AUTOBUZZ WITH STAN RISENER OF KCAUTOSOURCE

If I were to say, "this is the Cadillac" of coffee makers, I would be communicating that it was the ultimate in quality and luxury. The name Cadillac remains synonymous with excellence and prestige in spite of the car company doing their best to tarnish their name in the past few decades. Cadillac remains engrained into our vocabulary as a symbol of American luxury.

I must admit my apprehension as former Kansas State basketball star turned Major Cadillac Sales Manager Tom Alfaro handed me the keys to this beautiful black 2003 Cadillac CTS. As one who respected the brand, I've witnessed first hand the disastrous Cimarron and even disappointing Catera as Cadillac covets a younger more sophisticated demographic.

However the 2003 Cadillac CTS is different. The edgy design is the substance of all new Cadillac designs cutting through the clutter of look-alike European and Japanese luxury sport sedans. The look is fresh and sharp.

Just as Major Cadillac is unique by surviving and even thriving in the urban core, this young Cadillac CTS promises to fight for a younger buyer while keeping the old school traditions of luxury and quality. It's a battle that Cadillac must win for it's name to remain a part of our vocabulary.

As I walked around the car the first thing I noticed is that the $29,650.00 base price was enhanced by over ten thousand dollars in options bringing the total price as tested to over forty thousand dollars. At first I believed it a mistake to make such features as high intensity headlights and folding rear seats options rather than standard equipment as with other high-end vehicles. Then I realized that this is an American car with American values such as individually and choice.

So rather than a company telling you, "it's my way or the highway", Cadillac let's you personalize and build the vehicle to your individual taste. Just remember that as in life, every choice has costs and the choices here are not cheap.

I drove the vehicle on a variety of roads, highways, and by-ways to appreciate the handling and quality. One of my last stops was the Liberty Memorial just a few blocks from the dealership. I guess it's because of the recent war and the fact that I am a history buff at heart that I visited this memorial to so many lost lives.

I stood before the 217-foot tall Memorial Tower reminding me of sacrifices that have made this country strong and secure, and was proud to be driving a truly American legend. I wasn't driving a luxury car from the country that fought two world wars with us. I wasn't even driving a car from the country that bombed Pearl Harbor. I was driving an American sport luxury sedan that competed with anything from Europe or Asia.

So as I stood out on the deck of the Liberty Memorial Museum and looked over at Union Station where so many returning soldiers met loved ones after surviving those terrible wars, I was proud that Cadillac finally produced a car that competed in this sport luxury class with anyone in the world.

However reality finally set in after I had returned the car. There really is no "American" car company and the concept of "built in America" gets real fuzzy when you look at facts. GM the owner of Cadillac is a multi national company that also owns the Swedish car company Saab and the Australian manufacturer Holden. With plants all over the world and alliances with Fiat, Fuji, Subaru, Suzuki and even Daewoo, GM is a world company. Ford of course owns Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and even Aston Martin. Chrysler even is a German company married to Mercedes Benz as Daimler Chrysler.

If I want a Luxury vehicle built in America, how about considering a BMW X5? It's built in Spartanburg South Carolina. Of course nothing is more American than the big rear wheel drive Ford Crown Victoria, but it's built in Canada.

While the 2003 Cadillac CTS is built in Lansing Michigan, over 23 suppliers from all over the world contribute to the final assembly. Even that snappy 5speed Automatic transmission is shared with BMW.

So while, I can't make a logical case that driving a Cadillac CTS is more patriotic than driving a German or Japanese brand, I certainly feel like I am. Combined with the historical Cadillac perception of quality and luxury, I at least feel like this is a logical decision. After all, how a car makes you feel is one of the most important feature. The 2003 Cadillac CTS makes you feel good, so therefore it's a great choice.