2012 Cadillac CTS 3.6 Sedan

What Is It?
It’s the latest CTS, which is a lot like the CTS we already know and like. For 2012, the 3.6-liter version of Cadillac’s only car gets a new cylinder-head design with integrated exhaust manifolds, a composite intake manifold, lighter connecting rods, and upgrades to the fuel system. Power is up by 14 hp to 318, and the torque peak is now 275 lb-ft, an increase of just 2 but available 300 rpm sooner on the tachometer. Incidentally, the 2012 Camaro’s V-6 gets the same upgrades this year and makes 323 hp. Cadillac claims that the changes reduce engine weight by 21 pounds.
The other major change for 2012 is a refreshed grille, which has a new “frame and mesh combination” and sharper colors in the Cadillac logo. We actually had to take that line from the press release because we only noticed the changes after looking at photos of the 2011 and 2012 car side by side. In person, it still looks like a nice grille, but it doesn’t stand out as radically different.
How Does It Drive?
So, about that weight savings. Our test car weighed in 101 pounds heavier than a comparable 2008 CTS equipped with an automatic transmission. Some of those extra pounds can be attributed to larger wheels (the new car rides on 19-inchers; the 2008 rolled on 18s) and differences in optional equipment, but the weight savings from the engine alone is negligible.
The power difference is negligible as well. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.2 seconds, the new car is 0.2 second slower than the 2008 version we tested but in the middle of the range of other CTS cars, including those with a manual transmission (which, incidentally, is no longer offered with the 3.6-liter). The 2011 does the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds at 98 mph, 0.1 second and 1 mph behind the old car. Fuel economy is unchanged at an EPA-rated 18 city, 27 highway, and we averaged 22 mpg during our test.
How Does It Stack Up?
After the fanfare of a new model launch, most cars fade into relative obscurity from a press standpoint. Journalists don’t get a lot of exposure to a car late in the product cycle. Our time in the revised CTS served as a reminder that General Motors can build a car that looks and drives as well as any European-designed sports sedan. Particularly impressive is the ride, which handles Michigan’s pothole-ravaged streets in comfort but retains a tautness that encourages fast cornering. The sales pitch back when the second-generation CTS was new was that it offered space similar to the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class for a price similar to the 3-series and C-class. The bigger cars, as well as Audi’s stunning new A6, are a class above the CTS in refinement and material quality. But the concept behind the CTS is a thoroughly American idea of getting a little more than you pay for, which we like.
What’s the Cost?
Of course, the value proposition is great in theory. And the CTS with a 270-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 (available only in the sedan) starts at $36,790. We have yet to test that car; even the CTS that competed in our Rental-Car Olympics came with the 3.6. Stepping up to the bigger engine increases the price to $43,165, and all-wheel drive is an additional $1900. Our test car, a rear-wheel-drive 3.6 Premium model, had a base price of $49,165. Add Recaro seats and some spiffy interior trim as part of the $2810 Touring package, the $2090 19-inch Summer Tire Performance package, and $995 paint, and you get our are-you-kidding as-tested price of $55,060. A brand-new Audi A6 in mid-level Premium Plus trim costs $56,495 if you add 19-inch summer tires. The four-year-old CTS doesn’t compare to the newer German alternatives at the same price. So the value doesn’t necessarily work out in reality. But the CTS can satisfy if you’re careful with the optional equipment, and it remains one of the best American cars on the market.