The most disturbing of their models, of course, is the Escalade. Not only is it a complete behemoth, but making matters worse is that it's also got such caché and remains such a popular status symbol. I suppose they should be commended at least a little bit for offering it as a hybrid:
The hybrid gets, at the most, 21mpg on the highway, which is completely ridiculous. The fact that even in a hybrid model, this monstrosity still gets no higher mileage than that proves without question that you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking of driving one, outside of a few very peculiar situations.
The CTS-V, though, is truly gorgeous:
I always tend to like the original lines without all the spoilers cluttering it up, but still nice. It has 556hp, which is completely insane, and it does 0-60 in an astonishing 3.9 seconds, making it the fastest in its class. It gets 24mpg on the highway, which isn't too bad for a car with so much power, but it's fairly pathetic in the city at 15mpg.
My favorite of them is the XLR:
Click images for larger views.
I think it's one of the most beautiful cars on the road, but for more than just its silhouette. I mean, if I were to be purist about it, the XLR can't hold a candle to Pininfarina:
--Photo courtesy Drive.
Of course, it's not 1969 anymore, either. The XLR isn't voluptuous, it's sharp, like a knife slicing down the road. Its hard lines converge into almost crystalline formations, and rise up into the most regal peaks. The taillight looks like a finely cut ruby. It's the formal language of luxury, at which Cadillac has often been one of the best. All together, the fact that it so much looks like a Cadillac is what I love most about it. With no crest, you still know immediately that this is no Ferrari, or Jaguar, or Lexus. It has a very distinct personality, something so many manufacturers sadly lack in their cookie-cutter offerings, one easily interchangeable with the next.
©2009, Ryan Witte
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