Easing the CTS through town is easy and the 3.6-litre V6 is satisfyingly tractable from low revs, allowing you to effortlessly build speed. It’s not hugely charismatic, but there’s some character to its performance in an urban environment.
Around town the light steering makes sense and the brakes are progressive, making smooth progress an easy task. The leather armchairs are just perfect for when you’re staring at the back of a stationary queue of traffic, but it’s a shame that the ride isn’t more sophisticated: it absorbs the big stuff easily, but fidgets over small imperfections. It’s important to stress that the CTS’s ride quality isn’t bad, but lacking the refinement that a Mercedes saloon offers. Judging the extremities of the car is the biggest problem, particularly at the back. Cadillac’s decision not to offer parking sensors is a frustrating oversight.
Heading cross-country brings more than a touch of apprehension, as British back-roads are generally unkind to American cars. First proper corner; slow the car then, through clenched teeth, turn for the apex. What happens next comes as a pleasant surprise. First the CTS rolls a touch – it has soft initial damping – then adopts a surprisingly neutral cornering attitude, turning sharply for the apex, with almost no understeer. Next corner, bit more speed, bit earlier on the throttle and the chassis responds. Again there’s that neutral attitude, but the extra power causes the tail to step out further. Without the watchful eye of the traction and stability control – independently switchable – the CTS can easily be provoked into oversteer, and it’s controllable with sensible use of the throttle and steering, although the when you’re pressing on the steering is rather light and offers poor feel. Massively overdo the entry speed for a corner and the CTS will plough on at the front, but this American saloon has plenty of driver appeal. It might not have the accuracy, delicacy and feedback of a BMW, but it is fun.