2017 Cadillac CTS Road Test and Review

2017 Cadillac CTS front quarter parked sun ・ Photo by Cadillac

There are a few exceptional cars out there that fly under the radar — great cars that are simply not bought by as many people as they should be. For some reason, they’re overlooked. The 2017 Cadillac CTS is one of those cars.

Built in Lansing, Michigan, the CTS is the middle child in the luxury brand's sedan lineup, slotting between the smaller ATS and the larger CT6. It offers powerful engines, optional all-wheel drive and advanced safety technology, yet the CTS continues to be one of the most underappreciated vehicles in the mid-size luxury sedan class, which also includes the very popular Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series.

Standard Turbocharged Power

Six trim levels are available on the 2017 Cadillac CTS: base, Luxury, Premium Luxury, the enthusiast-ready V-Sport and V-Sport Premium Luxury, and the high-performance CTS-V. Prices start at $46,990, including $995 for destination and handling, for a base sedan. Base and Luxury models are powered by a strong 268-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, which is also used in the smaller ATS. It gives the CTS 20 more horsepower than a BMW 530i and 27 more horsepower than a Mercedes E300. Cadillac offers its all-wheel drive system for an additional $2,000.

Under the hood of the Premium Luxury model is a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, which is also available as an option on the Luxury trim level. It makes 335 hp, which matches the power of the turbocharged BMW 540i. Like the four-cylinder, the V6 is available with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. A smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is standard on all models. No hybrid or diesel engines are offered. 

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V-Sport Packs Over 400 hp

If you’re looking for big power and a sport-tuned suspension to keep up with your neighbor's AMG Mercedes, the Cadillac CTS V-Sport is well-equipped for the job. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6. It’s the same engine Cadillac uses in the ATS-V and it makes 420 hp in the CTS V-Sport.

This model competes with the Mercedes E43 AMG, which is packing a 396-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. However, unlike the all-wheel drive Benz, the CTS V-Sport is only available with rear-wheel drive. Cadillac says the V-Sport can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. That makes it one of the quickest sedans on the road, and a blink quicker than the Benz. Prices start at $61,690, which is about $10,000 less than the E43.

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Enthusiasts Should Get the CTS-V

V is Cadillac’s in-house tuner or hot rod shop, like AMG at Mercedes or BMW’s M division. Sold only with rear-wheel drive, Cadillac’s V models are tuned on the world’s racetracks, including Germany’s famed Nurburgring, where engineers dial in their sport-tuned suspensions, bigger brakes and aerodynamics. The results are some of the fastest sedans on the road.

Although the value of the V-Sport is undeniable, the real performance bargain in the CTS lineup is the 640-hp CTS-V. Under the hood is the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 also used in the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. It’s not only the best-performing sedan General Motors has ever produced, the CTS-V out-powers the Mercedes E63 and the new 2018 BMW M5, both of which are all-wheel drive.  

Cadillac says the CTS-V is capable of sprinting to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 200 mph — two hundred miles per hour! — which means it’ll pull away from the two Germans on the Autobahn. But the best part is the price. It starts at $87,995 which significantly undercuts the M5 and E63, especially the $105,000 Mercedes.

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An American Sports Sedan

Anyone who says Cadillac can’t build a true sports sedan hasn’t driven a CTS V-Sport like our test vehicle. This is a serious performance car, wrapped in leather and clothed in a stealthy sedan body. Standard hardware includes massive Brembo brakes, 18-inch wheels and an electronic limited slip differential. The steering is precise and offers plenty of feel, and the cars overall balance is superb. Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control lives up to the hype, delivering impressive handling, incredible body control, and a compliant and comfortable ride.  

Cadillac’s selectable driver mode is also standard. There are four settings: Sport, Touring, Track and Snow/Ice. Each modifies the throttle’s sensitivity, the transmission’s response, the steering and the suspension tuning. Around town, the Touring mode is perfectly calibrated to keep things comfortable, while the Sport mode dials up the sedan’s hidden hot-rod quality. With 420 hp, the turbocharged V6 also packs more than enough punch, and the eight-speed automatic is one of the best, especially when you use the Cadillac’s magnesium paddle shifters.

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Good Fuel Economy

Overall, the Cadillac’s gas mileage is good for this class. Although the turbocharged four-cylinder is the fuel sipper of the range, the much more powerful V6 is actually just as economical. Both engines utilize start/stop technology, which shuts off the engine at red lights to save fuel. With rear-wheel drive, the four-cylinder engine is rated 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway while the V6 is rated 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Plus, the V6 runs on regular-grade gasoline, while the turbocharged four-cylinder requires more expensive premium. Adding all-wheel drive drops those numbers a bit, but not enough to really make a difference.

The much more powerful V-Sport is rated 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. I averaged 18 mpg during a week of mixed driving. And the extra-performance CTS-V is rated 14 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

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Understated Design

Clean, simple and understated, the design of the Cadillac CTS is attractive and modern with athletic proportions and a strong presence. But it has its detractors. Some find it humdrum and consider its restrained use of chrome and its unadorned flanks very un-Cadillac-like. This year there’s a new grille design and a new rear fascia with unusual vertical exhaust tips, which work well with Caddy’s signature vertical taillights. For some additional attitude, the V-Sport models get a blacked chrome grille. Cadillac has also created the Carbon Black Package, which is available on all models. It adds dark wheels, a small rear spoiler, carbon-fiber interior trim and sport front seats. Other options include wonderfully elegant illuminated door handles.

Extroverts should go straight for the CTS-V. It takes the CTS and turns it up to 11, with 19-inch wheels, scooped front fenders, larger spoilers and a domed and vented hood. Its four oversized exhaust pipes are also proper super-sedan eye candy.

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Comfortable Interior

Now in its third generation, the Cadillac CTS finally offers an interior that’s worthy of the sedan’s mission and price tag. Although the Cadillac’s interior still isn’t up to the class-leading interior design and finishes of the Mercedes E-Class, build quality is high, the materials are rich and control placement is excellent.

The heated front seats in our test vehicle were very comfortable. The CTS seats four passengers easily and fits five for short drives; although there’s more rear legroom in the some of the Cadillac’s competition, the CTS has plenty. Onboard Wi-Fi is standard, along with Cadillac’s excellent CUE infotainment system and its large 8-inch touchscreen. Unfortunately, the design of the Cadillac’s gauges is uninspired and trunk space is tight for the segment at just 13.7 cubic feet. A split-folding rear seat is available.

Many Advanced Safety Systems

Standard high-tech safety systems on the CTS include rear parking sensors, a rearview camera and Teen Driver, which can monitor your child’s driving habits and even provides reports on speed and other factors. Other systems become standard at the Luxury trim level and above, including a forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, lane keep assist, lane change alert, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Cadillac’s Safety Seat Alert, exclusive to General Motors products, is also included. This system vibrates sections of the driver’s seat cushions to alert the driver of potential hazards and the direction from which they’re coming. It feels weird at first, but it really works. Additional systems are standard on the V-Sport, such as automatic parking assist, which can practically park the CTS for you, steering the sedan into the space while you work the pedals.

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Final Thoughts

Although the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is powerful enough for most buyers, and it’s certainly the most affordable, step up to the V6 if you can. The fuel mileage penalty is minimal but the gain in horsepower is measurable. And car enthusiasts should go straight for the V-Sport or the CTS-V. These are true, big power sports sedan that can take on Germany’s best.

Unfortunately, some features and safety technology that are available on other cars in this segment are just not offered on the CTS, and the V-Sport and CTS-V should be available with all-wheel drive. Still, this is a very desirable sedan. The 2017 Cadillac CTS is well-appointed, very comfortable and fun to drive.

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