2005 Cadillac CTS 2.8L V6 VVT

Cadillac's CTS 2.8-liter V-6 is now the brand's cost leader with an MSRP of $30,885, $2250 lower than that of the 3.6-liter model's. Yet that marginally reduced price yields a lot less car for the buck: cloth seats instead of leather, a cabin devoid of wood trim, single (instead of dual) exhaust, and a loss of 45 horses and 57 pound-feet of torque. What is standard on its bigger brother becomes optional. Our decked-out leather-, sport-packaged, XM-, and nav-equipped tester bottom-lined for a stunning $38,180. For close to that, you could buy a similarly outfitted 3.6. Where's the value?

Pricing issues aside, this DOHC, all-aluminum V-6 (a smaller version of the 3.6-liter unit) provides ample, if not enthusiastic, power backed by the standard six-speed manual, although the sloppy shifter makes smooth driving tough. The 2.8's 210 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque propel this cut-rate Caddy to 60 in 8.2 seconds (1.6 slower than the bigger six) and through the quarter mile at 88.2 mph, lagging far behind competitors like the G35 sedan and 300C--which both get there a lot quicker. The junior CTS's strongest suit is handling. It bested the 3.6 in the slalom by two mph, and its 64.5-mph speed is comparable with that of its rivals--credit a new, well-tuned Sport suspension and rolling-stock package.

Yes, this model makes it possible to buy a CTS for just over $30,000. But if you want the amenities that make it feel like a Cadillac, you'll have to pay extra, which takes you straight into G35 and 300C price territory. And with all those cars have to offer (including the latter's 340-horse Hemi V-8), this Caddy becomes a tough sell.