Only a few minor tweaks were needed to enhance the performance and safety of the already powerful 2009 Cadillac STS sedan. Despite major modifications in the 2008 model, the new generation Caddy STS kept its vintage charm alive with front façade grilles and 17-inch aluminum wheels.

Under the hood, you have two Direct Injection engine options – a 3.6L 302Hp V6 and a 4.6L beastly V8 producing 320 Horsepower. The AWD edition ensures easy handing in extreme weather conditions. With an average 14 mpg city/21mpg highway fuel economy rate, the 2009 STS is quite at par with the other contenders – BMW 5 Series, Lincoln MKS and Infinity M Class come to mind.

The 2009 Caddy STS gets a 4-channel StabiliTrak system and an All-speed Traction Control for better control and improved stability. Safety features also include high intensity Xenon Discharge headlights for better visibility at night. In addition, the sophisticated heads-up display makes driving easier by projecting required information on the windshield while driving.

The Bose surround sound system, with 15 speakers and an in-dash 6-disc CD changer adds entertainment to driving. With its luxurious interior, ultrasonic rear parking assistance and adaptive remote start, the 2009 Cadillac STS sedan is the ultimate future-minded classic car.

Image: Autospectator.com

2009 Cadillac Escalade ESV

From larger cargo space and passenger room to an extended wheelbase, everything about the 2009 Cadillac Escalade ESV is huge. A carry over from 2008, the 2009 Caddy ESV features an upgraded interior with three rows of seating for up to eight people. Optional power-on fold-and-flip second row seats makes it even more comfortable and popular with family car buyers.

Front Seat:

Front Seat

The 2009 Escalade ESV simply spoils you with its premium leather upholstery with faux wood trim, tri-zone auto climate control, heated front seats, Bose 5.1 sound system, in-dash CD/DVD changer, power lift gate, remote control start and many other creature comforts. The Bluetooth connectivity, OnStar navigation with integrated back-up camera and real-time traffic update system makes driving easier on city roads.

Dash:

Dash

The 6000 pound ESV gets power from a standard 6.2L V8 yielding 403 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque. A flexible-fuel engine helps it achieve 12/19 mpg city/highway respectively. Thanks to its light rack-and-pinion steering, 6-speed automatic transmission and 18-inch wheel base, the Escalade ESV is surprisingly easy to handle.

Engine:

Engine

If you’re looking for more luxury, opt for the 2009 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition featuring a sunroof, heated steering, adjustable headlamps, 22-inch chrome aluminum wheels, a rear-seat entertainment system and the highly advanced Magnetic Ride Control suspension. The platinum package costs an additional $20k to the base price, an already pricey $60k.

Image Courtesy: Edmunds

Take a closer look at the above picture. If it seems familiar, you’re on the right track. This is the Cadillac Provoq Fuel Cell Concept which GM unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2008. The concept car has reemerged as the 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover.

Instead of carrying over the existing SRX architecture, based on Sigma platform, GM built the new generation SUV on the superior Provoq Concept platform. The 2010 Caddy SRX stands out in styling and creature comforts, and is poised to compete with other contenders such as the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

The 2009 Cadillac Escalade EXT is the sole luxury sport-pickup offered by GM. Design wise, Escalade EXT shares similarities with its corporate sibling, the Chevrolet Avalanche. However, what makes Escalade special is its Midgate mechanism, a folding partition between the cargo bed and the interior. With rear-seats folded, this Midgate opens up to extend the pickup bed further. A three-folded hard plastic cover converts the open bed into a trunk.

The 2009 Escalade EXT has 6.2L V8 that churns out 403Hp. It can accelerate quickly and tow up to 6000 pounds. A 6-speed Hydra-Matic transmission system and road sensing suspension with real-time computer control ensure a smooth ride.

Moreover, a removable rear window, excellent leather upholstery, Bose 5.1 Surround Sound and an optional Ultra Luxury package comprising DVD touch-screen navigation, a rearview camera and sunroof make Caddy Escalade EXT a highly sophisticated yet powerful utility vehicle.

Great news for geeks – now you can access the Internet in your car. General Motors is set to unveil its first Internet-enabled Cadillac CTS Sports Sedan in April 2009.

The Cadillac Wi-Fi system uses a small device, Autonet Mobile, that allows laptops and netbooks users to access the web via a wireless LAN connection. The easy-to-use Autonet system requires no additional software, and reaches speeds up to 800Kbps. The device costs about $499, not including a monthly service charge of $29.

As the first company to offer wireless Internet in a production car, Cadillac has its eye on more advanced 3G and 4G cellular-enabled technologies.

Peek inside of the 2009 Cadillac CTS Sedan:

GM unveiled its gen-X 2010 Cadillac SRX Crossover at the 2009 Toronto Auto Show. With all-new body styling and advanced technological features, the smaller Cadillac SRX seems to be in response to soaring fuel prices around the world.

Not neglecting the luxury customer base, the 2010 SRX adds an electronic navigation system with 3-D imaging, flexible headlights and a dual-screen entertainment system along with a built-in hard drive for storing audio.

The 3.0L Direct Injection V6 engine ensures better performance while the stable all-wheel drive system guarantees increased safety in adverse driving conditions. The 5 passenger SRX has ample space for cargo and enhanced towing capacity.

Car enthusiasts – get ready for a luxurious and economical driving experience!

Hi Everyone,

We’re testing out some newsfeeds from CARandDRIVER, and we wanted to hear your thoughts (yes, we know the links don’t correspond with the graphics). Ultimately, we would have some awesome Cadillac-themed feeds, complete with road tests and pictures. Let us know what you think. Thanks. - Fast-Cadillac Team

GM released the first Cadillac DeVille in its 1949 luxury lineup. Since then, production continued unimpeded for several decades, with some major changes and improvements along the way. In 2005, the Deville name came to an end as the Cadillac DeVille Touring Sedan was rebranded the Cadillac DTS.

This yellow 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille Convertible had several appearances in the 2002 movie Undercover Brother and its promotional video Undercova Funk, featuring the legendary funk artiste Bootsy Collins and comedian Eddie Griffin.

With in-built climate control, AM/FM radios, auto gearbox, power-lift windows, power steering and power disc brakes, this 472 Hp monster was far ahead of the curve. 1970 Deville is still fun to drive, but forty years ago, it owned the road.
Image: Wikimedia

World Report and U.S. News stated that the 2008 Cadillac Escalade was the best of its class. But this was just the beginning of a golden age for Cadillac. With Escalade, ESV and EXT, Cadillac improved upon the luxury and performance that has become synonymous with the brand.

The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is the ultimate luxury SUV. With its advanced technical features and power handling, Escalade surpasses the performance level of all other Cadillac models. The fuel efficiency of the Escalade Hybrid is up to 32 percent better than the non-hybrid model.

The 2009 Escalade has a 403-hp 6.2-liter V8 engine that can run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel. Advanced features like variable valve timing and race-inspired high-flow aluminum cylinder heads have enriched the performance level of the car. Escalade also sports a continuous all-wheel-drive system, automatically adjusting to potentially hazardous road conditions.

Other Standard Features

Other standard features include a rear-view parking camera, a DVD navigation system, and Bluetooth connectivity – allowing a Bluetooth enabled cell phone to make or receive hands-free calls via the standard Bose audio system of Escalade.

Safety Measures

Escalade ensures safe driving with its leading-edge security and convenience system – OnStar. One of the most interesting new features is Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, giving subscribers added security by allowing OnStar Advisors, who work with law enforcement, to send a signal to the stolen vehicle to gradually slow it down.

What Auto Critics are Saying

Here are some excerpts of 2009 Cadillac Escalade reviews from around the web:

“Seamless hybrid operation, lots of luxury, improved mileage.” –CARandDRIVER.com

“Depending on equipment chosen, the Escalade can tow up to 8,100 pounds and carry a payload up to 1,433 pounds.” —Cars.com

“Now with bold, new styling and a bank of standard equipment, the Escalade looks and feels really different.” —Cars.com

“Sporting a new two-mode hybrid powertrain, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid promises to offer a 50-percent increase in fuel economy around town and at least a 25-percent increase overall.” – Newcartestdrive.com

The Cadillac CTS-V is a tough car to classify. At first glance, you might call the CTS-V a luxury car – but how many luxury cars can claim 556hp? Not many (the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Jaguar XF-R come to mind, but each are over 80K).

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V | Image Courtesy of Car and Driver

That leaves us feeling as if the Cadillac CTS-V is best classified as a “luxury performance car under 60K”. Of course, you can’t classify a car unless it has a comparative model, and the closest thing we’ve found is the 2009 BMW M3. It came as no surprise to us that both the Cadillac and the BMW were named to Car and Driver’s 10 Best Cars of 2009 list. But let’s take a closer look at the two models…

The 2009 BMW M3 (Coupe is pictured) | Image Courtesy of Car and Driver

Price: The 2009 BMW M3 Sedan starts at $54,850 – nearly $3,500 cheaper than the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V 6.2L SFI, with an opening sticker price of $58,280.

Body Styling: Beyond each car’s uniquely distinctive grill, there are more similarities between these two models than differences. The Cadillac is more angular overall, while the M3 is shorter (almost a full foot) and rounder. BMW fans will prefer the M3’s look – Caddy fans, no doubt the opposite.

Engine: The CTS-V is a beast, sporting 556hp@6100rpm in a 6.2L V8. No slouch, the BMW M3 packs 414hp@8300rpm in a 4.0L V8. (Keeping things in perspective, the M3 weighs nearly 500 pounds less than the CTS-V).

Performance: We’re still waiting a see a no-holds-barred battle between these two, but if past results are any indicator of future probability, BMW is in trouble. In a 2008 road test performed by GM, the CTS-V smoked the BMW M3 (and M5) on the Nürburgring.

What the Auto Critics are Saying:

“…the Caddy engine could be considered a slightly detuned version of the ZR1’s 638-hp LS9, but its titanium-free valvetrain and connecting rods and its conventional wet-sump oil system actually make it more akin to a supercharged version of the standard Corvette 6.2-liter.” – Car and Driver, 2009 Cadillac CTS-V review

“BMW’s new M DCT is also a twin-clutch box like the 911’s but with two paddles-left for down, right for up-to change gears in a fluid eye blink.” – Car and Driver, 2009 Ford Mustang review

Given that these two are being compared to a Corvette and Porsche respectively, there’s no questioning their performance. So let’s take a look at what the luxury crowd has to say.

Quotes from Car Buyers:

“3.8 Sec for 0-60 and significantly less than other luxury cars. Nothing in the market is even close. A big plus is that Cadillac is constantly in the top of JD Powers and others for Quality and reliability.” – Buyer review on Yahoo.com

“I’ll give you the owner’s perspective. Unlike my X5, hand brake is manual…BMW can do better. The window seals allow water in during a wash. Incidentally my 528i also had the same problem so this may be an issue BMW needs to work on.”  – Buyer review on Yahoo.com

Final Thoughts: Given what we’ve seen thus far, the CTS-V has the M3 bested in performance and from a luxury perspective. Before we pass final judgment, we’d like to hear more from owners of each respective car (if you, or anyone you know owns either car, write in to tell us what you think). That being said, I don’t think any of us could have entertained the idea of a Caddy matching a BMW in performance only five short years ago. Beating the BMW is nothing short of mind boggling.