Review: 2016 Cadillac CTS VSport

Less intense than the CTS-V, Cadillac’s second-rung sporting sedan is very good, nevertheless.

2016 Cadillac CTS Vsport

Seyth Miersma

By: Seyth Miersma

Jun 8, 2016 at 9:00am ET

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– Detroit, Michigan

Just a few years ago, this would’ve been one badass Cadillac. Powering Caddy’s ever more nimble CTS sedan with a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 to the tune of 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque would have drawn comparisons to the BMW M5 and its Nürburgring-running ilk. But circa 2016 – in the era of the heart-stopping, 640-hp CTS-V – this very capable CTS VSport almost flies under the performance sedan radar. Almost.

Pros

The headliner turbo engine is good, but nowhere near as vicious as the V8 found in big brother CTS-V. There’s no lack of torque, but you do have to get the engine spinning beyond 3,000 rpm before it hits fully. That’s fine behavior for a feeling of omnipotence in typical highway traffic – jumping from 50 miles per hour to 80 seems to happen in an eye blink – but it doesn’t offer dramatic-feeling or -sounding acceleration from a start.
Amongst the Motor1 staff I might be in the minority, but I really like GM’s eight-speed automatic transmission, especially in this car. When I feel like playing at being a GT driver, response from the paddle shifters is very quick (but not particularly visceral). In every automatic mode, kick-down happens immediately when I ask for it, and there’s not much hunting between gears in normal driving.
The VSport comes standard with Cadillac’s electronic limited-slip differential, which kind of blows my mind. It’s harder to feel the effects of the diff when driving at legal speeds, but when you up the pace on a twisting road, and especially out of slow corners, the unit makes power delivery quite seamless. When I had a chance to really work out the CTS, I was happy to find it very willing to turn in, take a set, and take off with alacrity. Handing overall is very sharp, but without sacrificing ride quality.
Yes, I’m from Michigan and I work in Detroit, so I’m biased, but I love the updated styling of this car. Especially in a vibrant color like the Red Obsession Tintcoat you see here, I just find Cadillac’s current design language to be more expressive and personal than most of the competitors (though Jag’s XF is lovely).

Cons

Expressiveness is cool. Interiors with nine different kinds of leather, awash in shiny finishes are slightly less so, at least to my eyes. I like where Cadillac is going with its cabins, à-la the quietly posh execution in the new CT6, but this one still seems gaudy. Fiddly, gimmicky features like the automatic cover for the cupholders hardly seem worth the effort.
Old-school shoppers might still better enjoy the V8 experience offered by competitors like the Lexus GS F and BMW 550i. Good as the 3.6TT is on paper, it doesn’t have a thrilling sound like an NA V8, or even the plateau of torque I’ve come to expect from turbo-powered engines.
We’ll soon have a first steer to set the record straight, but I expect Mercedes’ upcoming E43 to be the VSport’s strongest competitor in this second-rung performance sedan class. That’s hardly a “con,” but the overall excellence of the CTS left me short one bullet point...

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2016 CADILLAC CTS VSPORT PREMIUM

ENGINE Biturbocharged 3.6L V6 OUTPUT 420 Horsepower / 430 Pound-Feet TRANSMISSION 8-Speed Automatic 0-60 MPH 4.4 Seconds TOP SPEED 172 MPH EPA FUEL ECONOMY 16 City / 24 Highway / 19 Combined WEIGHT 3,986 Pounds SEATING CAPACITY 5 CARGO VOLUME 13.7 Cubic Feet BASE PRICE $69,995 AS-TESTED PRICE $74,665

Photos: Seyth Miersma / Motor1.com