2014 Cadillac CTS 2.0T

2014 Cadillac CTS 2.0T 2014 Cadillac CTS 2.0T
Instrumented Test From the February 2014 Issue of Car and Driver TESTED

We’ve fallen for the turbocharged and naturally aspirated V-6 models of Cadillac’s third-gen CTS sedan. But the redesigned 5-series fighter and 10Best winner also comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that helps hold down the new Cad’s starting price, which is high enough to fall over.

The 272-hp 2.0T is standard on the bottom-rung CTS.  At $46,025, this CTS is still $6035 higher than last year’s base car, which included a 270-hp 3.0-liter V-6. But the blown four is all ate up with torque. Also found in the smaller ATS sedan, the 2.0T knocks out 295 pound-feet at 3000 rpm—75 more than the old starter V-6 with a single exhaust, and 20 more than the new CTS’s non-turbo, 321-hp 3.6-liter V-6.


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As we’ve noticed in the ATS, however, the engine’s output is choppy and quickly tapers off past the 5500-rpm horsepower peak. While it moves the car off smartly with minimal lag, the coarse, droning sounds it emits under load offer little incentive to goose the throttle.

The 2.0-liter turbo four can’t quite live up to the CTS’s stellar chassis. Our call: Order the 420-hp Vsport model and hold the options.

We still did, though, averaging 17 mpg during a brief and aggressive stint. Indeed, the 2.0-liter’s combined EPA rating of 23 mpg is only one mpg better than the 3.6’s, but with its six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive (four-wheel drive adds $2000 and about 150 pounds), our test car carried 108 less pounds than a similar rear-drive six-cylinder model and was nearly as quick.

The 2.0T trailed the V-6 by two tenths of a second to both 60 mph and the quarter-mile mark, running a 6.2 and 14.8 at 95 mph, respectively. Top speed is limited to 133 mph versus the V-6’s 144, with both cars exhibiting similar handling and ­braking excellence. So the lowliest CTS is no performance laggard, and regardless of the powerplant, it’s delightful on a deserted, twisting road.

The 241-hp BMW 528i is the Cadillac’s only mid-size rival we’ve tested with a similar engine.  Although the Bimmer is silkier in its power delivery and slightly quicker in a straight line, it’s more expensive and lacks the Cadillac’s stellar chassis control. At first glance, the 2.0T looks to save you $8600 over the V-6 CTS ($54,625 with its standard Luxury package). However, most of the V-6’s fancier equipment isn’t available on the entry-level 2.0T model.

Stepping up to the 2.0T with the Luxury package, which has similar trappings as the base V-6, works out to be $2700 less than the V-6, so there’s your apples-to-apples savings. The 2.0T tops out with the $16,700 Premium package seen here, offering magnetorheological dampers, adaptive cruise, and almost everything else. Our tester also had the $1650 leather-interior upgrade with red accents and carbon trim, as well as $750 18-inch wheels, for a breathtaking total of $65,125. For four cylinders.

The 2.0T motivates the CTS well enough but falls short of the high bar that Cadillac has set for the car, which also ­suffers some cabin busyness and irksome touch-screen controls. With the 2.0T, the get-what-you-pay-for asymptote levels off with the Luxury package.