The Cadillac CTS is a luxury car manufactured between 2003 and 2019. The CTS was the successor to the Catera and had 2.8 million units sold worldwide as of February 2018, which made it also Cadillac’s most successful model in recent years (together with the Escalade).
The first model year of the Cadillac CTS was 2003 and was highly acclaimed for its bold design and nimble handling feel. In 2005, all trim levels were renamed: base became 2.6; Luxury became Performance; Premium became Performance Plus; and Sport became V Series. In the U.S., the only power plant available until 2007 was a 3.2 L High Feature LY7 V6 producing 220 hp (160 kW).
Buyers could choose from either a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission, both supplied by Aisin. All-wheel drive was also an option to the 3.2 L engine and 5-speed automatic.
In 2007, a new 3.6 L direct-injected V6 producing 275 hp (205 kW) became available as an option for the CTS; only with all-wheel drive and the 6-speed manual transmission. Limited production of 2008 Cadillac CTS models equipped with a manual transmission and the 3.6 L V6 was produced during Spring 2007 before availability ended in favor of the more powerful but less capable 2.8L High Feature VVT DI Ecotec engine later that year; it features Active Fuel Management which disables half of its cylinders during light load conditions to increase fuel efficiency over its predecessor.
In 2008, the 2.8 L engine became available with all-wheel drive and the 6 speed automatic only in the V6 Performance model and in 2009 in V6 Luxury models as well. The latter also features a tire pressure monitoring system in place of an under-hood light that had previously been included with this option package before Cadillac deleted it for 2005 model year vehicles. An Auxiliary hard drive and navigation system was made available on rear-wheel-drive versions equipped with the 3.6 L V6 or rear-wheel-drive versions equipped with all-wheel drive.
In early 2010, the Performance version was dropped from the lineup and a Luxury Plus version was added. The luxury plus model came with a more luxurious interior with a 180-Watt audio system with Dolby Digital surround sound, a 12-speaker audio system, real wood trim on the central console’s lower level, and steering wheel rim.
In early 2011, Cadillac released the CTS sedan which is longer by 1 inch (25 mm), wider by 1 inch (25 mm), but features the same weight as the outgoing CTS. It also includes all-new engines; for power, it now has a 1854cc 2.0 L turbo generating 272 hp (203 kW) and 295 lb·ft (400 N·m) of torque. The other is a direct-injected 3.6 L V6 with the same output as the existing one but more low-end torque thanks to its 382 lb·ft (520 Nm) available at only 1,750 rpm.
In 2012, a CTS-V Coupe joined the lineup with a supercharged 6.2 L V8 producing 556 hp (415 kW). In 2013, a new Cadillac Twin Turbo 3.6 L V6 produced 420 hp (310 kW) and 430 lb·ft (583 N·m) of torque in AWD trim. It also featured an 8-speed automatic transmission which has been used since 2011 as well as variable valve timing on both camshafts.
In 2013, Cadillac introduced the all-new 2014 CTS which was now longer by 5 inches (130 mm), narrower by 0.5 inches (13mm), and lower than the outgoing model; they also increased fuel economy for front-wheel-drive models to 22 mpg(10.7L/100Km) city and 31 mpg(7.8L/100km) hwy.
In 2014, all but one trim level were discontinued: 2.0T became Luxury; Performance became Premium; Premium Plus became Luxury, and V Series became Performance. For the first time, an 8 speed automatic transmission became standard on all models except in rear-wheel-drive models with the 2.0 L turbo. All-wheel drive became standard on all-wheel-drive models and a 6-speed automatic transmission is also an option for all powertrains in the CTS except with the 3.6L engine where it becomes 8-speed automatic only.
The CTS shares Cadillac’s new Alpha platform which was first introduced on the 2015 ATS; this allowed engineers to lower the center of gravity and improve weight distribution, making it nearly 50/50. The engine lineup also remained mostly unchanged from the previous year except for the 3.6 L V6 being dropped because production ended in 2014 therefore remaining models have direct-injected engines only.
In 2017, only slight changes were made to their lineup including minor exterior updates such as taillights, revised grille, hood, front fenders, and more redesigned bumpers along with some interior updates. The twin-turbocharged variant features GM
In 2019, Cadillac discontinued production of the CTS after 13 years. If you are in the market for a used Cadillac CTS, then visit us at 209 Vestal Parkway West in Vestal NY or call 607-754-9118.
Come and visit the Binghamton Auto Exchange in Vestal, NY if you are looking to own a quality used Cadillac CTS under $15,000.
