Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: No data available
A unique proposition, distinctive from the usual (German) contenders, high-performance CTS-V model and its sharp handling
Quality not quite what it should be, not much rear legroom, unforgiving ride, no diesel option
Hugely amusing CTS-V is a credible sports saloon, and well worth a look; V6s are less convincing
This 2005- CTS was extensively tested on roads and tracks in Europe, and it shows. Its first iteration was also hailed as the first global Cadillac, but initial disappointing assessments by European journalists meant that it quietly faded away and never came to the UK. GM clearly took the feedback seriously and went all-out to improve handling for this model: the 2.8 and 3.6 V6s have taut, agile suspension, direct steering and excellent balance, aided by the 53 percent/47 percent front:rear weight distribution and rear-wheel drive layout. The CTS-V - featuring comprehensively re-engineered chassis, suspension and uprated brakes - is impressively sharp, without feeling unpredictable or twitchy, and it deserves a place on the shortlist of any high-performance saloon buyer; it has been described as a "four-door Corvette", and that's a pretty fair description. Its retuned StabilTrak stability control system has a 'competition' mode which allows for later intervention, a mild degree of oversteer and more aggressive acceleration. All versions are easy to drive, though the short-throw six-speed manual gearbox in the CTS-V we tested was stiff and slightly awkward. Controls are well laid-out, the large windows give a commanding view of the road (though the thick A-pillar can be obtrusive when pulling out of junctions, a common GM problem), though the foot-operated parking brake is a bit of a pain, with its release pull-switch situated low down underneath the steering wheel.
The CTS-V deserves the full five stars: with its 400 bhp 5.7 V8 giving acceleration 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, it's the real deal and the first of a number of V-Series Cadillacs developed by GM's Performance Division. GM plans to build up the V badge as its answer to BMW's M, Audi's S-series and Mercedes' AMG - which might sound presumptuous, until you remember the success of the Le Mans-racing Corvettes. Already, track versions of the CTS-V have made their mark in the SCCA Speed World Challenge, a US race series for production-based cars, only narrowly missing a championship title in the team's first season. The V6s are less convincing, however; although they're not slow, both are noisy and harsh, and the auto 'box can be slow to kickdown - although it's the same Hydra-Matic transmission used in the BMW 5-Series and X5, it feels duller-witted in the CTS. Both V6 models feel less powerful and slower-acting than their official output and performance figures suggest, with peaky acceleration and limited flexibility. The 2.8 V6 (0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds, 215 bhp, 262Nm) doesn't feel appreciably slower than the 3.6 V6 (seven seconds, 257bhp, 340Nm) but neither are particularly inspiring.
