Cadillac DTS

2006 Cadillac DTS performance sedan

Cadillac has fired a shot across the collective bows of the European and Asian luxury sedan builders with a revamped and much improved DTS Performance Sedan. Priced at $50,500 with the high output Northstar V8 and packed with oodles of standard equipment befitting a luxury automobile, the Cadillac straddles the oomph of the BMW, the ride of the Mercedes, the interior of the Lexus, and the handling of the Jaguar.

Add to this mix the best interior lighting ever, great headlights, good visibility, a capable 292 horsepower engine and throw in a sharper image exterior and you have the best domestic made luxury car available. Still, there are a few shortcomings such as an automatic transmission that isn’t always sure which gear to select when passing, a dismal fuel mileage rating, and brakes that feel wooden and made us wonder if it just wasn’t our particular test vehicle. If you want room for five, or perhaps six, a huge trunk, an isolated ride, good acceleration, a handsome interior and quality sound system the DTS needs to be driven.

Mom’s view: This is a big car and it takes a big space to park and the front wheel drive means your turning radius is large. Cadillac knows this and provides a sonar type parking warning system with dash top readouts to warn you of your proximity to objects. The bigness is also responsible for a softer ride and a relaxed fit type of atmosphere in the passenger cabin. There is ample room for four golf club sets in the trunk, a variety of useful cabin storage bins, and terrific interior lighting. The light leather adorned interior is very nice and the seats are comfortable, but not all that supportive. On the other hand they are heated, cooled, and even offer a massage.

Safety wise you get pretty much everything. There are six standard air bars, ABS, and a variety of other electronic aids as well as one year of OnStar, a tire pressure monitor, and even remote starting for those cold mornings. The heater worked very well, but the heated seats weren’t as quick. Cadillac also offers what they call dual-depth front-passenger airbag that varies its inflated volume based on the severity of the crash and the passenger's seating position.

Driving the DTS is simple enough given its potent engine and good visibility, but the brake feel wasn’t to my liking, as it required too much leg pressure. I also prefer cars with a bit more bit to them and so the lush ride didn’t light my fire. I would definitely go with an optional suspension-tuning package. However, those who are used to American luxury vehicles are going to be at home in the DTS. If you want more handling and performance look to the STS and smaller Cadillacs. This is a car for those who like to cruise and enjoy life. Even the rain sensing windshield wipers can take the drudgery out of having to worry about wet weather and the sound system was terrific. With General Motors offering great deals you can probably buy a DTS for tens of thousands less than a comparable European or Asian competitor and you with the optional 4.6 liter V8 and its 292 horsepower they aren’t going to be pushing you into the slow lane.

Dad’s view: The pricing of this Cadillac is considerably less than the competition and yet, on paper, offers the same or more in every department. The problem is that the DTS is still front wheel drive whereas all the competition is rear wheel driven and thus more responsive. To offset this Cadillac has stuffed the DTS with a wonderful array of equipment. The optional DVD works well, but you have to spend time learning the system before hitting the road. The satellite radio works on XM, not our favorite, and the engine is plenty potent as it gets you to 60 mph in less than eight seconds. Of course, you pay for this as we only got 15 mpg in mixed driving. We believe they just might be the newness of our test car as the government reports 17/24 mpg.

I felt that this Cadillac was comparable in all ways to the Lexus LS except for its handling and in some areas the Cadillac had the advantage such as initial cost, acceleration, and available six passenger seating. Even the notable Lexus interior dash lighting failed to better the DTS’s clean white-on-black dials and red indicators.

College going male’s view: An excellent sound system with AM/FM/XM/and a 6 CD changer that would be the prefect place to listen to my CD at http://www.simple-thoughts.com. The radio reception was superb and the XM radio worked well, but the selection information was very difficult to read when you were using the GPS. When you use satellite radio and the nearly 200 stations you need to be able to quickly check what is on. With the GPS map on the monitor all you get is a small readout that is difficult to decipher.

I usually like big luxury cars and the DTS was no exception. It was actually peppy and the noise from the engine had a type of gruffness that clearly indicated it was not just capable of polite cruising.

Handling was smooth and not the floppy type that old Lincolns and Cadillacs used to be famous for. The back seat has ample foot and headroom, the trunk opens wide when you use the remote, and the back-up lights can illuminate a football stadium.

Young working woman’s view: Too large for me, but it had some strong attraction due its many features. You can get a heated steering wheel, dual zone temperature control, heated and cooled seats, remote start, a trunk that has nearly 19 feet of storage, side-mirror turn-signal repeaters, a PCS phone-integration kit that can access digital, analog, or PCS service, self-leveling rear suspension, xenon headlights, and some fun options such as GPS with voice recognition and adaptive cruise control designed to maintain a set following distance on the highway.

Considering the competition the Cadillac is doing well. It is clearly not as well fitted out as the foreign made products, but it is better priced and provides a soothing ride. There are two engines available, one with 275 horsepower and one with about 20 more. I would test drive them both and see if you need the more potent and expensive option. I also would go with the performance suspension option and its 18-inch wheels. I would strongly have liked a large side mirror on the right door and some of the buttons were not clearly marked such as the driver’s computer readouts.

As I looked at this DTS with its European exterior styling that camouflaged its ample size, I was amazed at how well Cadillac has done to make its products so easily recognizable from any angle. It also does not have that old boy look to it. Driving at night I was taken by the excellence of its headlights. They are second only to the Infiniti’s and I would much prefer this DTS to the Q45 in all other areas except acceleration.

Family conference: The best large American luxury sedan, the DTS is a much better car than its predecessors. With a better transmission, a bit better refinement in its handling, and putting the drive wheels in back could make this a world class sedan. For a list of all vehicle websites go to http://www.reacheverychild.com and click on business.

Written by the Car Family