2016 Cadillac CT6

2016 Cadillac CT6

Episode 3550
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is indeed an all-new flagship sedan that doesn’t replace anything currently in the lineup, but rather looks to extend the range while raising the profile of the entire Cadillac brand. 

Slightly longer than an XTS, both the CT6’s overall length and 122.4-inch wheelbase are just shy of benchmark large luxury liners Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series; but it’s much bigger than four-doors like the Acura RLX that straddle the midsize/fullsize line.

This car is clearly full-size and it is also beautiful; sleek and sophisticated, far more gorgeous going down the street than it ever looked on an auto show stand. 

Yet it still appears very American, and there are plenty of traditional Caddy cues.  Proportions are just right.

Standard 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder power might be a stretch for a large global sedan, but its 265-horsepower is certainly adequate.  And most Cadillac owners never know what’s under the hood anyway. 

A 335-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 is the next step up, but the hot ticket for now, is our test car’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6.  Horsepower here is 404, accompanied by 400 lb-ft. of torque.  We imagine a V8 will appear sometime in the future.

8-speed automatic transmissions for all. 
More significant is the return of a rear-wheel-drive architecture. Of course, all-wheel-drive is available as well. 

And consider our minds blown when we checked the rearview mirror only to see it’s actually a wide video display from the rear mounted camera.  It takes a little getting used to as you lose your normal frame of reference, but you can always switch back to a normal mirror. 

Applying lessons learned with the ATS, lots of aluminum is involved in keeping weight down, more mid-size than full at just over 4,000–lbs. with the turbo-6; and you certainly feel it. 

Highway ride is quite plush, yet nowhere near bloated; and it doesn’t go to pieces when pushed hard through corners.

It’s actually impressively solid, stays almost flat thanks to magnetic ride control, and has a joyous bit of oversteer at the limit.

Steering is very direct with a performance sedan feel and excellent feedback.

Things actually do get sporty in sport mode, and the car seems to shrink as you push harder; yet it remains incredibly smooth. 

Off the line it certainly feels like 400-horsepower, with a quick leap to 60 in 5.4-seconds.  With all-wheel-drive, there was gobs of traction and plenty of bold power laid down. 

The engine revs quickly, and automatic shifts come on just as fast; but the car remains super stable at speed, hitting 105 at the end of the ¼, after 13.7-seconds.

The interior is a huge step up for the brand, nicer than the XTS, and even more inviting than the XT5 crossover that we’ve also recently spent a lot of time in.  Most materials like wood and chrome are excellent. The leather-work, not so much. And, there are still a lot of different materials and surfaces going on in here.   

Most of us aren’t fans of having strictly touch controls, though things have come a long way since the original CUE interface; we could live with this setup. 

CT6 front seat comfort is truly spectacular; and, with almost a foot more wheelbase than the XTS, rear seat room very plentiful, as is trunk space. 

Every safety system you could expect is available including night vision and automatic braking, which waits until the absolute last possible second before aggressively taking over and bringing you to a safe stop. 

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 18-City, 26-Highway, and 21-Combined.  We averaged a good 22.8 miles-per-gallon of Premium. 

For an average Energy Impact Score of 15.7-barrels of oil consumed and 7.0- tons of CO2 emitted yearly, 

Style and sophistication come with hefty price tags, but Cadillac does seem to have a CT6 for everyone from a base CT6 at $54,490 to Platinum trim with twin-turbo V6 at $88,460

So does the 2016 Cadillac CT6 really have what it takes to compete with the world’s best luxury sedans?  Well, it’s close with only a few details that need addressing. Still we think the CT6 easily exceeds its traditional buyers’ expectations, while giving new converts won over with the CTS and ATS a car to aspire to. It is a bold move up in style, stance, and interior features; and worthy of its flagship banner.  It’s also clearly the best ever from Cadillac, and an effort we gladly praise.

Specifications

  • Engine: 3.0 liter twin turbo V6
  • Horsepower: 404
  • Torque: 400 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 13.7 seconds @ 105 mph
  • EPA: 18 mpg city / 26 mpg highway
  • Energy Impact: 15.7 barrels of oil/yr
  • CO2 Emissions: 5.0 tons/yr
  • Transmission: 8 spd automatic
2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Baby Rover Continues To Evolve

Episode 4430
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

When most people hear “Range Rover” they tend to think of high class, high performance and high dollars. But, Range Rover does the entry-level thing quite well too with this Evoque. It has plenty of posh attitude, along with some recent updates. So, let’s see how the Evoque continues to evolved.

Our involvement with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque’s evolution began when this small utility first arrived for 2012. It looked more Spice Girl than Tough Mudder, but it packed a surprising amount of capability into its subcompact dimensions. This second gen arrived for 2020, and has gained recent updates at the most likely midway point in its lifecycle.

Intrigued but not necessarily enthused could probably best describe our history with the Evoque, but Land Rover always has a way of drawing us in with very tasteful designs. They pretty much got this one right back in 2020, so styling revisions are largely limited to new Pixel LED headlights and a reshaped front fascia. There’s also new super-red signature lighting in back, all of it done to bring the Evoque more in line with the rest of the Range Rover family.

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And like all of its siblings, all-wheel drive is standard and it does have Terrain Response 2 with specific off-road modes, but no one’s expecting to see a lot of Evoques out on the trail, unless there’s a new Lululemon Outlet at the other end of it having a killer sale.

Land Rover has once again taken the P300 296-horsepower version of the Evoque’s 2.0-liter turbo-four out of the lineup, leaving just the standard 249-horsepower version under the clamshell hood. No complaints from us, its 269 lb-ft of torque is more than adequate to move this 3,900 lb. ute around.

And at Mason Dixon Dragway, it moved us to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. There was plenty of traction off the line, and while not overwhelming, power feels plentiful, staying very consistent down the track. Gearchanges in the Evoque’s nine-speed automatic transmission were quick and smooth, barely a blip in the process as we finished the quarter-mile in 16 seconds flat at 85 mph. Plenty quick for a compact utility with luxury intentions.

[It maneuvered] with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have.

It felt quite good through our handling course too, with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have. The Evoque uses selective braking to torque vector power between all four wheels, and it enabled us to cruise through the cones quickly without any excessive understeer or oversteer. There was some nosedive during our panic braking test, but the brakes were very responsive and strong enough to bring us to a halt in a short 115 feet from 60.

But, it’s the inside experience that really matters with any luxury vehicle, particularly in a Range Rover. And here things look more high-end Swedish than Tudor or Victorian, with a minimalist cabin design that’s way more visually appealing than practical. There’s real leather covering just about everything, and what appears to be just a tablet stuck in front of the dash is a new 11.4-inch touchscreen. Not only are the inner workings much faster than the previous infotainment setup, but the entire interface of this Pivi Pro system is vastly better than the split screen approach of before.

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The center console that leads up to it appears much less cluttered and frees up some additional space for storage. The shifter is still here, but it has gotten much smaller. Front seat space and comfort remain high, though rear seat room is still very tight for adults. Cargo space is not bad for a small utility, with room for 21.6 cu-ft. of gear in the hold, which expands with 40/20/40 split-folding seatback flexibility to 50.5 cu-ft.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined. That’s an average Energy Impact Score, using 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.6 tons.

Land Rover has been paring things down in the Evoque lineup for years, no longer offering a two-door version or the convertible, and now have simplified things even further to just the P250 available in only two trims: S, which stickers for $51,175, and Dynamic SE, which starts at $56,375; but you can add just about every package available and still come in right around $60,000.

Luxury-minded utility vehicles are coming at us from all angles these days, but the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a bit unique in that it remains as sort of a cheat code for sneaking you into the Range Rover VIP experience. You’ll feel like you’re getting away with something every time you drive it.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 2.0-liter turbo-four
  • Transmission: 9-speed automatic
  • Horsepower: 249
  • Torque: 269 lb-ft
  • 0-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 16 seconds at 85 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg): 115 feet
  • EPA: 20 City | 27 Highway | 22 Combined