Base 4dr Sedan
2005 Cadillac CTS-V Review

This might seem like an odd way to start off a week in one of the fastest sedans on the market, but I figure if I'm to be an honest blogger I should divulge everything. Just come clean right here, right now. OK I'm ready…A great part of my early driving as a teenager was behind the wheel of my mom's Cadillac.

My parents are divorced and my dad lived on the west coast. Growing up he had the coolest bunch of cars of all time. When I was little he had a Trans Am just like the one in Smokey and the Bandit (there was nothing cooler back then). He had a Porsche 911, Corvette Stingray and numerous other sports cars over the years. Some I got to drive when I was in college.

But in high school I lived with my mom. And while she was a terrific single mother, her car choice of a 1989 Cadillac Sedan Deville was crushing to a 16 year-old boy. I will admit I drove that thing all the time and my friends were always along for the ride, even if it was uncool and handled more like a boat than a car.

I?ve disliked Cadillacs ever since. A dozen or so years later and I?m behind the wheel of by far the coolest Cadillac I?ve ever sat in. The 400 horsepower engine is rumbling, the black leather and suede seats are luxurious and there?s even XM satellite radio providing a wide range of music. The CTS-V might change the way I think about Cadillacs forever.

Cadillac CTS-V

5.7L LS6 V8
400 horsepower, 395 lb-ft of torque
6-speed manual, Tremec
4-wheel disc, 14 in. front and 14.4 rear Brembo, 4-piston calipers
Mileage: 16/23 city/hwy
Base Price: $51, 295