As such, my wagon was a great drive. Cruising around town or motoring on the highway is a very satisfying affair at the wheel of this car. The 3.6L is powerful and willing to get the 1,900-kg (4,200-lb) car up to speed. As a side-note, the V6 generates an objectionable warble when at idle or when started cold; unfortunate given the standing of the car.

The “but” comes from my next complaint or should I say annoyance: the Hydra-Matic 6L50 6-speed automatic transmission. In a nutshell, it’s slow to react, even in Sport mode. No matter how much mashing the go-pedal gets, the ‘box takes its sweet time to downshift unless you do it yourself. Passing on a service road for example is downright unpleasant. As the throttle is only feathered at 70 km/h, you’ll have to plan your move well ahead of time if you do not want the next guy in the left lane up your keester.

Otherwise, the CTS provides a high-end ride that is nearly up to BMW and Audi levels, where it would like to be. I certainly got a great feeling at the wheel; whether it’s because I was driving a Cadillac, a Cadillac wagon or simply due to the poised chassis or solid construction, it’s tough to say. What I do know is that the strong positive brakes and precise steering played an important part.