2014 Cadillac CTS

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By Steve Kursar –

Until recently, German carmakers have all but ruled the mid-size performance sedan market. But an American car brand is challenging the Europeans and beating them at their own game. That brand name is Cadillac, the General Motors marquee most often associated with the kind of large land yachts that your grandfather had in his garage. The all new 2014 Cadillac CTS couldn’t be farther from that.

This is the third generation of the Cadillac CTS. The first one, introduced in 2002, was pretty forgettable, but the second generation, which came out in 2007, was a head turner. It was raw power and covered in sharp,  angled sheet metal. It showed that Cadillac could manufacture a serious performance rear-wheel drive sedan. It wasn’t a BMW-killer yet, but it was getting close. Now we have the 2014 model which should make the BMW 5-Series engineers nervous because it’s that good.

This all new CTS is a little wider, longer and lower than the second generation model, which makes it both sportier to drive and better on the road. The new exterior design has softer angles, and the grill is much bolder. The interior design is very new Cadillac with buttery soft leather covering the seats and real wood accenting the touch points. The Cadillac CUE system, the heart of the infotainment technology, dispenses with traditional knobs by acting more like your smart phone. One swipe, and you’ll figure it out.

But the heart of the CTS is the powerplant, and the 2014 model offers three options. The base model, for an MSRP of $45,100, has a 272 hp, 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This base model will deliver 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. It’s definitely a fun car to drive but to get a real thrill out of the CTS, opt for the CTS Luxury trim, which includes the 321 hp, 3.6-liter V6 engine and an eight-speed transmission bringing in fuel economy numbers of 19 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. Move up to the V-Sport option, and you get the 420 hp, 3.6 liter twin-turbo V6, which is an absolute blast to drive. The CTS is offered as both in rear wheel and all wheel drive configurations.

The new CTS is the new face of Cadillac: luxury, style and real performance. There’s no longer an excuse to only look overseas for a superb driving car.

Follow Steve Kursur at KursarOnCars.blogspot.com.