Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010) Review
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Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010) At A Glance
Based on the Saab 9-3 so decent handling. Well proven mechanicals. Saab-grade safety.
The ride is far from forgiving. Auto gearbox doesn't work that well with the V6 turbo, which also has overly light steering.
You can easily get people's attention. But to keep their attention you have to reward them.
You watch a football match for the skills and the goals. You read Jeremy Clarkson for the hilarious metaphors. You sit through the Wild Bean Café coffee commercial over and over again because the girl is gorgeous and the guy's expression at the end cracks you up.
Cars are all about rewards too. You could simply buy a car as a tool, to get X and Y from A to B. But increasingly people don't do that. They want something special they can feel good about and continue to feel good about every time they get into it. Their reward to themselves for all the hard work they have done. A car that sets them apart from other people. Marks them as an individual, not a number. That's why sales of standard family motors like Mondeos and Vectras are on the slide.
But we've even moved on from that. The BMW 3-Series now actually outsells the Mondeo, so while it is rewarding to drive, it hardly marks you out as an individual. These days, car buyers are constantly looking for something new. Something a bit special, that says they're brave enough to have broken away from convention and made an individual choice.
In the £20,000 to £25,000 bracket you could follow the crowd and ‘fit in' with a BMW 3-Series, an Audi A4 or a Mercedes C-Class. You could drive either to the golf club and no one would raise an eyebrow because no one would notice.
Reviews for Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals
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Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010) handling and engines
- Engines range from 1.9 TD to 2.8T V6
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 38 mpg
Over the last 10 year Cadillac has slowly been moving out of Florida American brash into East Coast American tasteful. Building a niche which is exclusively Cadillac. Nowadays the bad guys all drive black Chrysler 300Cs. The lawyers drive Cadillacs.
It's both tasteful and blingy at the same time. Slab sides, cheesecutter grille, and ‘V' shaped third rear brake light across the boot lid all clearly say ‘Cadillac'. Inside, the inability to resist brushed aluminium trims round air vents reflect badly, (in the windscreen). But the rest of it, especially the leather-bound steering wheel, is pleasant both to behold and to hold. You can get in there time after time and say to yourself, yes, I made the right choice.
You can pull up at a hotel and get the doorman's respect rather than his distain. You can take clients to a restaurant and instead of ignoring the car they ask you about it. You will be noticed rather than ignored.
And it's quite good to drive, as well. At least the diesel is. It shares the same GM/FIAT 1.9 common rail 150PS engine and 6-speed manual transmission as the Alfa 159, the Alfa Brera, The SAAB 9-3, the FIAT Croma, and, of course, various Vauxhall Signums, Vectras, Zafiras and Astras. And strangely enough it feels more like the Alfa than the others. It has a bit of bite to the front-end and feel to the steering. It goes well enough. Handles somewhere between the 159 and the 9-3. If you want, you can have the same excellent 6-speed automatic transmission as tested in the Zafira a few weeks ago.
The £31,600 255bhp 2.8 V6 turbo auto wasn't as impressive as the diesel. It's a lot faster, of course. But the steering curiously felt lighter with far less ‘feel'. And the 6-speed autobox wasn't as happy with this engine as I found it with the diesel in the Zafira. Left in Drive, cross-country, unless you drove very slowly, it kept changing at inopportune moments. And even in town it seemed to use too many gears. Manually, using the steering wheel toggles, it was much better. On the motorway it was fine. But then, who needs 255bhp to cruise at 75-80mph on the motorway? For that kind of money there are better choices. A bigger, rear-drive Cadillac CTS, for example. But the V6 Turbo exists as range topper if you want it.
The car's natural price level is £20,000 to £25,000. It actually starts at £20,728 for the 175bhp 2.0T petrol (almost echoing the Alfa 159). And goes up to £26,250 for the 210bhp 2.0T Sport Luxury auto. (The 2.0 litre petrol models have SAAB engines with 6-speed manuals or 5-speed autoboxes.) So if you live somewhere sensitive to the clatter of a diesel engine starting in the morning you can always opt for a 2.0 litre petrol.
The mechanicals are well proven and the safety levels are pure SAAB so there are no unforeseen worries. You will have an exclusive car that will remain a conversation piece for many years to come. And every time you get in and feel that fat leather steering wheel you know you're going to enjoy the drive.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 D | 45 mpg | 10.4 s | 167 g/km |
| 1.9 D 180 | 48 mpg | 9.1 s | 156 g/km |
| 1.9 TD | 46 mpg | 9.0–9.5 s | 164 g/km |
| 1.9 TD 180 | 50 mpg | 8.7 s | 151 g/km |
| 2.0T | 34–35 mpg | 8.0–8.8 s | 193–197 g/km |
| 2.0T 210 | 33–34 mpg | 7.4–7.8 s | 199–202 g/km |
| 2.0T Flexpower | 34 mpg | 8.2 s | 197 g/km |
| 2.8T V6 | 26–28 mpg | 6.5–7.4 s | 245–254 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
80%
Real MPG
38 mpg
MPGs submitted
1
Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010) interior
- Boot space is 419–425 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4680–4716 mm |
| Width | 1752 mm |
| Height | 1471–1543 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2675 mm |
You pay for the decent handling with ride quality on 17" wheels with 225/45 tyres that is far from magic carpet. Wind and mechanical noise levels are so low that all you hear are the tyres, which can drone a bit on bad surfaces. (The 18" wheel option is definitely not advised.) You can have a high quality BOSE sound system if you want. And touch-screen satnav. The Bluetooth adaptability allows you to cradle some phones and benefit from the car's power supply and external antenna. Or you can simply set your phone to recognise the car's hand's free system and leave the phone in your pocket.
Cadillac BLS (2006 – 2010) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4680–4716 mm |
| Width | 1752 mm |
| Height | 1471–1543 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2675 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1460–1625 kg |
| Boot Space | 419–425 L |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Servicing | 10000–18000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £20,728–£30,998 |
| Insurance Groups | - |
| Road Tax Bands | G–L |
| Official MPG | 26.4–49.6 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
On sale until May 2009
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.9 D Elegance (180ps) 5dr | £24,550 | 47.9 mpg | 9.1 s |
| 1.9 D Elegance (180ps) 5dr Auto | £24,550 | - | - |
| 1.9 D Elegance 5dr | £23,500 | 44.8 mpg | 10.4 s |
| 1.9 D Elegance 5dr Auto | £23,500 | - | - |
| 2.0T Elegance (210ps) 5dr | £24,000 | 34.0 mpg | 7.8 s |
| 2.0T Elegance (210ps) 5dr Auto | £24,000 | - | - |
| 2.0T Elegance 5dr | £23,000 | 34.0 mpg | 8.8 s |
| 2.0T Elegance 5dr Auto | £23,000 | - | - |
| 2.0T Flexpower Elegance 5dr | £23,600 | 34.0 mpg | 8.2 s |
| 2.0T Flexpower Elegance 5dr Auto | £23,600 | - | - |
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.9 D Elegance (180ps) 4dr | £23,550 | 49.6 mpg | 8.7 s |
| 1.9 D Elegance (180ps) 4dr Auto | £23,550 | - | - |
| 1.9 D Elegance 4dr | £22,500 | 46.3 mpg | 9.5 s |
| 1.9 D Elegance 4dr Auto | £22,500 | - | - |
| 2.0T Elegance (210ps) 4dr | £23,000 | 33.2 mpg | 7.7 s |
| 2.0T Elegance (210ps) 4dr Auto | £23,000 | - | - |
| 2.0T Elegance 4dr | £22,000 | 34.0 mpg | 8.7 s |
| 2.0T Elegance 4dr Auto | £22,000 | - | - |
| 2.0T Flexpower Elegance 4dr | £22,600 | 34.0 mpg | 8.1 s |
| 2.0T Flexpower Elegance 4dr Auto | £22,600 | - | - |
On sale until February 2009
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 2.8T V6 Elegance 5dr | £29,100 | 26.4 mpg | 7.4 s |
| 2.8T V6 Elegance 5dr Auto | £29,100 | - | - |
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 2.8T V6 Elegance 4dr | £28,100 | 27.7 mpg | 6.7 s |
| 2.8T V6 Elegance 4dr Auto | £28,100 | - | - |
On sale until October 2007
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.9 TD Luxury | £25,073 | 46.3 mpg | 9.0 s |
| 1.9 TD Luxury Auto | £25,073 | - | - |
| 1.9 TD SE | £21,473 | 46.3 mpg | 9.0 s |
| 1.9 TD SE Auto | £21,473 | - | - |
| 2.0T Luxury | £24,278 | 34.9 mpg | 8.0 s |
| 2.0T Luxury (210hp) | £25,678 | 33.2 mpg | 7.4 s |
| 2.0T Luxury (210hp) Auto | £25,678 | - | - |
| 2.0T Luxury Auto | £24,278 | - | - |
| 2.0T SE | £20,728 | 34.9 mpg | 8.0 s |
| 2.0T SE Auto | £20,728 | - | - |
| 2.8 V6 Sport Luxury | £30,998 | 27.7 mpg | 6.5 s |
| 2.8 V6 Sport Luxury Auto | £30,998 | - | - |
Model History
March 2005
BLS for Europe unveiled
Production version first shown at Geneva on Based on same Epsilon floorpan as Vectra and Saab 9-3. 4,680mm (15' 4") long x 1,752mm (5' 9") wide. Swedish built at SAAB factory. In UK with RHD from 2006.
Same Fiat/Alfa 150ps 1.9 diesel as Saab and Vauxhall. 1.9-litre four-cylinder common-rail diesel features a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter to comply with Euro 4 emission standards. Two 2.0-litre SAAB four-cylinder petrol turbo engines (175, 210ps) and same 2.8-litre V6 turbo as SAAB and Vectra VXR with 255bhp. All engines can be combined with either manual or an automatic transmission, so the 255bhp should have same 160mph top speed as Vectra VXR.
Sold in UK through Stratstone Cadillac & Corvette in nine UK dealerships: Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Park Lane in London, Croydon, Reading, Cardiff and Leicester. Prices from £19,950 for 2.0 175PS 2.0 petrol turbo.
1.9-litre four-cylinder 150 hp common-rail direct-injection diesel offered with choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cruise control, ABS and alloy wheels, with prices from £20,750.
Top of the range model is Cadillac BLS 2.8-litre V6 turbo, which has 255 hp (188 kW), a six-speed automatic gearbox with Driver Shift Control and prices starting at £30,200.
March 2007
BLS Station Wagon announced
Arrived in UK in January 2008 along with upgraded 2008 BLS line-up. New 180 ps high-power diesel and 200 ps petrol-bioethanol engines. 2008 BLS model range from £21,495.
Choice of six engines from 150 to 255 ps. Now a single trim spec ‘Elegance’. Every BLS Wagon and Saloon comes with premium equipment such as leather trim, powered and heated front seats, a BOSE Surround Sound 11-speaker audio system, DVD sat-nav, hands-free Bluetooth phone system, dual zone climate control, cruise control, park distance sensors and StabiliTrak electronic dynamic stability control.
For 2008, the Cadillac BLS comes with almost £4,000 worth of additional equipment as standard. Prices start at £21,495 (on-the-road) for the 175 ps petrol and 150 ps diesel models, in both Wagon and Saloon variants.
Designed in Europe, for European consumers, the premium mid-size Cadillac BLS Wagon and Saloon are manufactured (in right-hand drive for the UK market) at the state-of-the-art GM plant in Trollhättan, Sweden.
What to watch out for
On 1.9 JTDM timing belt drives waterpump and waterpump failure can fling it off in as little as 40k miles, wrecking the engine. Has been trouble with the particulate filter, EGR and inlet manifold swirl chamber in other applications of this engine.
1.9 diesels can be good to drive, but give a lot of problems:
Failed inlet manifold swirl flaps (and the flaps can beak and be ingested by the engine).
Failed EGRs.
Choked DPFs.
Failed timing belts, often because the waterpump seized. Belt, tensioner, pulleys and waterpump need replacing every 40,000 miles.
Failed oil pumps.
Failed alternators.
Failed dual mass flywheels.
Failed turbos.
