I don't necessarily make a car purchasing decision based upon an enthusiast magazine's recommendation. Or for that matter, I'm not compelled by Consumer Reports to drive what it recommends.
On the other hand, both sources can sometimes offer helpful guidance to car shoppers. Those thoughts occurred to me while driving Cadillac's completely redesigned CTS, the car that won Motor Trend's top prize for 2008. It also finished in the top three in the North American Car of the Year voting from a jury of 50 automotive reviewers. These rankings are all high praise. And, if you spend some time in this thoroughly revised Caddy, you may come to similar conclusions.
The CTS is fully competitive with BMW's 528i and Infiniti's M35 in every important specification but perhaps import bragging rights. The new interior has shed its plastic to incorporate soft touch materials that all fit together flawlessly. Several other reviewers have made it a point to talk about this cohesive styling. And the high-end technology is present and accounted for without an annoying "user interface" that demands a frustrating pushing and clicking of buttons and a learning curve that must be mastered. Even the navigation system in the well-endowed CTS that I drove had real-time traffic reporting that was easy to use.
The car also has plenty of power, thanks to a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that cranks out 304 horsepower. This power plant is connected to a six-speed transmission, available in either manual or automatic. Plus, this engine actually uses regular gasoline. Past Caddy models were mostly dependent on premium-grade fuels.
Conclusions? Well, ultimately, it may be time for Cadillac to make its way onto a few more luxury shopping lists.
EPA fuel economy: City: 17, Highway: 26
Starting MSRP: $33,245 to $37,445
