The miles are flying by in the Cadillac CTS Vsport, and it's not that much of a surprise given how quickly the twin-turbo powered Motor Trend Car of the Year moves out when the going gets fast. At a shade under 4000 pounds (3938, to be exact), the Vsport isn't exactly a lightweight, but its 420 horses have proven to be more than enough to get the Caddy rolling fast and furiously when the highway on-ramp light drops to green and I drop the hammer.
But as anyone who's driven in L.A. 's insane traffic knows, going fast is a relative term and you often spend an inordinate amount of time slowly rolling along or suddenly braking and swerving to avoid an accident. The Vsport excels in these areas. In low-speed stop-and-go the CTS is quiet in the cabin, and in Touring mode it soaks up road imperfections like Bounty soaks up spills. The four-piston Brembo calipers bite down hard on 13.6-inch vented discs up front. Along with a 12.4-inch disc, single piston setup out back and Pirelli P Zeros all around, the Vsport's roll can be slowed quickly. Its responsive helm also allows for quick and dirty maneuvers to help avoid a three-car pileup.
Guest driver and MT archivist Thomas Voehringer got a chance to air the Vsport out for a couple of weeks. He took a jab or two, but had a lot of interesting things to say in an entertaining way, many of which I agree with wholeheartedly. I'll let him take it from here:
"After piloting previous V-8 versions of the CTS V I wasn't sure what to expect from this sport model. Fit and finish is very nice. The design both inside and out is engaging and suitably upscale despite the aggressive angles. It plays well on the revamped Cadillac image introduced by the CTS a decade ago that these cars are equal parts power, style, and class.
"Once inside I found the interior more pleasing visually then physically. In 10 days of daily driving I could never get the seats to feel accommodating. Whether it was the flat seating area or hard back, in 30 miles I'd be squirming. With all the power adjustments I couldn't find a sweet spot.
"The previous driver had set the CTS to Sport mode. The tip-in was far too aggressive for me in regular traffic. It's a heavy car and it takes quite a bit of oomph to catapult it from a stop. It felt like I was hurling a shot put every time I touched the gas. Once dialed down to Tour mode the car changed radically, for the better. Power modulation was smooth and controlled. Normal driving could be interrupted at will to give allow bursts of speed for passing or…just fun."
"With that hurdle out of the way, the car's idiosyncrasies began to emerge. The CTS is loaded with nanny systems that can infringe on one's driving comfort. I can best describe it in terms of a family reunion where members of extended family exhibit behavior that just doesn't seem right.
