2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI: We should have waited

I love wagons, too. And I like the CTS. But I'm not sold on this particular design. Strange tail lights and odd rear proportions just don't do justice to the genre. And it looks like rearward visibility is bad, too. What's the deal?

It seems rear visibility is going the way of the Dodo bird. The D pillar looks huge too. I do like those 19" rims much better than the 18"s on the sedan- which are pretty lame. I also like the full height rear lamps better than the installation of various Volvos and 9-3 SportCombi.

I know it's wishful thinking, but the idea of that in V trim gives me the shivers.

Drop the supercharged V-series motor in and Cadillac has a sale for me ... the counterparts from MB and BMW are just boring to look at and insanely expensive ($96k for the Merc).

This looks even better than the sedan.

"I know it's wishful thinking, but the idea of that in V trim gives me the shivers."

...count me in! But I want my CTSSW-V debadged.
Wicked Wagons > hot hatches.

-mike

Yikes.....I'll take a hot hatch, please.

Top tether mounts are MIA. WTF?!

Caddy is bringing out a CTS Coupe too, with a trunk deck so high that it almost has a hatchback/shooting brake profile. With wagon and coupe variants, can GM combine them to resurrect a Chevy Nomad?

how much 'usable' extra room is there in the wagon?

I know the numbers say theres 25cuft vs 14 for the sedan.

But i'm willing to beat, most of that 11 extra cu ft, is due to vertical space. IE block your rear view complete.

easier to put stuff in.. yes
more rooom?... sometimes
better looks?... eye of the beholder.

better looks? This beholder says yes - sign me up. Minvans? we don't gotta drive no stinking minivans.

I love it!

What price range would the V6/auto/rwd be do you guys think? Also, is the V6 rated well?

ugh, hate that you can't edit...

I meant the V6/auto in the CTS currently- is it well rated or considered a poor choice?

once again, sorry for the multiple posts-
found a picture of the D-pillar from the inside view:
yes, you will have a blind-spot the size of Kristie Allie at the Bellagio buffet line.

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/future/10.cadillac.cts.wagon/2010.cadillac.cts.wagon.det.500.jpg

I still love it though! Definitely visiting the Caddy dealer when it arrives.

That rear view is ridiculous. Surely there is a way to create a good/unique looking car without requiring me to back into a garbage can / parked car / small child.

"This looks even better than the sedan."

Agreed, although the sedan is fugly. At least before the whole "chisled" theme Cadillacs had a certain understated elegance. Now, though... it's like whoever designed the Aztek went to work for Cadillac.

Wow - I love it. I think the wagon body is very conducive to Caddy's "design language." They can draw the lines and creases out longer on the back. The tail lights really work for me. Makes the sedan look stubby and choppy in comparison. I do like the sedan a lot, but the rear end is "unresolved" somehow. Okay, enough wannabe designer lingo from me.

the car looks hot. My car has thick C pillars and its rarely an issue while driving. As long as you can see out your side and rear view mirrors you should be OK. I dont know that the wagon looks better than the sedan but its nice.

"I meant the V6/auto in the CTS currently- is it well rated or considered a poor choice?"

The auto is rated better than the manual. The GM 6 speed RWD tranny has gotten great reviews.

Having just spent a weekend in the Saab 9-3 Turbo X Sport Combi, which has remarkably similar rear pillars, I can say that it's an inconvenience not a problem. Hopefully it will have sonar and a camera.
-mike

but(t) sonar and a camera only helps in backing up. Does nothing for lane changes while driving forwards.

It seems to me that the Saab 9-3 SC would have WAY better visibility, but that's just from my memory of having seen it at the auto show.

I love the idea of the CTS wagon, but am very disappointed at the abundance of sheet metal where windows should be. C'mon, those aren't pillars, they're columns!

3 reasons I like it:

- Its clearly a Cadillac design.
- Its nicely executed.
- The proportions of the CTS are perfect.

2 reasons I dont like it:

- The reat hatch seems a bit cluttered in regards to the angle of the glass and all the different levels of surface. Clean it up a bit.

- Probably no CTS-V sportwagon. =(

Ya- this is way cool. You guys should've waited. It's about time an American company came out with a good wagon. I don't cound the Magnum as it's dead now (plus it's interior was horrid), and I had that on my shopping list. The wife nixed it because of looks. But I still would like a well put together, good looking, good performing wagon. And this one fits the bill. Too bad it will be way out of my price range.

It really is too bad that we American's don't seem to like wagons in general but HAVE TO HAVE that high riding CUV/SUV/XUV/TUV/AUV/Whatever-V and won't be caught dead driving a station wagon even less than they like to be seen driving a mini-van. The only companies that market a wagon to the US are BMW and Mercedes and finally Cadillac. Why can't we get a wagon for those of us who don't have 50K to drop on a vehicle??

the_big_al:

Hold your breath for the Opel Insignia aka Saturn Aura coming around 2010. I don't know if you saw the pictures but the sport hatch version is beautiful. It looks even better than this CTS wagon if you ask me although it's more of a 5 door than a true wagon, but, take a look:

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f63/london-08-opel-vauxhaul-insignia-photos-66985/

I'm surprised at all the negative comments on the C pilars. Most if not all Wagons and SUVs on the market have a similar blind spot from the C pilars. That's what the outside mirrors are for after all! This wagon is plain beautiful and it should be a big seller as there are no real full size sporty wagons for sale presently that are as nice looking and the CTS is a very good selling car in sedan form. If you're obssessed with C pilars, you can always find a nice used AMC Pacer...:)

The BMW 3-series and Audi A4 wagons dosn't have that blind spot.

I would rather have the BMW over the CTS if the 335 versions were available here in the States.

I second what the_big_al said: I bought an Enclave because there just isn't a good wagon under $60k, and frankly the ones over $60k are not that inspiring for everyday family use. The Audi Avant and VW Passat were the only realistic choices, but their limitations compared to the Enclave are significant.

We just completed a 2300 mile roundtrip vacation in the Enclave and it performed flawlessly. Could I use a vehicle with 10-20 cubic feet less space and 1000 lbs lighter? YOU BET!

A lot of people want GM to bring over the commodore wagon to sell it as a G8. its a sharp wagon to be sure. Thus far GM has said it's not for US consumption.

Like I said before, a sharp looking wagon that is inexpensive and well functioning would go on my shopping list for my next car. I would get a G8 wagon even with a V6 over an Lambda crossover. I doubt that by the time I am ready to purchase my next vehicle, there will be any Magnums that are in decent enough shape to purchase. Maybe a CTS wagon will make a good used value???

Where's the edit???) I meant to say, "LIke I said before, it really is too bad we Americans in general don't like wagons. A sharp looking wagon..."

Last time I saw a Caddy wagon this lovely to look at, it was carrying a coffin to a cemetery. I love the concept, and I’m glad GM is offering it, but the chunky, choppy styling isn’t my cup of tea. It’s a little too much ‘art & science’ for me.