2008 Cadillac CTS: Image Gallery

[turbo200]

Very mixed reaction from this current-gen CTS owner.

My overall impression is favorable......but I feel disappointed in what I consider a "dumb-down" of the exterior style from the A-pillar back. It looks like to me they did the same thing with this new CTS (compared to the current one) that they did with the current STS (compared to the current CTS)......in other words, the car looks alot more bland to me in the profile and roofline.

The front end is GREAT.....but it gets boring from the A-pillar back.

I also LOVE the interior......another nice job.

So.....great front-end.....great interior.....but boring otherwise. They lost another opportunity, IMHO, of buidling upon the current CTS's "knife-edge" styling. Great design is more than just a "pretty face." That's what I consider this new CTS....a "pretty face."

I sum up my feelings this way......the new CTS doesn't make me want to run out and trade in my current car early just in order to get this new one. Would I consider leasing the new one at the end of my current lease? Sure...the new CTS will be a contender. But I really wanted a car that would make me "pull teeth" to get out of the lease in my '07.....this new one doesn't captivate me that much.....

Nice car.....slight disappointment.....

that's exactly how I feel, and look no one can say we were in cohoots cause you posted one minute before me! As a future entry level luxury sedan buyer, this doesn't capture my attention as much as i hoped it would either.

just asked a friend, casual observer but fan of cars, I've gotten him to be more of a detail analyzer, but he put it pretty nicely and succinctly, it's lost a lot of its sportiness and now looks too classy. guess that's the lutz factor for you. now that i think of what he said, i actually think the VE Commodore has a better stance and more athleticism in the design. Too bad.

[The O.C.]

just asked a friend, casual observer but fan of cars, I've gotten him to be more of a detail analyzer, but he put it pretty nicely and succinctly, it's lost a lot of its sportiness and now looks too classy. guess that's the lutz factor for you. now that i think of what he said, i actually think the VE Commodore has a better stance and more athleticism in the design. Too bad.

The Fusion reference was PERFECT.....and sums up my feelings entirely!

Where's all the creases and knife-edges down the sides, c-pillar, and rear end like on the current car? Oh you can kinda make out a few subtle ones if you look closely enough.....but front-end aside, they went way too "Lexus" with this car for my tastes......

You know why I like the current CTS? I HATED it when the car first came to market.....too different, too creased......and low-and-behold, I'm the proud owner of an '07. That's what was magical in the current CTS when it came out.....and it is the ONLY Cadillac to truly follow that mantra....

I'm so confused.......the more I think about it, the more I'm disappointed in this new CTS. Yet on the same hand, I can truly say that I DO think it's an attractive, classy car.....yet I'm still disappointed....

[turbo200]

Remember that the BLS is coming, too. That could be a reason why the CTS is looking less sporty.

my only hope is that the BLS is RWD, and that Cadillac listens to these reactions and adjusts thier future lineup accordingly. In terms of style, CTS built a brand, and you cannot just give up and relegate yourself to second place when you built so much equity on looking different. Really, why were they thinking they should not revolutionize yet again?

For the near term, before the BLS gets here, Cadillac will lose a consumer base looking for something very specific from the CTS.

[turbo200]

The Fusion reference was PERFECT.....and sums up my feelings entirely!

Where's all the creases and knife-edges down the sides, c-pillar, and rear end like on the current car? Oh you can kinda make out a few subtle ones if you look closely enough.....but front-end aside, they went way too "Lexus" with this car for my tastes......

You know why I like the current CTS? I HATED it when the car first came to market.....too different, too creased......and low-and-behold, I'm the proud owner of an '07. That's what was magical in the current CTS when it came out.....and it is the ONLY Cadillac to truly follow that mantra....

I'm so confused.......the more I think about it, the more I'm disappointed in this new CTS. Yet on the same hand, I can truly say that I DO think it's an attractive, classy car.....yet I'm still disappointed....

let's petition GM to allow certain members from here to be on a style approval committee.......[i won't name names, but at least you and I a few more should be on there! our cars would be exactly what the consumer wants!]

[maxximus1]

Its a real damn shame that in my state we have to put a license plate on the front of the car. It looks too good to have some fugly plate attached on it.

Edited January 8, 2007 by maxximus1

[ZL-1]

Remember that the BLS is coming, too.

Current model, Epsilon II, or on the platform AH-HA talked about in his Biblical 'I am Alpha and Omega' quote?

[The O.C.]

Its a real damn shame that in my state we have to put a license plate on the front of the car. It looks too good to have some fugly plate attached on it.

I was going to leave mine off of the CTS.....but the frickin' dealer had it put on before I could tell them.....

Ugh.....

[big blue]

let's petition GM to allow certain members from here to be on a style approval committee.......[i won't name names, but at least you and I a few more should be on there! our cars would be exactly what the consumer wants!]

Well I hope your style group doesn't form as I love this new look over the old and uglier(rear) current one. :AH-HA_wink: Edited January 8, 2007 by big blue

[jbartley]

no luxury sedan has ever looked this hot, and no sedan will!

the gm photo's made this car look terrible! this new pics are awesome, the car is practically perfect.

the IS, 3-series, and G better be scared b/c they can't hold a candle to this beauty!

[maxximus1]

I wonder if the key fob looks classy too. Am very interested to know what it looks like.

Edited January 8, 2007 by maxximus1

[turbo200]

Well I hope your style group doesn't form as I love this new look over the old and uglier(rear) current one. :AH-HA_wink:

it would never [unless I got to some very powerful position and influenced GM to let me in]. but i think we could have come up with something better. i didn't say there wasn't a lot to love with this car :AH-HA_wink:

[Justin Bimmer]

Looking at them side by side, the new one is BY FAR more sporty looking. I don't care what anybody else says. The new one is agressive and low and wide and cut!

Edited January 8, 2007 by CadillacKing3

[Flybrian]

Hey, guys...guess what. The 300hp V6 runs on REGULAR unleaded. Lexus doesn't do that. Acura doesn't. I don't think Infiniti does either.

[Northstar]

Current model, Epsilon II, or on the platform AH-HA talked about in his Biblical 'I am Alpha and Omega' quote?

From what Jim Taylor (I think it was him?) or some GM high-up employee said there was a small RWD Cadillac, I believe, so perhaps the EPII model got canceled and it's going to be on the new small RWD platform. I don't really know though.

[Northstar]

Hey, guys...guess what. The 300hp V6 runs on REGULAR unleaded. Lexus doesn't do that. Acura doesn't. I don't think Infiniti does either.

I sort of wish they would have made it run on premium and then it would have made even more power. On an average fill-up, premium only costs like $3 extra anyways. That's nothing for someone who can afford a $40k vehicle.

[The O.C.]

Hey, guys...guess what. The 300hp V6 runs on REGULAR unleaded. Lexus doesn't do that. Acura doesn't. I don't think Infiniti does either.

They ALL "run" on regular unleaded.....

The difference is that they suggest 91-octane for "best performance and fuel economy"......just as my '07 CTS says.....it also "runs" on 87-octane, but suggests to run 89-octane "for best performance or trailer towing."

[Northstar]

They ALL "run" on regular unleaded.....

The difference is that they suggest 91-octane for "best performance and fuel economy"......just as my '07 CTS says.....it also "runs" on 87-octane, but suggests to run 89-octane "for best performance or trailer towing."

Right, but the CTS gives you the full 300HP on regular, the others give you less, but as I said it doesn't really matter if it takes premium or regular to someone who can afford a $40k car.

[tmp]

I like the new one. The older model was great (I loved it from the first clear spyshots during the filming of "Matix: Reloaded" but I can see why they lost some of the creases. That raising spline line has been co-opted by everyone from Nissan to Mercedes. Time to move on.

The original CTS could be looked at as the '67 deVille turned upside-down, this one I am seeing more '67 Eldorado

I wonder how long it will take the auto mags to bitch that there isn't a handbrake. 'Cause you know, the Dukes of Hazzard turn is so very important with today's longer commutes.

[zete]

As a current CTS owner I love this. It just made my next car purchase that much harder. Good on GM for that.

[loki]

Hey, guys...guess what. The 300hp V6 runs on REGULAR unleaded. Lexus doesn't do that. Acura doesn't. I don't think Infiniti does either.

yeah, and who knows if the heads were improved like the ones on the lambdas (other than the DI)

[The O.C.]

Right, but the CTS gives you the full 300HP on regular, the others give you less, but as I said it doesn't really matter if it takes premium or regular to someone who can afford a $40k car.

Don't be so sure......as I stated in another thread, Cadillac advertises that the current CTS only "requires" 87-octane.

That may be true.....but it states clearly in the owner's manual that 89-octane IS required for "best performance......" Granted it's not 91-octane, saving a few bucks....but I do find GM's advertising/marketing of this a bit misleading.....in other words it will run just fine on 87 and not damage the engine.....but most cars that "require" 91 will run just fine on 87 thanks to the knock sensor......

To me, I don't give a rat's ass if I have to put 91-octane in my car or not.....it's simply not that big of a deal to me, price-wise......

[bowtie_dude]

People keep talking about the exterior, whether its better than the current or worse and its pros and cons, as if that is what really matters about this refresh. The comparison that should be made is this one.

The new CTS is a success based solely on the above. The new interior is without a doubt the best looking interior GM has ever designed.

For further comparison:

G35:

IS330:

330i:

TL Type-S:

[NOS2006]

Yep, I've been looking at this thing awhile and there's not much I can point out that I dislike.

Another thing is that I'm happy to see no real negative remarks on the interior. My company did a lot of work with that interior.

[pow]

Absolutely fabulous in every way. This is the first Cadillac I would buy with my own money.

[Northstar]

Don't be so sure......as I stated in another thread, Cadillac advertises that the current CTS only "requires" 87-octane.

That may be true.....but it states clearly in the owner's manual that 89-octane IS required for "best performance......" Granted it's not 91-octane, saving a few bucks....but I do find GM's advertising/marketing of this a bit misleading.....in other words it will run just fine on 87 and not damage the engine.....but most cars that "require" 91 will run just fine on 87 thanks to the knock sensor......

To me, I don't give a rat's ass if I have to put 91-octane in my car or not.....it's simply not that big of a deal to me, price-wise......

Hmm, perhaps. I believe they talked about that in the unveiling "video" so maybe I should watch it again.

I really want to see the interior in black, I think it would look so much better (and it already looks good).

bowtie_dude: I think you should add the A4, GS (it's smaller than the CTS), and maybe the C-Class to your picture post.

[Camino LS6]

Yep, I've been looking at this thing awhile and there's not much I can point out that I dislike.

Another thing is that I'm happy to see no real negative remarks on the interior. My company did a lot of work with that interior.

Well I was going to comment on a few things I don't like about the interior, but it outclasses the competition by such a huge margin that I won't even bother. And I don't like the car.

[NOS2006]

Well I was going to comment on a few things I don't like about the interior, but it outclasses the competition by such a huge margin that I won't even bother. And I don't like the car.

I could comment on a thing or two myself, but I'll hold my word.

[NOS2006]

I really want to see the interior in black, I think it would look so much better (and it already looks good).

I would like to see it in black, too. However, not with the wood trim. I'd like to see it in black with the silver carbon fiber trim they're going to offer. (I think it's carbon fiber at least..)

[MyerShift]

Sorry guys, count me out.

I voted Very Good But... because:

I can't stand this odd cheese-grater grille. I covered it up, and it looked worlds better to me. I just can't picture it going with the car, so perhaps in person it might be different.

And, though not a deal breaker for me like that grille, the steering wheel hub is funky too.

Edited January 8, 2007 by MyerShift

[Cory Wolfe]

I sort of wish they would have made it run on premium and then it would have made even more power. On an average fill-up, premium only costs like $3 extra anyways. That's nothing for someone who can afford a $40k vehicle.

And it isn't much for me and I'm on a very limited budget. 11k miles in 7 months... all with premium.

[turbo200]

can someone post more real world pictures of the silver one [or direct me towards them]. i would but my computer is a bitch about some sites...

EDIT: nevermind, found some over at autoblog

Edited January 8, 2007 by turbo200

[AAS]

I like it. I agree it lost some of its edge and some creases along the side and back, but at least they didn't totally disappear. It looks a bit more luxurious and upscale now. Any way you look at it, you have to admit that the combination of the new exterior, new interior, and (maybe most important) powertrain and new features makes this a kick ass car.

[regfootball]

Very mixed reaction from this current-gen CTS owner.

My overall impression is favorable......but I feel disappointed in what I consider a "dumb-down" of the exterior style from the A-pillar back. It looks like to me they did the same thing with this new CTS (compared to the current one) that they did with the current STS (compared to the current CTS)......in other words, the car looks alot more bland to me in the profile and roofline.

The front end is GREAT.....but it gets boring from the A-pillar back.

I also LOVE the interior......another nice job.

So.....great front-end.....great interior.....but boring otherwise. They lost another opportunity, IMHO, of buidling upon the current CTS's "knife-edge" styling. Great design is more than just a "pretty face." That's what I consider this new CTS....a "pretty face."

I sum up my feelings this way......the new CTS doesn't make me want to run out and trade in my current car early just in order to get this new one. Would I consider leasing the new one at the end of my current lease? Sure...the new CTS will be a contender. But I really wanted a car that would make me "pull teeth" to get out of the lease in my '07.....this new one doesn't captivate me that much.....

Nice car.....slight disappointment.....

by the same token, your CTS is not / won't be obsolete anytime soon, thus preserving its desirability and value.

[pow]

I love both the understated design details and the overall profile. It seems to have a much more aggressive stance while being much more sophisticated at the same time. I love the Sixteen-inspired greenhouse and the crisp rear end... there's a lot of depth to this design.

[bowtie_dude]

As for the exterior, and this may have something to do with the photography, but something about it as a whole just doesn't...mesh right. In some photos, the front almost looks like a photochop, in others the front looks droopy in comparison to the rest of the car, like it was meant to go on another car. I dunno, its weird. 4/5.

[pow]

Looking at them side by side, the new one is BY FAR more sporty looking. I don't care what anybody else says. The new one is agressive and low and wide and cut!

Agreed. The old CTS was 15% art and 85% science. This is now 75% art and 25% science.

[Intrepidation]

The press pictures have large gaps between the dashboard the doors, and the wood trim is misalaign, however it looks light that was fixed for teh auto show.

[CaddyRich]

Absolutely Frickin' Gorgeous! Outstanding job on the interior...over all, well done!

[Paolino]

I'm absolutely blown away. The interior--I'm speechless.

[NOS2006]

Anybody going to comment on the nav and the radio layout?

[corvette_dude729]

Yeah, I wanna see a picture of it!!

[NOS2006]

The press pictures have large gaps between the dashboard the doors, and the wood trim is misalaign, however it looks light that was fixed for teh auto show.

Yeah, well there's nothing misaligned. :AH-HA_wink:

Sorry, corvettedude, can't really hook you up with a pic lol.. Forgot about that.

[Northstar]

Actually, the wood is slightly misaligned, but I'm guessing that's because it's preproduction (like the Aura was).

[red]

Agree completely with the O.C.'s initial impressions - great job up front, vanilla from the A-pillar back.

Fantastic job on the grill. I really like the "bulbuous" look of the lower intake. Great headlight detail as well. I also like the way the cutline integrates into the side vent - very good execution. Interior is great - I can only pick out two minor things: real aluminum and more detailed gauges. Other than that, a real contender inside.

The rear is a stylistic disappointment. Anyone notice how GM designers are not paying any attention to the rear? All seem to be vertical, flat, and simple-shaped taillights. See: Malibu, Impala, Tahoe, Cobalt sedan. The sides are very un-Cadillac - need more detailing, too curvy. Save that stuff for Pontiac.

The engine/powertrain lineup is fantastic. Way to stay competitive with the 6-speed/300-hp engine.

Marketing, courtesy Modernista, already needs some work. I already despise everything the firm has done for the brand thus far (this is not Mini!), and initial photography is terrible (see the overglossy creative on the Cadillac website). Hopefully Modernista tries to position this car well, instead of trying to appeal to some non-existent tongue-in-cheek audience.

Overall, A-. Could use more balls, design-wise. And a new advertiser.

[BigPontiac]

I like the styling MUCH better than the current version...I've always found the side profile to look odd on the current gen. The part I can't believe is all the driver's car, 'ring-tuned...blah blah blah...then I see the interior pictures with the manual transmission...and "the pump to set" emergency brake continues. WTF!! I guess I better hope nothing happens to my 330i!

Edited January 9, 2007 by BigPontiac

[ocnblu]

Plenty of style, class, attitude, and athleticism. I love how the sheetmetal flows over the rear wheel in the 3/4 front view of the silver car on the turntable. This is one sexy machine.

[american_driver]

Very nice!

[Petra]

Very nice... It's everything an American sports sedan should be. Bravo, Cadillac!

[NOS2006]

Well, according to the poll, it's got about a 93.8% approval on C&G.

[regfootball]

Hey, guys...guess what. The 300hp V6 runs on REGULAR unleaded. Lexus doesn't do that. Acura doesn't. I don't think Infiniti does either.

watch out, the black car is coming to pick you up.