Tuesday, January 26, 2016

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.

CarJunkie
Photo was taken by a digital camera.
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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.

CarJunkie
Photo was taken by a digital camera.
To see more car related articles, check out http://carjunkie713.blogspot.com/.
Follow me on Twitter @CarJunkie713