2018 Cadillac CT6

Nicholas Maronese: A Cadillac rolling out of the dealership with a $100,000-plus sticker in the window is a rare sight, even if you plumbed the depths of the past century of Caddies and adjusted their MSRPs for inflation. You’re really talking about a half-dozen or so production Cadillacs cracking six figures like that, so justifying the CT6 Platinum’s price tag is already an uphill battle.

Compare the Cadillac CT6 side-by-side against the pricey, leather-lined competition right here

A big help, of course, is just the style of the thing—this is one of the first Cadillacs in a long time that to me looks the part. The proportions are spot-on, the details are functional yet handsome, and the optional 20-inch wheels look right-sized and fill the wells perfectly. Our CT6 came in a new Dark Adriatic Blue that also just looked money. Unlike some of its rivals, the CT6 rocks that six-figure aesthetic, even if the name seems sort of stupid.

The system is based on an exhaustively extensive mapping of highways criss-crossing North America. Cadillac had them laser-scanned and 3D-mapped so that the car isn’t reacting to a curve, it’s predicting it. The maps are updated to include construction zones and new routes constantly. Those maps work in conjunction with real-time LiDAR sensors peppered around the vehicle to prevent contact with other cars and pedestrians.

The system can be engaged on any divided highway at any speed over 50 km/h. You still have to keep your eyes on the road, and a little camera mounted on the steering column keeps you honest. You might think that watching the road without driving would be more tiring than normal driving, but I’m here to tell you it isn’t. The Super Cruise function, coupled with the massaging seats, combine to make one extremely relaxing highway-muncher.

NM: Ditto all that. It felt way too easy to trust the Super Cruise, and I’m wondering if it was the rest of the luxurious cabin that helped facilitate that. From the first time I stepped into it, everything felt top-notch, about the level it should be. However, the first thing I noticed that did let me down was the touchscreen on the dashboard. Some of the digital buttons on-screen just didn’t like my fingers, especially the ones on the nav menu keyboard, and took a lot of repeat attempts to work. The CUE system was generally all right, but also wasn’t necessarily super-intuitive, and I had to resort to the manual once or twice to figure out how to access certain sub-menus.

Those foibles were easily forgiven, though, because the rest of the interior was fantastically well -finished. The Light Cashmere and Maple Sugar-coloured leather upholstery was beautifully complemented by high-gloss real wood trim that all came together with a solid fit-and-finish.

Every modern feature you could ask for was there, most of them at the touch of a single button—for example, the power rear sunshade to keep those UV rays from coming through the back window, or the aforementioned massage function that I basically kept on the whole time I was in the car. The CT6 is definitely the kind of sedan meant to be just as comfortable for rear-seat passengers as for those in front, but I was still more than happy in the 20-way ventilated (and heated) driver’s seat.

CS: The driver’s seat is especially comfortable because the Caddy rides deliciously well. It’s not taut like a BMW or wallow-y like a Lincoln; it’s just right. Cadillac has found the magical middle ground between sporty and cushy and splits the difference perfectly. Potholes go largely unnoticed, but heave the big sedan into a corner and it won’t embarrass itself. Road noise is also at an absolute minimum and only the faintest hums of motor and asphalt are allowed to intrude.

But Nick is right about the smudgy nature of the touchscreen; it gets dirty immediately after use, and the smudges distract from the otherwise smart design of the interior. The sound system also deserves some kudos for its clean sound and bass that doesn’t overwhelm you. Chrysler, take note!

NM: Our CT6 came with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo six underhood, which moved out with aplomb when you let its 404 horses out of their stables—turbo lag not found. The instrument cluster lets you know in real-time exactly how many cylinders it was deactivating to help keep the fuel bill down, and the AWD was much appreciated, too.

That said, the transmission wasn’t the smoothest, with some noticeably abrupt shifts and some jerkiness in response to certain throttle and brake inputs. The suspension was adequately smooth, like Clayton said, but considering that trait is something of a Cadillac hallmark, the CT6’s shortcomings in the shift department were particularly off-putting.

The other complaint I have drivetrain-wise is that the CT6 – which prefers to drink 93-octane premium fuel, though it’ll make do on the more-common 91 – is that is has a capless gas fill-up opening that, at two different stations, couldn’t take the nozzle properly and wouldn’t let me fill the tank.

CS: As Nick mentioned, very few Cadillacs throughout history have crested $100,000, but a Super Cruise-equipped CT6 seems to be very much worth the coin. While Chrysler has been sniffing glue since the introduction of the 300 over 13 years ago and Lincoln has spent their time deciding what new clothes to dress up a Fusion in, Cadillac has made a real class-leading luxury sedan.

It’s not sporty but it’s powerful, and it’s not flashy but it’s dramatic. The Super Cruise function ushers in a new level of highway relaxation and the cockpit is more luxurious than a penthouse suite.

Flaws? Well, technically, there are 100,000 of them, one for each dollar in the list price for our tester if you feel like you instead need something wearing a BMW or Benz badge. But if it was my money, I’d say it’s worth it.