Spring Brake 2010: So many cars, so few hours

[Bruce Nunnally]

Cadillac CTS-V

Who'da thunk it would be Cadillac that stuffed a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 into a luxury sedan? The car puts out 556 horsepower via your choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission and transports the 4,300-pound vehicle from zero to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds. Electronic suspension controls give the CTS-V equally impressive handling. If this is your daddy's Caddy, he was holding back on you.

At a price point in the mid 60s, the CTS-V is a serious player in the premium performance sedan category, a neighborhood populated with the likes of BMW's M5 and Mercedes-Benz AMGs.

Cadillac SRX

In truth I wanted to drive the CTS sports wagon but the SRX was available, and I'd just spent a weekend with my daughter in an Acura MDX that she was inclined to buy. The SRX is a competitor of the MDX, and I liked it — a lot, and that's saying something for a driver who's never been enamored by the SUV movement.

Read More: http://www.boston.com/cars/newsandreviews/overdrive/2010/06/spring_brake_2010_so_many_cars.html

The all-wheel-drive SRX had a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 that offered V-8 type performance but smaller V-6 economy when driven conservatively. But what really blew me away was the instrument panel, which was as striking as I've seen. The gauges glow bright white, with black numbers and red needles. In the center is a blue oval with compass direction at the top, digital speedometer, and vehicle information available to toggle through.