Our verdict.
The Cadillac CT6 is one of the finest vehicles ever produced by the US auto industry. Its combination of refinement, performance, and technology is nothing short of world class.
But how does it fare as a European road trip car?
Actually, surprisingly well.
It's powerful, twin-turbo V6 means it delivers a fulfilling and dynamic experience at high speeds. With Active Suspension and precise steering, the Caddy is composed and confident in the corners. Even though it weighs in at 4,000 pounds, the CT6 feels incredibly light on its feel.
At 17-feet long and six feet wide, the CT6 is, by any measure, a large automobile. In Europe's narrow city centers, the Cadillac commands the driver's attention. However, with rear wheel steering to cut down on its turning radius and a movie-studio worth of cameras, the CT6 navigated its way through even the most cramped quarters we could find. Including narrow alleyways in Amsterdam.
The interior of the of the CT6 proved to be quiet, well-appointed, and ergonomically designed. The materials used are top notch while its style is a successful amalgam of modernity and classical luxury cues. It's obvious Cadillac spent money here.
The CT6 isn't your stereotypical American luxury barge. In fact, it feels more akin to a four-door grand tourer than anything else. A fast, powerful, cruiser designed to cover large distances across Europe while coddling its occupants in effortless luxury.
With Cadillac and especially the CT6, perception lags behind reality. The amount of investment and development work done on the CT6 is truly impressive. Having a few thousand miles behind the wheels of Europe's latest and greatest, the Cadillac CT6 gives the US true contender.
Four days and three country's later, we say goodbye the CT6.
Shortly after entering France, we made a stop for fuel. Overall, the Caddy managed a respectable 20 mpg of fuel economy in mixed driving.
However, it was the seat adjustments and massage feature that proved to be the most popular. Especially after a long few days and a cheese-heavy diet.
You can even plug-in a Chromecast to the rear-seat USB and stream video.
They are controlled using this handy remote.
However, as nice as the front seat may be, the back seat is where it's at. Our test car came with a pair of 10-inch retractable rear seat infotainment screens.
Our CT6 came with stunning 34-speaker Bose Panaray stereo system. While I admit I don't have the sharpest ear, the Bose system proved to be more than sufficient for all of my listening needs.
The CUE system also features Apple CarPlay integration.
The CT6 features a 10.2-inch touchscreen running the latest version of Cadillac's CUE infotainment system.
Even though the CUE system has drawn its fair share of criticism over the past few years, Cadillac has spent a considerable amount of time and effort to improve its responsiveness and usability. With that said, the system did find itself flummoxed by downtown Brussels and its many's pedestrian-only streets.
Like all GM products, our CT6 came equipped with OnStar and 4G LTE connectivity. This gave us in car wifi during our road trip. However, it should be noted that in-car 4G LTE service has not yet rolled out in all European markets.
We take this time to explore the Caddy's in-car tech. And there's quite a bit. Our car came with a full suite of driver's assistance features along with night vision.
The next morning, we leave Brussels for the 200-mile drive to Paris. Check out the cool head-up display!
We came upon this performance at the Park Bruxelles in the center of the city. Not exactly sure what's going on here.
After retiring the Caddy to a parking deck, we spend the rest of our day exploring the Belgian capital.
A couple of hours after leaving Kinderdijk, we reached Brussels.
Since 1997, the town and its world-famous windmills have been a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Just south of Rotterdam, we made a stop at the town of Kinderdijk.
... Rotterdam! Here are the cities famous Cube Houses.
From the Hague, we continue south to...
From Amsterdam, we head south to The Hague. Here's the CT6 in front of the Binnenhof. It's a complex of buildings that serve as offices for the Prime Minister of the Netherlands as well as the country's House of Representatives.
... We jam our luggage into the Caddy's 15 cubic foot trunk. All of our suitcases fit, but barely. It's one of the reasons why crossovers and SUVs are now king of the hill.
As we depart Amsterdam...
My friends and I spent a couple of days taking in the sights and sounds of Amsterdam while the Caddy spent that time neatly tucked away in an underground parking structure.
Back to Schiphol to pick up my friends.
On this day, the track played home to a host of racing motorcyles.
From 1948 to 1985, Zandvoort was home to the Dutch Grand Prix. As a car geek, I simply couldn't stay away.
I came to see the town's world famous race track.
As much as I appreciate the serenity of the North Sea, it's not the main reason I came to Zandvoort.
According to Cadillac, the top-spec CT6 can hit 60 mph in around 5.1 seconds.
Under the hood, our test car came with a 3.0 liter, twin-turbocharged V6. In US trim, the motor is good for 404 horsepower while this Euro-spec car is rated at 417 ponies.
Our CT6 test car was a fully-loaded all-wheel-drive Platinum edition. The CT6 Platinum starts at around $89,000 in the US and €95,000 in Germany.
As I waited for my friends' flights to arrive, I took the CT6 out for a spin. I headed west towards the shores of the North Sea to the town of Zandvoort.
There, I found a beautiful Phantom Gray Metallic 2017 CT6 sedan waiting for me. Our test car came from Cadillac Europe's demonstrator fleet.
For me, the road trip started at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
Here's the route. Our 350-mile trip will take us from the Netherlands through Belgium before wrapping up in Paris.
