Drivers Log.(product information of General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Car Div.)

WILSON: This is the top-performing CTS we'll see until the V comes out, and it's pretty impressive. The direct-injection engine gets more than 300 hp, and while I might have preferred the manual, this six-speed automatic works well, with transparent shifts, a quick kickdown and a usable (but hardly exciting) sport mode if you need to pick your own gear. The drivetrain is pretty quiet until you're really on it, and while there's some tire roar, the wind noise is low, too. On some surfaces, I noted the road noise seemed excessive, but that seemed to have more to do with the pavement than it did with the car.

Design is unmistakably CTS-so much so that it drew little curiosity from drivers of the previous model. I like the premium red paint, but I think the new grille looks too plasticky. I know they're all plastic, but either chrome or blackout would look less cheesy than the gray plastic on our test car.

The interior leather is excellent, the wood trim is handsome, and the accent lighting that comes with the luxury option package on this car is very nice. It puts a line of light right around the cabin just below the trim. It highlights the right things (such as the door handles; I hate groping around looking for the handle in the dark), and it's not so bright that I worry about my eyes adapting.

Handling is good, with maybe a little too much roll stiffness when you're just in cruise mode. I found my head moving back and forth on the freeway, just a tiny bit but more than it does in an Audi A4 or a Mercedes-Benz C-Class. If that's the penalty for the cornering performance from the "sport suspension'' and the bigger wheels and tires, it's not much of a penalty and worth it. The brakes are good and strong.

I really liked the navigation system with XM traffic; the buttons to work it are easily figured out, a lot of stuff is on the touch screen, but the screen doesn't seem to accumulate prints. You can fold it down out of sight when you're not using it, which simplifies your choices when you're ...