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The Auto Zone News
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Written by James Lewis, Publisher
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Thursday, 09 September 2010 13:05 |
 ![]() For 2011 Cadillac CTS has created a dramatic design change expressing, as GM says, “Art & Science, designed for visual and technical appeal” and that is exactly what Cadillac designers have done – created a new look for the Cadillac CTS that is stunning.
The new CTS has a sculpted look highlighted by sharp character lines running from the front LCD accented lighting to a rather large rear created by a 2-inch wider track in the rear and lighting cues over a double center exhaust setup.
The interior was not neglected featuring handcrafted materials, genuine Sapele wood, ambient LED interior lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, power tilt and telescopic steering. Technology features include Bluetooth phone connectivity, a deployable infotainment system display Bose 5.1 surround audio and adaptive forward lighting. Of course OnStar is standard which now offers Speech Recognition Flexible Recognition, fully continuous dialing/chunking and directed help, as well as Automatic Crash Response and Turn-by-Turn Navigation.
The 2011 CTS is available in three trim lines Base, Performance, and Premium. Each trim line offers a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive while the Performance and Premium packages offer either a six-speed automatic and manual transmission choices.
The base features 18” alloy wheels, keyless ignition and entry, 10-way power adjustable front seats, heated outside mirrors, rear parking sensors, two zone climate control, full power accessories, tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio controls and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with six-CD/MP3 in-dash changer with satellite radio.
Performance trim adds adaptive xenon headlights, fog lights, driver seat memory and heated front seats, and Bluetooth phone connectivity.
The top of the line Premium adds sunroof and touchscreen navigation with real-time traffic and weather.
The standard engine for the CTS is a 3.6-liter V6 that creates 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque on regular unleaded fuel.
The new CTS is much more of a driver’s car than former Cadillacs with a European driving feel that is becoming common among the entire GM lineup. The V6 engine is smooth and quiet and the six-speed transmission delivers comfortable city driving and offers a manual mode for more spirited performance.
My test vehicle was the 2011 Cadillac CTS Premium Collection which included:
Performance - 3.6-liter 304 horsepower direct injection engine, 6 speed automatic transmission, sport suspension system, 18” painted aluminum wheels, 18” all season tires, electronic parking brake, stabilitrak-stability control, tire pressure monitor, tire sealant & inflator kit in place of spare tire.
Luxury / Convenience - Leather wrapped steering wheel, heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control, front bucket seats, power adjustable front passenger & power lumbar-front passenger and driver 10 way seat, heated front seats, heated and vented driver and front passenger seats, leather surfaces on seats, navigation system with Bose 5.1 surround system with 40 gig hard drive device with XM Nav traffic service (first 3 months included), XM Radio (free service for 3 months), audible theft deterrent, LED interior ambient lighting, cargo net, Bluetooth for phone, universal home remote, memory seat adjuster, Sapele wood trim package, HID headlamps with adaptive forward lighting, fog lamps, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, keyless access, remote start, rear park assist, automatic cabin odor filter, power tilt sunroof.
Safety - Front & side impact air bags for driver and front passenger, front and rear head curtain side airbags, rear vision camera, safety pelt pretensioners, active front head restraints, daytime running lamps, programmable power door locks, theft deterrent system, 1 year OnStar directions & connections with automatic crash response & turn-by-turn navigation.
Base price: $47,835 which includes destination charges.
Optional Equipment on my tester:
19” Summer Performance Tire Package: 19” Polished Aluminum Wheels, 19” Summer Only Tires, Steering Wheel Mounted Shift Controls, Performance Cooling System, Performance Disc Brakes ($2,090). Underhood Appearance Package ($110). Plus Destination charges $825.
Total As Tested price of my 2011 Cadillac CTS Premium Edition $50,035.
Mileage numbers are 18 miles-per-gallon city and 27 miles-per-gallon highway on regular unleaded fuel. |
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17.61% 