2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

There are times when a person can only conclude that good looks, refinement, and sensible design don't count for much in the American car market. Witness General Motors' 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, a new European-style station-wagon version of Cadillac's CTS sedan. So far, the Sport Wagon has barely made a ripple in the market while sales of the far more brutish-looking new Cadillac SRX crossover tripled in November, to 3,004.

Come on, folks. The Europeans have a point on this one. In the Old World, the station-wagon version of a given model often sells nearly as well as the sedan. In the U.S., by contrast, the CTS wagon is considered a "boutique" product, a General Motors spokesman says, with a much smaller customer base than crossovers. Wagon-buyers tend to be "better educated," "more affluent," and more "sophisticated," he says. In other words, sport wagons appeal mainly to the cognoscenti who value driving dynamics over the steroidal, quasi-SUV profile of a crossover vehicle—i.e., people who admit they're probably never going to drive off-road.

I'm not denying that crossovers have their appeal. They tend to be cheaper than comparable wagons, for one thing. But the new CTS Sport Wagon deserves more respect than it's getting. So do the sport-wagon versions of such German models as the Audi A4 and A6, Volkswagen (VOWG) Jetta and Passat, BMW (BMWG) 3 and 5 Series, and the Mercedes E-Class. With a diesel engine, the German models will get 50 miles per gallon or more, and all sport wagons have excellent cargo capacity while retaining much of the quickness and cat-like handling of a sport sedan.

The CTS Sport Wagon is a case in point. Remarkably, it has nearly perfect 51/49 front/rear weight distribution (52/48 with the optional all-wheel drive). Those are numbers that Porsche strives to achieve. It also has a low profile that gives it road-hugging capabilities similar to those of the CTS sedan. Cargo capacity, meanwhile, is nearly double that of the sedan, with 25 cu. ft. of space behind the rear seats and 53.4 cu. ft. with the rear seats down.

To my eye, the Sport Wagon also is Cadillac's best-looking model. Its narrow windows, sloping roofline, and odd-shaped rear side windows make its profile particularly attractive. Up front there's the big, distinctive egg-crate grille and oversize Cadillac Crest logo. And I love the taillights, which must be three feet tall and run up each rear corner of the body, coming to a point at the roofline.

There's a choice of two engines, both providing adequate if not breathtaking oomph. The base powerplant is a 3.0-liter, 270-horsepower V6, with the alternative being a 3.6-liter, 304-horsepower V6. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is available on all trim levels.

Happily, there's almost no mileage penalty for going with the larger engine. The standard engine is rated to get 18 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway; mileage only drops to 18/26 with the 3.6-liter engine. Another plus: The CTS runs on inexpensive regular gasoline. Unfortunately, no diesel-powered version of the Sport Wagon is planned anytime soon, GM says.