For as long as I've been reading car comparisons in the major automotive magazines, I don't remember the competitors getting hammered sooo bad as in this comparo.
Usually, when you boil it down the winner wins by anywhere from a tenth of a second, to a half a second.
And, the competitors will shine in a few of the tests and beat the winner.
It's NEVER an un-adulterated knockout.
At least, for as long as I remember.
Until now.
I was at the dentist paging through the usual list of old mags when I came across this comparo in the September issue of Automobile magazine (I used to like it best but I prefer Motor Trend since Angus took over the reins).
And as I was skimming over the article comparing the BMW 335, Mercedes C350 and new Cadillac CTS, my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw their performance numbers.
WOW!
This wasn’t a comparo, it was an old fashioned ass-whipping!
Take a look at the numbers and see for yourself.
Here’s one I’m sure the Mercedes and GM guys stewing on right now…0-120, the 335 beats the Cadillac CTS by 7.2 seconds!!!!!! And the C350 by 6.1 seconds!!!
Are you kidding me?
By the time they finished and saw the carnage, I don’t think they even had the heart do a gas mileage rating…because the 335 would have KILLED the CTS and C350 there as well.
Bottom line?
The 335 competitors REALLY have to do some major homework to solve this Rubic’s cube!
*We just got a call from Cadillac PR mentioning these test parameters were not fair because the 335 and C350 were tested on dry pavement in the USA and the CTS was tested on the ring in Germany in the rain.
Here's is the exact quote from the article:
"Our 6.6 0-to-60-mph time was measured under less-than-ideal conditions on the fly in Germany; it likely would have been a few tenths lower if we had been able to test the CTS in Michigan, as we did the BMW and the Benz."
Our Cadillac PR contact tells us that with a manual the CTS does about 5.8 seconds 0-60 on dry pavement.
So, take this Automobile article with a grain of salt...
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