Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is mean grocery getter

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

I was never really a big fan of station wagons. I always thought that, while providing a very utilitarian purpose, they were very boring. Something that those pompous folks from Princeton, New Jersey would drive (seriously, it’s almost like Station Wagon World out there), or a family man’s alternative to the minivan.

However, one day, a General Motors press fleet manager gave me a call asking if I would like to get behind the wheel of a Cadillac CTS-V. Having already driven the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan and the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, I was curious to know why he was letting me into another CTS-V model. I quickly found out that it was the station wagon version that he was offering up.

Yes, I’ve already tested the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, but this time it had a ‘V’ at the end – and no matter what the exterior looked like, that meant a 6.2 liter supercharged V8 pumping out 556-hp was under the hood to keep me satisfied.

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon Specifications:

  • Base Price: $63,660.
  • Price As Tested: $67,735.
  • Drive Type: Rear-wheel-drive.
  • Engine: 6.2 liter Supercharged V8 – 556-hp at 6,100 rpm / 551 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm.
  • Transmission: 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Automatic.
  • 0 to 60 mph: 4.3 seconds.
  • Curb Weight: 4,398 lbs.
  • Fuel-economy (city/highway): 14/19 mpg (manual), 12/18 (auto).

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana, Nikolina Kostrevski – egmCarTech.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Exterior:

In my opinion, the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is already one of the most impressive looking station wagons on the market. The only other models that manage to demand any attention like the CTS Sport Wagon are the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5-Series Estate, (which has been switched out for the awkward looking 5-Series Gran Turismo in the U.S. market) and that’s really about it.

[quote float=”right”]The only other models that manage to demand any attention like the CTS Sport Wagon are the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5-Series Estate…[/quote] To give it a more aggressive appeal than the base CTS Sport Wagon, the CTS-V Sport Wagon underwent a host of V-Series treatments by Cadillac’s design team.

Included in the bunch of exterior changes is a unique grille that doubles front-end airflow to help enable cooling to the engine. It gets an aggressive front fascia and raised center section of the aluminum hood that provides clearance for the V8 supercharger. Like it’s other CTS-V siblings, the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon flies low on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels available in painted or polished finishes.

The sum of those V model upgrades definitely makes the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon our favorite looking high-performance station wagon.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Interior:

Inside the Cadillac CTS is the same story as the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan and CTS-V Coupe. You’ll find a swarm of upgraded features including LED lighting, hand-cut-and-sewn accents, and performance seats featuring perforated suede microfiber inserts. Like always for V-models, Recaro performance driving seats are optional.

Also in line with the other two CTS-V models, the Cadillac CTS-V Sport wagon gets Obsidian Black accents on the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels. The production steering wheel and shifter are available in Alcantara, which incorporates the luxurious feel of suede into the driving experience.

Standard features include a navigation system, Bose 5.1 digital surround audio, Bluetooth phone integration, a 40-gigabyte hard drive for storage of music files., iPod/MP3/AUX connectivity and much more.

Most important for station wagon shoppers is the cargo capacity that the CTS Sport Wagon models come with. Just like its slower brother, the CTS-V Sport Wagon offers 25.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 58 cubic feet with the seats folded – virtually doubling the cargo space of the CTS-V Sedan.

Yes, so far if you’re one of those ‘family man enthusiasts’ the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is starting to sound like a pretty interesting choice.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Performance:

This is where the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon, like other CTS-V models, sets itself far apart from the competition.

Under the hood is the superb 6.2 liter supercharged V8 unit making 556-hp with a maximum torque of 551 lb-ft.  It is the most powerful engine offered in Cadillac’s history, and probably in that of station wagons.

[quote float=”left”]… I felt little, if any, change in the performance of the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon when compared with its Sedan and Coupe siblings.[/quote] Of course, in the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan and the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe the performance and acceleration is instant. To find out if it is the same story in the CTS-V Sport Wagon when you’re hauling groceries, a family and other cargo, I gave it a test. By asking a couple of my friends to pack in with a bunch of luggage in the trunk, I figured we could do a bit of a real life simulation.

Hitting the closest highway, I felt little, if any, change in the performance of the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon when compared with its Sedan and Coupe siblings. The Magnetic Ride Control system, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 performance tires kept me mounted to the road, while keeping me confident when taking sharp turns with my passengers screaming.

While on the subject of performance – engineers inside GM say that the drag coefficient of the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is actually better than the CTS-V Sedan and the CTS-V Coupe – meaning the wagon is actually, although very slightly, still faster than the other two.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Overall:

[quote float=”right”]Cadillac’s V package is apparently a hit no matter what you put it in.[/quote] This is an awesome option for the responsible enthusiast. It does double duty with the extra cargo room for functions, activities, or any profession requiring goods to be hauled. But when the kids are off at school? Go ahead and put the pedal to the metal. I promise you’ll make all the minivan dads jealous. I myself am not a family man, nor am I a fan of station wagons, yet I still can’t help but give the CTS-V Sport Wagon the credit it is due. Cadillac’s V package is apparently a hit no matter what you put it in.

What other station wagon out there makes 556-hp from a supercharged V8, runs from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, has a 6-speed manual transmission, has Recaro performance seats , a G-meter on the dash and gets its stopping power from Brembo brakes? Not many – in fact, I can’t think of any besides the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon.

Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon:

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana, Nikolina Kostrevski – egmCarTech.

– By: Omar Rana