I also liked the genuine Sapele Pomele wood accenting which has been thoughtfully positioned throughout the cabin. A lot of companies are turning away from wood nowadays and towards that dreadful aluminum (inside-of-a-coke-can) look. When you see an interior as nicely laid out as this in real wood and leather, you realize that it’s the only truly acceptable finish for a luxury vehicle interior.

My test vehicle came with the optional Ultraview twin sunroof and such niceties as heated steering wheel, heated & ventilated front seats, and an amazing Bose sound system which my cameraman even admitted was one of the best he’d ever experienced.

The leather seating in the CTS is extremely comfortable although I would have preferred a tad more side bolstering on the bottom cushions, especially when driving the vehicle spiritedly.

Speaking of spirited driving, forget what your grandparents told you about Cadillac’s, this new breed is as far from that as one can imagine. Performance comes as standard and my test vehicle’s 304hp 3.6L V6 backs me up on that. When coupled to a superb AWD system, this vehicle simply grips & goes!

I have to say that I would have preferred a slightly firmer suspension setup but, as my tester was not fitted with the optional performance package, I was rather impressed with how the vehicle handled the twists and turns.

Big brakes are a must on a vehicle like this and I’m pleased to say that GM follows my line of thinking. The vehicle tracks extremely well and even under severe braking, the CTS is well behaved.

We now come to price...the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sports wagon is available from just $44,325 (3.0L V6) although my AWD tester with the 3.6L V6 and a few of the nicer packages topped out at $64,735. 

In summing up, I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a luxury load carrier. It ticks all the right boxes. Well done GM!