Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Premium Midsize Cars sport interior dimensions similar to Midsize Cars. Premium Midsize Cars offer more luxury, performance, and prestige when compared to Midsize Cars. This segment is one of the industry's fastest-growing categories.

Our Best Buys include the Acura TL, Infiniti M, and Lexus ES 350. Our Recommended picks are the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

New or significantly redesigned models include the Lexus GS 450h, Lincoln MKZ, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

A redesigned CTS starts sale this summer with fresh sheetmetal, a more upscale interior and first-time-available all-wheel drive. The revamp adds about an inch to wheelbase and two inches to width, plus a somewhat more-aggressive look, especially up front. A 3.6-liter V6 becomes the standard engine and gains 3 hp from '07 to reach 258. Optional is a 300-hp version with high-pressure direct fuel injection. Unlike other direct-injection engines, this one can run on regular-grade fuel (vs. premium) with no loss in performance or fuel economy. A six-speed manual transmission remains standard, while the optional automatic is a new six-speed unit. Rear-wheel drive remains standard too, but all-wheel drive is a new option.

The interior stresses attention to detail and use of higher-quality materials than in previous models. The upper dashboard and door-panel surfaces are cut and assembled by hand. Buyers can choose from genuine Sapele wood or satin metal trim. Pricing won't be announced until just before a scheduled summertime on-sale date. We should be getting our first drives in the '08 CTS soon, so keep checking back for that and other news.

The high-power CTS-V skips model-year '08 but returns for '09, reportedly with a supercharged Cadillac V8 that outpowers the current model's unblown Corvette engine. There's also the prospect of a CTS coupe (CTC?) for 2010 to take on the Mercedes CLK and BMW's 3-Series coupes. Cadillac's last 4-passenger coupe, the Eldorado, was dropped after 2003.