2006 Cadillac CTS Test Drive

Sharp Looking, But Shallow

This stylish sedan disappoints in many ways. Worst of all are its poor interior layout and rubbery manual transmission.

Exterior

The CTS has a look all its own. The short overhangs front and rear make it muscular. Creases and sharp edges abound. It's not beautiful, but interesting.

Journalists and industry experts questioned Cadillac's decision to adopt such modern and edgy styling, as first seen on the 2003 CTS. Opinions were polarized, and still are.

With time and subsequent model launches (SRX, STS and XLR), the strategy has proved largely successful, contemporizing an old brand that skewed perilously toward aging generations of luxury-car buyers.

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A huge grille is framed by vertically stacked headlamps, now a Cadillac hallmark. One onlooker thought the grille garish, sagging too low. But on the whole, people complimented the design. The sense was that, yes, this is what a Cadillac should look like.

The company still may have quality control problems and none so blatant on the exterior as the rippled orange-peel texture of our test vehicle's "premium" red paint. Hyundais have better paint jobs. The shoddy finish on the model we tested might be an anomaly — if not, Cadillac is remiss in thinking it can compete with European luxury brands.