This is the basic question we sought to answer in our first opportunity to drive the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. But first, let us give you a couple examples of how this math works, one on each end of the practicality-versus-beauty scale. Despite using many of the same building blocks, there's a world of difference between the desirability of an Audi A4 sedan and an Audi A5 coupe. Safe to say that in the minds and eyes of those around our office, the A5's beauty more than offsets its loss of capacity. Once upon a time, when two-door versions of sedans were more commonplace, there were both four-door and two-door versions of the Dodge Aries K-car. Now, the decision between those two might be just as easy as between the Audis, but the result would be different. Unless you happen to be viewing the coupe from the front, there's no mistaking it for the sedan with which it shares almost all of its mechanical systems. Sure, it shares a certain Cadillac-style angularity, but the coupe is a shocking thing to behold on the road.
In the grand scheme of things, the greater the differentiation between the sedan and the coupe, the better. And to the eyes of most on our staff, the coupe is unusually handsome. It does not follow the basic silhouette of the classic coupe — that smooth-and-sexy style executed so nicely on the A5 and the BMW 3 Series coupes. It looks, well, it must be said, like a hatchback of sorts. The angle of the backlight and trunk lid is so similar that from several paces away, it's not obvious that the CTS Coupe even has a trunk in the conventional sense. The arrangement means that the rear flanks of the coupe cover an unusual amount of square footage. Some love it; some dislike it intensely, but everyone can agree that it's going to look its best when wearing very, very large wheels. Our pre-production test car wore the optional 19-inch wheels that come with the Summer Tire package. We wouldn't go any smaller. And for a brand that's still climbing out of the doldrums of its recent history, polarizing, unconventional styling isn't a bad thing. Then again, unconventional styling can be much less, um, attractive. We're looking directly at you, BMW 6 Series coupe. We're buying wholeheartedly the shapes of the CTS Coupe's rear, yes, even the showy, chrome-rimmed exhaust outlets in the rear bumper cover. And we flat love the vertical taillights with their sharp peaks and the thorny-looking center brake light/spoiler. To offset all these vertical emphasis, Cadillac gave the coupe a wider rear track than the sedan (by about an inch). Another uncommonly attractive detail is the inset touchpads that replace the sedan's conventional door handles. They allow for an uninterrupted flow along the car's flank, and their angular shape nicely suits this origami car.
Aural pleasure is a wonderful thing. Because of the turbo-heavy power delivery, it's rather easy to steer the car with your right foot, especially with the active AMG Performance 4Matic torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and three-stage ESP. You can come into a turn too hot, and when you sense the first tiny bits of understeer, mash the throttle and let the torque do the work. You can almost feel the power running through every part of the car, as the rear wheels grab the road, the back end hunkers down, and any thought of silliness while cornering is avoided. There's a ton of grip available, and it's actually pretty tough to get the CLA to break loose. Oh, sure, you can do it, but it isn't necessary - there's a great deal of fun to be had with the 45's knife-like precision while cornering. Action through the steering wheel itself is solid, thanks to the speed-dependent, electrically assisted rack.
There's a nice on-center weight and plenty of feedback during turn-in, and the tiller's overall demeanour and response is that of a properly flickable hot hatch. It's easy to point the car exactly where you want it, with direct action and solid driver feedback. Braking is also dandy, with secure stopping feel and linear pedal action. You don't really need the Driver's Pack's increased top speed of 167 miles per hour, do you? 1,950 option left off my test car. Not only do you get the larger 19-inch wheels mentioned earlier, the AMG Performance Suspension is fitted with front and rear springs that are 20- and 22-percent stiffer than the base setup, respectively. I'm eager to test this configuration, as it'll no doubt make the CLA a better track attack missile, but for daily-driving duties, there's nothing wrong with the standard setup and its 18-inch rolling stock. Leaving this option off keeps the price down, too. Besides, you don't really need the Driver's Pack's increased top speed of 167 miles per hour, do you?
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