Since its launch in 2003, the CTS sedan has been Cadillac's stylish, fun, and agile sports sedan. This model shed a couple of hundred pounds, grew four inches longer, and acquired a plusher, more posh interior. In short, it emerged from GM's finishing school as one of the most driver-focused midsized luxury sedans you can buy.
The CTS delivers an inviting blend of comfort, quietness, and sporty driving performance. We bought the midtrim Luxury version equipped with a 321-hp, 3.6-liter V6. That should provide enough zip for most people, even though its 6.8-second 0-to-60 mph sprint time is actually a bit slower than the acceleration many competitors deliver.
If you want more zip, you can opt for the 420-hp twin-turbocharged V6 in the high-end Vsport version, which dials up the fun meter considerably. If you want to dial it up to the max, the top-level CTS-V kicks it up several notches with its supercharged, 640-hp 6.2-liter V8. The base turbo model comes with a 272-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine.
We chose all-wheel drive, which has increasingly become de rigueur for many luxury cars sold in the Snow Belt. 2016 and newer models came with a slick eight-speed automatic transmission. We measured 21 mpg overall when we tested a CTS with a six-speed automatic, which is about par for the class.
In everyday cruising, the CTS feels deft and light on its feet, and the steering is responsive and well weighted. An aficionado might grouse that feedback isn't as authentic as in the last generation, but that's unlikely to bother most owners. At our track, the body stayed level when we pushed it around fast turns and the CTS kept its cool while threading our avoidance maneuver.
The ride is steady and composed, but it's also quite firm, so you feel some taut little jiggles on all but the most pristine pavement. While underway, cabin noise is very well suppressed. The stiff-walled 17-inch, run-flat tires conveyed very little road noise.
It's clear that Cadillac spared no expense in redecorating the interior, and the result is a world-class cabin with excellent fit and finish, acres of padding, and sumptuous genuine leather. The front seats are very comfortable, but the cabin is a little snug. The rear seat can accommodate two adults, though not very happily. The extra length that came with the redesign mostly wound up in the engine bay, allowing for a stylishly muscular front end but no extra legroom.
Despite its highlights, the CTS comes up frustratingly short in a couple of areas. Our biggest complaint centers on the controls for the CUE (for Cadillac User Experience) infotainment system, in particular the flush-mounted, touch-activated switches.
You can't locate them by feel alone, and the controls often don't work as expected, so you need to take your eyes off the road to double-check them.
Climate and audio functions are controlled through a large touchscreen, which has large fonts and is generally easy to read. But figuring out how to navigate the system is difficult, even for simple functions such as manual tuning.
Using the audio-system voice or steering wheel controls can help you avoid fussing with CUE. But overall, the difficult-to-use system considerably hurt the car's score in our tests.
Another gripe is the CTS' small trunk, which is able to hold only two large suitcases and a couple of duffels. The 60/40-split rear seatbacks can be folded down to expand cargo space. For those who put a high priority on driving enjoyment, though, the CTS is hard to beat.
If you can live without all-wheel drive, and can afford the price, we'd get the 3.6-liter, twin-turbo CTS Vsport. It's stupendously fun. But you'll need self-control if you want to keep a clean license.
Otherwise, we'd opt for the normal 3.6-liter V6 engine over the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder; the V6 is more refined.
No matter which engine you choose, we think the best blend of features and price is the Luxury Collection. It adds basically everything you'd want, including real leather, a folding rear seat, HID headlights, forward-collision warning, blind spot monitoring, and heated/ventilated front seats. All you might want to add is a sunroof and navigation.
Performance Collection versions add magnetic ride control and 18" wheels and tires, as well as navigation and a sunroof. For us, this step doesn't seem to be worth the price premium. Nor does the leap onto the Premium Collection. Almost everything is standard with this trim, such as a snazzy -- and complicated -- full-digital gauge display.
Finally, the CTS offers a wide variety of interior trim pieces. The "natural sapele" wood trim is stunning; it looks like real wood rather than the super-glossy stuff found in most luxury cars.
Best overall version: CTS 3.6 rear-wheel-drive in Luxury collection trim with optional sunroof and navigation.