Some owners of big foreign luxury sedans might call the
2006 Cadillac DTS just another Detroit luxury barge, but wait a minute! Not so!
Yes, it's true that the big DTS -- currently called the DeVille -- has front-wheel drive when BMW and Mercedes-Benz autos use a rear-drive setup for better weight distribution and surer handling at high speeds. But nobody with any sense would take a DTS out for a 100-plus mph spin -- that can only be legally done on high-speed European highways.
Cadillac has moved rapidly to rear-drive with new, sportier cars. But front-drive has traction advantages, and the mechanically sophisticated DTS has advanced stability and traction control systems to keep absent-minded drivers from losing control if driving faster than intended.
The DTS essentially is a mechanically revised and conservatively restyled front-drive DeVille, and General Motors wasn't about to spend a small fortune to give it rear-drive. Besides, the DeVille long has been one of the top-selling luxury cars, and it's doubtful if most owners know, or care, that it lacks rear-drive.
New front styling includes a crisper looking grille and Cadillac's new, edgy, vertical-headlight treatment. There also are large new vertical taillights, inset into rear fenders, and the trunk lid has a crisp tailing edge.
Tighter build tolerances result in exceptional fit and finish of components such as body panels. One might think that BMW, Mercedes or Audi assembled the DTS.
The updated, quieter interior looks posh, but not overstated. Gauges can be quickly read, easily reached controls are large and premium, low-gloss materials are used throughout. However, the console shifter gate is notchy when, say, one moves the shift lever from reverse to drive gear.
The 2005 DeVille is sold in base, DHS and high-performance DTS form, but Cadillac just calls the 2006 model the "DTS'' and offers it with Luxury I, II and III packages -- and with a Performance package.
No version is called, say, "Premium'' because Cadillac is using letters to identify various models -- CTS, STS, etc. It's thrown away glamorous old Caddy names such as "Eldorado.'' Pity.
Prices have been cut a lot for 2006, which makes the DTS a bargain. The base DTS with the Luxury I package costs $41,195, while the Luxury II is $43,695 and the Luxury III goes for $47,695. The top model is the $49,695 DTS with the Performance package.
In contrast, the 2005 DeVille comes in three trim levels and costs from $46,045 to $51,6500.
The DTS with the Luxury I package has the usual upscale auto comfort and convenience features and such items as power seats, faux burled wood, remote engine start, six air bags with an industry-first dual-depth front passenger bag and tri-zone automatic climate control.
Opt for Luxury II, and added are heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and steering wheel and even a heated windshield washer fluid system for nasty Chicago winters. It also has ultrasonic front/rear park assist, which seems almost essential because a driver can't see where the front or rear of the car ends -- or if a child's bike is directly behind it.
Opt for Luxury III and there's genuine burled walnut interior trim, massaging front seats, Bose premium audio system, "rainsense'' wipers and chrome wheels.
Options include a sunroof, adaptive cruise control to keep the DTS at a set distance from a vehicle ahead of it, DVD-based navigation system, power rear sunshade and body color grille.
I tested the DTS with the Performance package. Its main feature is a 4.6-liter V-8 rated at about 300 horsepower for 2005 but at 291 for 2006 under new SAE standards. Other DTS versions have a 4.6-liter V-8 with 275 horsepower. Acceleration is solid with either V-8, but the 291-horsepower version is best if more punch is needed for towing a boat or carrying heavy loads.
Estimated fuel economy with the 275-horsepower V-8 is 17 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway. The figures are nearly the same at 17 and 24 with the higher-horsepower engine.
The DTS is no sports sedan, but can handle twisting two-lane roads surprisingly well -- thanks to chassis refinements that also provide a supple ride. Former BMW or Mercedes owners might find the ride is a bit too soft, as is the brake pedal feel -- although the pedal has a linear action and the anti-lock brakes have been enlarged.
The Performance package results in slightly sharper handling because it contains Magnetic Ride Control and larger 18-inch wheels and tires (up from 17-inchers).
Both versions of the V-8 work with a four-speed automatic transmission. Why not a more modern five-speed unit for faster acceleration from a standing start and for stretching fuel economy? Well, this is one car that does fine with a four-speed automatic because its V-8s have plenty of torque.
The DTS has big doors for easy entry, and comfortably transports four tall adults with front bucket seats (you can get a front bench seat with a steering-column shifter, but a middle passenger will be squeezed). Five adults would easily fit with front buckets, but the center of the back seat is too hard for comfort.
The trunk has a low, wide opening and is huge, giving the impression it could carry golf clubs for every golfer on the block. But the lid should have gas struts instead of old-style manual hinges. After all, the hood uses a gas strut and most Cadillac owners open the trunk a lot but ignore the engine compartment.
The DTS should continue to be as successful as the DeVille. It probably will continue to appeal to the 60-plus Cadillac buyer group, but that's an affluent crowd Cadillac says is more vibrant and youthful-thinking than it used to be.
2006 CADILLAC DTS
PRICES
$41,195-$49,695
LIKES
Roomy. Fast. Posh. Precisely built. Decent fuel economy.
DISLIKES
Notchy shifter gate. Hard rear center seat. Old-style trunk hinges.