Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: No data available
Striking looks; high equipment levels; decent sound system; a lot of car for the money.
Unforgiving suspension; cabin quality unconvincing.
A bit of an oddball, but might just make sense if you hang on for the diesel engine - or alternatively, the CTS-V.
Similar in length to an Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5-Series, a little longer than a Volkswagen Passat, the CTS offers plenty of rear legroom, though the boot's quite narrow, as is the central rear seat. There's a good all-round view out, the driver's seat is multi-adjustable, and while the electronic parking brake may irritate some, it does at least free up space on the central console.
The interface for the ventilation, climate control, sat nav and stereo systems is user-friendly - no complicated iDrive-style menu systems here - and while some functions are unnecessarily complicated (two different ways of scrolling through the trip computer/on-board computer data, for example) it's generally fairly intuitive, with touch-screen controls and well-labelled switchgear.
The Bose surround-sound, 10-speaker stereo has USB input and hard-drive, and is iPod-compatible.
Equipment levels are high: GM is taking a one-size-fits-all approach and simply supplying the car with pretty much everything. Standard kit includes leather upholstery (a choice of three colours), eight-way adjustable powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors, automatic wipers, heated windscreen washers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, LED interior lighting and sophisticated sat nav.
Extra-bling 3.6 models add high-polish wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips plus voice-activated controls for the infotainment system. The only options are an electric glass sunroof (£1,200) and wood interior trim (£495) - though metallic paint's an extra £650 and a tri-coat tint (£850).
So where's the hitch? It's the suspension set-up, which is stiff, unforgiving and jarring over poorly-surfaced British roads. The CTS's rigid body has nowhere to yield, and the ride is unsympathetic at best.
The 2.8 V6, without the self-levelling 'performance-tuned' suspension of the 3.6, is a little more compliant, notching up another reason to opt for this version, but it's no way a wafting, gliding experience. One might expect the CTS-V to give a hard ride, but not the so-called luxury variants.
What with the disappointing cabin ambience as well, the CTS is no opulent, cosseting sanctuary from the outside world. Yet CTS-V apart, it's not a sports saloon either, which rather begs the question of what it's for. The softly-sprung, squashy, wallowing Caddys of the past may not have been much cop going round corners, but they were certainly comfortable, in an armchair-on-wheels kind of way.
The (also distinctly non-Germanic) Volvo S80 is a better option for comfort-seekers, with its superbly-designed seats and lovely soft leather. And the 3.6 V6 is priced dangerously near to entry-level, six-cylinder Lexus GS and Jaguar XF territory - both cars an altogether superior all-round proposition, especially for keener drivers.
