My review of the 2015 Cadillac CTS

Old Jan 31, 2015, 8:20 pm
  #1  
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My review of the 2015 Cadillac CTS

This is my review for 2 of my past rentals in the last month.

Before I start, I will say that I do have a bias against GM based on previous cars I’ve owned and rented (although this is slowly changing). I generally prefer Japanese and Korean counterparts

Vehicle: 2015 Cadillac CTS 3.6L w/ Premium package, White exterior/beige interior
Rented: TPA (FL Tags)
Mileage Out: 1291
Mileage In: 2361
Miles Driven: 1070 (4 day rental)



Vehicle: 2015 Cadillac CTS 3.6L w/ Premium package, Black exterior/black interior
Rented: DCA (FL Tags)
Mileage Out: 2653
Mileage In: 3179
Miles Driven: 526 (1 day rental)



Class: YI – Specialty Luxury

Both CTS’s were equipped identically and had nearly every option box checked off and had an MSRP of over $62k.

Powertrain:
3.6L Direct Injected V6
321 HP, 275 lb-ft of torque
RWD
8 Speed Automatic Transmission

Ride/Handling
The 2015 CTS handles very well. I am your typical driver who might speed a bit, but nothing too crazy. I do drive very aggressively in the city (New York City driver over here!) I will say that the car handles similarly to the 2015 Hyundai Genesis. It does handle significantly better in corners than the likes of Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300. IMO, the car’s ride is a great middle ground of being responsive for the general population, but not floating down the road like the LaCrosse and 300 mentioned.

Interior
The interior of the CTS is very sleek and modern. All controls in the center dash are touch screen or touch sensitive. The car seems to be very nicely put together, however, upon closer inspection, the front seat is not fully leather – There is a spot that is made of cheapo cloth-type material that is hidden behind the center arm rest area. Just a very interesting omission IMO and all of my personal cars have that area in leather.




Continuing on with the modern theme, there are no gauges on the car. The “guage” is a giant LCD screen that can be customized to whatever information you might want.



Exterior/Design
The CTS is a very sharp car that will definitely get attention from the front end (Got numerous thumbs ups and people staring). Its LED strip is very distinctive, and since the CTS is not exactly a popular car, it is very eye catching/unique. However, the rear end is a bit generic IMO. Personally, I follow the auto industry and cars, but I have trouble distinguishing the ATS from the CTS from the XTS at a glance. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do wish that Cadillac gave their new models a more distinctive design from other Cadillac models and made it a little more different than its predecessor.





Features
The car was loaded with nearly every option possible. To name a few,
-Heads up display
-Automatic parallel/back in parking (put the car in reverse and it steers for you – you control the brake/gear shifter)
-Adaptive cruise control
-Blind spot monitoring
-Lane keep assist
-Parking sensors
-Automatic seatbelt tighteners (the seatbelt tightens itself after you hit ~10MPH)


Value (Rental)
The CTS out of TPA was a paid upgrade ($35/day extra) on top of a points redemption for a PCAR. Well worth it over the Maxima originally offered.

The CTS out of DCA was a free upgrade off a weekend rental deal – worked out to be ~$43/day with taxes

Value (Purchase)
The CTS has an MSRP of approximately $62,000. This car competes with the likes of the BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Hyundai Genesis (Personally own), and Lexus GS (personally own).

The price is significantly cheaper than its German counterparts. The BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have starting prices in the mid-$50k to lower $60k range. Add in the features that the CTS has, and you are easily in the $70k range. Similarly equipped Genesis has an MSRP in the lower $50k range, and the GS has an MSRP in the lower $60k range.

Comparing the CTS to its competitors based on MSRP and features alone, the CTS is pretty fairly priced. It is in the range of the GS, and only the Genesis significantly undercuts the CTS.

HOWEVER, this is what REALLY surprised me. When I rented the CTS in TPA in late December, I was in the market for a new car. I just needed a sedan, preferably AWD, to replace one of my cars I’m convinced was a lemon. Just for laughs, I sent out an online quote request for a CTS 3.6L with Premium Package – The same trim that I rented, but with the added option of AWD. With an MSRP of ~$65k, I didn’t know what to expect. I got an offer on a 2014 CTS (Same as the 2015) for $18000 off MSRP, or ~$48k. That put the CTS below the price I paid for my Hyundai Genesis Ultimate AWD ($50k). Given that price, it is a fantast value.

Why I would not buy a CTS

So I just praised the CTS on its value and options. I also just praised the CTS on its design. But why wouldn’t I like it? It goes beyond my obvious dislike of GM cars.

-Everything is touch screen/touch sensitive
The 2 CTS’s I drove had less than 3k miles when I picked up the car. The one with 1293 miles had no problems with the touch screen. However, when the car hit around 2k miles, I noticed the touch screen wasn’t as accurate as when I first picked up the car. It wasn’t anything outrageous, but a noticeable decline in its accuracy. The one with 2653 miles at pick up occasionally did not register my touch.

The touch sensitive buttons made simple things like changing the volume or radio station or temperature more difficult while driving. Also, based on my observation of its declining accuracy of my touch, I am uncertain how great this sleek looking design will be at 50k miles

-Everything is motorized
Even the smallest things like a storage cubby behind the temperature controls to the cup holder cover are motorized. On several occasions in both cars, the door for the cubby behind the temperature controls would open fine, but would not close. I had to force it closed once.

-Lack of a leather patch in an unseen area mentioned in the review
It is not a huge deal that there isn’t a little more leather. However, this signals to me that they cut corners in making the car to save a little bit of money on a $60k car. What else did they cut corners on in making the car?

-Too flashy
I was getting a ton of attention in the CTS – especially in the daytime when the LED DRL’s were shining away. Seemed cool at first, but it could definitely attract the wrong type of attention

That being said, I would consider leasing the CTS for a short time (27 months or so) so that I don’t’ have to deal with failing electronics. But even then, I better be saving a significant amount of money over its competitors.

Final Verdict: Rent it or lease it if you want a showy/flashing/extremely modern car - it is a fantastic car, but I would be terrified of owning this car. It has far too many things that can fail – from the motorized cubby/cup holders to the touch sensitive buttons. However, I think that many people would not like the attention the car gets or the over use of touch sensitive buttons or the motorized everything (except the side mirrors, which would actually come in very handy)
CTNYC is offline  
Old Feb 9, 2016, 3:37 pm
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Nice review.
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