Luxury, serenity and peace of mind.

Introduction

The Cadillac DTS is a full-size luxury car with full-size American power and a warm, spacious interior. It's big, powerful and luxurious, and offers the security and peace of mind expected from a Cadillac. 

Though its styling is restrained, the DTS is loaded with technology. Fortunately, you don't have to study the owner's manual to make the DTS do its job. This is a rational luxury car, easy to operate in addition to being large and luxurious. We like that. 

Underway, the DTS has impeccable road manners. It handles surprisingly well given its size. Crisp handling and good grip inspire driving enjoyment with composure on winding roads. It takes turns with poise and dignity, making it an enjoyable steed when the road goes curvy. And, of course, it glides with ease over long straight roads. 

The front-wheel-drive DTS comes with a 4.6-liter V8 engine that develops 275 horsepower. A high-output version that makes 292 horsepower is optional. 

Changes for 2010 are limited to two new colors: Vanilla Latte and Tuscan Bronze ChromaFlair. The current-generation DTS was launched as a 2006 model, sporting fresh body lines, a redesigned interior, upgraded running gear, and suspension refinements. It replaced the 57-year-old DeVille nameplate. 

Lineup

The Cadillac DTS is available with six-passenger or five-passenger seating. It comes in one model, but with numerous option packages, so it can be outfitted to suit just about any potential buyer. 

The DTS ($46,280) comes standard with leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front bucket seats with four-way adjustable power lumbar support, eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with RDS and integrated antenna, XM Satellite Radio with three-month trial, Magnasteer power steering, cruise control, power windows, power programmable door locks with Pass-Key III Plus security, illuminated visor mirrors, remote starter, driver information center, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, rear seat pass-through, OnStar with one-year Directions and Connections service, automatic headlamps with wiper activation, fog lights, solar-control glass, and P235/55R17 all-season tires on machined aluminum wheels. 

Option packages: The Luxury Collection ($5,245) includes tri-zone climate control, memory for driver's seat and outside mirrors, heated power mirrors, sunroof, front and rear park assist, heated rear outboard seats, heated and cooled front seats, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, chrome alloy wheels, universal garage-door opener, Bose premium eight-speaker audio system with six-disc player, and some additional convenience and trim items. 

The Premium Collection ($8,145) adds Intellibeam headlamps, Bose Surround Sound audio, DVD-based navigation with voice recognition, XM NavTraffic, power rear lumbar adjusters, dual front lumbar massage seats, leather-wrapped and wood heated steering wheel with power tilt and telescoping, Chrome-Tech alloy wheels, Dark Burl Walnut interior trim, and additional features. 

The Platinum Collection ($13,195) adds Side Blind-Spot Alert, leather console, Light Ash interior trim, footwell lighting, Lane Departure Warning system, unique chrome alloy wheels, performance suspension, numerous additional trim and convenience features, and the 292-horsepower version of the 4.6-liter V8. 

Stand-alone options include adaptive cruise control ($1,695), heated and cooled front seats ($1,425), and the Driver Awareness Package ($695), which includes Side Blind-Spot Alert and Lane Departure Warning. 

Safety features that come standard on all models include six airbags, including a dual-depth front-passenger airbag and side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, Brake Assist, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with all-speed traction control, child-safe rear door locks and a tire-pressure monitor. Lane Departure Warning and Side Blind Zone Alert are available on select models. 

Walkaround

Largest in the Cadillac lineup, the DTS is a big car. Its overall length of 207.6 inches makes it five inches longer than the Escalade full-size SUV, and nearly a foot longer than the STS, Cadillac's next-largest sedan. It's also measurably longer than either a BMW 7 Series or the latest long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. It's also quite wide. 

Despite its size, however, the clean forms of the DTS give it an international look. With its vertical headlights and taillights and its egg-crate grille, the DTS has acquired the design heritage of the Cadillac family and adapted it to 21st-century reality. It acknowledges tradition, yet remains fresh and modern. The nose is particularly expressive, with jewel-like xenon headlights framing an expansive chrome grille adorned with a center-mounted wreath-and-crest badge. 

Chrome trim accents the body-color door moldings, and a narrow LED high-mounted stop light runs nearly the entire width of the decklid's crisply-edged rear contour. The fenders provide a purposeful stance, and the profile is slightly wedge-shaped. Seventeen-inch machined aluminum wheels come standard, 18-inch wheels are available, and those wheels can be ordered chromed. The overall look is brought together by Cadillac's characteristic spline line, which rises from the top of the front fender, runs along the lower edge of the side windows and then flows over the rear fender. 

Cadillac boasts that the DTS has some of the tightest production tolerances in the world, and it certainly looks the part of a well-honed luxury machine. The panels fit well, the paint is glossy and blemish free, and overall the DTS wears its bulk well, like a big but athletic guy in a finely-tailored suit. The quality of GM cars has been improving, and Cadillac scores well in quality surveys. 

Interior

The DTS cabin is roomy and luxurious. Leather and wood abound, along with chrome accents, creating a handsome, upmarket environment. Low-gloss surfaces, with a three-dimensional grain, were chosen for the upper instrument panel and upper doors in order to reduce glare and absorb sunlight. 

The base leather is called Nuance. A suppler, semi-aniline Tuscany hide is optional. The Nuance interior benefits from fitment of a material crafted from a vinyl/silk blend for seatbacks and armrests. Claimed to be as durable as vinyl, it has the look and feel of leather. 

Door handles, selected knobs and switches, shifter column surround, and rings that wrap the four analog gauges are chrome, which works with the wood to create an upscale feel. Instruments use white-on-black LED readouts for speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges. 

On five-passenger models, the center console between the bucket seats houses the shifter and storage bins. On six-passenger models, the shifter is mounted on the steering column to accommodate the front bench seat, which has an integrated center armrest that transforms from a back cushion into a console with two levels of storage. 

The cabin has a spacious feel and good sightlines for driver visibility. The center stack design is attractive and the controls are easy to see and use. A Dark Argent finish surrounds the radio and HVAC control heads, which are set flush into the console for a well-integrated look. Nestled between air outlets, high up in the center stack, is an analog clock, in keeping with other high-end automobiles whose clocks measure time in the traditional way, which we like. 

The rear seat is large enough for a couple of six-foot-plus males with a few extra pounds of girth; fitting a smaller fifth passenger between them is no problem. The seatbacks are nicely raked for long-range comfort. Seat heaters are available for the outboard positions. 

Comfort is, of course, a primary component of luxury, and we drove a couple of versions of the DTS to get the full dose. We especially liked the available tri-zone climate control and the cooling for the front seats. However, the heat and cooling controls are set high up and forward in the door panels, making it hard to see if they've been turned on. It's one of the few ergonomic miscues in the DTS; otherwise, there are no difficult or hidden controls or complicated electronic interfaces to mar the luxury experience. Worthy of praise is the ease of using the sophisticated audio system. Our ears were treated by the Bose audio system, which features eight speakers and centerpoint signal processing for multi-channel Surround Sound. 

The available DVD navigation system comes with voice recognition and a 6.5-inch color screen; you can even watch movies on the screen when the car is in Park. A variety of language choices are offered by the driver information center. 

Driving Impression

Smooth and powerful, the Cadillac DTS glides over miles and miles of open road in supreme comfort. Maybe that's expected, but the DTS also handles surprisingly well for such a big car, making it a satisfying drive when it's time to turn the steering wheel. 

The DTS has a worthy powertrain in the form of its smooth-running Northstar V8 and robust Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. Under full throttle, both versions of the 4.6-liter engine emit a mellow bellow that says V8 but not in a flashy way. The electronically-controlled throttle is responsive, yet delivers a smooth, measured rise of power rather than a soul-stirring burst. 

Two states of tune are available, though we don't see dramatic differences between them. The 275-horsepower version boasts 295 pound-feet of torque, while the 292-horsepower engine offers 288 pound-feet of torque; it gives up some torque for increased horsepower and the base engine actually supplies better off-the-line acceleration. Likewise, the performance-tuned suspension comes with bigger wheels and tires and Magnetic Ride Control, a continuously variable real-time damping system, but spring and stabilizer rates are identical to those on the other versions. Both engines are excellent, but the 292-horsepower version with the performance suspension is slightly sportier. 

All DTS models come with GM's superb StabiliTrak electronic stability control, which helps the driver maintain control on slippery surfaces by automatically applying the brakes to individual wheels, as the system determines is needed. All models come with Magnasteer, a magnetic variable-assist rack and pinion steering gear that reduces noise and column shake. 

These features, along with its rigid chassis, give the DTS able handling and a smooth ride. The variable-rate steering helps the big car turn into the corners with good response, and carving a line through curves is accomplished with little body roll. The steering feels a little light while cruising down a straight road, but it stiffens up nicely when feedback is needed during a turn. A bit of chassis hop over freeway expansion joints is virtually unavoidable, but the Magnetic Ride Control does a good job of muting the effect. Otherwise, at speed on smooth pavement, only a bit of wind noise around the A-pillars and the occasional tire thump over a rough spot suggests the car is covering ground quickly. 

Frigid days and scorchers are handled well by the DTS. We like the standard Adaptive Remote Start, a factory-installed convenience for cold, wintry mornings, when the ability to get the engine and interior defrosted and heated (including the front seats) before starting out is appreciated. Those who live where it gets hot will find the system useful to crank up the A/C before climbing in on those 115-degree afternoons. Owners in the frigid north will also appreciate the heated windshield wiper fluid. 

The Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system engages above 35 mph. A green light indicates that the system is turned on and working. Should the driver cross a detected lane marking without signaling, the light flashes amber while an alarm beeps three times. The system is designed to alert the driver in order to take appropriate action to move the vehicle back into the correct lane. To avoid nuisance alerts, the system is designed to not provide an alert if the turn signal is on or if the driver makes a sharp maneuver. Thankfully, the driver can also switch it off, in which case the light goes out entirely. The system uses a camera located between the inside rearview mirror and the windshield to detect lane markings on the road and alert the driver when the vehicle inadvertently strays from the correct lane. 

The Side Blind-Spot Alert system uses radar to sweep an 11-foot zone on either side of the vehicle; in other words, about one lane over. The zone starts at each side mirror and reaches back about 16 feet. With the system engaged, an amber symbol lights up in the outside mirror whenever another vehicle enters this blind zone. The system uses radar sensors behind the rear fascia that signal an audible and visual alert if objects are detected where it might be difficult for the driver to see them. Cadillac cautions that the system is not designed to detect vehicles outside of the side blind zone that may be rapidly approaching, or pedestrians, bicyclists or animals. It's designed to ignore infrastructure and stationary objects, such as fire hydrants or parked cars. In addition, the system displays do not come on while the vehicle is approaching or passing other vehicles. 

Adaptive cruise control is a radar-based system that automatically slows the car when it's catching up to a slower-moving vehicle in the same lane, then speeds up again when the other vehicle moves over or speeds up. 

The high-intensity discharge projector-beam headlamps are augmented by IntelliBeam, which automatically switches from high beam to low beam and back again depending on oncoming traffic. In the past, it hasn't always been easy to discern when the high beams are on in a Cadillac, so this is a welcome feature. 

Summary

The Cadillac DTS offers luxury and comfort in a full-size package. It comes loaded with safety features, with the option of the latest safety technology to warn the driver of hidden hazards. The DTS delivers strong acceleration performance and handles quite well for a car of its size. All in all, it's a lot of car for the money. 

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Greg Brown filed this report from Southern California. 

Model Lineup

Cadillac DTS ($46,280). 

Assembled In

Detroit, Michigan. 

Options As Tested

Luxury Collection ($5,245) includes tri-zone climate control, memory for driver's seat and outside mirrors, heated power mirrors, sunroof, front and rear ultrasonic park assist, heated rear outboard seats, heated and cooled front seats, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, chrome alloy wheels, universal garage-door opener, Bose premium eight-speaker audio system with six-disc CD player, and additional convenience and trim items.