2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

The Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is a new addition to the CTS line. Who in their right mind would want a wagon with the performance of a sports car? If you need to ask these questions, then there’s just no way you’ll ever understand the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. The Sport Wagon is now the third CTS body style to receive the "V" treatment following the sedan and this year’s new CTS-V coupe. Like the other CTS-V models, the Sport Wagon is not without its foibles — its standard seats leave much to be desired in terms of comfort and support — but for car enthusiasts who get it, the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon could be the only car they ever really need.

The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is a high-performance sport wagon that’s offered in a single well-equipped trim level. Standard features include 19-inch wheels, high-performance tires, Brembo brakes, adaptive xenon headlamps, foglamps, a power tailgate, an adaptive and adjustable suspension, keyless ignition/entry, remote ignition (automatic transmission only), a rearview camera and rear parking sensors.

Options include a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated Recaro sport seats with adjustable cushion and backrest bolsters, interior wood trim and faux-suede trim for the shift knob and steering wheel.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, and a six-speed automatic transmission with shift buttons mounted on the steering wheel is available as an option.

In Edmunds performance testing, an automatic-equipped CTS-V Sport Wagon sprinted from zero to 60 mph in a remarkably quick 4.7 seconds and ran down the quarter mile in just 12.7 seconds. The CTS-V Sport Wagon’s estimated fuel economy is 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined with the manual transmission, and 12/18/14 mpg with the automatic.

The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability control and traction control, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. GM’s OnStar emergency communications system is also standard. No Sport Wagon or CTS-V model has been crash tested, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the regular CTS sedan its highest rating of "Good" in the frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.

The 2011 CTS-V’s interior isn’t much different from that of the regular CTS model. The faux suede seat inserts and steering wheel/shift knob trim are an especially nice touch.

Cargo capacity is obviously important with a wagon (even one with 556 horses), and the CTS-V Sport Wagon provides a generous 25 cubic feet with the rear seats raised and 53.4 cubic feet with them lowered.

The fact that the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon tips the scales at just under 4,400 pounds makes its astounding performance all the more remarkable. The CTS-V’s standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension offers a good balance between ride quality and handling via driver-selectable Tour or Sport modes.