbers:

2008 Mercedes-Benz C350
3.5L V6, 268hp, 258lb.ft @ 2400-5000rpm
Curb weight: 3550lbs.

 

[YSSMAN]

Thats very interesting. I would have figured that Mercedes would have had more juice ready for the knife-fight, but then again, thats reserved for the C63.

...Wow, a Merc actually lighter than a BMW? Someone check to see if the Four Horsemen are outside...

 

[JCE]

I attribute the lighter weight in the CTS to be cheaper thinner plastics on the inside versus the others. And I still maintain, G35 FTW! If there is any Japanese manufacturer who has taken it to BMW's overall sales in the US it is definately Nissan/Infiniti. While Lexus has taken some sales away from Merc. Audi is still somewhat of a niche marquee.

/end misc ramblings.

 

[Wolfe]

The 335i's N54 is considerably heavier than the 328i's N52, because the N54 doesn't have the fancy aluminum-magnesium engine block (and is actually based on the old M54). If the N52 were capable of being stretched to 3.5L and offered about 300hp in such a configuration, it'd give the 3-series an edge against the others you listed, seeing as how the N52-equipped 328i weighs about 3400lbs.

It'd also be a "real" 335i.