Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

I stumbled across a great quote from @TheRealAutoBlog on Twitter the other day that summed up the performance driving experience that is the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V: “It should come with a trunk full of bail money.” Outside that commentary, because I'm not a car reviewer by trade, I’ll just let the car speak for itself.

Aesthetically, the CTS-V is the pinnacle sedan design in GM’s lineup. I have been in love with the radical direction that Cadillac has taken in the past 10 years. After all its design accomplishments and failures, the interior and exterior of this car are nearly flawless. Featuring hard lines from front to back, mixed with premium materials and one mean-looking face, the CTS-V connects with both luxury and performance audiences.

My favorite exterior aspect of this car is the headlight casings and the framing they create for the front of the car. Whether you see a CTS-V in the middle of the night or the middle of the day, these distinct angled lights and casings give off a unique impression. On the inside, Cadillac’s disappearing touch navigation screen is above and beyond anything else on the market and just one minor detail in what I would argue is the best dashboard I’ve seen.

The design of this car raises the bar for the Cadillac brand. Let's hope that when the new GM has risen from its own ashes we'll see more cars that meet the design standard set by the CTS-V.  

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. As always, feel free to use the full-screen mode on the photo browser.

Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Cadillac CTS

"First-Time Cadillac Owner," from St. Louis, admits to being entranced by the advertising and promotion for the 2008 Cadillac CTS and maintains that it is a great-looking car. However, a few small repairs and a low ride height started to wear on the ownership experience. Read the review to find out specifically what went wrong with this Cadillac owner's car-buying experience. Then head here to post your own car review.

Up Close: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Since its 2008 redesign, I've thought Cadillac's CTS entry-level luxury sedan was a sharp-looking car, and it also looks pretty good as a wagon, which we spied at the Los Angeles auto show. The front of the wagon carries the sedan's familiar design, but there are some interesting new cues in back, like the raked C-pillar separating the rear side windows and tall taillights that climb up the back of the car. The 25-cubic-foot cargo area isn't particularly expansive for a wagon, but it is nearly twice the size of the CTS sedan's trunk.

For many people in the U.S., wagons have a cool-factor that's about on par with minivans. That could change, though, as sleek sport wagons like the 2009 Audi A4 Avant and this new CTS wagon hit U.S. roads. More photos below.

GM Red Tag Sale: Cadillac, Hummer, Saab Deals

Our coverage of GM’s Red Tag Sale rolls on, and this time we’re taking a look at available deals on Cadillac, Saab and Hummer models for 2008 and 2009. Given the pricey nature of most of these vehicles, the percent-off calculations are slightly less impressive than, say, Chevrolet’s might be, but the cash back and Red Tag prices team to provide some interesting deals.

For example, the 2009 STS V6 1SC saves $5,719 off its original MSRP of $55,325. The 2008 Escalade SUV 2WD drops $10,183 off its original MSRP of $56,890, among others.

Saab and HUMMER have their fair share of deals as well. A 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Sport sedan drops from $35,960 to $30,145 after the Red Tag sale and cash back, while the 2008 9-5 Aero Sport sedan drops all the way to $32,719 from $39,480. Most of the Hummer deals are what you’d expect — huge rebates and cash back on the company’s slow-selling models. There is one interesting outlier, though: The brand-new 2009 H3T has $1,500 cash back; with the Red Tag sale, it drops from $31,495 to $28,188.

A larger list of vehicle deals is below. As always, be sure to double-check your zip code on GM’s site to make sure deals apply in your area.

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Gets Priced

It will cost roughly $100 per horsepower to secure a brand-new, 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V when it goes on sale around Nov. 1. Including destination charge and gas-guzzler tax, $59,990 will get you the high-horsepower sports sedan that Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder recently reviewed. Of the most powerful Caddy ever, he said: “Having driven the V-Series performance version of the 2009 CTS sedan, I'm pounding the gavel. Cadillac can compete with the best of them, and possibly win.”

There are even a fair number of standard features that are optional on a regular CTS, like a 40GB hard drive tucked into a Bose sound system, a USB port and navigation.

More Cadillac News

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

The Cadillac CTS-V has always had the strength, it just hasn’t harnessed it well. Now with a whopping 556 hp under its hood, the 2009 CTS-V looks to refine that added power into something more complete and well-rounded. In his expert review, Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder takes on the car and its newfound control — and comes away impressed.

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Expert Review

Also check out the photo gallery below.

Cadillac, Saab's Employee Pricing Discounts

Cadillac and Saab round out our GM employee pricing updates. The high-end nameplates don’t suffer from any lack of significant deals, particularly Cadillac, which sees larger and larger discounts as the model price stretches higher and higher. Conventional wisdom says if you have $100,000 to afford the XLR-V, you probably don’t need the $15,000 off that the employee discount grants … but who’s going to turn down $15,000, right?

The bread and butter for Cadillac, though, is its new CTS sedan, which we really like here at Cars.com. Discounts of roughly 10% should keep it selling well. Nearly $13,000 off an STS-V is also darn alluring to our muscle-car side.

A short list of available discounts is below. Be sure to check GM’s full list at its website, according to your zip code and the trim level you want.

First Look: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Unlike the 2010 Cadillac SRX, we know a fair amount about the new 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon. The wagon version of the popular CTS sedan is already slated for sale in Europe, and it’s now coming to the U.S. as a 2010 model, going on sale in the spring of 2009. 

Believe it or not, the Sport Wagon is .3 inches shorter than the sedan. Cargo area with the rear seats up is 25 cubic feet, which is less than the 2008 Audi A4 Avant or Saab 9-3 SportCombi, which come in at 27.8 and 29.7 cubic feet, respectively.

We also know all about the engine options. The wagon will get the same two V-6 engines as the regular CTS sedan, putting out 263 hp or 304 hp, depending on the model. Both come with six-speed automatic transmissions. All-wheel drive will also be offered.

As for the look, we’re a bit disappointed the rear isn’t nearly as well-executed as the sedan’s or the recent CTS Coupe concept’s. Check out more photos below and let us know what you think.

Season Recap: Car We Want in Our Driveway

Now that we’ve tackled the best economy cars, hybrids, SUVs and concept cars, it’s time to decide which car we want in our own driveways. This post is kind of like asking us what we’d do if we won the lottery, but considering we’re a fickle bunch when it comes to cars, there’s a bit more to consider than pure fantasy.

Kelsey Mays: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V
Energy independence notwithstanding, I’d gladly shell out $4 a gallon for a CTS-V. The regular CTS is one of Lutz & Co.’s finest achievements yet, and the thought of 550 hp underfoot is stupefying enough to make me crave one. Reality bites, but this Caddy bites back: It still has a full backseat, commute-friendly amenities and a trunk that can fit a weekend’s baggage. Naturally, if I had one, most of my weekends would be spent at the track.

Up Close: Cadillac CTS Coupe

The CTS Coupe introduced at the Detroit auto show is technically a concept, but it looks like it's closer to being a prototype. It's based on the sedan and shares its front end, with the exception of the domed hood. I think it looks a bit slab-sided, and I suspect the diamond-cut rear end will be controversial.