2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
For almost a decade, Cadillac has been on a mission to change its image from mature-posh to Euro-chic. Their main weapon has been the mid-size CTS sedan. Well, with the CTS now firmly rooted as the best sport sedan ever made by an American brand, it’s time for Cadillac to do what a European brand would do, and build on success. This is the CTS Sportwagon-and it’s not just a way to get groceries fast!
The second generation Cadillac CTS bowed for 2008 with classic European sport sedan proportions and the most pleasing rendition yet of Cadillac’s angular “Art & Science” design language. That language is now extended to the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. Riding on the same 113.4-inch wheelbase, the 5-door is in fact a third of an inch shorter overall than the 4-door at 191.3 inches.
The CTS’ big, confident grille, headlights, and tasteful fender ports carry over unchanged from the sedan. But the Wagon’s chrome-rimmed greenhouse gives its flanks a sporty, going-fast-standing-still character that is distinct from the sedan’s, jetting rearward into a substantial D-pillar. Angular vertical taillights rise above a near flush rear bumper, looking remarkably like fins. The CTS Sport Wagon grabs the pavement with low-profile rubber wrapped around 17-, 18-, or our car’s 19-inch alloy wheels.
Like the sedan, the wagon’s interior is refined, sporty, and luxurious. The CTS has the richest interior design yet from GM. The big, serious motorcycle-style gauges remain, as does the tilt/telescoping wheel. Sophisticated center stack controls continue to fall pleasantly to hand. OnStar is standard, while optional is an 8-inch nav system with 3D imaging that rises out of the center dash. Also rising to the top is the available panoramic sunroof.
While BMW-like leatherette upholstery is standard, our car sported leather-trimmed buckets with French stitching. But their thin design also made them rigid and hard. Meanwhile, true to the European sport sedan and wagon formulas, rear seat legroom is tight.
But raise the standard power hatch and you’ll find a long, flat cargo floor complete with adjustable tie-down clips on rails. Pull up the floor panel and there’s hidden storage underneath. Cargo space measures 25 cubic feet seats up, with a center pass-through for long, skinny items. Folding the 60/40 rear seats yield a cavernous 53.4 cubic feet. That’s almost four times the CTS sedan’s trunk space.
A new all-aluminum 3.0-liter, 270-horsepower direct-injected V6 replaces the CTS’ previous base 3.6-liter port-fuel-injected V6. The new engine has both more power and higher fuel economy. Optional is our car’s direct-injected 3.6-liter V6, with the same stout 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque as the sedan.
Government fuel economy ratings for the rear drive 3.6-liter Sport Wagon are 18 city, 26 highway on regular gas, but all we managed was a rather disappointing 19.2 miles per gallon in mixed driving. The CTS’ Energy Impact Score of 16.3 barrels of oil a year and 8.7-ton Carbon Footprint match the Audi A6 Avant’s scores exactly.
A six-speed automatic with available paddle shifters is the Sport Wagon’s sole transmission. All-wheel-drive is also an option on the wagon, but ours invested all of its powers in the rear wheels with a limited-slip differential.
At the track, the Sport Wagon jogged to 60 in 7.2 seconds and through the quarter mile in 15.5 seconds at 93 miles per hour. Slow, deliberate shifts softened power delivery.
Vented disc brakes with ABS and Brake Assist reside at each corner. They ground out average stops of 112 feet from 60 to 0, which is outstanding. Braking is a much sportier experience than acceleration, with fine stability, but more-than-expected nose dive.
Handling prowess depends on your choice of three suspension setups. The softest is designated FE1, which delivers a more traditional Cadillac ride. FE2 is significantly sportier, while the aggressive FE3 with load leveling is the stiffest. It transmits every road ripple back to the driver, but also delivers ultra-sharp handing that rivals Europe’s best.
Pricing for the CTS Sport Wagon starts at $40,655. All-wheel drive adds $1,900 more. Add the bigger engine, Nav, and sunroof and you’re well over 50 grand.
The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon offers great style and serious versatility, yet retains all the athletic prowess of the CTS Sedan. That’s an impressive resume for any car of any shape, and it’s another step towards Cadillac emulating the best luxury sport brands from Europe. While many enthusiasts will resist any sporty car with a square back, the CTS Sport Wagon really is having your sport sedan and room for a wedding cake too.
Specifications
- Engine: Direct-injected 3.6-Liter V6
- Horsepower: 304
- Torque: 273 Lb Feet
- 0-60 MPH: 7.2 Seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.5 Seconds @ 93 MPH
- 60-0 MPH: 112 Feet
- EPA: 18 MPG City/ 26 MPG Highway
- Mixed Loop: 19.2 MPG
- Energy Impact: 16.3 Barrels Oil/Yr
- CO2 Emissions: 8.7 Tons/Yr
2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Volkswagen Brings Beetlemania Level Of Excitement To Minivan Segment
The duty of upholding Volkswagen’s heritage has most recently been delegated to small legacy car names like Golf and Jetta. But hold on! A much larger, totally modern take on VW’s classic microbus has just buzzed over the horizon— the all-electric ID. Buzz. It’s been at the top of our minds since we first saw the concept back in 2017. Well, it’s finally here, so let’s get our groove into drive!
This 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz has indeed created the most buzz around Volkswagen since the Beetle’s return to the U.S. in the late 1990s. We couldn’t drive it anywhere without drawing a crowd. No wonder, just about everyone has a VW Microbus story to tell, and seeing this reimagined version rolling down the street brings back all those memories.
VW really pulled it off as far as we’re concerned, as it looks great without appearing over the top. All the cues are here: Big VW logo front and center, lots of greenhouse including A-pillar windows and mini sliders for the second-row passengers, D-pillar air vents, and two-tone wheels. And while its appearance may be pure retro, its drivetrain is far from it, as the ID. Buzz is all-electric, and unlike the new Beetle, the Buzz does retain the original Microbus’ rear-drive architecture.
Powering those rear wheels is a 210-kW motor drawing juice from a 91-kWh battery for a range of 234 miles; 200-kW max charging will get you to 80% in about 26 minutes. Buyers can add another small 80-kW motor up front for 4motion all-wheel-drive and an increase of total output from 282 to 335 horsepower with a combined 512 lb-ft of torque. It uses the same battery, but range estimates drop just slightly to 231 miles. But while those numbers are modest, we also found them to be quite conservative, as we observed as many as 287 miles available in our all-wheel-drive tester’s gauge display and were on pace for 273 miles in our driving loop.
One throwback theme that may be a turnoff to some is that it’s quite a step up into the Buzz’s front seats, but there’s certainly a commanding view of the road once you climb in. Second row seating can be either a three-place bench or a pair of captain’s chairs, so there’s generous room for seven or six passengers. The captain’s chairs in our Pro S Plus offer good support and very easy access to the third row.
Lots of flexibility too with the option to simply fold the seats or remove them altogether.
With the sliding side doors and a wide opening rear hatch, there’s plenty of access for loading big sport utility amounts of cargo. Lots of flexibility too with the option to simply fold the seats or remove them altogether, and the ability to create a full-length flat floor with a rear cargo shelf that covers some handy removable storage bins. There’s 18.6 cubic-feet of space behind the third row, 75.5 behind the second, and a max of 145.5. That’s more than a Chevrolet Tahoe. For smaller items, there are lots of cubbies throughout the cabin, along with a standard Buzz Box that can be moved to multiple locations.
With a design that prioritizes retro form and modern function over aero efficiency, the 4motion equipped ID. Buzz earns a Fair efficiency rating, using 42-kWh of electricity per 100 miles, and we weren’t sure what to expect at our Mason Dixon test track.
What we found was great torque off the line and drama free launches to 60 in just 5.3 seconds. It was very stable at speed and power delivery stayed steady most of the way down the track until we reached about 90 mph, when it began to taper off just before we finished the quarter-mile in 14.0 seconds flat at 97 mph.
With 1,200-lbs. of battery weight nestled in its 127.5-inch wheelbase, the Buzz felt planted to the pavement through our handling course. There was quite a bit of body roll to deal with, but surprisingly little understeer. In panic braking runs, pedal response was inconsistent, feeling soft at times, pushing back hard at others; but through it all, results were quite good, stopping from 60 in an average of just 108 feet.
Three interior themes are available, this Dune is the brightest, featuring coastal inspired wood optic dash décor, “gray and clay” leatherette surfaces, and a high-mounted central 12.9-inch touchscreen. Pricing starts with a rear-wheel-drive Pro S at $61,545; this Pro S Plus begins at $65,045, add another $4,500 for 4motion, which brings a few extra features along with all-wheel drive.
Retro design with old-school VW charm, modern EV drivetrain, big SUV capacity merged with minivan flexibility; it all comes together in this 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz. It’s easily one of the coolest rides of the year and one that will likely keep Volkswagen dealers buzzing for years to come, and that’s something no other people and things mover can say.
Specifications
As Tested
- Motor Setup: Dual-Motor AWD
- Battery Size: 91-kWh
- Horsepower: 335
- Torque: 512 lb-ft
- EPA Range: 231 miles
- 0-60 mph: 5.3 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.0 seconds at 97 mph
- Braking, 60-0: 108 feet
- MW Test Loop: ~ 273 miles