Cadillac CTS-a Finalist at NAIAS

[Charles D. Barnette]

Yesterday The North American International Auto Show (2008) in Detroit announced that the  Cadillac CTS is one of three finalists competing for the 2008 North American Car of the Year Award. The winner will be announced at the first press conference at the NAIAS on Jan. 13, 2008. The other two finalists are the Chevrolet Malibu and the Honda Accord. Good luck Cadillac! Charles D. Barnette

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

I'd say the CTS was a cinch for that award if the competition is the new Malibu and Accord.  I don't understand why everyone in the automotive press is so taken with the new Malibu; it's just a Saturn Aura that isn't as good-looking. And the new Accord doesn't seem to be a big improvement over last year's Accord and many in the automotive press don't like its styling.

[Rich S]

Congratulations to Cadillac for their achievements with the '08 CTS! Winning this award would be wonderful, following the "Car of the Year" designation by Motor Trend magazine. They have done a fine job of integrating new technologies while maintaining the brand's identity. Here is a link to a review of it:

http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-neil12dec12,0,2495261.story?coll=la-class-autos-highway1

One week ago, I picked up my new CTS-4 that was ordered 10-20-07--the car is great! Although I love the vintage Cadillacs, the '08 CTS joins the Cadillac legacy with pride!

[Charles D. Barnette]

It was just announced today at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that the 2008 North American car of the year is the Chevy Malibu which beat out the Cadillac CTS. Why? Oh well-at least the winner was another GM product! Charles D. Barnette

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

 I’ve also just taken delivery of my ’08 CTS and think its one of the best Cadillacs ever. The comfort, performance, looks and price make it a great value, and value is what built Cadillac’s reputation.  In the NYC area we’re overrun with 3 and 5 Series Bimmers and C and E Class Mercedes. The new CTS is competitive with a 5 Series or E Class but at 3 Series or C Class price…….And, it has that old time Cadillac attitude to boot.

Finally, there’s a new Cadillac to brag about.

Ralph

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

I’ve also just taken delivery of my ’08 CTS and think its one of the best Cadillacs ever. The comfort, performance, looks and price make it a great value, and value is what built Cadillac’s reputation.  In the NYC area we’re overrun with 3 and 5 Series Bimmers and C and E Class Mercedes. The new CTS is competitive with a 5 Series or E Class but at 3 Series or C Class price…….And, it has that old time Cadillac attitude to boot.

Finally, there’s a new Cadillac to brag about.

Ralph

Ralph,
Which suspension does your new CTS have? All the road tests say there's supposed to be a choice of FE1, FE2 and really stiff FE3, but when you go to the "Build your new Cadillac" section on www.Cadillac.com there's no indication of three suspension systems.  My 2007 CTS has the base (as opposed to the sport) suspension and even it's a little stiffer than I prefer (believe it or not, my 2004 VW Jetta has a smoother ride), so I think I'd want the FE1 on the new series CTS.  The 2008 is really  a beauty with a much more handsome interior than my car.

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Rusty,

I have the FE-2 suspension and find it just right. The car feels a little lighter than the 740 Bimmer I had, which it is, but it’s definitely a luxury car in the European touring tradition. The “Build Your Own” web site does not give you the flexibility that you actually can order through the dealer. I ordered mine just about fully loaded with Level 1 and select Performance and Premium options. The GM marketing staff did a fabulous job of bundling options in way that creates the highest MSRP. That’s OK. They did their job, and I did mine.

If you’re thinking about a new car and you take it for a test drive, it will definitely follow you home.

Ralph

[Rich S]

My car has all the options with the 3.6 liter Direct Injection Engine and the FE-2 suspension and the "All Wheel Drive," and I find the ride to be just right. It has a very sporty responsiveness, but a firm feel of the road, without being too harsh. My '03 CTS with the Sport Package that I replaced did not ride as smoothly nor as quietly as this new model. This car has alot more equipment than the first generation CTS, and there are alot of compliments on the styling. The new lighting is really attractive, too. I'm so glad it is Cadillac that built this car! The anticipated Coupe version, sharing no body parts from the A-pillar back, was seen by Motor Trend and was reportedly a "knock-out," drop-dead gorgeous! It really pleased me even more to see the News Release found at this link:

http://www.iihs.org:80/news/rss/pr010908.html

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Thanks, Rich and Ralph. You've given me some good information that I'll use when I trade for a Gen II CTS. I'd really like to have one of the new ones, but I know without talking to the dealer that I'd take a beating, so I'll just enjoy my '07. It's far from loaded, having only three options: White Diamond Paint, auto. trans., and sunroof, but with rebate and discount, I drove out for less than $ 30,000.00, so I think of it as the world's nicest Accord! By the way, I hope they found a more logical place for the instrument panel lights dimmer; mine is on the ceiling by the sunroof control.  What were they thinking?