Re: It's here... 2008 CTS UNVEILED
Hi Guys,
I don't post here a lot, my last was regarding the Cadillac Owner Event that was hosted by GM Canada/Cadillac at Mosport last August for the SCCA Race Weekend. I work on the Cadillac business from an advertising/marketing perspective, but don't 'represent' Cadillac and GM Canada in an absolute/binding way (if that makes sense). I would prefer to post this under a personal user name, however I can't use HOTMAIL to register, and my work address is already on this account...
Anyways, I just wanted to post up some cool news for the enthusiasts - today I was fortunate enough to take one of the three pre-build 2008 CTS's here in Canada for a test drive. It's was a White Diamond CTS-4 (awd) 3.6L SIDI (direct injection) Automatic - had the 17" rims, ultraview sunroof, ebony leather, pop up navigation etc - sorry I don't have all the option codes off memory. If you're in the Oshawa/Toronto area, there are a couple on the road so keep your eyes open.
First impressions:
- getting in it for the first time I felt immediately at home - in a previous life I owned an Audi A4 and loved the intimate feeling of that cockpit. when I drove a CTS-V 320, i felt the interior was too 'large' and 'cavernous' inside which made me feel as though the car was larger then it was. this new CTS 322 has a much more intimate feeling when you get inside, which i loved.
- as soon as I pulled out of the parking space, I immediately could tell that I loved the handling (which I know sounds silly). I'm a very particular person when it comes to this sort of thing, the closest thing I can compare it to is the STS-V I drove last summer, but definately better. I've driven a lot of various vehicles, including the Formula 2000 Race Cars at the Jim Russel School in Mt. Tremblant, plus I ride motorcycles on the track - I feel I have a good frame of reference. The suspension/handling truly feels like it was tuned by someone who knows exactly what they are doing and actually cares. It's exactly how I would do it in this car - completely direct and firm and absolutely gobbles up any road imperfections. It's very very confidence inspiring for what I was able to test it (public roads). I wish I could have pushed it more...
- the interior is absolutely stunning. if anyone used this as an excuse not to buy a Cadillac CTS in the past, that has been wiped away. Why anyone would buy a Japanese Lux car over this CTS is beyond me. The stiched seams, the soft touch dash, the small gaps...they all add to the appeal. the cooled seats are so nice, you don't notice it much, but the roasting leather feeling is just magically not there. the pop up navigation is very slick, however I did find it a touch distracting when in the up position...I'm sure you'd get used to this. all the controls are generally where you'd expect them, I didn't find anything quirky. sound system =
- the ultraview really adds to the positive interior experience - i love sunroofs and this one is massive. i wished that it opened further, like the SRX but I understand physically why it can't
- I was completely taken aback by how good the transmission is. i am generally a manual tranny person, but have driven quite a few 'tiptronic' style transmissions in the past (except for the Audi DSG which I'd like to try). this one is by far the smoothest one to date, the upshifts and most notably the downshifts were just so smooth/seamless it was great. no jerkiness at all, I quite enjoyed driving it in this Sport mode.
All in all, the car looks fantastic in person, drives much much better then my expectations, has a well designed and thought out interior and will hopefully change a lot of people's perceptions about Cadillac being the 'old man's luxury boat' vehicle :bouncy:
All the best,
kristina
ps - the keyless-go is really cool, i like that you can keep the fob in your pocket, approach the car, it unlocks, you get in, turn the key/ignition switch and away you are - it's cool in the Corvette and I like the CTS application even more
