The Detroit News's view

DETROIT — When he’s not juggling two big Detroit media jobs, Chuck Gaidica likes to sketch cars — on napkins or in the margins of programs at some of his speaking engagements.

It’s not surprising to hear that his first job as a 10-year-old growing up in Chicago was detailing the used Cadillacs his father sold to supplement the family income.

“I’d shampoo the brocade and fix up the rust spots,” said Gaidica, a father of five, the new host of the Breakfast Club on WNIC-FM and longtime director of meteorology at Channel 4 (WDIV-TV).

One other thing. While Gaidica, 43, describes himself as the kind of buyer who is “square in the cross-hairs of BMW,” he is of a “buy American” mind-set.

He once owned a Chevrolet Corvette and the black 2000 DTS parked in his Grosse Pointe Shores driveway is his third Cadillac. His wife, Susan, drives a Chevrolet Suburban. That’s why we roped him into helping us review the 2003 CTS, the first new Cadillac of the 21st century. The entry-level CTS, with its trapezoidal shapes and angular lines, is a critical vehicle for the brand that’s celebrating its 100th birthday.

Wayne K. Cherry, GM vice-president of design, describes the CTS as “one of the single most important designs GM has ever created.”

The CTS goes on sale Jan. 2 and is priced from $29,990.

CTS brand manager Jay Spenchian puts the CTS’ challenge this way: “You have some domestic avoiders’ within the segment. Twenty percent of the target is going to be a real tough sell.

“We haven’t been relevant for the segment. We’ve been making cars that have been a little too large and probably haven’t handled as well (as the imports). But showing how the CTS stands out will go a long way toward addressing those concerns. That will be the challenge.”

Gaidica got on the road with the CTS in mid-December, traveling to a local mall, where he did his WNIC broadcast, and running family errands with the sedan.

Our test CTS had a sticker price of $39,640 and came equipped with several options, including a $2,700 CD-ROM-based navigation system bundled with a Bose audio system, a $1,100 sunroof and a $1,200 automatic transmission.

Cadillac is aiming the CTS at 35-49-year-olds with a median household income of $110,000.

“They are image-conscious, individualist and pioneering in thinking,” Spenchian said. “They are leaders within their set. Most of them come from premium mid-size cars. Those are difficult people to convince.”

Although he’s a traditionalist who once owned an Eldorado convertible and an Allante, Gaidica gave thumbs up to Cadillac’s new look — a design theme that will set the tone for subsequent offerings from the brand.

“I like the edgy styling,” he said. “The exterior, the vertical lighting and the grille are a big hit with me. Lots of heads turn. But not everybody likes it.”

Gaidica marked the CTS down for its interior.

“The interior has great fit and finish, but it looks too plastic, even though the materials are not cheap plastic,” he said. “This interior needs a richer feel inside. In my DTS, I am spoiled by electro-luminescent gauges like a Lexus. (It needs) more real wood like a Mercedes. I like the high-tech, cool feel of the interior, but it needs some warmer, richer appointments.”

He said he wished the CTS had automatic wipers, back-up sensors and an optional V-8 engine. This CTS has a 220-horsepower V-6 and a five-speed automatic.

“I prefer a V-8,” Gaidica wrote on his test-drive checklist. “Squeeze in the ‘big guy’ engine.”

He addressed value, too, which is a concern for buyers stepping up to the luxury segment for the first time.

“Overall, I would rate this car highly, but I would rather see Cadillac approach its new smaller car with a bit more expensive-feeling interior details so that I feel like it is a jam-packed $40,000 car — not an entry-level Cadillac,” Gaidica said.

And it appears he’s considered yet a third job.

Stacey DuFord, a co-host on the Breakfast Club, is looking for a new car.

“I showed it to her,” he said. “She likes it and wants to test-drive one and talk to a dealer. With my Cadillac credentials, do you think Caddy would grant me an individual franchise?”