Photo: Car and Driver
Now that Cadillac has claimed a lot of awards with its CTS model, some claiming the American car is the best in its segment, the automotive world is still comparing it to the cars it had to defeat, especially the Germans.
And apart from the Germans, what else is there to compare it with? Maybe the Lexus GS but the Japanese are still pretty far behind, nonetheless, as the Car and Driver team justified not including the Toyota-built car in the comparison.
So, what cars came to meet the ‘almighty’ CTS? The long time winner, A6, in 3.0 TSI shape, with a 3-liter V6 turbocharged engine that makes 310 HP and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque and an automatic transmission, of course.
The Mercedes-Benz E350 came prepared with a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 306 HP and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque, hooked up to a 7-speed automatic transmission, sending all of that to the rear wheels.
The BMW 535i xDrive, as you already know, brought the 3-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine to the contest with its 306 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque, xDrive all-wheel-drive intelligent system and the ZF 8-speed auto.
The car they compared the Germans to was fitted with Cadillac’s own 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine that makes 326 HP and 275 lb-ft (372 Nm) of torque, an 8-speed automatic and RWD.
Of course, as usual, the Bimmer walked away with the win in the powertrain section. It’s brilliantly tuned gearbox was so good, it made the drivers wonder if it didn’t somehow read minds and blew everything else out of the water.
The engine delivered that smoothness we’ve been getting used to from the N55 unit and nothing from the other 3 cars could even come close.
Some things weren’t on par though, according to Car and Driver. In the suspension department, the car felt wobbly and all over the place, especially over potholes and cracks in the asphalt but we’re guessing it lacked the adaptive dampers that would’ve made a huge difference.
Other complaints include cornering and lack of steering feel thus placing the 5 Series dead last. Whilst we don’t necessarily agree with their conclusion, we do have to respect it.
For the full test, check out Car and Driver.
So, what cars came to meet the ‘almighty’ CTS? The long time winner, A6, in 3.0 TSI shape, with a 3-liter V6 turbocharged engine that makes 310 HP and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque and an automatic transmission, of course.
The Mercedes-Benz E350 came prepared with a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 306 HP and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque, hooked up to a 7-speed automatic transmission, sending all of that to the rear wheels.
The BMW 535i xDrive, as you already know, brought the 3-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine to the contest with its 306 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque, xDrive all-wheel-drive intelligent system and the ZF 8-speed auto.
The car they compared the Germans to was fitted with Cadillac’s own 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine that makes 326 HP and 275 lb-ft (372 Nm) of torque, an 8-speed automatic and RWD.
Of course, as usual, the Bimmer walked away with the win in the powertrain section. It’s brilliantly tuned gearbox was so good, it made the drivers wonder if it didn’t somehow read minds and blew everything else out of the water.
The engine delivered that smoothness we’ve been getting used to from the N55 unit and nothing from the other 3 cars could even come close.
Some things weren’t on par though, according to Car and Driver. In the suspension department, the car felt wobbly and all over the place, especially over potholes and cracks in the asphalt but we’re guessing it lacked the adaptive dampers that would’ve made a huge difference.
Other complaints include cornering and lack of steering feel thus placing the 5 Series dead last. Whilst we don’t necessarily agree with their conclusion, we do have to respect it.
For the full test, check out Car and Driver.
Google News