Background: Cadillac, the long-runningluxury division of General Motors, has itswork cut out. Increased domestic competition from Ford’s Lincoln division, not to mention the big three up-scale Japanese importers (Lexus, Infiniti and Acura), and Europe’s big hitters (BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz) have eroded away sales once the domain of Cadillac.
The best sales year for Cadillac was back in 1978 when 350,813 vehicles were sold. Contrast that to calendar year 2001 in which sales added up to 140,267units, down from 165,808 a year earlier.
Cadillac took a step in the right direction to reverse this downward trend in January when the all-new, entry-luxury 2003 CTS sedan arrived to dealers. This is the first GM vehicle built off the new rear-wheel drive Sigma platform. Expect more GM cars to share this platform in the not-too-distant future. The four-door CTS replaces the Catera as Cadillac’s entry-luxury offering.
Catera was built in Germany by GM’s Opel division, and never quite lived up to expectations despite decent sales of more than 25,000 units during its first year on the market in the 1997 model year.
Sales soon took a nose dive in part because of production troubles and by calendar year 2001, sales were below 10,000. However, Catera was miles ahead of the Cimarron, Cadillac’s luxury compact of the early 1980s, which was for all intents and purposes a thinly veiled Chevrolet Cavalier.
So far, CTS sales have showed promise. July 2002 figures check in at 2,933 units while year-to-date sales have already reached 17,636 units. When first viewing the CTS in press handouts and other publications last year, the sharp exterior cues seemed out of proportion. However, when the vehicle was delivered to the Daily Herald for a week-long evaluation, it exhibited a much more commanding presence in person. Pictures don’t do this vehicle justice.
Cadillac is taking a page out of European and Asian marketing books with the naming of this new car; lots of consonants but no discernible The CTS code is broken down this way: “C” stands for Cadillac’s new “C” class while TS are the “Touring Sedan” initials. I’m not a big fan of the vowel-less alpha-numeric names (ES 300, 3.2 TL, RX 300 etc.). They’re lifeless, dull and hard to remember.
A name like Seville or DeVille conjures up an image in one’s mind that connects easier with the vehicle. However, the automotive community outside the United States is very in tune with this numeric name game. Since CTS has high hopes of being a world player, it would rather switch thenfight. General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, assembles CTS in Lansing, Mich. Key entry luxury competitors include the BMW 3 Series, Lincoln LS, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C Class.
Engine/Trim level: The CTS is available in one basic trim level with two transmissions: a standard five-speed manual (the first manual transmission since 1952) or optional five-speed automatic. Powering the rear-drive CTS is a longitudinally-mounted 3.2-liter, V-6 generating 220 horsepower. It’s the sole engine available. It’s actually a re-engineered version of GM’s 3.0-liter V-6 engine. Fuel estimates are respectable at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 m.p.g. highway. The tank holds 17.5 gallons of recommended 91-octane fuel. The rear-wheel-drive Lincoln LS, probably the closest domestic competitor to the CTS, offers both six cylinder (220 horsepower) and eight-cylinder (252 horsepower) engines.
Standard equipment: As with most entry-luxury vehicles, many popular items come standard including: single-feed compact disc player with seven-speaker stereo, power rack and pinion steering, rear window defogger, fog lamps, dual climate zones (with air conditioning), cruise control, eight-way power drivers seat, power windows and mirrors, power locks, intermittent front wipers and tilt steering wheel.
Two option packages are offered: a “Luxury” package and “Luxury Sport” package. Individual options include heated front seats, high-intensity headlights, engine block heater, sunroof andsix-unit in-dash compact disc player with navigation system.
Price: Part of the 2003 CTS marketing scheme is to promote the sedan with a starting price sneaking in under the $30,000 barrier. Indeed, our black test car’s starting price was $29,350 and came relatively well equipped. For good measure Cadillac added a host of extras including the Luxury Sport Package ($3,500), six-disc in-dash compact disc player ($2,700), five-speed automatic transmission ($1,200), sunroof ($1,100), heated front seats ($400) and high intensity headlights ($500), the bottom line totaled $39,390 including the $640 destination charge.
By comparison the lowest-priced 2002 Lincoln LS with utomatic transmission starts at $33,320. The rear-wheel-drive LS has several trim level selections to choose from. A 2002 rear-wheel drive BMW 325I sedan with manual transmission checks in at $27,100.
Outside: Both the back and front ends are raised higher when compared with other Cadillacs. The front end slopes down to the grille area with its "V” shape outline. Cadillac’s circular wreath logo is embedded into the grille with four horizontal slats. Clear, vertical headlight housing morphs into the side fender. Crisp creasing is found on the hood and along the sides.
Vertical taillights on each side of trunk add to the high back end look. Sixteen-inch all-season tires are standard.
The square fuel tank door is on the passenger side rear fender.
Larger 17-inch varieties of tires are available when ordering the luxury sports package. The four flush-mounted door handles are ody color as are the heated rearview mirrors. The radio antenna is built into the large, 45-degree sloped, square-shaped rear window.
Inside: Wood accents adorn the top of the steering wheel, shift knob and all four door handles. The two-tone interior features dark dashboard hues and tan-colored seats.
The CTS is a five seater with three averaged-size adults able to sit in back in reasonable comfort. Leather upholstery comes standard.
A pass-through window (and fold-down armrest/beverage holder) on the rear seatbacks gain access to the trunk when toting skis or other long items. Split folding rear seats are optional in some editions.
The front bucket seats were very comfortable and supportive during a three-hour drive into Wisconsin. One nice touch is a analog clock (the ones with two hands and a face) in the left-hand corner of the instrument panel. To the right is the fuel gauge and in the center are a large tachometer and speedometer. A digital compass is nested in the corner of the rearview mirror.
Front windshield wipers monitor from a right-hand side stalk and headlights are found on the turn signal stalk.
A trunk release button is found on the driver’s door near the map pocket. The steering wheel has secondary radio controls including a small dimpled dial one turns to raise or lower radio sound levels. In between the front bucket seats is a bi-level storage bin/arm rest combination that folds back out of the way if necessary. Two permanently molded beverage holders reside in front of the arm rest.
Rectangular toggle levers control temperature, fan speed and direction, surrounding a rectangular display window with digital readouts and graphics. Our test car included the in-dash navigation system with a square display window set in the middle of the dashboard.Sound system graphics and functions are also built into this display with station preset buttons on the outside perimeter of the screen.
The trunk volume measures in at 12.8 cubic feet; decent but slightly less than what the Lincoln LS or Lexus ES 300 offer. Shock-absorber type hinges placed outside the cargo area prevent the “crunched box syndrome” found with curved interior hinges.
Warranty: Cadillac’s manufacturer’s warranty is four years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) for the drivetrain and basic equipment. The roadside assistance program is also four years and 50,000 miles. The rust/corrosion warranty is six years or 100,000 miles.
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 113.4 inches
Overall length: 190.1 inches
Overall width: 70.6 inches
Overall height: 56.7 inches
Curb weight: 3,568 pounds
Safety features: The CTS gets very high marks for including many popular safety features standard. Available with the price of admission are dual reduced-force front air bags, driver and passenger side air bags, head-curtain air bags, daytime running lights, child safety rear door locks, theft deterrent system, remote keyless entry, four-wheel anti-lock brakes and traction control.
Also included is OnStar, GM’s satellite-linking system putting occupants in touch with manned centers throughout the country at the push of a sun visor button. OnStar can also unlock doors via the satellite network and notify authorities if the vehicle is in a serious accident when air bags deploy.
Final thoughts: An unscientific, yet plausible way of evaluating cars test driven for this column is gauging the reaction of the general public and interested neighbors during the week-long loan. The CTS conjured up many onlookers while sparking several impromptu conversations; mostly favorable. One informed onlooker at the local bank mentioned how impressed he was with CTS styling when first viewing one in person at this past February’s Chicago Auto Show.
Another post office professional was in the market for the CTS, and jumped at the chance for a short, unplanned test drive sans sales personnel.
The CTS ride tends more towards performance, not the floaty variety. Drivers have plenty of road feedback through the steering wheel. Rear-wheel drive enhances handling and steering characteristics. It took 20 some-odd years, but Cadillac now has the right ingredients for a tempting entry-level dish. |