The Cadillac of Ride and Drives
I recently had the opportunity to participate in Cadillac’s “Truth or Dare” ride and drive program at Cleveland’s IX Center. The meaning of the event title was not abundantly clear to me, but it was a fantastic event nonetheless.
We began with an easy check-in process followed by an espresso and some snacks. At least one of our group, not accustomed to my behaviour on an autocross course, regretted the espresso decision soon thereafter. I wasn’t sure if starting with the autocross course was a positive or negative — you’d hate for the most exciting bit to be first and the rest of the morning to pale in comparison. On the other hand, what better way to get excited for the brand than to start off with some spirited driving.
We had a choice of ATS 2.0 and CTS 2.0 sedans, as well as a couple of CTS 3.6 sedans. The one coupe was pulled off before we had a chance to drive it with an unidentified “clunking sound” from the front end. Neither we nor Cadillac were happy with that development. We started off in the ATS 2.0, which felt nimble and responsive through the course. None of our group currently drive a sport sedan, so it may have just been a welcome change from the group’s crossovers and more relaxed sedans. Seeing an opening, two of us jumped next into a CTS 3.6 sedan. Compared to the ATS, we could definitely feel the CTS’s size and heavier front end along with the increase in power. Given the choice, and assuming back seat space is not high on the list of needs, I preferred the more nimble ATS to its bigger brother even if it does have the smaller engine.
Interestingly, the autocross staff called out ZF steering components and Brembo brakes before letting us loose on the track. I have no idea if that was in an effort to convey the high quality of the components GM is using or if the suppliers contributed to the budget for the event in exchange for some brand recognition. Either way, it was totally lost on the non-car guy in our group. It did, however, illustrate the degree to which OEs like GM (NYSE: GM) rely upon Tier One suppliers like ZF and others for R&D and engineering.
The Cadillac staff made sure we took a brief detour into a few CT6 sedans they had on hand to demo the available Bose Panaray sound system. It is, in a word, unbefreakinglievable. Deep bass and a beautiful higher end. Obviously, the demo was designed to highlight the system’s strong suits so I can’t say definitively how it would sound playing grunge or speed metal, but I have no reason to believe it would falter.
To keep the event at least a little educational rather than an all-out assault on tires, we were next herded to a demonstration of Cadillac’s ADAS systems, specifically automatic emergency braking (AEB) and self-parking. Neither is an especially new technology, but even though I know how they work I find them impressive. Without fail, the car did not hit the faux pedestrian, the faux vehicle, or the very real Cadillac passing behind us on cue. Well done. The parking system was also successful, but it requires the driver to take a second to double-check the center display to ensure it is looking for the correct kind of spot — either right or left side, and either parallel or back-in. I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of requiring more distraction from driving to use an ADAS feature, but it did work as promised. More impressive, in my opinion, was the rear wheel steering, which allowed the XT6 to make what looked like an impossibly tight turn at the end of the demo. The rear wheels turn the opposite from the fronts at low speeds to decrease the turning radius, but the same way as the fronts at higher speeds to aid stability. This is also not an especially new technology, but it is far from ubiquitous — neither my nor any of my group’s vehicles currently has four-wheel steering.
Next was a trip into a darkened tent for Cadillac to show off its night vision technology. Here, the spiel was given by an engineer from system supplier Autoliv (NYSE: ALV), who explained the benefits of using heat sensors in low-visibility situations. The demo was suitably impressive, as we could see how ALV’s tech could detect a pedestrian or an animal in situations where our eyes could not (oncoming headlights and/or fog).
The second driving opportunity (notably, the ADAS systems were demonstrated by Cadillac staff) was a short acceleration test in the ATS-V and CTS-V. Party time! In order to ensure we did not leave with the wrong impression, we were cycled through the ATS-V before we were allowed to drive the CTS-V, which was the star of this show. Doing the drives in the opposite order would have probably understated the 464-hp ATS-V’s ability, which, while impressive, lags the power under the 640-hp CTS-V’s carbon fiber hood. There were no elapsed times over the uneven pavement, only a top speed from the pro driver watching the digital speedometer while he suffered through an endless procession of lead feet and uncertain braking skill. From our limited time in the seat, I’d recommend anyone with $100k to drop on a sport sedan take a look at the CTS-V, whose 6.2L supercharged V-8 barked and roared up the straight, but trundled amicably on the return to the starting line.
Our final driving opportunity was on public roads through a small part of the Cleveland Metroparks. We could choose from a pretty broad selection of the Cadillac lineup — Escalade (both short wheelbase and ESV), XT6, CT6, ATS, and CTS. We were encouraged to grab what we wanted to drive if we were particular, so I jumped right into the “short” Escalade. Would I want to drive one in traffic every morning and evening? Absolutely not. Was it nimble and ready to play as we descended into the Metroparks valley? Quite the opposite. But boy, is that a comfortable truck. If I had the gas money, that would be a great choice for a long highway drive.
The only problem with the Escalade, and this was an issue with every vehicle there, was the Cue infotainment system, which I find maddening. Give me knobs and easily decipherable icons any day. If I can’t sit in a new car and figure out how to find Sirius 34, adjust the volume, and set the HVAC system in about 10 seconds, I’m really not interested. Had I not given up and just turned everything off, I might still be there trying to figure out the damned thing.
Anyway, after the ginormous Escalade, I moved into the CT6 PHEV. As much as I gravitate to old-school powertrains (save the manuals!), I have to say the CT6 was a real pleasure. I’ve driven other EVs, and the Cadillac did not disappoint with lots of torque immediately available along with appropriate levels of luxury. Definitely worth a look, in my opinion, if you’re in the market for a hybrid.
After we grabbed another snack, my focus group spent lunch discussing our experience. The four of us agreed the driving segments were a blast and the tech demos were impressive, while the least car-oriented of the group opined he had a much different opinion of Cadillac than he did before the event. He now has a much higher opinion of the marque’s luxury and sporting abilities. Will he switch the family fleet from BMWs to GM’s finest? I don’t know, but the fact that’s even a possibility makes the event at least moderately successful, in my opinion. A couple of minor issues, however, make it maybe less than perfect.
The staff were very friendly and eager to get us to see Cadillac’s strengths, which is what you would expect. But nearly every question we asked, from “does the transmission use a torque converter or is it a dual-clutch?” to, “what’s that thingy in the overhead console that looks like a light?” was answered with, “I don’t know.” A little more product knowledge, or one or two experts on hand would have been better. Also, some sort of summary at the end of the event would have brought the whole thing together just a little bit better. We were given a friendly, “well that’s it, thanks for coming,” but maybe a two-minute message with which to leave would have capped it off a little more clearly. The one guy in our group starting to look for a new CUV had wished there had been a connection to a local dealer. I’m not sure about that — I like being able to drive the cars and ask the questions without a dealer sidling up and trying to get me into a low-mileage lease. Maybe there could be a way to connect folks who were impressed by the event to a local dealer for more info to close that circle. That might also make the ROI for Cadillac’s marketing dollars more evident so they come by again next summer.
If you have a chance to participate in Cadillac’s Truth or Dare event, I highly recommend signing up. Great cars on closed courses plus a gratis espresso — that’s a good use of a morning in my book.
