The steering wheel, which to me feels somewhat larger than most, houses a bevy of buttons which can be programmed to control various electrical functions depending on the driver's preference. On the right side of the steering wheel is a rotary dial control for the audio volume. It surrounds a button for selecting an audio medium, such as AM, FM or CD. Both are easily actuated intuitively with the right thumb.

The steering wheel houses a bevy of buttons which can be programmed to control various electrical functions. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

Pulling best-in-class functionality from rival Audi, the CTS incorporates a rotary dial to open and close the glass sunroof. Rather than just offering two or three presets, the sunroof opens to one of many locations notched into the dial - nifty! What's not so nifty though is the single-disc CD player that accompanies the base audio unit. C'mon, this is a Cadillac isn't it? Regardless of what option boxes might be ticked on the purchase agreement, why would a prestigious auto-manufacturer send a unit out the door in today's marketplace without something that is standard in many lesser marques, such as a 6-disc in-dash CD changer? I would be more than a little ticked to discover that my $48,160 (price as tested) Cadillac could only accommodate a single CD. That complaint aside, the base audio system provides excellent sound.

Unfortunately, the 5-speed automatic transmission's console-mounted gear lever does not offer a manual mode or even a gated shifter. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

Another downer was that the console-mounted shifter for the 5-speed automatic transmission does not offer a manual shift mode, nor is the shift pattern gated to encourage hammering through the gears. There is however a sport-program which alters the automatic's shifting characteristics, favoring performance over economy. If switching gears yourself is really your thing, a 5-speed manual transmission is available. Once again, while it is wonderfully out of character for anything wearing the crested wreath brand to sport a manual gearbox, CTS rivals offer 6-speed units. What's more, it can only be acquired with the base engine at present, although plans do exists to bolt the manual Getrag to the 3.6-L in the near future.