Five-Point Inspection: 2014 Cadillac CTS 3.6L

The 2014 CTS shares the same basic structure with Cadillac’s smaller ATS line. This means it’s extremely rigid but also light in weight. Advanced engineering features including aluminum door structures help exorcise adiposity and supposedly make this car the segment’s lightest, which includes heavy-hitters like the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Lexus GS350.

Cadillac claims its freshly minted CTS is as much as 200 pounds lighter than a BMW 528i, which is a huge difference. Ruthless attention to detail also graced this car with perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

Busting out a tape measure the 2014 iteration of this sporty Cadillac is both larger and lower than the outgoing model. It’s about five inches longer overall and rides atop a wheelbase that’s been stretched by more than an inch. The roofline and cowl have also been lowered.

According to the U.S. EPA the CTS qualifies as a midsize sedan, offering a total interior volume of nearly 111 cubic feet.

Choice: it’s a good thing. Cadillac offers three different engines in this car so just about every customer is covered.

Serving as the base powerplant is 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a configuration that’s becoming ever more popular in the luxury segment with brands including BMW, Audi, Lincoln and even Mercedes offer force-fed bangers. The CTS’s engine puts out a stout 272 ponies with 295 lb-ft of torque.

The mid-range offering is a tried-and-true 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6. A staple of GM’s entire lineup, this engine works well in everything from the Buick Enclave crossover to the Chevy Camaro. In this wreath-and-crest application it puts out 321 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Finally, the alpha-offering is a twin-turbocharged V6. Clocking in at 3.6-liters it writes a check for 420 SAE-certified horses and 430 lb-ft of twist. All engines in the CTS lineup feature advanced technologies including variable valve timing and direct fuel injection.

Depending on whether you opt for rear- or all-wheel drive, the engines are matched to either a six-speed automatic transmission or a self-shifter with eight forward gears. Like Goldilocks our rear-drive test model was comfortably centered. It featured the mid-range V6 and the eight-speed transmission. It was also dressed in performance trim, which nestled it neatly between entry-level luxury models and range-topping premium cars.

On the economy front… fuel economy, that is, rear-wheel-drive CTS 3.6 models sticker at 18 MPG city and an impressive 29 on the highway. The combined score is a not-unreasonable 22 MPG.

When it’s stationary or viewed from a distance the engineering advances Cadillac baked into this car go largely unnoticed, but what’s impossible to ignore is its exterior styling. The new CTS is a looker from just about every angle.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Cadillac ATS Review

Dressed to the nines it wears the latest evolution of “art and science,” the brand’s design philosophy for the last decade and a half. Over this time the look has matured from angular and hard-edged into something smoother and much more elegant. The car’s large grille with fine bright accents, swept-back headlamps, stacked LED fog lights and tasteful surfacing make it unmistakably Cadillac and unabashedly avant-garde.

Despite being “only” a mid-range model the CTS we evaluated was so right in so many ways. It felt more dialed in than a Starrett micrometer. There is just something about the car that fits, like it is the perfect size, the ideal weight and just powerful enough.

The engine is very smooth at all speeds, emitting hardly any vibration between idle and redline; it’s extremely well isolated. The eight-speed gearbox responds instantly, especially in sport mode where it rips through the gears, really allowing the engine sing its lungs out.

The 3.6-liter V6 needs a few RPM on the clock before it comes alive, though its top-end pull is impressive. During wide-open-throttle launches it’s fun and addictive. Even the noises it makes are pleasing to the senses. Who needs a Vsport model? This car has all the performance you could ever need.

As for the rest of the drive, there’s really nothing to complain about. The brake pedal is ideally weighted, the steering is taught and the ride is a damn-near perfect blend between sport and comfort. This car is a hell of a lot more fun than it may appear on paper.

Likewise, the 2014 CTS cabin is suitably premium. Rich leather with contrast stitching graces the dashboard, doors and seats, giving everything a luxurious feel, even if the interior was darker than a gang of goth kids at the bottom of a coal mine.

Our test car was gussied up with carbon-fiber trim, which seems like a waste. This high-tech and high-dollar material is probably better used by engineers to cut mass, not designers to add visual flair. Burl-wood accents are probably prettier and would have helped offset some of the darkness.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport vs. Hyundai Genesis

The car’s digital gauges are pretty nifty. They can be reconfigured in a variety of ways to suit the driver’s taste. But detracting from the overall experience was the CUE infotainment system. This technology looks nice with relatively clean design and bright colors but in usage it falls flat. It’s hardly intuitive at all, with frustrating menu options that seem to jump around from screen to screen, which is irritating and distracting – two things you do not want while driving. Also, some of the touch-based secondary switches are finicky, particularly the slider that controls volume for the audio system.

Technical troubles aside, the 2014 Cadillac CTS is a lovely machine in just about every way. It looks great, drives like a dream and offers customers a wide-range of powertrain choices and luxury options. Our test car checked out at $66,830 including $925 in deliver fees. That out-the-door price was inflated by nearly $6,000 in options. Features like a driver-assistance package, performance seats and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels padded the bottom line and made it all the more desirable.