I've been enamored with the CTS-V for quite some time, but as a long-time wagon guy, the new V Sport Wagon absolutely ticks all the right boxes for me. Power? This car's got it in spades. Handling? It grips, especially in sport mode, unless you turn off Stabilitrak and give the throttle a hard kick with your right foot. Practicality? Well, it seats four adults and offers almost 26 cubic feet of cargo space aft of the second row.
Like every other CTS-V I've driven, this car turns heads when viewed from the front, but necks immediately snap once bystanders get a load of the stretched roofline, angular D-pillars, and huge taillamp assemblies. If style takes a back seat to performance on V-line cars, it's still one magnificent throne. The finished product is brash yet beautiful.
My lone issue is the price. $63,660 isn't wholly unreasonable, considering the new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon is expected to sticker for nearly $20,000 more. That said, my brain also lumps the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 into the same category of brawny performance haulers -- and while it's not quite as engaging or enjoyable as the V, it's also nearly $8000 less, capable of towing 5000 pounds, and packs all-wheel-drive. Depending on where you live, the latter may be a key point...
