Cadillac's CTS Sport Wagon weds fun and function

Buying a car is much like getting married.

The courtship allows you to look over any flaws, the honeymoon makes you forget about them, and only on the commute to work do you undergo a David Byrne epiphany: This is not my beautiful car. No wonder the divorce rate in America hovers around 6,000 percent.

But such a regret would never enter your mind behind the wheel of the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, the logical European-inspired version of the stellar CTS sedan. It's so much fun you almost forget the cavernous space in the back, until, of course, you need to load it up with groceries, luggage and golf clubs.

A wagon should be the first family vehicle for any newly joined couple. It makes a statement about the future that few other vehicles can. It says the "me" has become a "we" and, together, "we" have more stuff to haul around.

That idea came to mind as my wife and I headed to our friends' nuptials in the CTS Sport Wagon. It would have served us well when we began our lives with a copilot on board. The all-new wagon, in dealerships now, would have been fantastic.

This CTS purred along U.S. 23 as we drove to Dexter, the 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 hardly making any sound. There was always plenty of power at hand -- 304 ponies to be exact.

Really, most of the car is like the CTS -- it's the same car all the way back to the second set of doors. From there, Cadillac changed the car's backside to give it the wagon look and feel. (It also had to change the roof for obvious reasons.)

The front end is distinctively Cadillac, a face the brand continues to polish with a powerful grille and bejeweled adaptive headlamps.

Instead of downplaying the wagon, Cadillac brags with its design. The taillights stretch almost all the way from the bumper to the roof. The horizontal brake light, known as the CHMSL, is integrated into the small spoiler on the roof. The whole back end confidently lights up when you slow down. Attitude becomes this particular Cadillac.

Modern, classic style

Much like the CTS, the Sport Wagon boasts a well-thought-out interior. There's a function to the form and style. Complementary pairing is essential to design and marriage.

There are the hand-cut and sewn accents with French stitching, the distinct clean instrument gauges and optional pop-up screen that controls the navigation system and Bose stereo. Even when the screen is pushed down so its top is flush with the dash, it displays an abbreviated version of the screen, so you can follow the music playing through your iPhone, conveniently stowed in the center console.

The comfortable leather seats held us in place as we zipped around corners and the engine came to life through its paddle shifting six-speed automatic transmission along the back roads outside of Dexter, ensuring we got to the ceremony on time.

There's even an optional panoramic roof that will let everyone enjoy blue skies and sunny days.

The navigation system helped us carry out a little tradition of our own before the ceremony: It located a McDonald's for us along our route, so we could snack on double cheeseburgers before we arrived. You never know if someone is going to sing all 211 minutes of Ave Maria.

Like so many other newlyweds, this freshly minted couple's life fits neatly into the CTS Sport Wagon and the pair could afford the $40,000 starting price (which is cheaper than similar-sized European wagons, such as the BMW 5 Series).

They're successful in their respective professions, spend long weekends camping, biking and visiting friends. The Sport Wagon would let them arrive at any occasion fully prepared in modern classic style.

Pure sport handling

Cadillac offers the wagon with a 3-liter direct injection that produces 270 horsepower and 223 pound-feet of torque. It will also give you 27 miles per gallon on the highway and 18 mpg in the city -- very respectable numbers for a car that weighs more than 4,200 pounds.

If you opt for the all-wheel drive model, the mileage is 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Cadillac says it has an extremely high take rate for all-wheel drive models, with about half of all owners wanting power at all four wheels instead of just the rear.

The ride and handling is pure sport, and unless you look behind you you'd never know it was a wagon. Cadillac provides three levels of suspensions: FE1, FE2 and FE3. Each level is progressively firmer, with FE3 only available on 3.6-liter models with rear-wheel drive. Enthusiasts might like it, but it's probably too much for most wagon-goers.

The independent front and multilink rear in FE1 is more than enough to keep the car's body from rolling through hard turns and provide a nice grip on the road.

The ride is smooth but firm, the steering exact and well balanced, just like the CTS. It easily handles daily errands and makes weekend getaway much more enjoyable. This Cadillac is prepared for the long haul, just like the brides we watched walk down the aisle.

Mature but youthful

Many drivers will appreciate the CTS Sport Wagon's additional features, such as keyless access and remote start, Bluetooth connectivity and ultrasonic park assist -- a handy feature that takes a little adjusting to when backing up.

There are some ingenious features in the back, such as the cargo organization system that lets you fold up the floor and wedge plastic bags from the grocery store to prevent them from sliding. The power liftgate is programmable to adjust its opening height.

Fold down the 60/40 split second row and there's more than 53 cubic feet of space. There's even an optional cargo net that allows you to block off the first or second row from the back in case what you're carrying barks.

Additionally, the CTS Sport Wagon provides plenty of safety features that can ensure every couple has a long and lasting marriage. Dual state front air bags, side-curtain air bags for both rows, electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring are standard.

After the ceremony, the Quaker wedding certificate and cake, we headed home, the soft blue ambient lighting reflecting on the beautiful evening. The couple danced the night away, awaiting a flight to Massachusetts the next day to make their commitment legal. Sadly, Michigan opposes same-sex marriage, thinking a bureaucracy understands love better than the two people in it.

The CTS Sport Wagon would serve every newlywed couple well. It has a youthful sportiness and a maturity needed to handle all the bumps along the way.

When "me" becomes "we," a good ride always just makes it a little nicer. The CTS Sport Wagon can handle the good times, the bad times and carry everything you need.