2008 MT Car of the Year Award goes to...

[Northstar]

News flash to automakers in Japan and Germany: The eagle has landed. Again.

If you were one of those who wrote off General Motors as a dying dinosaur -- after all, it's been a decade since any GM car took home the Golden Calipers (the Chevrolet Corvette won back in 1998) -- prepare to rewrite everything you think you know about what's in the General's store. With this bold, savvy, uncompromising showpiece of a sedan -- the all-new Cadillac CTS -- GM has leapt straight from the rabble's side of the velvet rope into that coveted, highly selective inner sanctum marked "World's Finest Cars." For that remarkable achievement, and for making us grin like lottery winners every time we drove it, the CTS is our enthusiastic choice for Motor Trend's 2008 Car of the Year.

Continue reading HERE

[Drew Dowdell]

w00t! :cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

[Intrepidation]

[ellives]

Congratulations Cadillac. It's been a long 15 years.... Bet it feels good to be back in the seat again.

Go GM!

[Brougham-Holiday]

"Someone should make a plaque: "Here on planet earth landed an all-new, thoroughly reborn Cadillac, model year 2008, A.D." For sure, the CTS has the goods to send auto aficionados over the moon."

OH....MY....GOD!!!! Now if Cadillac would just bring back the "Standard of the World" tag line...

[gm4life]

That is great news but I also hopped for the Malibu.

[balthazar]

Was looking at R&T (IIRC) on the newstand today- had a comparison article between the CTS & the g37 and even tho modern cars aren't the object of my lust, upon seeing the opening pic I actually said outloud 'Wow'. The CTS makes the g37 look 10 years old immediately.

Nice allocade- should resonate deeply with the 'rag crowd. COngrats, Cadillac!

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

This is good news indeed..It is nice to see this... I know this is old, but this song is so appropriate now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaZpHSnjprI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILHtL8kt08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74iN4bYkzqY...feature=related

[ellives]

That is great news but I also hopped for the Malibu.

Does hopping help somehow?

[daves87rs]

[Robert Hall]

Most excellent!!!

[DetroitNut90]

Outstanding news...keep the trophies rolling in!

[C.H.U.D.]

Does hopping help somehow?

The anticipation makes him have to pee.

[C.H.U.D.]

To get on subject, Congrats to Cadillac! I knew they had a winner in the new CTS. Drewbert must have been happy to read the comparisons to the 230-hp BMW 5-series.

[mikehamm45]

the press is good guys, but be objective here. MT COTY awards are stupid.

which car won last year?

[chevelle454]

the press is good guys, but be objective here. MT COTY awards are stupid.

which car won last year?

I think the POS CAmry won last year.

[K.C.]

Good news! Not sure of the significance of the COTY award, but I am glad to see the Caddy in the winners circle.

[smk4565]

It is good to see GM with a car of the year, again, the Vette has been their only best car list contender for a while. I thought for sure the stupid Accord would get it, car magazines love the Accord.

The handling numbers they got for the CTS were very impressive, the 6.3 second 0-60 time is weak, the Camry/Accord V6 can do that. My other complaints on the CTS are 2-way lumbar, the STS's seats are far superior, and I was actually not that impressed with the stereo in the CTS. The one in my Aurora sounds better. Those are minor fixes though that they'll probably fix during the MCE.

I'd like to see the Standard of the World slogan come back as well, but they need more than 1 car. They need 4 stars, so 1 down, 3 to go.

[BuddyP]

To not only see it beat out the new Accord, but also the BMW, Audi and Volvo's is pretty cool!!

[Oracle of Delphi]

It's nice to see my future car win an award or two or three or four ...

[smk4565]

To get on subject, Congrats to Cadillac! I knew they had a winner in the new CTS. Drewbert must have been happy to read the comparisons to the 230-hp BMW 5-series.

I don't know why people always bring that up, the 528i exists because gas in Europe is $7 a gallon, and the thing gets better mileage than a Malibu or Accord or Camry (V6). Other brands do that too in ads, "more horsepower than a 528i" but who cares. Toyota could run Camry V6 has more power than a CTS ads, but what is the point. And there is a 500 hp 5-series that goes 205 mph without a speed limiter, they just offer about 7 engine choices if you factor in the diesels, which isn't a bad philosophy.

Ford made a comparison like that with the Edge, it was .2 seconds faster 0-60 than the slowest X5, and they did an ad just for that. Who cares, no one thinks a Ford Edge is as good as an X5 or cross shopping.

Edited November 20, 2007 by smk4565

[Northstar]

It is good to see GM with a car of the year, again, the Vette has been their only best car list contender for a while. I thought for sure the stupid Accord would get it, car magazines love the Accord.

The handling numbers they got for the CTS were very impressive, the 6.3 second 0-60 time is weak, the Camry/Accord V6 can do that. My other complaints on the CTS are 2-way lumbar, the STS's seats are far superior, and I was actually not that impressed with the stereo in the CTS. The one in my Aurora sounds better. Those are minor fixes though that they'll probably fix during the MCE.

I'd like to see the Standard of the World slogan come back as well, but they need more than 1 car. They need 4 stars, so 1 down, 3 to go.

The Accord V6 can do that? Why did it do 0-60 in 6.6 in the test then? The Malibu was 6.4. Perhaps the conditions were not ideal, as the CTS was tested at 5.8 in one test.

I don't know why people always bring that up, the 528i exists because gas in Europe is $7 a gallon, and the thing gets better mileage than a Malibu or Accord or Camry (V6). Other brands do that too in ads, "more horsepower than a 528i" but who cares. Toyota could run Camry V6 has more power than a CTS ads, but what is the point. And there is a 500 hp 5-series that goes 205 mph without a speed limiter, they just offer about 7 engine choices if you factor in the diesels, which isn't a bad philosophy.

Ford made a comparison like that with the Edge, it was .2 seconds faster 0-60 than the slowest X5, and they did an ad just for that. Who cares, no one thinks a Ford Edge is as good as an X5 or cross shopping.

Wait, so you're complaining that the CTS isn't much faster than the Accord, but now you say that it's stupid to say that the something has more horsepower than the 528i if it doesn't compete with it? Since when does the CTS compete with the Accord. Please, at least try to act like you aren't bias.

This thread is about the CTS, not BMWs and stupid ads that compare Fords to BMWs, so let's get back on topic now...

[Drew Dowdell]

To get on subject, Congrats to Cadillac! I knew they had a winner in the new CTS. Drewbert must have been happy to read the comparisons to the 230-hp BMW 5-series.

lol @ using my pre-crash name... but yes.... someone finally gets what I'm sayin!

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't know why people always bring that up, the 528i exists because gas in Europe is $7 a gallon, and the thing gets better mileage than a Malibu or Accord or Camry (V6). Other brands do that too in ads, "more horsepower than a 528i" but who cares. Toyota could run Camry V6 has more power than a CTS ads, but what is the point. And there is a 500 hp 5-series that goes 205 mph without a speed limiter, they just offer about 7 engine choices if you factor in the diesels, which isn't a bad philosophy.

Ford made a comparison like that with the Edge, it was .2 seconds faster 0-60 than the slowest X5, and they did an ad just for that. Who cares, no one thinks a Ford Edge is as good as an X5 or cross shopping.

It's very simple. To get a 5 series with the same equipment as a loaded CTS, you'd have to be 7k more.

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

So, the American car have finally beat out the usual Japanese brand. That is really a good news, since I already lost faith on them and their Motor Trends Car of the Year thing long time ago when they only awared it to the Japanese for such a long time. I used to think Motor Trend have lost its reputation for the COTY these days ever since they merged the COTY with the ICOTY.

It's good to see GM and the America fought back to win one of the most well known(though not as trusted anymore due to the above fact) magazine award. It's about time. Congrats Cadillac.

Edited November 20, 2007 by Diehard GrandPrix Fan

[Hudson]

Can we finally put to rest that the media hates GM? I think this award proves something else....but if you guys will stop with the incessant "media bias" chants, I won't go there.

[pow]

It's very simple. To get a 5 series with the same equipment as a loaded CTS, you'd have to be 7k more.

Yeah, and to get a 5-series with the same power as a G8 GT, you'd have to spend twice as much..

In the same way, the CTS *is* a compelling alternative, though it's in a different segment.

[HUMVEE]

Can we finally put to rest that the media hates GM? I think this award proves something else....but if you guys will stop with the incessant "media bias" chants, I won't go there.

No, not yet! Being the stellar vehicle the '08CTS is, ( I know, I bought one!) plus the fantastic new Malibu, MT didn't have alot of choice. The Accord would be the only other contender and I don't believe it's a "Game Changer" which is one of the requirements of the COT. We'll see how things go with some of the others, but I still believe comparing this car to the 3 series is wrong for a number of reasons. Anyway, I knew I made the right choice as a place holder till my Camaro comes out!!

[Drew Dowdell]

Yeah, and to get a 5-series with the same power as a G8 GT, you'd have to spend twice as much..

In the same way, the CTS *is* a compelling alternative, though it's in a different segment.

If the car has the same size, same power, same handling, same equipment, same or greater level of luxury interior, but is 7k less, how is that a different segment?

[Drew Dowdell]

Can we finally put to rest that the media hates GM? I think this award proves something else....but if you guys will stop with the incessant "media bias" chants, I won't go there.

No. Not while we're still getting articles like the one about the Sequoia <best SUV EVAR!!11!!> which pretty much humps the thing and dismisses it's past. While also getting reviews of the GMT-900 SUVs that call them gas hogging dinosaurs... <butreallygooddinosaurs> and harping on GM for selling them at a profit.... as if Toyota would take a loss on each one.

Even with the CTS, and I've been fighting this fight here, there is the expectation that a 5-er sized car should handle like a 3-er simply because it shares a price point.... and somehow, better than 5-er but not quite 3-er handling, makes it less of a car.

[FAPTurbo]

In the same way, the CTS *is* a compelling alternative, though it's in a different segment.

Here we go, for the 64,919th time...

[Drew Dowdell]

your sig says it.

[enzl]

Can we finally put to rest that the media hates GM? I think this award proves something else....but if you guys will stop with the incessant "media bias" chants, I won't go there.

Forget it...each and every paragraph of all written material covering US vehicles are scoured each day, hoping to uncover the 'bias' that has to be to blame for current or past Domestic blunders. You see, GM didn't build sh!t product, it sprung forth under the watchful eyes of MT, C&D, CR or TTAC, (depending upon the time-frame), to the great surprise of GM management (cue music from Star Wars when the Emperor appears).

One of the great American pastimes is to blame others for your situation. We make sure that tradition is strongly honored here...this is a place where Hyundai's dramatic turnaround in perception is ignored, while the Citation is still blamed for GM's current woes, or gas prices, or the housing market...it's like the 2.8's management are our children--with the same child-like ability to prognosticate future economic or geopolitical events AND a directive that we must defend their actions, regardless of consequence or stupidity.

BTW, the CTS is great---which only makes the rest of their mostly inferior line-up that much more infuriating...Like the child who gets A's in the classes she likes, but F's in others....

[Drew Dowdell]

Yeah, and to get a 5-series with the same power as a G8 GT, you'd have to spend twice as much..

In the same way, the CTS *is* a compelling alternative, though it's in a different segment.

I'll bet the G8 will be expected to out handle the 3-er because they share a price point also.

[Hudson]

The CTS isn't a "game changer" either. I'm not even sure if it would be placed highest among its peers (the focus of this award). Choosing the Sequoia accolade as a sign that there's media bias is just wrong. Just because the newest product out there is touted as being good (every new product should be the best in its market when it's launched) is no sign that there's a bias...again, doesn't anyone remember when the same things were said at the launch of the GMT900 SUVs?

The Saturn Aura wasn't the best product when it won the North American Car of the Year. I'm not sure that the CX9 is the best SUV this year. And I'm fairly sure that the CTS is not the most deserving product out there this year for Motor Trend's COTY. I see something far worse than media bias going on...but I'm sure you guys don't.

[Camino LS6]

Lighten-up guys!

This is the beginning of the breakthrough.

The rags are sensing a shift in the wind and acting accordingly. At first, it will be genuine (CTS, Malibu etc.) then if GM continues with successes, they will knee-jerk for GM just like they have for the Japanese.

Truth is, GM is getting it so right with their new product that the rags have to acknowledge them.

Celebrate!

[Drew Dowdell]

I see something far worse than media bias going on...but I'm sure you guys don't.

endorsements bought and paid for?

The CTS is not a leader in it's segment only if you define it's segment as 6-cylinder Civic sized cars.

[Robert Hall]

I'll bet the G8 will be expected to out handle the 3-er because they share a price point also.

Hardly...they may overlap in price, but are in different classes (the BMW being a premium brand, Pontiac being mainstream). Apples and oranges...

[CARBIZ]

Forget it...each and every paragraph of all written material covering US vehicles are scoured each day, hoping to uncover the 'bias' that has to be to blame for current or past Domestic blunders. You see, GM didn't build sh!t product, it sprung forth under the watchful eyes of MT, C&D, CR or TTAC, (depending upon the time-frame), to the great surprise of GM management (cue music from Star Wars when the Emperor appears).

One of the great American pastimes is to blame others for your situation. We make sure that tradition is strongly honored here...this is a place where Hyundai's dramatic turnaround in perception is ignored, while the Citation is still blamed for GM's current woes, or gas prices, or the housing market...it's like the 2.8's management are our children--with the same child-like ability to prognosticate future economic or geopolitical events AND a directive that we must defend their actions, regardless of consequence or stupidity.

BTW, the CTS is great---which only makes the rest of their mostly inferior line-up that much more infuriating...Like the child who gets A's in the classes she likes, but F's in others....

No, but what this does prove is that GM has borrowed a page from BMW's PR machine - build a car that the 'enthusiasts' like and it will get all kinds of accolades - but does that still make it a Cadillac? Does it make the CTS even a good car? No. Just one that the car rags like.

Frankly, it saddens me. Don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled for GM that they have built a car for the magazines, but I am not a big fan of 0-60 times being the measure of luxury. So now Cadillac has out BMW'd BMW. Can they out-luxury Lexus now, or is that up to Buick?

The CTS is a very good looking car. More importantly, it is a 'balanced' design, IMO. There are no 'bad' angles to look at this vehicle. Why are the magazines dictating to the people what they should 'desire' in a luxury car?

That is my beef with the media: not a bias against GM in particular, but against 'pedestrian' vehicles in general. If it doesn't do 0-60 in 6 seconds or less, do a G on the skid pad, then it's crap. Bull&#036;h&#33;, I say.

[Intrepidation]

I'm pretty sure the CTS has the luxury part down right, as is evidenced by the equipment list and the high praise it has gotten for it's gorgeous interior.

[Robert Hall]

I'm pretty sure the CTS has the luxury part down right, as is evidenced by the equipment list and the high praise it has gotten for it's gorgeous interior.

I think so...the interior looks great and the equipment list is impressive.... I think the CTS is a nice mix of sports sedan and luxury car...

[enzl]

No, but what this does prove is that GM has borrowed a page from BMW's PR machine - build a car that the 'enthusiasts' like and it will get all kinds of accolades - but does that still make it a Cadillac? Does it make the CTS even a good car? No. Just one that the car rags like.

Frankly, it saddens me. Don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled for GM that they have built a car for the magazines, but I am not a big fan of 0-60 times being the measure of luxury. So now Cadillac has out BMW'd BMW. Can they out-luxury Lexus now, or is that up to Buick?

The CTS is a very good looking car. More importantly, it is a 'balanced' design, IMO. There are no 'bad' angles to look at this vehicle. Why are the magazines dictating to the people what they should 'desire' in a luxury car?

That is my beef with the media: not a bias against GM in particular, but against 'pedestrian' vehicles in general. If it doesn't do 0-60 in 6 seconds or less, do a G on the skid pad, then it's crap. Bull&#036;h&#33;, I say.

Are you saying that you don't like the CTS overall? Or that you feel its skewing away from being a 'true' Cadillac?

I definitely feel that it's skewing away from the 'traditional' Caddy customer...but is that a bad thing? If you look at most vehicles today, they all seem to be moving towards the European idea of luxury and performance---which I don't necessarily see as negative, but I could understand those who do feel that way.

If the CTS represents a paradigm shift regarding the way cars are developed at GM, I say its high time. But looking closer, I also see marginal products like the Aveo refresh and the Cobalt's lack of a true MCE as evidence that there may be a two-tier system at work at the Tubes, where Bob L.' s pets get the $ and everything else goes to Zarella's School of Rehashed Thinking. I hope not, but in a $3.25/gallon sales environment, some fiddling at the bottom end would make sense---nothing crazy...How about a diesel in their small cars? (beat Honda to the punch in the US market)---Or bringing over the neat Meriva? Or something other than a frightful 09 Aveo or a neat new color for the G5....

[Robert Hall]

Are you saying that you don't like the CTS overall? Or that you feel its skewing away from being a 'true' Cadillac?

I definitely feel that it's skewing away from the 'traditional' Caddy customer...but is that a bad thing? If you look at most vehicles today, they all seem to be moving towards the European idea of luxury and performance---which I don't necessarily see as negative, but I could understand those who do feel that way.

It's not a soft and squishy old style Cadillac for old people (the DTS still caters to that demographic)....it's a modern performance/luxury sports sedan...

Edited November 20, 2007 by moltar

[regfootball]

holy crap. why can't we just say the award represents a top notch effort at style, luxury, performance, and value? The CTS is a superlative combination of all those attributes in a package that is desirable to many folks out there.

Did anyone pull their thumb out of their collective asses long enough to think that maybe this car is in a category by itself?

is it as hard edged as a BMW? no.

maybe it doesn't need to be.

Not that the MKs is as near as good a car as this caddy is, but to some degree it's kind of the same deal. It's attributes emphasize a combination of things not previously offered in the market but is highly value laden and desirable to a sizable chunk of buyers.

IOW, the car is not &#036;h&#33; and deserves to be recognized for what it does bring to the table of its potential buyers, which can be a sizable group.

as usual, carbiz is right. Why is a car crap if it doesn't meet the extreme parameters of what car mags want?

90% of the folks on here or buyers in general have far worse cars in their garage and couldn't drive any of these cars at 7/10 without &#036;h&#33;ting in their pants anyways.

[Drew Dowdell]

Why is a car crap if it doesn't beat the 335i around the Nürgburgring?

[CARBIZ]

I like the CTS. I liked the original one, too. What I resent is the constant bashing by the media of the 'blue rinse' set. These people have money. If GM leaves those customers in the lurch while it nips at the heals of BMW, that would be a mistake, IMO.

I am 46 and would not consider myself 'old,' but BMW and Mercedes have never appealed to me. The previous generation BMW at least had the makings of a 'classic' design. The current models (with the possible exception of the 645!) are too overwrought - and I've heard that from BMW-philes.

The CTS is a fine vehicle in the 'near luxury' vein, but Cadillac needs to remain true to its roots. If I was going to spend $45k+ for a car, I would want space, presence and heft - not unlike the last generation Lincoln VIII. I don't want 'road feel' when I spend that kind of money, nor do I want to sit 10 feet in the air and block everyone else's view just so I can see the road ahead. Unfortunately for Cadillac, if I was to blow that kind of money on a car, it would be from Barret-Jackson and not a new car lot.

Then again, I am not a typical auto consumer and at least I acknowledge that.

[Camino LS6]

Soft, traditional luxury really is Buick's territory these days. With that said, I expect that the DTS replacement will satisfy most folks in that Market as well. I'm betting that it won't really fit the mold of a BMW 7 or an MB S , but it will wedge itself in between much as the CTS does. Call it Cadillac sizing. I don't see that as a bad thing.

[Drew Dowdell]

I like the CTS. I liked the original one, too. What I resent is the constant bashing by the media of the 'blue rinse' set. These people have money. If GM leaves those customers in the lurch while it nips at the heals of BMW, that would be a mistake, IMO.

I am 46 and would not consider myself 'old,' but BMW and Mercedes have never appealed to me. The previous generation BMW at least had the makings of a 'classic' design. The current models (with the possible exception of the 645!) are too overwrought - and I've heard that from BMW-philes.

The CTS is a fine vehicle in the 'near luxury' vein, but Cadillac needs to remain true to its roots. If I was going to spend $45k+ for a car, I would want space, presence and heft - not unlike the last generation Lincoln VIII. I don't want 'road feel' when I spend that kind of money, nor do I want to sit 10 feet in the air and block everyone else's view just so I can see the road ahead. Unfortunately for Cadillac, if I was to blow that kind of money on a car, it would be from Barret-Jackson and not a new car lot.

Then again, I am not a typical auto consumer and at least I acknowledge that.

You're the exact reason Buick needs to be fixed quick. There is no reason that Cadillac can't be the MB and BMW competition and Buick can be the soft Lexus and Lincoln competition. The DTS, Town Car, Lucerne, ES, and to a degree Avalon and LS460, prove there is a market for these kind of cars. I've driven a V6 Lucerne a few times and if I were in the market for a new daily driver I would serious consider it over a new CTS. Don't get me wrong, I like my CTS, but the Lucerne is a lot less "hyper".... and given where and when and how I drive, the Lucerne would be a much more comfortable whip.

GM needs to show Lexus you can't out Buick, Buick.

[nferr]

Cadillac doesn't have to be BMW - and it shouldn't be - because frankly it doesn't do BMW as well as BMW does. Cadillac should be Cadillac, but a modern luxury car has to have performance, it has to handle, it has to have road feel. The days of the overstuffed couches on wheels is over. Let Buick try to maintain what's left of that market. Now every Cadillac doesn't have to be the same either. There should be a small sports sedan, a midsizer and a larger car. They don't have to directly compete with BMW on performance but they better be quality performing sedans. Lexus doen't compete directly with BMW on performance terms but they're a direct competitor in the marketplace. That's what Caddy has to do - carve it's own place in the marketplace.

I think the new CTS is a start with distinctive American styling and ride. But now they need a smaller size sedan and they need a larger sedan. The DTS is crap in this market and that's why it sells for low prices. Look at the ads, it's discounted heavily when new and depreciates like a rock. It's a drag on Cadillac's image. GM should try to switch this market over to Buick with the Lucerne (same platform) and keep Cadillac as a true premium brand.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think the new CTS is a start with distinctive American styling and ride. But now they need a smaller size sedan and they need a larger sedan. The DTS is crap in this market and that's why it sells for low prices. Look at the ads, it's discounted heavily when new and depreciates like a rock.

A rock can be compared to a Cadillac.

A Millenia can not.

+1 Rock.