OK, I officially have a new dream car...

Until a week or two ago, my dream car was the Volvo S40T5. Neat little 4-door sport coupe, respectably quick (0-60 in less than 7 seconds, top speed around 140) thanks to the 215hp inline-5, decent handling, awesome looks (especially the nose), nice interior, fairly economical (~30mpg), available with a 6-speed manual, and affordable as far as European sport sedans go (~$30K).



Sorry Volvo, but you just got bumped by a Cadillac...

I've been watching the decade-long renaissance of the Cadillac brand with some interest, and cheering them on. I remember the awful land barges they used to sell in the '80s (pity the poor soul who got behind a Fleetwood Brougham at a stop light or in the left lane of the Interstate), and rolled my eyes at the Cimarron (rebadged Chevy Cavalier with $8000 worth of bling, but still a Cavalier under the hood), but the Allante piqued my interest, and when an acquaintance bought an STS, I decided they had really turned things around.

But no Cadillac ever grabbed me and placed itself at the top of my please-buy-me list. Until the 2008 CTS was unveiled a couple of weeks ago...



I really like the styling (to me, it looks as good as the Volvo from the front and better from the rear, and IMO it makes the Infinity G35, another car on my short list, look like a jellybean).

Let's see...

300-horsepower direct-injection V6. That's V8 power from a lightweight 6, AND direct injection means less fuel consumption and less emissions. And 300 horses means it's also decently quick--not a CTS-V or M5, but quick enough.

6-speed manual transmission available, just like the Volvo. Check.

Rear wheel drive. Anyone who has ever owned a rear-wheel-drive car with decent power knows the warm fuzzies that accompany accelerating out of a curve with the engine powering the proper set of wheels. No more front-driver snowplowing on Interstate cloverleafs, no more accidentally lighting your tires up due to front-end lift while taking off from a stoplight. (My current car puts down 280 ft-lb of torque through the front wheels, so I know whereof I speak...)

Track-tuned suspension. The Volvo offers decent handling and dynamics, but the CTS promises REALLY GOOD handling and dynamics. Cadillac reportedly put in a lot of track time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife... (See also Rear Wheel Drive.)

Trunk space. The S40/Mazda 3's biggest drawback that I see is that teeny-tiny trunk opening. I have to cart my son around to out-of-state physicians on a regular basis, so I need a trunk. Not necessarily one with its own zip code, but at least one big enough to swallow Clifford the Big Red Suitcase without greasing the sides, or a full-length rifle case for trips to the shooting range.

Price. The base price isn't far above that of the Volvo, a little over $30K. Yes, the direct injection V6 and the sport package will add to that, but in the reasonably near future (whenever we dig our way out from under our son's medical bills), I could actually AFFORD a well-equipped CTS.




(Sound of benEzra counting loose change...)

I'm going to the Chicago Auto Show this weekend. I'll have to check it out. I'm glad Cadillac finally added some curves to the car's body - the last one was WAY too angular. In terms of reliability, the last CTS was horrible. My friend's dad has one and it has spent a lot of time in the shop, though I've been reading that Cadillac quality is quickly improving.

I doubt the car will sway me from my intentions to upgrade my 04 G35 to the latest model. The G continues to run neck and neck with the 3-series in driving dynamics, leaning more toward raw tossability and fun while the 3 rides on rails. My sister-in-law has a 325 and it's as solid as a tank, but feels muted and disconnected. The 325 is a little slow, but the new twin-turbo 335 is supposed to be a few 10th's faster 0-60 than the new G. I'm still unsold on reliability.

I would like to drive the new CTS and see how it compares to both of them. I hope it's a lot of fun like the G - seems like Cadillac is pushing really hard on handling with this one. I'm sure with 300hp and direct-injection, it should have some serious punch, though I don't know what the curb weight is. All cars seem to be getting pretty bloated these days.