For auto enthusiasts whose budget or garage space necessitates one vehicle to serve multiple purposes, allow me to make a suggestion: drive the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. If you think hell would need to freeze over before you drove either a wagon or a Caddy, it might be time to buy a warmer coat.
I learned to drive in my mom”™s 1968 Ford LTD Station Wagon. It was olive green with the Country Squire package and the fake wood trim. While the 390-cubic-inch V-8 had adequate power to pull a boat or for some high school hijinks, the car had terrible brakes and handling best described as nautical. I”™ve always had a fondness for wagons, but it”™s understandable why most of my generation turned to SUVs ”“ station wagons just didn”™t have much of a macho or cool factor.
Europeans did not follow our SUV obsession for various reasons, not the least being high fuel prices and crowded cities. Or perhaps they don”™t feel as strong an urge to overcompensate, (except for that one Hummer owner in Nürburg). On a recent trip to Germany, I was struck by the sheer number of interesting wagons on the road, from a variety of manufacturers. They have alloy wheels, sports seats, powerful engines and not a hint of fake wood. These cars look great and drive even better, with handling on par with the world”™s best sport sedans. Back in the U.S., with SUV popularity waning, it might be time to reintroduce Americans to the wagon.
Enter the V.
The newest entry to Cadillac”™s impressive V family is the best yet. Adding to the four-passenger roominess of the 556 HP Sedan, the wagon gives you a power liftgate exposing as much storage space as many mid-size SUVs. During a recent weeklong test, I put the V wagon through its paces ”“ a trip to Home Depot, a golf outing and a family excursion to the beach. The V has all the features you expect in a luxury car including voice activation, rear back- up camera and navigation, plus a few features you don”™t ”“ Recaro sports seats, Brembo brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport performance tires and even an optional 6-speed manual, as in my test car. One of the smartest features? Adjustable tie-down points in the rear to keep your load secure. Clever.
The V wagon is comfortable, roomy and daily-driver practical. And best of all in my book it will do 0-60 in about four seconds. To prove the V is more than just massive horsepower, I visited New York”™s Monticello Motor Club where they have a fleet of V coupes, sedans and wagons as the basis for their “high performance driving experience.” The program is open to anyone and is the perfect place to put a CTS-V through its paces. I chose a manual-equipped wagon, donned my helmet and set off on the spectacular 3.6-mile road course. The immediate impression is awe. Accelerating through the esses and then into the carousel, it”™s hard to believe the V weighs 4,400 pounds. The transitions are trouble free and the Recaros give excellent support. After touching 150 mph on the back straight, the Brembos provide fade-free deceleration for the tight switchback. The shifter is short and precise, but the available automatic transmission is a good match for the super-charged V-8 as well, and preferable if your daily commute includes traffic jams.
On the track, the V feels like a Corvette. And sounds like one, too, with an aggressive but not obnoxious exhaust growl. Yet, back on the street, it behaves like a luxury car ”“ until you step on the gas and you feel like a kid again.
The one downside? With ample applications of the throttle, fuel economy is rather sobering. But I was able to eke out 22 mpg on the highway driving conservatively.
The verdict: If you can only have one car or have room in your stable for another, the V wagon might prove to be your favorite.
Suburban Driver offers news of automotive trends and views on vehicles to get your motor running. Author Roger Garbow, a life-long car and motorcycle enthusiast, is president of Ridgefield, Conn.-based Full Throttle Marketing, serving the automotive and motorsports industries. He has been a featured guest on Sirius Radio, CBS-TV NY, Jalopnik and Fast Lane Daily and is a member of the International Motor Press Association. Reach him at roger@fullthrottlemarketing.net or on his website, www.fullthrottlemarketing.net.
