2010 Cadillac CTS – One awesome ride!
Posted: January 4th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: Cadillac | Tags: 2010 Cadillac, 2010 CTS, Cadillac, Cadillac CTS | No Comments »2010 Cadillac CTS Review
I decided to rent a Cadillac CTS for my trip to Mississippi from Virginia, as I was interested in purchasing a 2010 Cadillac CTS. Initially Budget rentals reserved a PT Cruiser for me; however a strategically placed Cadillac CTS near the booth quickly had me upgrading. Overall I figured it was an excellent way to test drive the car and nine-hundred miles is a long trip in a PT Cruiser! The best part, Budget rentals provided smoke free cars, which was nice.
Initial impression:
Buttons, buttons and more buttons!
The official designation of my Cadillac is the CTS4, which was equipped with a 6 Speed Automatic and 3.6 Liter DI DOHC 24-Valve VVT V6. The car was very impressive for a dressed up Chevrolet. Bright silver paint, large rims and only 4000 miles on the odometer had my thinking new car quickly. I admit this review is somewhat biased, as I liked the car before I took it for a spin. The aggressive look of the 2010 Cadillac CTS appears to be GM’s attempt to cater to a younger audience (I’m 25), as the CTS is a real departure from the boat of a Caddy my grandfather owned.
Interior:
The 2010 Cadillac CTS4’s interior is refined and stylish. Interior controls are well placed and you can tell your not driving a Ford. Considering the CTS is meant to compete against the Mercedes C class and BMW 3 series; Cadillac is doing something right. I found the interior to be superior to that of the BMW and the Mercedes; mostly in terms of aesthetics. Chrome, black leather and carbon fiber trim produce an excellent finish and yield that high roller feel. The leather wrapped steering wheel was also very nice.
Seats:
The Cadillac CTS leather seats were extremely comfortable. Plenty of padding and a bucket seat style produced a sporty, yet comfortable ride. The electronic seat controls responded quickly and worked well for taking naps at rest stops (14 hour drive). The CTS4 was equipped with lumbar support which initially I didn’t take any notice of. However after being on the road for seven hours I began to adjust it. Surprisingly it helped and drastically improved my comfort level. Astatically, the seats are pleasing to the eye. A bucket seat design, black leather and Cadillac’s chrome logo insert look great. The seat warmers worked great for warming up after being outside in 31 degree weather.
Instruments / Gauges:
The 2010 Cadillac instruments are classy in design and laid out well. Chrome accent trim and the absence of digital indicators are a definite plus. I found the instruments provided accurate information without much effort. The cruise control indicator was very helpful as it numerically displays exactly what speed cruise control is set at. The display was very helpful when trying to maintain seven miles over the speed limit.
Controls:
Ok, this is where I had a problem. The Cadillac CTS has a control for just about everything. The controls / buttons are grouped together but many of the buttons are small; thus at times I would often hit the wrong one. Additionally, I tend to switch radio stations frequently and while the seek button was close to the driver they were small and I could easily wear that button out. The large circular tuning buttons were easy to access however they were used the least. The steering wheel controls look good but unless you are familiar with their locations you could find yourself hitting the wrong one. A unique textured mark would help significantly to identify each button without looking.
One of the most impressive features Cadillac has introduced into the CTS are the individual temperature controls. My girlfriend likes it warm and I like to be colder. This feature made us both happy, as I could have cold air blowing on me with warm air blowing on her. Fan controls and the digital temperature display made fine tuning the system a snap. Honestly, this is a feature which would sway my decision to buy the car.
PS the trunk button is located in the driver’s side door.
Audio:
The Bose sound system on the Cadillac CTS4 was very good. The best way to experience the system is to use an iPod or listen to the free XM Radio. When listening to FM, the system appears to protect itself and you defiantly do not get the full benefit of what it can produce. An AUX jack is located in the center console for easy iPod hookup.
Budget rentals provided free XM radio which is obviously a promotional offer. I found the satellite radio was nice to have (more variety) however I would not pay for the service. Most of the stations didn’t have a good selection of popular songs and often they would repeat the same song every thirty minutes.
Rear View Mirror:
The rear view mirror was awesome for traveling at night. It would automatically adjust to prevent vehicle headlights from blinding you. It was nice not having to adjust it while diving at night.
Power and Handling:
The CTS was not underpowered however it didn’t exactly scream. Granted I have an eight second Camaro so my opinion is slightly skewed. I would defiantly upgrade to the 3.6 liter V6 vs. the standard 3.0 liter. I had no problem merging in traffic and power was available at higher speeds. Cadillac has geared the car well for both highway and in town use. Cadillac offers the CTS in rear wheel drive and all wheel drive; I have no idea which one I had.
One of the coolest features was the sport mode manually shifted automatic. Slap the gear shift to the right and you’re in manual mode. Gears are displayed in the instrument panel; shift up or down via slapping the gear shift up or down. Editor’s note: don’t buy a used rental car because I tested this feature to its limit. Overall the Cadillac CTS had plenty of pickup just don’t expect the performance of a V8 unless you buy the CTS-V.
Handling was pretty much what you would expect with a Cadillac. It could take curves well, but a Honda civic will beat it every time. The smooth ride is the Cadillac’s main strong point. The CTS had very little road noise and bumps were hardly felt which was great for a long highway drive.
Head Lights:
High beams! The regular running lights are regulated by the government in terms of brightness however the high beams were extremely bright. The increased lighting conditions of the Cadillac CTS made driving at night on back roads a breeze. I found the high beams worked very well for spotting deer and possible road obstacles.
Cargo Capacity:
The 2010 Cadillac CTS had an excellent amount of cargo capacity. While you might have trouble fitting a 55” LCD TV in the truck it was more than adequate for my suite case, cooler, duffle bag and skeet gun. Overall I was very happy with the Cadillac CTS cargo capacity.
Conclusion:
I’m Sold!
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