DETROIT -- The five-star 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon adds practicality to the style and performance of Cadillac's terrific CTS sedan.
The wagon delivers on its claim of sportiness with grippy handling and a choice of two powerful and fuel-efficient V6 engines.
The wagon's shape gave Cadillac designers an expansive new canvas to work on. They responded with an elegant roofline and soaring taillights that recall the tail fins that marked the pinnacle of Cadillac design.
The CTS wagon could use more storage for front-seat occupants and a warning system for vehicles in its blind spots.
Sporty luxury wagons are common in Europe, but the CTS is the first North American wagon in Cadillac's 107-year history. The newcomer outdoes established competitors from overseas by offering more power, better fuel economy, advanced features and good value.
Greatness can be devalued when it grows commonplace.
Elvis Costello recorded so many breathtaking songs so quickly early in his career that you could take his brilliance for granted. If it wasn't "Alison," it'd be "Oliver's Army" or "The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes."
Another perfect song from Elvis⢠Ho-hum. What else is new?
The Detroit Red Wings and New York Yankees win championships so regularly that making it to the playoffs is assumed. Nobody pays attention until they win a Stanley Cup or World Series.
Too many of us get spoiled. We take excellence for granted when we see it every day.
That's the only explanation I can find for the station wagon's fall from grace. Seen with fresh eyes, a good station wagon is a party on wheels: space for your friends, family and gear wrapped in a shape that gives designers plenty of room for creativity and art.
For generations, though, station wagons were as common as dirt, and Americans started to treat them like something to scrape off our shoes. Like the minivan today, it seemed every family had one, but nobody wanted one. They were vehicles of necessity, not choice.
The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon could change that. More practical and just as sporty, luxurious and stylish as Cadillac's acclaimed CTS sedan, it's America's first really cool station wagon since the 1940s Woodies that inspired movies and songs.
Prices for the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon -- and yes, it is very sporty indeed -- start at $39,830 for a rear-wheel drive model with a smooth six-speed automatic transmission and 270-horsepower 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 engine.
An all-wheel drive CTS wagon with that engine and transmission is available from $41,730. Moving up to a 304-horsepower 3.6-liter direct injection V6 raises the tab to $45,625 for rear-drive and $47,525 for all-wheel drive.
I tested an extremely well equipped rear-drive CTS Sport Wagon with the Premium Collection equipment group and a performance package that included 19-inch summer tires, polished aluminum wheels and upgraded brakes and cooling. It cost $54,805. All prices exclude destination charges.
The CTS wagon competes with luxury sport wagons like the Audi A4 2.0T Avant Quattro, BMW 3- and 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Saab 9-3 and 9-5 and Volvo XC70.
From the base model to the loaded Premium Collection -- which includes everything from a voice-controlled navigation system to a panoramic sunroof, programmable three-position power tailgate, and an excellent 10-speaker Bose stereo -- the CTS Sport Wagon's price stacks up well against those admirable competitors.
The CTS' combination of power and fuel economy also stands it in good stead. The 3.6-liter generates more horsepower than the A4, 328i E350 4Matic and XC70. The 3.6-liter Cadillac's fuel economy beats all those but the Audi's small 2.0-liter turbo. The CTS' preference for regular gas means that the EPA estimates its owners will pay just $7 more a year than Audi drivers, a small price to pay for the Caddy's 93-horsepower advantage.
