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
2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
Crossed Up Corolla Gets More Efficient
Toyota offers a hybrid powertrain in just about everything they make, so it did seem odd that last year, when they debuted an all-new SUV version of their long-time best-selling Corolla, a hybrid was nowhere to be found. Well, it didn’t take long for Toyota to correct that situation, delivering this Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2023.
With prices for everything seemingly going up daily, we can all use a little more cost efficiency in our lives. That’s a mission that Toyota has been undertaking for some time now and continues to do it with this 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.
The Alabama-built Corolla Cross arrived just last year as Toyota’s attempt to bring their best-selling nameplate into the SUV era, and give them an additional entry into the most popular automotive segment going right now, small crossovers.
There are some RAV4 styling cues here, but the Corolla Cross is mostly its own deal, and the Hybrid is more than just a fuel efficient option, it has added performance too. So, it’s offered only in Toyota’s S line of trims S, SE, and XSE, where the standard Corolla Cross is available in base L, LE, and XLE.
There are some differences outside, most notably unique front and rear fasicas; the front with a much more aggressive look, with larger grille and blacked-out trim.
Black trim and logos in back too, along with a redesigned bumper; plus, you can optionally go 2-tone by adding black paint to the roof.
Great packaging has it feeling roomier inside than most small 5-seat utes, straddling the line between subcompact and compact. And seats are way more comfortable than your typical urban-minded utility.
In fact, the entire interior feels quite upscale, and the layout will be very familiar to those stepping up from an actual Corolla.
Those who put off buying a Corolla Cross until now will be rewarded with upgraded infotainment, as all Hybrid’s will come with Toyota’s latest 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system standard.
The Hybrid’s small battery is located under the rear seat, so there’s minimal loss of rom, with a good 21.5 cubic-ft. of cargo space available; expanding to 61.8 with rear seatbacks folded.
Getting to the heart of the matter, the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s fuel-sipping ways are courtesy of the 5th generation of Toyota’s Hybrid System which outputs a combined 196-horsepower through its trio of electric motors and naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. One of those motors operating strictly the rear axle for standard all-wheel-drive.
At our test track, there was a nice little chirp of the tires off the line, but that’s where the excitement ended.
So while a 7.5-second trip to 60 may not raise your blood pressure, it’s a full 3-seconds quicker than the standard Corolla Cross we tested last year. We’ll take that!
CVT automatic means engine revs and engine noise both hang relatively high throughout the whole ¼-mile, which took us 15.6-seconds to complete, finishing at a reasonable 90 miles-per-hour.
The Hybrid also gets a “sport-tuned” suspension, and indeed it felt light and nimble through our cone course, very neutral too, with no noticeable understeer or oversteer. Steering was light but still provided good feedback. With some grippier tires, this would certainly give the best handlers in the segment a run for their money.
But the real reward comes in Government Fuel Economy Ratings which are 45-City, 38-Highway, and 42-Combined. We averaged a great 43.3 miles-per-gallon of Regular; that’s a 40% increase over the 30.9 miles-per-gallon we averaged in the standard Corolla Cross last year.
But, that does come at a cost, though it’s difficult to make direct comparisons with separate trim families, but pricing starts at $29,320 for the Hybrid, about 3-grand over a base all-wheel-drive non-hybrid. Top XSE comes in at $32,400.
As influential as Toyota is in spreading the hybrid doctrine, it was indeed odd that the Corolla Cross arrived last year without a hybrid option. Smartly, it didn’t take them long to right that wrong, as it was always part of the plan, and the Corolla Cross has benefitted from it greatly. The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is not just more efficient, it’s more capable, and a much better small utility all around.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
- Horsepower: 196
- 0-60 mph: 7.5-seconds
- MW Fuel Economy: 43.3 MPG (Regular)
- Transmission: e-CVT
- Torque: 139 lb-ft
- 1/4 Mile: 15.6-seconds at 90 mph
- EPA: 45-City, 38-Highway, and 42-Combined