Cadillac, for many years, was known as a large car maker. When consumers wanted smaller car the resulting products elicited little favorable reaction from consumers. But with modern Cadillac CTS, Cadillac, has seemed to get it right. The CTS is hailed for a cutting-edge design and extensive development work on Germany's famed Nürburgring test track. It was designed to compete directly with the class leaders in one of the industry's most competitive segments. There have been two generations of the Cadillac CTS. The first CTS went on to be one of Cadillac's most popular models as well as the only main domestic entry to truly compete against the top European and Japanese entry-level luxury cars. It's worth a look as a used or pre-owned model. For the second-generation CTS, Cadillac made substantial improvements regarding to interior design and materials quality. For consumers looking for a used entry level luxury car, the CTS is a great choice.
First generation Cadillac CTS 2003-2007
The CTS was built on GM's new rear-wheel drive Sigma platform. It marked a return to RWD cars for the brand, and was the first Cadillac to be offered with a manual transmission since the 1988 Cimarron. The CTS was designed as a replacement for the badge-engineered, Opel-based Catera. Sales were a sharp improvement from its predecessor, and the CTS promptly received the North American Car of the Year award for 2002. Originally slated to carry the same name as its predecessor, the new car instead became known as the C-Series Touring Sedan. It was originally powered by a 3.2 L LA3 V6 producing 220 hp, the CTS received an updated 3.6 L DOHC V6 with variable valve timing in 2004, producing 255 hp. The 3.2 L engine went out of production in 2005, when a new 2.8 L version of the DOHC V6 debuted in an entry-level version of the CTS.
Second generation used CTS 2008-2009
The 2008 CTS base model featured a 3.6 L variable valve timing V6 with 258 hp. A second engine, a new 3.6 L direct-injection V6 VVT engine with 304 hp was also offered. The new version came with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, with GM's six-speed Hydra-matic 6L50 automatic transmission available as an option on all variants. On-demand all-wheel drive was offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission. Suspension, braking, and steering improvements from the previous generation CTS-V were designed into the new standard CTS. The second generation CTS was wider and longer than the original, measuring 191.6 inches long, 72.5 inches wide and 58 inches in height. Wheelbase remained unchanged but with a wider front/rear track. Other changes included a revamped exterior, with a new, larger grille, slimmer headlights and taillights, side air extractor vents located forward of the front doors, and new nine-spoke 18-inch wheels, surrounding larger high-performance brake calipers and rotors. Available features on the second-gen CTS included a Bose 5.1 surround sound system, GM's Stabilitrak ESC system, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system with real-time traffic and weather data, an integrated 40 GB hard drive for music storage, swiveling headlights, and remote starting.