First Drive: 2013 Cadillac XTS

In 2011, General Motors and Cadillac ended production for both the Cadillac STS and DTS. In 2012, Cadillac came out with an all new full-size sedan, the XTS, to replace both the STS and DTS. The XTS also serves as the flagship car for the Cadillac brand. I first saw the Cadillac XTS at the 2012 Houston Auto Show and named it my best full-size Car to come out in 2012, and I did that before I drove the XTS. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I got behind the wheel of an XTS. This was the first car I drove on Day 4 of the Houston Auto Show.

The XTS is just beautiful. The XTS has some sleek lines going along the side of the car. The rear slope is integrated nicely. The headlights are integrated nicely into the body. The interior is even better. The XTS has a luxurious and roomy. I was very comfortable behind the wheel. The feel like I am on a cloud when I am behind the wheel. I had plenty of leg room and head room. There are some features that I like. There is a heads up display that informs the driver what the speed limit is and also acts as a speedometer. The gauges are digital and can be customized to fit the driver's need. The middle gauge acted as a speedometer and navigation. This is the first time I have been behind the wheel of a car with the navigation located in front of the driver and not to the side. I have an external GPS device for my RAV4 and I have to turn to the side to look at it instead of looking ahead. In the XTS, I can look straight at the rood and at the navigation screen at the same time. This feature is something that needs to be on more cars. It is dangerous for a driver to have his or her eyes not looking directly at the road.

Powering the XTS is a 3.6L V6, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, that producs 304 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. The XTS goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, which is good for a full-size sedan. The car feels quick. The XTS has a soft ride, yet the XTS handles well. The car immediately turns when I turn the steering wheel. Over the five days, there were some vehicles that did not turn one way or another immediately when I turn the steering wheel. The XTS handles bumps well. I barely felt any bumps when I was behind the wheel. The XTS is a good car to be behind the wheel of.

Overall, the XTS is an amazing cars. I love the exterior styling. It is just beautiful. The interior is really nice. I felt very comfortable behind the wheel. I love that the driver can customize the gauges to fit his or her needs. I liked having the navigation screen directly in front of me when I was behind the wheel of the XTS. The XTS also has good acceleration. It is just an enjoyable car to drive. Prices for the XTS start at $44,075 and can go up to $60,385 for a fully loaded XTS premium sedan. That price may seem high, but compared to its German rivals, the XTS has a lot to offer for a good price. If you can afford it, get it. The XTS is an amazing car.

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First Drive: 2013 Cadillac ATS 2.0T

In 2012, Cadillac came out with two new sedans. The first of the two new sedans is the XTS, a full size sedan that replaced both the STS and DTS. The second new sedan is the ATS, a compact sedan that competes against the Lexus IS, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.The ATS is the first Cadillac compact sedan to be sold in North America since the Cimarron was sold from 1982 to 1988. The European market got the BLS from 2005 to 2010. The Cadillac is a front-engine, four door compact sedan that is available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. I first saw the ATS at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. I liked what I saw out of the ATS and named it my 2012 Best Sports Sedan award before even driving it. The ATS was Esquire's 2013 Car of the Year, Popular Mechanics' 2013 Luxury Car of the Year, and Motor Press Guild's 2013 Vehicle of the year. The ATS is also the 2013 North American Car of the Year. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I was able to get behind the wheel of the ATS and take it out for a test drive. The version of the ATS that I drove came with a turbocharged 2.0L I4 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and with rear-wheel drive.

The ATS styling grew on me. It has some nice character lines and a nice sports sedan styling. It does not look as bland as some of the other compact sedans, luxury sedans, and sports sedans. The ATS has a nice interior. The touch screen is user friendly.  The seat was comfortable to sit in. I had a nice amount of leg room and head room. The car has a sporty feel to it, but it is not too stiff and unpleasant. 

The ATS I drove came with a turbocharged 2.0L I4 engine that produces 272 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The ATS is also available with a 2.5L I4 engine that produces 202 hp and 190 lb-ft. The ATS also comes with a 3.6L V6 engine that produces 321 hp and 274 lb-ft of torque. All engines come with a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged 2.0L engine is available with an optional six-speed manual transmission. The first I noticed about the way the ATS 2.0T was the lack of turbo lag. I did not notice any turbo lag, if there was any. The car has smooth acceleration. The ATS 2.0T can go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, and it felt quick. The ATS has a comfortable, quiet ride and was fun to drive. The car has good throttle response and responds well when I turned the steering wheel. The base price for the ATS starts at $33,995. The ATS 2.0T starts at $35,795. The ATS 3.6 starts at $42,090. That is a good price for what you get with the ATS.

Overall, the ATS is a very good sports sedan. I drove both the ATS and CTS sedans, and I was more comfortable in the ATS than in the CTS.The ATS has a nice balance between ride quality and handling. The ATS has a sporty suspension, yet it was comfortable to be in. I have been in cars that have too soft of a ride that there is a delay between turning the steering wheel and the car turning. I have also been cars that the suspension was too stiff more me to enjoy the car. The has good power and nice acceleration. I drove the ATS with the turbocharged engine, but I did not notice any turbo lag. Well done General Motors and Cadillac. Also, the ATS has a good sports sedan styling. It shares some resemblance to the Cadillac CTS, but that is not a bad thing. And the ATS also goes for a reasonable price. You get a lot of car for under $40,000, and that includes a turbocharged engine. If you are looking for a luxury compact sedan or a sports sedan, give the ATS a test drive. I highly recommend the ATS. This is one of the best cars to come out in 2012.

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First Drive: 2013 Cadillac CTS

The Cadillac CTS has been around since 2002, serving as the brand's mid-size luxury car. The CTS is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive car. All-wheel drive is available as an option. The CTS comes with either a six-speed manual, a five-speed automatic (first generation only), or a six-speed automatic transmission. The first generation, which was produced from 2002 to 2007, was only available as a four-door sedan. The second generation CTS, which went into production in 2007, is in its final year. The second generation CTS is available as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, or a five-dour wagon. There is also a tuned version of the CTS, the CTS-V, which is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that produces 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. On March 26, 2013, General Motors announced the all new third generation Cadillac CTS which will be available starting with the 2014 model year. With the new CTS comes an all new CTS-V. I have seen various versions  of the Cadillac CTS at the various car events in the greater Houston area. I got behind the wheel of the CTS at the 2013 Houston Auto Show. The vesion I drove was a CTS Sedan with the six-speed automatic transmission.

On the outside, the CTS has a nice sporty luxurious exterior. It has some sleek sporty lines on it. The CTS has a luxurious interior. You know a car is luxurious when it has an analog clock on the dashboard. The CTS also features a pop-up screen. Behind the wheel, I had a decent amount of headroom and a good amount of leg room, but the seat is very firm.

The CTS is powered by a 3.6L V6 that produces 318 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 150 mph. This car feels quick. It is not super quick, but it is till quick enough for highway passing and highway entry. The ride is rough. The suspension is stiff, meaning that you will feel every bump in the road. But due to the stiff suspension, the CTS is very responsive. The CTS also has good throttle response. This would make a good track car if it had a V8 engine. Prices for the CTS with the 3.6L V6 and an automatic transmission start at $43,340. The base CTS with a 3.0L V6 engine starts at $39,095. For a luxury mid-size sports sedan, that is not too expensive compared to its European rivals.

Overall, the CTS is a good car. It has good performace, a nice sporty styling, a luxurious interior, good leg room, decent leg room, and is not too expensive for what you get. The car is very responsive due to its stiff suspension. But the responsiveness comes at a price. The CTS has a rough ride. The seat is very firm to the point that it is uncomfortable. The CTS is a sports sedan and it has a sporty feel. If you do not mind a stiff ride, then I can recommend giving the CTS a test drive. But for those who want to be comfortable behind the wheel and do not like a stiff ride, look elsewhere. When the 2014 CTS hits showroom floors, expect a price drop in the 2013 CTS. Now, I also test drove three CTS-Vs and there is significant difference between the CTS and CTS-V.

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First Drive: 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Cadillac has been producing the CTS since 2002. In 2004, Cadillac started making a high performance version of the CTS, the CTS-V, in 2004. Production of the first generation CTS-V occurred between 2004 and 2007. The first generation CTS-V was a front engine, rear-wheel drive sedan. Cadillac did not produce the CTS-V in 2008 since the second generation CTS came out that year. The second generation CTS is available as a four-door sedan, a two-door coupe and a five-door sports wagon. In 2009, Cadillac started producing the second generation CTS-V, which is also available as a sedan, coupe and wagon. The most popular car brand for test drives at the 2013 Houston Auto Show was Cadillac. There were several occasions when all eight Cadillacs were on the road and not parked at the Cadillac test drive area. I test drove all eight Cadillacs that were available for test drives, including three Cadillac CTS-Vs. The rule with Cadillac is that you have to drive either the ATS, XTS, SRX, CTS, or Escalade before you can get behind the wheel of a CTS-V. Once you test drove one CTS-V, you can get back in line and test drive the other CTS-Vs. After test driving the Cadillac CTS, I got behind the wheel of the CTS-V Coupe. This version of the CTS-V is a front engine, rear-wheel drive two-door coupe. The version I drove features a six-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the CTS-V.

The CTS-V Coupe features a sporty, sleek styling. I love the side profile of the car. I also like the double grill, which adds some aggressiveness to the CTS-V. There is a "V" badge on each door. The interior is of the CTS-V Coupe is luxurious with a sporty flare. There is leather everywhere and it does not feel cheap. The CTS-V Coupe features an infotainment system that includes a screen that rises up from the dashboard. The CTS-V Coupe also features an analog clock, which is a staple for luxury vehicles. The CTS-V Coupe features Recaro seats that adjusts fourteen different ways. I have never been in a car seat where the upper back support moves in and out. I had good amount of head room and leg room behind the wheel. But the low roofline of the coupe minimizes headroom for rear passengers.

The CTS-V Coupe is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 that produces 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reaches a top seed of 179 mph. The CTS-V Coupe feels fast. The CTS-V Coupe has a big engine, yet it is very quiet inside the car. Also, for a sporty car, the CTS-V Coupe has a smooth ride. This is caused by the magnetic ride control. Ferrari borrowed this technology and used it in the Ferrari 458 Italia. When a legendary supercar manufacturer uses your technology for one of its cars, you are doing something correct. The CTS-V Coupe is the best two-door car I have ever driven. Prices for the CTS-V Coupe start at $64,515. A fully-loaded CTS-V Coupe can fetch over $74,000. The CTS-V Coupe is one of the most expensive cars I have driven, but you get a great car for the price.

The CTS-V Coupe has been featured in Alex Cross, The Defenders, Chuck, Auto Esporte, Top Gear USA, A Gifted Man, Running Wilde, Charlie's Angel, Jack and Jill, Criminal Minds, Switched at Birth, and the Office. The CTS-V Coupe is playable in Forza Motorsport 3, Car Town, Forza Motorsport 4, Forza Horizon, Asphalt 7: Heat, and Car Town EX.

Overall, the CTS-V Coupe is one amazing car. I have driven the entire CTS-V line up, and all three cars are amazing. These cars are an experience. As far as the CTS-V Coupe compared to the other two, it is my least favorite. There is not enough head room for rear passengers. But the CTS-V Coupe is still the best two-door car I have ever driven. I have driven a Ford Mustang 5.0, Chevrolet Corvette Camaro SS, and the Scion FR-S, and none of those cars can compete with the CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V Coupe has a comfortable ride, power, performance, handling, and yet it is quiet inside the car. The CTS-V is not a cheap car, but if you can afford to spend over $65,000 for a car plus gas and insurance, definitely give the CTS-V Coupe a test drive. I highly recommend this car, even with the limited head room for rear passengers. This car borderlines supercar performance.

Next time, I cover the CTS-V Wagon.

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First Drive: 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

At the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Cadillac presented a sports wagon version of the CTS. The CTS Sports Wagon first went on sale in late 2009. At the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Cadillac introduced the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. Production of the CTS-V Wagon started in late 2010. I have seen several Cadillac CTS-V wagons at the various car events in the greater Houston area. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I test drove one. The rule with Cadillac is that you have to test drive a Cadillac that is not a CTS-V before you can get behind the wheel of one of the three CTS-Vs. I got in the CTS-V wagon after I took the CTS-V Coupe for a test drive. The CTS-V Wagon is front-engine, rear-wheel drive, five-door sports wagon. The version I drove had a six-speed automatic transmission, but a six-speed manual transmission comes standard on the CTS-V Wagon.

The CTS-V Wagon has a very sporty styling to it. It has a double grill, which adds some aggressiveness to its styling. The CTS-V Wagon has sleek lines going along the sides of the car. The rear hatch is integrated nicely as well. The CTS-V Wagon shares the same interior features as the CTS-V Coupe and CTS-V Sedan. The CTS-V Wagon has more headroom for rear passengers than both the CTS-V Coupe and the CTS-V Sedan. Behind the wheel, I had plenty of legroom and headroom. The Recaro seats adjust in fourteen directions. The Recaro seats are also available in the CTS-V Coupe and CTS-V Sedan.

The CTS-V Wagon is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that produces 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 185 mph. This is one quick wagon. The CTS-V Wagon has a great ride quality. For having a powerful engine, it is very quiet inside the car. The CTS-V drives smoothly and handles bumps quite well. I love the magnetic ride suspension system. This gives the CTS-V a very sporty feel, yet it is very comfortable to drive. The car responds quite well when I turn the wheel, press the accelerator pedal, or step on the brake The Brembo brakes package improves CTS-V Wagon braking performance. Prices for the CTS-V Wagon start at $64,515 and a fully loaded CTS-V Wagon can go for $75,345. Just like the other CTS-Vs, the CTS-V is not cheap. But you do get a lot of car for that price.

The CTS-V Wagon has been featured on Top Gear USA and on Hit and Run.

Overall, the CTS-V Wagon is an amazing car. I have never driven any wagon like the CTS-V Wagon. This is the true definition of a sports wagon. The CTS-V Wagon has styling, performance, power, and is just fun to drive. What I like about this car is that you can use the CTS-V Wagon for grocery shopping on the weekdays, and then use it for track days on the weekends. This wagon is quick. It has the most headroom out of all the CTS-Vs, which is a plus. If you can afford this car, the gas bill, and the insurance, then I highly recommend the CTS-V Wagon. This is one amazing vehicle.

Next time, I review the last of the three CTS-Vs, the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan.

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First Drive: 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan

The Cadillac CTS has been around since 2002, serving as the brand's mid-size luxury car. In 2004, Cadillac released a high-performance version of the CTS, called the CTS-V. Cadillac started production of the second generation CTS in 2007. In 2009, Cadillac released the second generation CTS-V. I have seen several versions of the Cadillac CTS-V on streets of Houston and at various Houston car events. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I got test drive the three versions of the Cadillac CTS-V, including the CTS-V Sedan. I also test drove the CTS Sedan. While both cars share the same body design, the CTS-V Sedan is a completely different car than the CTS Sedan. The version of the CTS-V Sedan I drove came with the optional six-speed automatic transmission. The CTS-V Sedan comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The Cadillac CTS-V Sedan is a front-engine, rear

On the outside, the CTS-V Sedan shares the same body as the CTS Sedan. The CTS-V has a different front bumper than the CTS. The CTS-V features a mesh grill instead of the checker grill found on the CTS. The CTS-V also has a mesh grill on the bumper and larger openings on the bumper for fog lights. The CTS-V Sedan also has a slightly different interior than the CTS Sedan. The CTS-V features Recaro seats that adjust fourteen different ways. These seats are very comfortable to sit in and still gives the CTS-V a sporty feel. The seats in the CTS Sedan are firm.

The CTS-V Sedan is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that produces 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 179 mph. This car is fast. All three versions of the CTS-V are fast. The CTS-V Sedan has a quiet ride, even with a big, powerful engine in the front. The CTS-V Sedan also has a sporty, yet soft ride to it. This is the result of the magnetic ride control system, suspension technology that Ferrari borrowed from Cadillac and used it in the Ferrari 458 Italia. The CTS-V Sedan responds quite well when I turn the steering wheel, press the accelerator pedal, and when I press the brake pedal. The CTS-V Sedan also features Brembo disc brakes, which help the CTS-V stop on a dime. Prices for the CTS-V Sedan start at $64,515, and a fully-loaded CTS-V Sedan can go for over $75,000. You do get a lot of car for that price.

The CTS-V Sedan has been featured on Top Gear Korea, Motorweek, Top Gear USA, Necessary Roughness, Tactical Force, and Golden Boy. The CTS-V Sedan is playalbe in StreetRally, Auto Club Revolution, Superstars V8 Racing, Superstars V8 Next Challenge, Race On, Forza Motorsport 3, vDream Racing, Forza Motorsport 4, Need For Speed: World, Everyday Cha Cha Cha, and Driver: San Francisco.

Overall, the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan is a great car. Actually, the entire CTS-V line is great. These cars are quick, fast, comfortable to drive in, and respond well when I turn the steering wheel. All three cars have quiet interiors. I also like the magnetic ride control system. I have driven all three versions and I prefer the CTS-V Sedan over the CTS-V Coupe since the Sedan has more in the back for adult passengers. But my favorite version of the CTS-V is the CTS-V Wagon. It has more room than the CTS-V Sedan, plus it has more space in the trunk to carry more items than the CTS-V Sedan. I highly recommend the CTS-V line to anyone who can afford one. Even if you cannot afford one, at least take one out for a test drive if you can. These cars are just amazing.

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