Best Four-Door Family-Oriented Sports Cars

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
- Base price: $65,000 (est.)
- 556 hp, 551 lb-ft of torque
- Luxury American muscle The CTS-V sedan has been around since 2004, but Cadillac has only just begun offering its performance model in coupe and wagon forms. Although unavailable until later this year, the CTS-V Sport Wagon is poised to become the ultimate fast American family hauler. No official pricing is available yet, but we estimate that the wagon will come in at about $65,000, slightly higher than the CTS sedan's $62,845 (including $825 destination fee) sticker price. As with the sedan and coupe, the wagon will get Cadillac's 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 powerplant that churns out a tire-shredding 556 hp and 551 lb-ft. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The CTS-V's limited-slip differential helps both rear wheels turn together in any situation. Standard nineteen-inch forged-aluminum wheels come with performance tires. Brembo brakes are used at all corners, with six-piston calipers grabbing hold of fifteen-inch rotors up front and four-piston calipers gripping 14.7-inch rotors in the rear. Magnetic Ride Control dampers react to road conditions almost instantaneously, whereas user-selectable Touring and Sport modes allow just the right driving characteristics to be chosen. The CTS-V sedan can dash from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, but we expect the Sport Wagon's time to suffer slightly due to the extra 200 pounds that it carries. Standard heated and ventilated bucket seats keep front occupants happy, while dual-zone climate control aids in comfort as well. A power rear liftgate allows ease of access to the wagon's 25.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which can be expanded to 58 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. Side-curtain air bags are standard for both front and rear seating areas. A standard eight-inch navigation system is included, too, as is a ten-speaker Bose 5.1 surround-sound system. Music can be stored either on the 40-gigabyte hard drive or played via the USB connector. Rear passengers get a folding center armrest that will conveniently hold two cups. Cadillac says its V wagon will get the same EPA fuel economy rating as the sedan: 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. General Motors' OnStar comes as a free service for the first year of ownership. If you're interested in a go-fast luxury family hauler with plenty of cargo space, the CTS-V Sport Wagon is a strong candidate. Beware, though, that the souped-up Caddy wagon will be available only in limited supplies, so collectors might also be keen to snap up a copy or two for themselves.