2011 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon: One of GM’s success stories

Written by Steven Macoy
Friday, 21 January 2011 16:02

Whatever one might have thought of General Motors when it was killing off iconic brands, accepting bailout money from Uncle Sam and building more than its share of yawn-inducing cars, Cadillacs always seemed to stand out — in a good way. GM’s premium division didn’t falter during the recent dark years, turning out stylish, state-of-the-art vehicles like the SRX and STS, as well as the tried-and-true DTS sedan and the Escalade, a very large, luxurious SUV.

But all along, Cadillac’s most intriguing car was the CTS, with exterior styling reminiscent of the Stealth fighter jet and a wide array of option packages.

Cadillac has been busy transforming the CTS into still more shapes and sizes, including a fast coupe, new for 2011, and a sport wagon that debuted last year. Our 2011 CTS wagon was the first of its type we had driven, though we’ve driven several CTS sedans.

Bigger and beefier than competitors like the BMW 3 Series, the CTS comes with a choice of two V-6 engines: a 270-horsepower standard power plant and a larger V-6 that turns out 304 horsepower. Both have six-speed automatic transmissions. Oddly, Cadillac does not offer a “sleeper” CTS wagon with one of the brand’s powerful yet efficient V-8s.

Back when the rear-drive CTS debuted eight years ago, we liked how it drove better than how it looked. The new model carries forward the “Art and Science” look of the CTS’ early days; maybe we’ve gotten used to it. The wagon presents a strangely appealing combination of bold, somewhat blunt, upright shapes in front, with sharper lines angling upward from front to back. It’s a design that earns double-takes and occasional thumbs-up signs everywhere the CTS goes.

Our Black Ice Metallic test car featured the larger engine, all-wheel drive and $7,160 worth of options. This raised the price to $52,425. The base CTS wagon, with rear-wheel drive and the 3.0-liter engine, starts at $38,265.

The test car had a rear-vision camera, part of a $3,095 Performance Luxury Package. It’s a safety feature that borders on essential because of the car’s high rear window. Visibility was OK otherwise, except tall drivers’ view to the left was obscured by the wide pillar.

Inside, the CTS is exceptionally well appointed throughout and roomy in front, less so in back. Luggage capacity reaches 58 cubic feet when the rear seat is laid flat.

With the 304-horsepower engine and all-wheel drive, the CTS is rated at 18 mpg city, 26 highway, on regular gasoline. It has done exceptionally well in crash tests, but owners surveyed by Consumer Reports magazine have reported below-average reliability.

The CTS wagon enters a market dominated by the Germans, with competitive models by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. For buyers less concerned with athleticism than with utility, luxury and price, Cadillac’s recently downsized SRX competes with the CTS wagon as well.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $52,425

Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 304 horsepower, 273 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic

Drive: All-wheel

Suspension: Short and long arm front, multi-link rear

Wheels: 19-inch polished aluminum (optional)

Tires: All-season

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 25 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 58 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 18 gallons

Fuel economy: 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular unleaded