why ads?

Popular at KBB.com

The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2013 Cadillac CTS

Please enter a valid mileage

View all 62 photos

Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2014 Cadillac CTS

Overview

Get Your Fair Purchase Price See actual transaction prices, explore total cost to own, projected resale value and more. See what you should pay

Buy used | Trade-in/Sell

2013 Cadillac CTS Review

By KBB.com Editors

KBB Expert Rating: 7.9

Cadillac is determined to reclaim its place as the world's standard of luxury, and the 2013 CTS brings the fight directly to its European and Japanese competitors. Smart styling, lots of high-tech features, a refined driving experience and impressive powertrains give the broad model lineup strong appeal. With sedan, coupe and wagon models, high-performance CTS-V versions for each body style and available all-wheel drive (AWD), the Cadillac CTS is likely the most diverse nameplate in the luxury segment. If anything will move young, successful consumers to aspire to own a Cadillac, this is the car to do it.

You'll Like This Car If...

Whether you're looking for a premium American car that stands out in the crowd or a luxurious ultra-high-performance vehicle, the CTS series will deliver.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If nothing but a prestigious import luxury brand will do it for you, there are many fine alternatives from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, Acura and Infiniti.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

7.9
Driving Dynamics

7.5
Comfort & Convenience

7.3
Design: Interior & Exterior

7.9
Value

7.3
Safety

9.9

How It Ranks

#8

out of 9

MPG

#3

out of 9

Horsepower

View all rankings

Consumer Rating

8.6 out of 10

View all
consumer ratings

What's New for 2013

The 6-speed manual gearbox is gone from all but the CTS-V models. There are some minor finish tweaks on the grille, a couple new metallic paint colors, standard remote starting across the range and some new equipment for the Base, Luxury, Performance and Premium trim packages.

Driving the CTS

2013 Cadillac CTS Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions Through twisty two-lanes, fast freeways, urban congestion and mixed-speed suburban sprawl, we greatly appreciate the 2013 Cadillac CTS' responsive steering, world-class roadholding and powerful brakes. Given its performance-focused engineering, one...

might expect a correspondingly firm ride, but we find the suspension surprisingly supple even on badly deteriorated pavement. We love the quiet cabin's luxurious design, and the multi-adjustable seats are uncommonly comfortable for long hauls. For a serious performance car – the CTS-V Sedan can deliver blistering acceleration from zero to 60 mph of just 3.9 seconds – the driving experience is surprisingly calm and quiet. The CTS-V's Magnetic Ride Control suspension system offers an impressive balance between race-inspired handling for the track and a pleasantly compliant ride for daily driving.

Favorite Features

BOSE 5.1 CABIN SURROUND SOUND
This sound system boasts surrealistic sound with 40-gig hard drive and iPod integration. It will download and store your CD collection and operate your iPod or other MP3 device via the concealed USB port.

FEATURE-PACKED NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The 2012 CTS lineup's available navigation system offers real-time traffic and weather alerts, advanced voice recognition, 3-D imaging of major landmarks and an 8-inch touch-screen that pops up on demand.

2013 Cadillac CTS Details

2013 Cadillac CTS Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

Befitting a world-class luxury vehicle, the CTS' cabin is awash in high-quality materials – upholstered in faux leather or the real thing depending on the trim level – and state-of-the-art technology. The dash is wrapped in elegant, French-stitched soft-touch material accompanied by warm wood accents and metallic trim. The available navigation display retreats into the dash, but leaves about an inch of exposed screen that serves as the audio system interface. Despite its elegant and neatly-appointed layout, the CTS' interior ergonomics could use some fine-tuning. The center console's swept design can fight the driver for knee space and the sloping rear rooflines of the coupe and wagon impinge on rear-seat headroom.

Exterior

The 2013 CTS' athletic design is characterized by a refined version of Cadillac's distinctive shield-shaped grille, signature vertical headlights and taillights and deeply-sculpted fenders emphasizing its wide, aggressive stance. Coupe models feature center-mounted exhaust outlets and a clever electronic touch-pad for the doors, which eliminates the need for conventional door handles. CTS-V models feature a unique front end with a satin-finished mesh grille, hood bulge and unique 19-inch aluminum wheels with Michelin PS2 high-performance tires.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Inside the CTS cabin, you will find dual-zone climate control, an 8-way power driver's seat, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, a rear-seat/trunk pass-through for long objects and an 8-speaker Bose audio system with SiriusXM Satellite Radio and MP3 capability. Standard safety and security equipment includes six airbags, Stabilitrak stability and traction control, automatic on/off headlights, programmable power door locks, a theft-deterrent system and one year of OnStar security and convenience service with audible turn-by-turn navigation.

Optional Equipment

Live in a chilly climate? All CTS trims (except CTS-Vs) offer all-wheel drive as well as an engine-block heater for those cold startups. Additional available equipment includes sport-tuned suspension, High-Intensity Discharge headlamps with adaptive lighting to illuminate the side of the road when cornering and a 10-speaker Bose premium audio system with iPod integration, a 40-gig hard drive and live radio pause and rewind. The navigation system uses an 8-inch pop-up display. The CTS-V versions offer 14-way power-adjustable Recaro sport seats.

Under the Hood

The 2013 Cadillac CTS offers two levels of 24-valve direct-injection V6 power. The standard 3.0-liter V6 is good for 270 horsepower, while the optional 3.6-liter engine makes an impressive 318 horsepower with no fuel-consumption penalty. Both the V6s use a 6-speed automatic transmission (no more manual) and can be paired with all-wheel drive. Buyers who spring for the high-performance CTS-V are treated to a stomping 556-horsepower supercharged V8, matched to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic (no-cost option) with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

3.0-liter V6
270 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
223 lb-ft of torque @ 5,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/27 mpg (rear-wheel drive), 18/26 mpg (all-wheel drive)

3.6-liter V6
318 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm
275 lb-ft of torque @ 4,900 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/27 mpg (rear-wheel drive), 18/27 mpg (sedan/coupe, all-wheel drive), 18/26 mpg (wagon, all-wheel drive)

6.2-liter supercharged V8
556 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
551 lb-ft of torque @ 3,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/19 mpg (manual), 12/18 mpg (automatic)

Pricing Notes

Cadillac's midsize 2012 CTS is a legitimate BMW 5-Series competitor at a 3-Series price. The starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the sedan, coupe and wagon is right around $40,000 for base RWD versions and reaches just over $61,000 for Premium AWD models. The high-performance CTS-V series starts just over $65,000 for all body styles. To see what others in your area paid for the CTS, be sure to check the Fair Purchase Price on kbb.com. On the resale side, the CTS is expected to retain lower residual values than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series and the Lexus ES 350, but maintain a healthy lead over the Lincoln MKZ. CTS-V models will retain residual values that are above those of the BMW M5 and just slightly below those of the Audi S6.

To find out what consumers are really paying for this vehicle, first select a style to see the Fair Purchase Price| Calculate payments for this vehicle

To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Cadillac CTS vehicles for sale near you.

Get Your Fair Purchase Price See actual transaction prices, explore total cost to own, projected resale value and more.

See what you should pay

Buy used | Trade-in/Sell

2013 Cadillac CTS Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.6

Out of 10

Based on 229 Ratings for the 2008 - 2014 models.

Review this car

Value

8.7/10

Quality

8.7/10
Reliability

8.8/10

Performance

9.0/10
Comfort

8.8/10

Styling

9.2/10

Best car I've ever owned

By Bobp (MO) on Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 52,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Too many to list"

Cons: "Jealous people..."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Never had a problem. Bought the car with 16,000 miles and I paid for the Certified package. Fast, quick, stunning looks (my opinion)."

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Don't even think about purchasing......

By Fun in FL (FL) on Friday, July 19, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 12,000

10 1.0

overall rating 1 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 1/10
Value: 1/10
Reliability: 1/10
Quality: 1/10
Performance: 1/10
Styling: 1/10
Comfort: 1/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"This car has a defective transmission/torque converter. Please reference GM bulletin #PI0700B: Shudder Feel While Driving in 40-50 MPH Range - (Feb 20, 2013). Models include 2102 Cadillac CTS & 2012 Chevorlet Camaro. Cadillac has been unwilling to assist with the problem because they claim that it is not a recall, just a service bulletin. Please consider this when thinking about purchasing this car."

9 people out of 11 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Very happy 2013 cts awd coupe owner

By 2013 black raven coupe (NJ) on Sunday, June 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 4,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 4/10

Pros: "comfort, sense of safety, polished rims."

Cons: "back up camera-radio use-paint scratching"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"First let me say I really like my cts coupe. It is a 2013 performance model awd with sunroof, nav and polished wheels. I am ocd about the car when it comes to keeping it clean and very picky so I will give you my honest review. I have owned the car since january (5 months) and have only logged 4000 miles in that time. I have taken it on two long trips of 400 miles each and have done plenty of town and highway driving. It took about two weeks of driving to really fall in love with the cars characteristics and get comfortable with it. I used meguires leather conditioner and I feel it really made the seats more comfortable. I am 5-9 and think the seats and the car drive like sitting in an easy chair in front of the tv. First car my leg has not cramped up on a long drive. The gas mileage was horrible(16mpg) for the first 2000 miles. Now I get consistent 19+ between city/hwy and 22+ hwy alone. The car handles great in rain and when I had it out in snow. Highly recommend the awd. The car drives much bigger than it is and compared to the sedan I really like the way the coupe rides. Comfortable yet sporty. The looks are great, you will get plenty of compliments and I think the interior finish is great. I definitely recommend the polished rims, and navigation system, which I use all the time now that I am searching for a house. Plus the backup camera is very useful backing out of a parking space. It enables you to see cars coming towards you from the left or right when parked in a row of cars. Now the cons. The car should have power folding mirrors. I have to hand fold them when I go to a carwash or park in the street. The back up camera, while useful should have lines indicating/guiding you as to where you are backing. I have almost smashed into something on the rear quarter panel looking into the backup camera. The side mirrors must be used when backing and using the camera. The hard drive for storing music and then later selecting discs is very hard to use and does not make sense. The directions in the manual do not work for storing music. Dual zone heating should have dual zone fan adjustments. Kinda pointless to set two different temps yet only have one fan setting for both driver and passenger. My final issue is with the paint. I have the black raven. I have never seen paint scratch as easily as on this car. I have put several scratches in it just washing it and I am very careful. Once the clearcoat scratches I have not found a polish yet that can remove the scratches by hand. Also- the roadlamps are next to worthless other than looking nice. There is very, and I mean very little difference between the normal headlights without the driving lights on vs when they are off. Lastly, I am not sure why the shifter on the center console is not illuminated at night. Doesn't make sense to me. With all that said, I really enjoy driving this car. I would recommend it to a friend and it does not drive like a traditional coupe. It drives like a much larger car and really gives you a sense of safety and comfort. It is not a nimble sports car, it drives similar to my 2007 corvette on the hwy, yet is way more forgiving during around town driving than the vette was."

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Louds of power great value

By Runner (NJ) on Thursday, May 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 25,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Cons: "None"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"Bought car new,dusted vehicles that cost twice as much,great value,sharp looking,handles great for a sedan,never drove car in snow or icey conditions so no opinion.Only gripe is cost of rubber $2000.00 after 22000 miles was a surprise"

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

The most sporty sedan on the market !

By CTS FL (FL) on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 58,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "looks, HP, interior , ride style"

Cons: "oil changes, motor ticks, handeling"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"A very smooth driving sedan but yet very sporty and the looks are next to non, I bought this car after I sold my 92K Mercedes sl500. The CTS has a lot of get up and go and the transmission is a lot of fun, drive mode into sport mode into shift able mode. If you come from a sports car be careful when turning swiftly as it handles nice it's not a true sports car, it's a family sedan. It sounds very nice while in sport mode and has a lot of get up and go which is nice. Fits 4 people with no problems even with the front seats all the way back. Drives very smooth and has lots of air bags for the family. The exterior is very nice looking from 2008 to the present. The lights are very bright which is great at night. Just a great all around sedan that doesn't look like grand pa's car."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Is the CTS made by German Motors?

By Gio (VA) on Thursday, May 02, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 19,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Super comfortable and very responsive"

Cons: "back seat leg room is tight"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"The CTS is simply a great luxury car and when you compare it to the BMW 3, Audi A4 or Mercedes C class, I can honestly say the CTS takes them hands down. I've had my car for two years and have never had an issue and love driving this machine. Its quick and nimble and best of all, the interior is done right. Not too flashy or too gimmicky like a lot of GM models. For the money, I'm not sure what else you can get that can compete."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

See all 229 reviews