10 Reasons the 2018 Cadillac CTS is the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Luxury Car

2018 Cadillac CTS ・ Photo by Cadillac

Boosters of domestic cars have been waiting years for Cadillacs to win awards, and the 2018 CTS is a worthy recipient. The definition of automotive luxury has shifted many times over the decades, and Cadillac’s former reputation for providing an overstuffed and purely plush version has seemed out of step with the current tailored and firm definition. The German manufacturers seemed to embody the sporty, taut ideal in automobiles, while Cadillac sadly lagged behind as “an old man’s car.”

Whatever impression lingers, the reality is that today's CTS is every bit a modern, sporty, premium luxury sedan, ready to compete at the highest levels. Let’s explore 10 reasons it won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Luxury Car Award.

10) You get a choice of turbo or non-turbo powertrains, all of them good.

The CTS range begins with base and Luxury models, each of which comes equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is tuned to produce 268 hp. That’s 20 more horsepower than the competing BMW 530i and 27 more than the Mercedes-Benz E300. The Premium Luxury trim comes with a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 335 hp — not surprisingly, matching the output of the BMW 540i. Cadillac has identified its targets, and it hits them on the mark again and again.

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9) The V-Sport adds fuel to the fire.

There’s a lot of potential in the CTS chassis, suspension and steering setup, and choosing the V-Sport trim level is one way to unlock a big chunk. Its 3.6-liter V6 engine has twin turbochargers (matching the BMW 5 Series’ approach). An impressive output of 420 hp emerges from the engine, which Cadillac also uses in the high-performance ATS-V. In the CTS, this twin-turbo V6 delivers runs of 4.4 seconds from 0-60 mph, which may take that Mercedes-Benz E43 AMG driver in the next lane by surprise.

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8) Choosing a CTS-V provides the ultimate Cadillac performance.

The “killer app” in the CTS lineup for enthusiasts has got to be CTS-V. “V” is Cadillac’s version of BMW’s “M” or Mercedes-Benz’s “AMG.” It’s an in-house brand that represents a team of tuners and engineers who work to enhance existing Cadillacs and add specialty equipment to maximize their performance.

The most significant upgrade to the CTS-V is the engine: a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 snatched from the bay of a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. With a potent output of 640 hp, the big V8 scoots the CTS-V from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and continues on to a top speed of 200 mph. By the numbers, the CTS-V is the best-performing sedan GM has ever built, and it has more horsepower than either the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG or BMW M5.

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7) Magnetic Ride Control and selectable drive modes respond to real-world conditions.

Magnetic Ride Control is a wondrous system. Its sensors trigger electrical charges that magnetize iron fragments in the fluid inside the car’s dampers. When the iron is charged, it changes the viscosity of the fluid, and thus stiffens or softens the damper’s rebound. This process happens very very quickly, hundreds of times per second, and delivers near-instantaneous responses to road conditions — which equals a much smoother ride than with other conventional damping systems. CTS drivers may also want to tell the vehicle how to behave in general, which is where selectable drive modes come in. Put the car in Sport, Touring, Track or Snow/Ice, and the CTS’s throttle sensitivity, transmission response, steering calibration and suspension tuning are all pre-set automatically, so you can choose your own experience to match conditions and your driving preferences.

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6) The CTS delivers fuel economy that won’t break the bank.

Luxury sedans aren’t usually judged by their fuel economy, but even the wealthiest of buyers will appreciate the CTS’s relatively modest thirst for the dinosaur juice. The 2.0-liter engine is rated to achieve 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway, while the non-turbo V6 isn't far behind with a 20 mpg city/30 mpg highway report card.

The turbo V6 in the V-Sport carries a 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway rating, and the CTS-V burns fuel at a faster rate at 14 mpg city/21 mpg highway — still a little better than expected considering its prodigious output of horsepower and torque.

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5) Even with big performance potential, it displays a restrained design.

Cadillac has run a long way with its design language in recent years, emphasizing the sharp and vertical over the rounded and organic. The CTS has been pulled back from the extreme, and wears a tailored, athletic look with some attractive details.

The center of the hood bulges suggestively, hinting at power that can barely be contained. The face of the car is an unreadable mask, with bright expressive LED highlights at the edge and intelligent-looking headlight eyes. A proud version of the Cadillac crest proclaims the vehicle’s heritage. Sedate styling along the flanks and a plain, if functional, rear view add up to a mature, attractive CTS.

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4) It has an interior that lives up to its price tag.

The CTS seats four passengers comfortably, and can carry a fifth on the flat center portion of the rear seat — there’s a seat belt position for this spot, even if it’s only good for short rides. The Cadillac CUE infotainment system communicates through the crisp 8-inch touchscreen in the center stack. 

Fit and finish are very good, with rich leather and high-quality soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. The dynamic shape of the center stack is a highlight of the interior design, echoing the shape of the company’s crest design in a subtle homage.

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3) Advanced safety systems will keep your family and your Cadillac secure.

The CTS includes standard rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, and — on the Luxury trim level and above — standard forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane change alert, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

All CTS models also get Teen Driver, a system that can monitor your offspring’s driving habits and sends reports on speed and location to a concerned parent. You’ll probably need to ask your teen driver to set up Teen Driver for you, but it’s worth it.

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2) The CTS has high-tech features for the connected consumer.

Self-parking technology is among the gadgets available on the Cadillac CTS. If you’ve never tried such a system, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to master — and how hard it is to live without once you’ve gotten used to its operation. The CTS also offers a Wi-Fi hotspot for multiple devices with a 4G LTE cellular connection.

Meanwhile, several of the CTS’s advanced safety systems use haptic notifications to efficiently and effectively communicate with the driver: a buzz in the seat cushion or a vibration in the steering wheel. Haptic notifications are hard to miss, and they reinforce visual and audible alerts in high-stress driving situations.

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1) Finally, it's a Cadillac that can compete with Germany’s best.

BMW’s 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class sedans have been the benchmark for luxury buyers for a long time. Every time it seemed that Cadillac was catching up, BMW and Mercedes have accelerated ahead with better and better cars, leaving Cadillac looking like an also-ran.

That may have shifted with the CTS, especially with the CTS-V. Drive the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Cadillac CTS-V one after the other, and you will find it difficult to dismiss the American luxury sports sedan. To us, that’s number one of the 10 reasons the 2018 Cadillac CTS won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best luxury car Award.

Photo by General Motors