CTS real-world acceleration testing

[Bruce Nunnally]

I have been waiting for the full road tests to start showing up in the car magazines. The tests we have seen so far all were hands-on previews, but did not include fully instrumented road tests. Hopefully we can collect info in this thread for road test results. Cadillac claims 0-60 mph in 5.9s RWD 304hp model to 6.5s AWD 263hp model for the 08 CTS.

0-60 mph 6.5s Qtr 14.9@95 Edmunds 9/2007 http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=122751

There's so much tire grip that the V6's meager 273 pound-feet of torque can't generate any useful wheelspin in our acceleration tests, and a flat spot in the engine's torque curve between 3,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm further compromises our results. This car's 6.5-second run to 60 mph is 0.6 second slower than Cadillac's claim.

Our run through the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds at 94.6 mph also seems slower than what we'd expect from a 304-hp engine. Some of the explanation can be found in this car's as-tested weight of 3,990 pounds, 300 pounds more than comparable cars like the BMW 335i and Lexus IS 350.

On the skid pad, the [FE3 suspension] CTS circles with 0.85g of lateral grip