Review: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

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On the plus side, Cadillac is offering cash rebates of as much as $2,500 on the Sport Wagon through Jan. 4, and current Cadillac lessees may be eligible for an extra $1,000.

It's too early to tell how strong sales of the Sport Wagon will be, but it's clearly a niche product. In its first few months it has only accounted for about 10% of total CTS sales, the GM spokesman says. The CTS is Cadillac's best-selling model, but sales fell 36.3%, to 34,637, in the first 11 months of the year compared with 2008.

Behind the Wheel

From the rear seats forward, the Sport Wagon is almost identical to the CTS sedan, with a cockpit-style front seating area, a nifty video screen that pops up out of the center of the dash, and expensive-looking stitched leather and wood highlights. The quality of the materials and fit and finish are comparable to a German sport sedan's. The rear cargo compartment also is a strong point. The seats fold down absolutely flat and there's a handy cargo-tie-down system.

Like other sport wagons, the CTS handles better than most crossover vehicles. It has the same 113.4-in. wheelbase as the CTS sedan, and has similarly tight steering, hard-biting brakes, and lack of body roll in the curves. It also has a short, 36-ft. turning radius that makes it easy to maneuver in tight spots.

The big difference is that the CTS wagon is several hundred pounds heavier than the sedan. As a result, even with the big engine, the CTS Sport Wagon accelerates from zero to 60 in a relatively slow 7 seconds, about a second slower than the sedan. Comparable German competitors are quicker, too. For instance, the all-wheel-drive BMW 335i Sport Wagon jumps from zero to 60 in just 5.8 seconds.

If you're into driving, the lack of a stick shift (available on the CTS sedan) is a negative. But the CTS wagon has the manual shifting mode and optional steering-wheel-mounted shifters (buttons rather than paddles) that are obligatory on any sporty model these days. I got a kick out of simply putting the automatic transmission into "sport" mode, which is kind of like turning the shifting over to a teenage boy.

Much as I like the CTS wagon, it has some downsides. The rear seating area is relatively spare, for one thing. Space is too tight for three passengers to be comfortable and there are no bottle holders or storage built into the rear doors (there is netting on the backs of the front seats). Leg, head, and shoulder space is typical of other sport wagons (which is to say adequate for four average-size adults). If you put the front seats all the way back, however, there's virtually no leg space in the rear seats.

The Sport Wagon's stylish design also compromises visibility. The narrow windows are hard to see out of, there's a bad blind spot over the driver's right shoulder, and the big outside rearview mirror makes it hard to see when you turn left. I'd definitely opt for the backup camera in this model because you can't see much out the rear windows when you're trying to park.

Finally, towing capacity is only 1,000 lb., compared with around 3,500 for most crossovers and small SUVs.

Buy It or Bag It?

Rebates have lowered the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon's average selling price to $49,609, according to the Power Information Network (PIN). That's about the same as Ford's (F) new Lincoln MKT ($49,896) but cheaper than the Audi A6 Avant ($55,000) and the BMW 5 Series ($59,803) wagons.

Among less expensive alternatives, the one I really like is the somewhat smaller Audi A4 Avant wagon, which sells for an average of just $39,584, according to PIN. If you still prefer crossover SUVs, nice ones include the new SRX ($40,932) and the Lexus RX 350 ($43,020). Keep in mind that crossovers have lower average prices partly because buyers tend to load them up less than sport wagons. But if you're into refined good looks and sporty driving, test out the new Caddie CTS wagon before buying a crossover.

Click here to see more of the all-new 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek.com.

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