2004 Cadillac CTS Review

Specifications

This is a Cadillac?

I still shake my head in disbelief when kids give me the thumbs up as I drive by in a new Cadillac. When I was a kid, they were just so “uncool.” But todays crested wreath brand is the epitome of cool, with edgy new styling, powerful V6 and V8 engines, manual shifters, rear-wheel drivetrains, superb handling dynamics and even a hardtop roadster thrown into the mix.

But the CTS-V Cadillac loaned me for the week might just be the coolest car of them all. Chrome mesh grille, racy ground effects, sporty interior, and most important a seriously tuned V8 under the hood mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Whoa! This is the same drivetrain that still sends shivers down my spine when I think back to a particularly enlightening
afternoon spent in the mountain roads in and around Santa Barbara, California a few years back, behind the wheel of Chevys Corvette Z06. The LS-6 5.7-L V8 sounded sensational then, and it still packs enough of a rumble to turn the eyes of passersby.

That rumble is accompanied by outrageous acceleration. Is it as fast as an Audi S4, BMW M3, or Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG? Yes, yes and yes, and then some. The S4 manages 60 mph from standstill in a respectable 5.5 seconds, while the M3 does significantly better at 5.1 seconds. The C32 AMG looks pretty decent at 5.0, but nowhere near as spirited as the CTS-V, which manages the feat in a mere 4.7 seconds. To put this into perspective, this is 0.2 seconds quicker than the Ford SVT Mustang at 4.9 seconds to 60, as well as Porsches 911 also at 4.9 seconds. Remember Acuras NSX? It could only manage 5.7 seconds to 60 mph.

Why such Euro crushing performance? Simple really. The LS-6 V8 develops 400 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and a maximum of 395 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, whew! Its mated to a heavy-duty Tremec T56 6-speed manual transmission that sends power down to the rear wheels via a 2.8-inch diameter prop shaft ending at a limited slip differential configured with a 3.73:1 final drive ratio. Thats a lot of zip.

OK, forward thrust isnt everything I know, but in America at least sprinting away from a stoplight is a national pastime. Fortunately for the CTS-V, Cadillac has equipped it with agile handling to go along with its superb acceleration. Again, I kept shaking my head while giggling like a schoolgirl, “This cant be a Cadillac!” But it is a Cadillac folks, and what a sensational driver at that.

I couldnt help but take it up my usual mountain road, replete with long straights followed by ridiculously sharp hairpin turns, skidpad-like long sweepers and ruthless bumps mixed with horribly concave dips and dives where the pavement is eroding into the mountainside. What a blast! It doesnt take much to get a little oversteer out of the rear-drive setup, and those hairpins are ideal for letting the back kick out just a little bit.

Power comes on so strong when getting back on the throttle that its important to show the pedal some respect. But even if “smooth on, smooth off” isnt your personal mantra, the car is also wonderfully forgiving.

Part of that forgiveness comes from a sophisticated traction control system, which features a defeat button that if pressed once leaves the stability control system on, and if pressed twice also defeats the stability control system and sets the car up for competition mode. Remember I mentioned oversteer, thats the best way to achieve it. But be careful out there as 400 horsepower can get away from you pretty quickly.

Thats where the 4-piston calipers and massive Brembo rotors, even larger than on CTS-V racecar, come into play. Theyll pull the CTS-V to a full stop as quickly as that 911 it dusted off in acceleration tests. Yeah, amazing isnt it? Its a sensational feeling. ABS is standard of course, as are Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

So how does it compare with an M3? The BMW sports coupe is one of my favorites on an open stretch of curving roadway, but its priced only a few thousand more than the new CTS-V. The Cadillac feels a little heavier and doesnt perform side-to-side transitions, such as back and forth lane changes or series of tight “S” turns with quite as much precision. Of course the Caddy feels heavier because it is quite a bit heavier, at 3,845 pounds compared to 3,415. What I like better about the CTS-V, however, is that it comes really close to BMWs sport coupe in handling dynamics without beating up its occupants. My wife cant stand being a passenger in an M3. Its ride is much too rigid for her, especially poor on the inner city secondary roads throughout my town. She never complained once in the CTS-V, though, except when I pulled away from a stoplight a little too quickly.

The CTS-V is also extremely accommodating inside. Its a much larger car than any of its similarly priced rivals, with greater rear seat room and a bigger trunk. The interior design, mind you, is still as controversial as the original V6-powered CTS. Sure, Cadillac has improved the plastics quality a bit, added some nice satin finish metal, a modified gauge package, and equipped it with an excellent steering wheel, but Im still not a big fan of the overall design.

I did like the way Cadillac integrated its driver information center (DIC) into the instrument cluster. Its now easier to view while driving. Regular trip computer information is featured, and the system also adds performance information such as peak and momentary lateral acceleration, oil, transmission and coolant temperatures, as well as tire pressure. Its fun to play around with, especially when testing lateral acceleration.

I have to admit to appreciating the suede seat inserts and impressive side bolsters during extreme lateral forces too. The remaining portions of the seats are finished in leather.

The CTS-V also features a standard in-dash 6-disc CD changer. Being a music hound Id really have to be enamored with a cars performance to buy one that didnt offer a multi-disc dash-mounted system, a lesson that the cars imported competition needs to learn. The Caddys sound system performed extremely well, although I noticed myself turning it off more often just to get more of the engine note, as it moved up and down the rev range between gear intervals.

And that 6-speed manual was sure a lot more engaging than conventional Cadillac automatic transmissions; although I cant say it was the slickest to operate. Under full acceleration it seemed to find the right gear most of the time, but tooling around town it kept jumping into 4th from 1st, and was often difficult to negotiate between 2nd and 4th on the way back from 3rd or 5th. Its topmost 6th cog could also be a nuisance to figure out at times. I think the shifter would just take some more time to get used to, but that said I never have such problems in a manually-actuated BMW.

Whats more, if you make a habit of plugging a cellular phone charger into the adaptor, Cadillac has positioned theirs directly in front of the shifter on the center stack. I kept hitting my fingers on my charger when shifting into 3rd or 5th, which not only was disconcerting while driving but tended to hurt after awhile.

And whats with the foot-operated parking brake? Cmon Cadillac, this is a sports sedan not Grandmas DeVille. It was so awkward with a manual. Basically youve got to turn the ignition off, press the parking brake and then put it back into gear, as its impossible to hold the clutch in with the left leg and apply the parking brake with the same left leg. Maybe Id acquire a few new driving skills if I had more time to spend with it?

And speaking about that parking brake, why has Cadillac made it so you cant open the trunk via the remote access button unless it is engaged? With the CTS-V, this means turning the car off to engage it, and then opening the trunk. If youre just dropping someone off at home after a round of golf, this is a major pain.

But whod bother with golf if it meant leaving a car like this at the 19th hole? Sorry, Happy Gilmore, Id rather hit the track and scrub off some rubber. And this is a car that you could make serious time around the circuit in. Its easily the best handling, quickest domestic sedan Ive ever had the pleasure of driving. If this is a sign of things to come from Cadillac, the imports had better keep upping the ante.

With the domestic brands superior reliability, based on recent J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality (IQS) and Vehicle Dependability (VDS) studies, only the fit and finish of the brands interiors will keep hardcore import fans loyal to their respective nameplates. If Cadillac can overcome this, theres no telling how far itll move up the desirability and sales charts.

A few additional desirables include block heater at $60 and a sport shock absorber package at $1,260. Personally I think it has enough sporting attributes in stock form, but you can be the judge. Last on the list, but necessary for most luxury buyers is its $1,200 power glass sunroof. Normally a sunroof would be standard in this class of car, but because some CTS-V buyers will want to take their cars on the track, where anything glass overhead is probably not a good idea, the added weight is in the worst possible location for optimizing a cars center of gravity and wouldnt be welcome. Ill take mine without it, thanks. The only other decision left to make is if you want it in black or silver, the only two color… I mean shade choices.

At the end of the week, the CTS-V is the first Cadillac Ive wanted since the mid-60s Eldorado. Its wickedly cool styling, awesome performance and practical proportions give it few true competitors. Its not cheap, at just a hair under its European rivals, but it also smokes them all from zero to hero while still looking pretty fleet on its feet through the corners. OK Cadillac, youve got me sold.