First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

By Nelson Ireson

Nelson Ireson

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Nelson is an Editor at High Gear Media focusing on reviewing cars and covering the hottest topics in luxury and performance cars, car culture, and... More

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2 2,392 views June 20, 2010

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe first drive

It turns out touring the countryside around Napa in one of the best-looking luxury sports coupes soon to be on the market isn't a bad way to spend a Tuesday morning. But we'd have the same opinion of the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe even if we'd been stuck in Los Angeles traffic most of the day.

Disclaimer: Cadillac flew us out to Yountville, put us up in some eco-luxurious digs and provided a day of first-rate touring through the fantastic rolling hills of northern California.

The Cadillac CTS Sedan is one of the best buys in the luxury segment. Modern style, sporty behavior, and a good combination of features, size, and price--it's a solid package. The CTS Coupe kicks the sport up a notch without sacrificing too much in the way of practicality, and continues to deliver excellent value.

So how, exactly, does the Coupe differ from its four-doored brethren? Wider rear track, wider fenders, more rear tire and slightly stiffer suspension settings make for a more potent handling package. And that package really delivers.

The CTS Coupe, though it looks considerably more compact than the sedan, shares the exact same wheelbase. It looks shorter because it is, thanks to shorter overhangs. It's a bit lighter, but still weighs in close to 3,900 pounds. But you'd never know it in the curves.

Get Up And Go
From the driver's seat, the sport-package-equipped car feels nimble, willing to transfer quickly through twisty mountain roads. Cornering is nearly flat--surprising for a car as heavy as it is, though the wider rear track, firmer damping and stiffer rear anti-roll bar all contribute to the spry performance. Braking is progressive, powerful, and with fair pedal feel. Initial bite from the pads is low at first, but once you get some heat in them, they perform well. The larger wheels of the performance package cars, shod with 245/19 (front) and 275/19 (rear) ContiSport Contact 2 summer peformance tires, also add some of the grip and quick-transitioning ability to the mix.

Both six-speed manual and automatic versions will be available, but we were only able to test the automatic version as the manual is still undergoing final refinement before sales start later this summer. While we raved about the near-telepathic qualities of the six-speed slushbox back when the CTS first came out, it's beginning to show some age in comparison to the dual-clutch gearboxes and eight-speed autos of the competition. The main issues? Occasionally holding a gear too long after the driver gets off the throttle in sport mode, or ending up somewhere between gear ratios in 50-70 mph canyon carving, requiring extra shifts up and down. This is as much a function of the progress of the competition as a shortcoming in the system itself, however.

We only had two real quibbles with the Coupe's performance. Steering, while responsive, is a bit light, and without the feel you'd want to really push the car to the limit. But it's a solid compromise between easy city cruising, parking effort, and 7/10ths spirited driving.

The Coupe is equipped standard with the 3.6-liter, 304-horsepower direct-injection V-6 engine that's an upgrade option in the sedan. But we couldn't help but feel it would benefit from another 50 horsepower or so--perhaps one of the few indications of the car's weight from behind the wheel. That problem will no doubt be solved and then some with the CTS-V Coupe, but we could still do with a bit more grunt in the standard car as well.