2011 Cadillac CTS-V: More power than you could/should use

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 30 June 2011 13:45

Behind the wheel of a 556-horsepower, supercharged 2011 Cadillac CTS-V, the central question is not “How fast will it go?” or “How many seconds will it take to go from a dead stop to 60 m.p.h.?” but “What am I supposed to do with this car?”

Certainly, this $62,165 sport wagon will do amazing things, but we didn’t do many of them, and neither should you. We found out the CTS-V will reach 175 mph and accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. It also has a sophisticated suspension and grippy 19-inch performance tires that make it feel securely locked down around corners, as well as Brembo brakes to bring the 4,390-pound wagon to a straight, well-controlled stop. All of this performance comes at some cost in fuel economy — if that matters to people who can afford the price of admission to the supercar club. The CTS-V is rated at 12 mpg in the city, 18 highway, and premium gasoline is required.

Among supercars — this one surely qualifies — the CTS-V is also functional. It seats five and has 58 cubic feet of cargo room when the rear seat is lowered.

The rear-wheel-drive CTS-V is based on the CTS series, which includes a coupe, sedan and wagon. All of them emphasize performance and style; even the base CTS sedan, starting at $35,345, boasts a 270-horsepower V-6 engine. A 306-horsepower V-6 is optional. Cadillac offers a manual transmission as well as the six-speed automatic that came with our CTS-V.

The centerpiece of the CTS-V is that beastly 6.2-liter V-8, but there’s a lot more to it. Don’t forget, it’s a Cadillac, and that means uncommon luxury: dual-zone climate control, navigation system, heated front seats, power liftgate, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, rear-vision camera and much more. Our test car was the Black Diamond Edition, a $4,850 package that includes special paint, graphite wheels, Recaro high-performance seats and midnight sapele wood trim.

Buried in the options list is one we hadn’t seen before: a $2,600 gas-guzzler tax. This tax ranges from $1,000 for cars that get 21.5 to 22.5 mpg, to $7,700 for those getting less than 12.5 mpg.

The CTS-V and CTS wagon haven’t been crash-tested, but the CTS sedan was designated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Strangely — considering its extreme capabilities — the CTS-V is the only model in this series that has achieved above-average reliability in Consumer Reports magazine owner surveys.

Among Cadillac offerings, the CTS series offers the most compelling combination of handling, performance, fuel economy, competitive pricing and Cadillac luxury in a compact package. The V-6 versions of the CTS deliver 26 to 27 mpg on the highway.

But the CTS-V? We must confess we don’t get it. It’s loaded with performance potential that would be illegal and profoundly dangerous to exploit. But maybe that’s the point.

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: $70,790

Engine: 6.2-liter V-8, 556 horsepower, 551 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic

Drive: Rear-wheel

Weight: 4,390 lb.

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

Wheels: 19x9.5-inch satin graphite

Tires: P285/35R19 99Y performance

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 25 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 58 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 18 gallons

Fuel economy: 12 mpg city, 18 mpg highway

Fuel type: Premium

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