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More Driving in the new 2008 Cadillac CTS

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Kelsey Mays has already given the CTS the full review treatment, but every single writer at the GM event last week was lined up waiting to take on this new player in the entry-level luxury segment: 

The original CTS was the first sign that GM had a clue and the commitment to compete with the stalwart sport sedans from Germany. I thought the styling was the right idea but clunky in execution, in ways that years of tweaks could only alleviate so much. This one is cohesive and bold and exactly what Cadillac should be doing. Ditto for the interior and especially the driving experience. It’s genteel on the street, and on the track it almost drove itself. Considering that a manual wasn’t available and the automatic’s gearing wasn’t quite right for the track we were on, I was knocked out. A little more backseat room would be nice, but in general the CTS is a winner. Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

This new CTS is simply amazing. As much as the exterior won fans in the first-generation car, the interior in this latest model will win over the nonbelievers. The materials are all top-notch and the center stack is a thing of beauty, especially the optional rising nav screen.

On the road, the CTS was quiet with plenty of power in the 3.6-liter V-6 version I tested. Acceleration from a dead stop was plenty exhilarating, and on the track the car was planted and the steering was extremely responsive. This one will be fought over when it arrives in the Cars.com fleet. David Thomas, KickingTires editor

The CTS handled magnificently on the track with its optional performance suspension and summer tires. While hitting the corners at 60 mph, it felt just as quiet inside as if I were putting along at 10 mph. Joe Bruzek, Ask.cars.com

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Managing Editor
David Thomas

Former managing editor David Thomas has a thing for wagons and owns a 2010 Subaru Outback and a 2005 Volkswagen Passat wagon.

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