In the Maxim Garage: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Think about the station wagon, and Clark Griswold's huffing, puffing, wood paneled beast comes to mind. Us 'murcans don't associate station wagons with cool. Take a wheel of the CTS Sport Wagon, though, like I did last weekend, and you'll think, why not?

Out on the road, it gets the looks. Not many people movers manage to grab eyeballs, but during my test drive, I got a bunch of double takes. (I confess not all of them were from the hot moms I was hoping for.) I'm sure the gawkers were probably just reflecting on the Sport Wagon's added sheet metal in the rear, which makes it an even better expression of Caddy's angular, cuts-and-curves design language than the CTS sedan that it's based on. I'm sure that's what they were thinking. 

I drove the six-speed automatic, which is mated to a 304-hp V6. Even packed with four adults, the Sport Wagon had enough kick to freak out my passengers during a high speed run down Manhattan's West Side Highway. Grabby Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 summer tires, a stiff suspension, and even weight distribution (51% up front, 49% in back) all help make it a surprisingly thrilling drive.

Inside, there's tons of room for sexy fun. Ninety-eight cubic feet of passenger space to be exact. Lots of hand sewn leather. Seats that fold flat. Dimmable LED lighting. Just saying. 

My only beef with the Sport Wagon is a byproduct of the CTS's aggressive design: both the high beltline and the massive D-pillars in back limit your visibility from the driver's seat, though it's nothing like the slim gun-turret view you get in a Camaro.  

Radical dads might want to wait til next year to pull the trigger. Cadillac will launch a "V" series performance version of the Sport Wagon, powered by a 556-hp supercharged V-8. Put Clark Griswold in one and he'd be right on pace with Christy Brinkley's Ferrari. Awesome.