Following up the Buick Enclave in the GM Ambassador Car program is the sporty Cadillac CTS-V Series Wagon. While the wagon body style wouldn't ever really be my first choice, it was the only one available at the time that I made my reservations. I quickly learned to deal with it when I slid behind the wheel and pressed the gas pedal for the first time. Until I saw the price tag, that is... a whopping $74,550, including a $2,600 gas guzzler tax!

    I could never justify a car like this, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't love to have it parked in my garage. If I won the lottery, a car like this would be on my wish list. I would probably settle for the sedan, but the coupe would be nice as well. The interior was nice... I loved the seats - optional $3,400 Recaro seats that were heated/cooled, and had were 10-way adjustable, including the side bolsters. They also had suede inserts, as did the back seats. I did not like the layout and ease of use of the buttons on the center stack, including those for the radio, navigation system, and various other functions. I did not find them intuitive at all.

    Over the course of the entire week that I had the car, I averaged 17.3MPG. This falls in line with 12 city/18 highway EPA estimates. That included a fair amount of hard accelerations, and maybe one or two trips over the posted speed limit (by only a mile or two though...). On my last three trips to work, driving more like I normally would, I managed a more than respectable 19.6MPG. Of course, a car like this requires premium fuel, and my time with it coincided with a $0.40 cent/gallon jump in the price of gas, meaning that the premium price was at least $4.49/gallon. Ouch.

    Overall I like the car very much. Once you get accustomed to the various features it does become easier to use. I would prefer to be able to jump in to a car and have things feel natural, and this car failed in that regard in respect to the center console. Otherwise I give it an A+ for fun to drive!

2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
	A look at the front of the CTS-V reveals the special grill treatment that all V-Series cars get, along with the bulge on the hood that allows for the supercharged 6.2L V-8 to fit underneath.
	A front 3/4 view of the CTS-V.
	A look at the back end of the CTS-V, including the oh-so tall taillights.
	The rear 3/4 view of the CTS-V.
	The 19" graphite wheels were an $800 option, as was the $595 yellow brake calipers (the other option is red, which would have been my choice). The "Black Diamond Tricoat" paint was also optional, and carried a $995 price tag.
	The V-Series logo on the door.
	Another look at the front of the car, this time with the headlights and fog-lights on.
	Another view of the Cadillac.
	The "Ultraview Sunroof" was an $1150 option, and included a power shade. Only the front half opened, however.
	A look at the dashboard, including the optional "Sueded Steering Wheel & Shifter, which ran $300.
	The back row seating was comfortable if not the most luxurious. The seats had suede inserts, but the kids complained about the lack of heating/AC controls back there (they have grown use to this in the van and the Enclave).
	The front seating area.
	Each of the seats were adorned with the V-Series logo below the headrests.
	The seats were supplied by Recaro, and carried a stiff $3400 option price, but that did include metal petals! They were also heated and vented, and the vented feature sure can in handy as the inside of this car seemed to get quite hot when sitting out in the sun.
	A look at the rear storage compartment, including the power hatch.
	A look at the rear storage compartment with the sun shade closed.
	The Cadillac crest on the hatch.
	The window, mirror, and door lock controls were on the door.