The rave reviews Cadillac has been earning for its lineup and commitment to style, safety and technology continued in 2011. These accolades were received from a wide spectrum of respected sources, proving that Cadillac is on top of its game across the board.
There’s no better way to kick off a new year than with Consumers Digest’s “Automotive Best Buy” award. The publication praised the 2011 CTS as “Detroit’s finest luxury car because of its unmistakable crisp-edge styling and its posh and quiet five-passenger interior.” Cadillac continued to create buzz in January 2011 by earning the attention of Ed Hellwig and his editing crew at Edmunds Inside Line. The 2011 Inside Line “Editors’ Most Wanted” awards featured a review of the CTS-V Wagon by Senior Editor Josh Jacquot who wrote, “The CTS-V Wagon is about attitude. It's about pure American muscle and it's about making a statement.”
The Edmunds review was just the beginning for the CTS-V Wagon. Dan Neil of The Wall Street Journal used words like “insane” and “awesome” to describe the wagon, ending his review by declaring, “The V-Wagon is never boring.” Automobile magazine featured the CTS-V Wagon in its 2011 All-Star List, impressed that “Cadillac not only builds a stunningly good-looking wagon, it equips it with an optional 556-hp V8 and a six-speed manual. It seems like an impossible scenario, but there's no need to imagine it: the CTS-V Sport Wagon is very much a reality.”
Popular Mechanics had its eye on the 2011 CTS Coupe right from the start, and when it came time to hand out the “Auto Excellence” awards, the magazine listed the car as one of the “Top 10 Cars of 2011.” Their final conclusion is simple. “Note the lack of exposed door handles, the center-mounted exhaust and the upright taillights that hark back to Cadillac's tailfins from 1948. Now drool.”
It’s not just impressive aesthetics and world-class performance, however, that made Cadillac stand out in 2011. The 2011 lineup, especially the CTS Sport Sedan, earned high points for safety. The car was named a “Top Safety Pick 2011” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for “good performance in front, side, rollover and rear tests and standard electronic stability control.”
Not to be outdone by the CTS Coupe, the CTS-V Coupe was hailed as one of Car and Driver’s “10Best.” The review stated, “These are hardcore performance cars, but they are also Cadillacs with all of the seamlessness, refinement and content that implies.”
By April, Cadillac had received an abundance of praise, and it was Kelley Blue Book that weighed in next. Cadillac stood out with three 2011 “Brand Image Awards” for “Best Exterior Design Brand,” “Best Comfort Brand” and “Best Interior Design Brand.” While other automakers made the list, not one walked away with more than two awards.
Cadillac is already accomplishing great things in 2012 and remains focused on the future of the auto industry. Like most corporations with distinguished legacies, Cadillac often refers to the past for ideas. Fortunately, when Cadillac looks back at 2011, there will be no shortage of inspiration.
