First Impressions
So there I am, on a rainy day, in L.A.’s Koreatown, 38 weeks pregnant, driving a $51,000 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe (view photos) with a tire pressure monitoring system that’s telling me the right rear P275/40ZR19 Continental performance tire contains all of 16 psi of air pressure. After pulling into my favorite market, I whip out the iPhone and call my husband, 30 miles distant. He’s unsympathetic. “You’re a professional car reviewer. That Cadillac has OnStar. Give them a call.”
Putz.
So I push the button on the overhead console, summoning assistance from GM’s new OnStar 9.0 with Flexible Speech Recognition, Automatic Crash Response, and Turn-by-Turn Navigation. I don’t need any of these. I need a spare tire, and all this Caddy has in the trunk is a can of sealant and an inflator kit. A can of sealant and an inflator kit I don’t much feel like using given the weather and the impending arrival of a new family member. Not that I’d actually change the tire, either.
OnStar is able to help, promising to send someone right away. The guy shows up 45 minutes later, because he came all the way from Beverly Hills. Seriously? Someone closer can’t take the assignment? Anyway, Cadillac Guy fills the tire, and I drive 30 miles home, watching the tire pressure monitor scrub pressure mile by mile. The tire is flat again by morning. And now OnStar wants to flatbed it to a dealership for tire replacement because they don’t have a Cadillac Guy in my neck of the suburbs.
Problems with the tire notwithstanding, problems that were certainly caused by debris in the center lane of the southbound 101 freeway as it writhes through the pornography capital of the U.S., I’m not sure what to make of this new Cadillac CTS Coupe. It looks terrific inside and out, no question. But that’s where my praise ends. With few exceptions – the stereo’s sound quality, the scent of the leather, the transmission’s dynamic behavior, the thoughtful cold-weather packaging – the rest of the CTS disappoints.
Pricing, Trims and Options
Cadillac offers two very different flavors of CTS Coupe. The kind we drove, the one that will sell in greater numbers, is the tame model. The CTS-V Coupe, which is plenty more powerful and expensive, is not the subject of this test drive.
The base price of the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is $38,990, climbing to $40,980 if you opt for all-wheel drive. Given the sharply creased concept car styling the CTS Coupe exudes, those are appealing prices. Included are stability control, a Bose audio system, dual-zone climate control, Keyless Access ignition and door locks, Smart Remote Start, and Ultrasonic rear park assist. Good thing Ultrasonic is standard, because it’s really hard to judge distance when reversing. The standard model also gets OnStar 9.0 with one free year of Directions and Connections service, XM satellite radio with a free three-month trial, and 18-inch alloy wheels. GM offers a single option, an engine block heater for an extra $100.
Because there aren’t any options for the base model, we’d bet most dealers are stocked with what Cadillac calls the Performance Collection, or the Premium Collection. At $43,430 (add $1,900 for AWD), the Performance Collection model has leather, heated 10-way power front seats with two-position driver memory, a programmable universal remote, fog lights, Xenon headlights, and Adaptive Forward Lighting that helps to illuminate around curves. This model also has an upgraded 10-speaker Bose audio system and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.
Options on this model include a Luxury Level One Package with a reversing camera system, which we highly recommend. There’s also a big glass sunroof that only tilts open, so if you love the feel of sunshine on your face the CTS Coupe can’t deliver. A navigation system with Bose 5.1 Surround Sound and a 40GB hard drive is also available along with…what’s this? A manual transmission accompanied by a $1,300 credit? Best to pair that with the Performance Package, which has 19-inch alloys, summer rubber, paddle shifters for the automatic transmission, a sport suspension, performance brakes, and a performance cooling system.
Our test car was the Premium Collection model, starting at $47,835. Sapele wood trim and ambient lighting dress up the cabin, and this car also includes ventilated front seats, a heated power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, navigation, Bose 5.1 audio, sunroof, and the reversing camera. Our car also had the Performance Package, Crystal Red Tintcoat paint, and an Underhood Appearance Package, bringing the total to $51,030.
Interior Features
When this car rolled up and we were handed the keys, we were pretty excited. So were the neighbors. The rakish CTS Coupe attracted lots of attention everywhere we went, looking pretty much identical to the concept car that debuted at the North American International Auto Show back in 2008. Naturally, we were eager to take it for a spin. Walking up to the car, it’s not obvious how to open the door because there aren’t any door handles to grab. Instead, you slide your fingertips into the slot along the door’s edge and tap the rubber electronic pad within to pop the door open and climb inside.
Once seated behind the wheel, people familiar with the CTS Sedan will instantly feel at home. Same dash, same center console, same specific and strong Cadillac scent to the leather – one that we happen to like. We also like the dual-cockpit design of the dashboard, the cool push-button door releases, the quality feel of the switchgear, the tones and textures, and the fact that outward visibility is actually OK thanks to the rearview camera.
However, the seats are seemingly designed for an overweight target market, utterly lacking bolstering and thigh support. You sit on the seats, not in them. And if you are overweight, they feel like they’re way too small, or so claims the man that makes my heart flutter. We also think the plastic metal-look trim looks cheap, and should be real aluminum; that too many of the cabin’s bits and pieces creak under pressure; that the steering wheel is too large and uncomfortably shaped; and that headroom is limited.
A classic 2+2 in terms of interior concept, the CTS Coupe has a rear seat divided by a center console, and as long as the front seat passenger is willing to move the seat forward until his knees are within an inch of the dashboard, another six-footer can squeeze in behind though he’ll be forced to hunch forward so his head will clear the rear glass and headliner. Headroom is extremely limited in back, and if the driver has long legs, it’s kids only behind the driver. We’d guess this car would rarely be used to transport more than one passenger, which is a shame because the rear part of the cabin is nicely trimmed out and would be a great place to ride if it were hospitable.
One thing that bears mention is how the CTS Coupe is designed for comfort in lousy climates. First, all-wheel drive is optional. Beyond that, the seats can be heated on cold days and ventilated on hot, muggy days. The steering wheel can be heated, too, and the car features remote starting so that it can be warmed up without venturing outside to twist the key in the ignition. Good stuff, this, especially if one lives in Michigan. Or Florida.
Also good is the emergency backup system to open the doors in the event electrical power is cut to them. Down on the floor are manual release handles that can pop the portals if they’re unresponsive to commands given to the buttons on the door grab handles.
Finally, know that the CTS Coupe is equipped with a 10.5 cubic foot trunk, but you won’t actually be able to use all of that space. See, the trunk hinges are exposed and swing down along the sides of the trunk when the lid is shut, crushing anything that might be in their way. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
In addition to dual front airbags, of which Cadillac says the passenger-side airbag represents a “segment-first” dual-depth design, the CTS Coupe (view photos) is equipped with side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, ABS with Brake Assist, and OnStar 9.0 with Automatic Crash Notification. This OnStar feature is actually pretty cool, as it will pinpoint the CTS Coupe’s exact location in the event of an airbag deployment, and automatically send help even if the driver and passengers are unable to communicate with the OnStar operator. Ultrasonic rear park assist is also standard, while Adaptive Forward Lighting and a reversing camera are optional.
Strangely, Cadillac does not offer any kind of blind-spot warning system, or radar cruise control system, or collision warning system, or night vision system, or other kinds of safety technologies that are trickling down into mainstream vehicles, let alone being offered on models from luxury rivals.
For 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) has revised its testing parameters, and it has not yet evaluated a CTS Coupe. Neither has the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the CTS Sedan’s “Top Safety Pick” rating from this organization does not transfer to the two-door version.
What does transfer are quality and reliability evaluations from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates. Consumer Reports paints a bleak picture in terms of predicted reliability, giving the CTS a below average rating. J.D. Power’s data disagrees, and the research firm gives the CTS above average ratings for predicted reliability as well as initial quality during the first few months of ownership.
Know what? Let’s just call it average.