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Home : 2008
Cadillac CTS
2008 Cadillac CTS
A New Design with Speed
and Power
A new design and more features makes this
Cadillac CTS a must have for fans of previous versions of the CTS. When I
first read about the changes that Cadillac was making to the CTS I wasn't
sure what die hard Cadillac fans like me would think. After all the car was
already a hit with anyone who ever got behind the wheel and pressed down on
the gas pedal and felt the power that this little Cadillac has.
I kind of got a kick out of the way
Kiplingers magazine called it "Wicked fast & interior well appointed" when I
was browsing through the March issue. It was rating the best new cars of
2008 and had the CTS way up there in the $30,000 to 45,000 range. Kiplingers
is a great financial magazine that is a must read if you are looking to buy
a new car.
Anyway lets get back to the CTS and it's
features for 2008.
For the first time the CTS is available
with both rear wheel drive and all-wheel drive, although rear wheel is
standard. The base model has a 263 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 engine. You could
upgrade and get the direct injection 304 horsepower V6 for that extra power.
Both engines come with either a standard 6 speed manual or a 6 speed
automatic transmission. Besides the power and tranny some other features
include steering-linked headlights, keyless entry and a navigation system
which is optional.
The size is still similar to the Cadillac CTS from years past but is better
on gas then previous years and other cars within this power and price range.
I was impressed with the new wood trimmed interior which seem to take the
CTS slight flaws from years past and correct them.
Safety is always a concern and this
Cadillac CTS has all the features that you can have.
- Curtain side airbags
- Front side airbags
- Anti skid system
- ABS braking
- Traction control
- Tire-pressure monitor
- And of course OnStar
The retail price on the base 3.6 liter 263
horsepower is $32,000 and $34,500 for the direct injection V6 304 horsepower
model. I think the extra money for the larger engine is well worth the
upgrade. You never know when you need that little extra power and with the
way this CTS handles the road you may feel the need to go for a cruise
without the family and enjoy your car and what it can do on the open road. I
would say that the handling reminds me of the BMW 5 series that I test drove
a few weeks ago when I tagged along with a neighbor who was car shopping.
The CTS dashboard has pretty big easy to
read gauges and the whole feel inside the car makes you just wanna have it
if you know what I mean. The front seats have plenty of room and are very
comfortable and supportive on your back. The rear seats are small just like
previous CTS's and if you have a foursome for golf and your buddies are big
like mine its a tight squeeze. If you don't plan on sitting back there
yourself this becomes a non-issue.
Upgrade Choices: There are plenty that you
can make this year including
- Bose am/fm radio with 6 disc cd/mp3
changer
- rain sensing wipers
- accent lighting
- machined alloy rims
- rear obstacle detection system
- power tilt telescoping steering wheel
with memory
- heated/cooled front seats with lumbar
adjustment
- remote start
- navigation system
- wood interior trim
- power sunroof
- all season tires
- sport suspension
- heavy duty cooling system
The optional packages is what makes this
Cadillac stand out from other midsize cars like the Acura TL and the
Infiniti G. Being a Cadillac fan I am slightly bias towards Cadillac's. I
think what Cadillac did was take a cool looking power filled CTS and made it
better which I didn't think was at all a possibility. |
