2005 BMW 3-Series in Manhattan Beach

Introducing the new 3-series to the U.S. press, BMW USA chief Tom Purves gave a paean to the sport sedan, which he said "combines the essential commodities of agility, performance, and style." We couldn't agree more. That's what makes the sport sedan such a compelling and popular choice for the driving enthusiast. No wonder, then, that so many carmakers want into this group. Our roundup of sport sedans could have included a dozen cars, but in the end, we decided to make things easier on you--and, frankly, ourselves--by gathering the strongest entrants from each continent: the BMW 330i from Europe, the Cadillac CTS from North America, and the Infiniti G35 from Asia. For purity of experience, we chose rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission, the top six-cylinder engine, and the sportiest suspension in each case. We headed for Ohio and West Virginia back roads--including some unpaved ones--and then returned to our battered home turf and spent a day at Waterford Hills racetrack, where we could chew up tires and burn through brake pads with abandon.

Cadillac CTS

It wasn't too long ago that the notion of a best North American entry would have been absurd. It took Cadillac--cue the Led Zeppelin sound track--to make something seriously competitive in the CTS. For 2005, Cadillac added a six-speed stick to mate with the 3.6-liter DOHC V-6. The available Sport package adds a firmer suspension, stability control, speed-sensitive power steering, stronger brake linings, load leveling, and seventeen-inch wheels and tires.... Read full article