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Cadillac CT5 Luggage Test | How big is the trunk?

The Cadillac CT5 is a midsize luxury sedan. At least by today's standards. By the standards of Cadillac's past, it's practically a compact. At 193.8 inches long, the CT5 is 3 inches shorter than its STS predecessor of 15 years ago and 11 inches shorter than the Seville of 25 years ago. This is significant since virtually every other car brand's offerings have grown from generation-to-generation. See the BMW 5 Series as just one example. You'd have to go back to the 1980s to find a CT5 ancestor that's smaller, though that stubby thing was an aberration.   Honestly, I'm just sharing that because I think it's interesting. This post is about trunk space, and exterior size doesn't necessarily equate to how much junk you can fit in the trunk. In fact, the CT5 is pretty good example of that. Although smaller than its predecessors, the CT5 is still an awfully big car that's comparable to other midsize luxury sedans, including the 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The trunk, however, is notably smaller than what you'd get in those with a rather rinky-dink 11.9 cubic feet. That's coupe territory and less than what you'd get in some subcompact sedans. The A6 and E-Class are in the 13-cube range, while the 5 Series apparently has 14.5 cubic feet.  So, how small is 11.9 cubic feet? Although plenty wide at the rear, which should be handy for golf clubs, the CT5's trunk isn't very long compared to all those competitors. The A6's is narrower but also practically a tunnel by comparison. Also, note the ramp-like structures along the outer edges. Besides making loading a hassle, they effectively make the trunk even smaller than the 11.4 cubic-feet that's technically there since it's so difficult to load items right up to the wheel wells. You can see a closer look at those "ramps" above left along with the smallish pass through that oddly looks like a previous-generation Hyundai Sonata's grille.  Above right you can see the underfloor storage. There is no spare tire.  Besides those "ramps" impeding luggage loading from below, these giant speakers hanging down from the parcel shelf sure don't help, either. Watch your hands while loading, as well as anything that might be easily scratched (or that might damage the speakers) OK, let's get to the bags.

Cadillac ad boss is happy controversial Poolside TV ad created debate

Remember Cadillac's controversial commercial for it ELR plug-in hybrid? Did you find it provocative? If so, that's a good thing according to the brand's advertising director, Craig Bierley. First aired during NBC's coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony, the minute-long spot returned to the tele again this weekend, bookending the Academy Awards on ABC. Titled Poolside, the bit was meant as "brand provocation" and whether you enjoyed it or not – sentiment is said to run 3:1 on the pro side – we can probably all agree it fulfilled its role as such. If you were one of those who felt the ad erred on the side of nationalistic consumerism (or what have you), your anger might be somewhat assuaged after reading this article from Advertising Age in which Bierley addresses most of what he believes are misconceptions about the message. For one, the spot isn't aimed at the One Percent, just those who make $200,000 a year. Or, as Craig Bierley, Cadillac's advertising director, calls them, "people who haven't been given anything." Bierley told Advertising Age that the spot doesn't celebrate workaholicsm, instead, "We're not making a statement saying, 'We want people to work hard.' What we're saying is that hard work has its payoffs.'" While our commentors seemed mostly to enjoy discussing the value proposition that is (or is not, depending on your point of view) the Cadillac ELR, the majority appeared to enjoy the commercial. If you were one of those offended, however, let us know if your opinion has changed upon reading Cadillac's defense. If you don't remember what all the fuss was about, scroll below to take another dip in Poolside.

Canada opens probe into 250,000 GM pickups, SUVs over brake performance

Transport Canada, the auto safety regulator, has opened a probe into braking issues in nearly 250,000 General Motors full-size pickups and SUVs after U.S. officials launched a similar probe last year, the agency said on its website. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in November into 2.73 million U.S. 2014-2016 model year SUVs and pickups after receiving 487 reports of hard brake pedal effort accompanied by extended stopping distance that were attributed to deterioration of the engine-driven brake assist vacuum pump. Transport Canada's probe covers 249,700 2015 through 2017 model year vehicles including the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon as well as 2014-2017 Chevrolet Silverado LD and GMC Sierra LD vehicles. The U.S. agency said it had reports of nine incidents of vehicles incurring damage as a result of colliding with another vehicle or fixed object at low speeds and reports of two injuries. NHTSA said if the pump fails to operate, the amount of brake power assist can be significantly reduced, extending vehicle stopping distance. The NHTSA sent GM an information request in a Feb. 7 letter. A GM spokesman said he had no update on the investigation. Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis