Car Gazing
By Derek Price
For decades, Cadillac called itself "The Standard of the World", and it
wasn't an exaggeration.
Technical innovations, elegant styling and sophisticated refinement made it
the best car company on the planet – hands down – in the early part of the
20th century. Nothing else came close.
Fast forward to 2002, and the brand was struggling to stay in the top five.
Compared to luxury heavyweights like Mercedes-Benz, Acura, BMW, Lexus and
Jaguar, Cadillac seemed to have lost its luster.
Nowhere was the drop in status more evident than in Cadillac's small cars.
One awful example is the Cimarron, a gussied-up Chevy economy car with
nothing good about it except the Cadillac badge on the hood. Then came the
Catera, which was better, but it still was essentially a rebadged Opel –
certainly not the world's standard in luxury or quality.
Desperately needing to revamp its image with a spicier model, Cadillac
developed the CTS for 2003. And, finally, it's a real Caddy.
While it's not "The Standard of the World", it can hold its own against some
of the best sports sedans on the planet (read: BMW). That's no coincidence.
Cadillac aimed for the best throughout the design and testing phase, even
developing the car's terrific suspension on the same Nurburgring race track
used by BMW in Germany.
That suspension is a work of art, with the brand's trademark pillow-soft
feel meshing with a spunky, precise touch required in any good sports sedan.
How'd they do it? Beats me – probably Voodoo.
Likewise, its styling has a touch of black magic – a far cry from the
stagnating Cadillac designs of the 90s. While it's not polite enough to be
called "pretty", the CTS has attitude running out the wazoo. It's bold. It's
daring. It's different.
Whatever it looks like (some say the Batmobile, others the F-117 Nighthawk
"stealth² fighter), the CTS is a step in the right direction for Cadillac.
It has really good driving dynamics, nice amenities, and a pleasing price at
$29,350. That includes leather seats, dual-zone climate control, traction
control, power everything, a nice CD/cassette player, and – surprise! – a
manual transmission.
The Getrag five-speed gearbox makes the CTS Cadillac's first
shift-it-yourself car since the 1950s. It's a perfect match for the car's
sporty personality, but a five-speed automatic is available as a $1,200
option. Both transmissions are good choices, depending on your driving
style.
For now, the only engine available is a 3.2-liter V6 that makes 220
horsepower – more than enough, really. In Cadillac's grand tradition of
providing far more than what's necessary, a V8 will be added later in the
model year.
The best and worst part of the CTS is its interior.
The best: It's got great style, comfort and ease of use. The shapes and
colors of interior panels are gorgeous, with sweeping curves and
intersecting lines that add style without being distracting or tacky.
Controls are laid out perfectly, and adjustments can be made easily. Seats,
while they could use more lumbar support, are covered with incredibly supple
leather.
The worst: It's all plastic, mainly the hard, clunky kind. It's
disappointing to touch and feel, especially when compared with the richness
of its leather seats, but the panels fit together nicely and have a tight
look.
Overall, the CTS is a winner. It has the same fun-to-drive feeling, similar
performance and more space than a BMW 5-series, but it costs thousands less.
What more could you ask for?
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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