First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Page 2

By Nelson Ireson

Nelson Ireson

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Nelson is an Editor at High Gear Media focusing on reviewing cars and covering the hottest topics in luxury and performance cars, car culture, and... More

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2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe first drive

Chill Out And Cruise
Inside the CTS Coupe's cabin, those familiar with the CTS Sedan won't find much new. Standard door handles are replaced by electronic push-button operated units like those found on the Corvette, keeping the exterior sleek and smoothing out the look of the interior as well.

Cut-and-sew leather throughout the cabin delivers a luxury look and feel, though it doesn't quite rise up to Mercedes-Benz or Audi standards in all respects. The plasticky surround of the center stack in particular looks a bit out of place considering the concept-car exterior and otherwise sharp interior.

Comfort is good up front, though a slight bulge in the upper seatback due to revised active headrest functionality takes some getting used to. Cadillac's people said that would be resolved with a redesigned seat due out this fall. Bolstering could also be a bit better, as the nearly flat seat bottoms provide little support in aggressive driving, but the ingress-egress equation for Cadillac's typical buyer might play the predominant role here. Cabin noise is very low, with even wind noise not intruding on the proceedings at freeway cruising speeds. Tire noise from the performance-spec summer donuts is noticeable, but it's not annoying.

We didn't spend much time fiddling with the audio and infotainment functions, preferring instead to take in the car's more visceral pleasures, but when we did, we had no complaints. The navigation system in particular was easy-to-use, accurate, and quick to adjust when we deviated from the prescribed route. We also didn't spend much time in the back seat, and it's certainly not intended to contain six-foot-plus adults, but it would be more than adequate for kids or smaller adults over shorter distances.

On the whole, the experience inside the cabin is refined, even the performance package cars smooth and compliant around town.

First-Drive Verdict
Priced to start at just $38,990 for the rear-wheel-drive model and $40,890 for the all-wheel version, the Coupe is a bargain for the cost-conscious entry-luxury buyer. You pay 3-Series prices to get a 5-Series-sized car with solid performance and some of the most unique styling in the industry.

But toss in the (in our opinion must-have) $4,440 performance package and a full set of tech and convenience features and the price can rise into the lower $50,000s rather quickly. That's a bit less attractive when compared to the 3-Series and C-Class the CTS often finds itself paired against, but it's a full-spec car as opposed to an entry- or mid-range model--and it's really the size of the E-Class Coupe.

On the whole, despite our handful of minor issues with the car's performance, we were surprised at how good an overall package the 2011 CTS Coupe presented over our day with it in the California hills, and we'd be hard-pressed to find a car that hits so many buttons so well for the price.