Cadillac does not build many cars like the Cadillac CTS: a 4-door sedan with Petrol engine, built from 2002 to 2019 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is Wayne Cherry (1998) / Kip Wasenko (1998).
The background
The Cadillac CTS is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Cadillac brand from 2002 until 2019 across three generations. Initially available as a 4-door sedan using the GM Sigma platform, GM offered the second-generation CTS as a 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, and 5-door sport wagon, and the third generation as a sedan, using a stretched version of the GM Alpha platform. High performance sedan variants were offered for each generation as the CTS-V, with wagon and coupe variants offered for the second generation. The first-generation CTS marked a $4 billion investment by General Motors to set a new course for Cadillac styling, introduce a new rear-drive platform, and most importantly, re-establish the brand's relevancy.
Wayne Cherry and Kip Wasenko designed the exterior of the first-generation CTS, marking the production debut of its "Art and Science" design language first used on the Evoq concept car, and developed with key contributions from Thomas Kearns and Mike Torpey. John Manoogian II directed the second-generation CTS design, as initially conceived by Robert Munson. Bob Boniface and Robin Krieg designed the exterior of the third-generation CTS. The CTS ended production in 2019 and was replaced by the CT5, which shared its platform with the third and final generation of the CTS in addition to the smaller CT4.
The engineering
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 3568 lb. The gearbox is a 5-speed GM 5L40-E transmission#5L40-E / 5L40-E automatic transmission / automatic / 5-speed Getrag Getrag 260 transmission / 260 manual transmission / manual / 6-speed Aisin Aisin. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 113.4 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Cadillac's history is not in doubt: the Cadillac Catera came before it; the Cadillac CT5 followed it; it was built at Lansing, Michigan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Kia Sorento, the Volvo XC90, the Mazda Mazda6. Its Cadillac stablemates include the Cadillac 353 and the Cadillac ATS.
The money
On the used market today a Cadillac CTS typically changes hands for $13,300–$51,400, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $3,751–$8,116 a year. Insurance sits around $1,490–$3,700 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.