As I closed the rear door of the top spec Cadillac DTS, I watched the side light above my head literally sputter and die. And there you have it: proof positive that the bean counters have been hard at work on The General's luxury brand. You want the lights to slowly fade up and down? Why? Anyway, we don’t have that part. What else do you need? Actually, despite the death by a thousand cost cuts, the DTS has almost enough upmarket mojo to make it. Only luxury carmaking isn't horseshoes or hand grenades. Almost doesn’t count.
Let me be clear: Cadillac isn’t Audi, BMW, Lexus or Mercedes. Before I illustrate this point in depressing detail, here’s what I want out of a Caddy: Texaguido style, a magic carpet ride, enough room to schlep the wife and three full-grown kids, and a trunk that’ll fit two dead Mafiosi. That’s it. That’s all a Cadillac has to do to earn my respect. Anything else is nice, but surplus to requirements. The DTS fails at the first hurdle.
What IS this thing? While the brand’s nose is distinctive enough, the protruding five-mile-per-hour bumper (remember them?) indicates some kind of badly synthesized graftwerk. The four door's rear has all the sinister charm of Joseph Stalin's limo. The sedan’s profile offers the only side-on sheetmetal I’ve ever seen that’s more generic than a Toyota Cressida. The Performance Pack’s 18’s are lost in the wheel wells and the shiny alloys are hideous.
The DTS is based on GM’s vintage front-wheel-drive G-platform, also underpinning the phenomenally unsuccessful Buick Lucerne. Enter the cabin and the downside is immediately obvious. Although the front chairs are large enough for inveterate pasta-addicts, the limited back row width restricts capacity to two well fed paesans. On the positive side, the aniline Tehama leather is wonderfully soft and supportive– but not as fragrant as the standard cow hide. In fact, it’s odorless.
This same anodyne character and lack of attention to detail applies to the rest of the DTS’ interior. Buttons snick with all the precision of a Botswana Army drill team. The beige hard touch plastics, pedestrian-looking gauges and cheap ass door ajar bong all speak the language of rental car Hell. There are plenty of fat rich guy toys on offer: remote start, Intellibeam headlamp system (auto high beam / low beam switching), rain sensing wipers, etc. But the seat massager that gently annoys your lower spine embodies the DTS’ underlying cut rate ethos.
Fortunately, the beast drives well. Even/especially after 15 years, Caddy’s Northstar V8 is a jewel. The 4.6-liter engine’s pitted against 4000lbs. (plus Florida retirees, goombas, gang bangers, golf clubs, AK47’s, etc.). Even so, the Performance Pack’s 292hp is enough juice for mindlessly swift progress. (Though the DTS is slower than the lighter Lucerne.) Throttle response is exemplary, the brakes work and the Northstar emits a lovely little growl when provoked.
Despite its nose heavy front wheel-drive chassis, the DTS corners quickly– without 70’s cop show tire squeal or scenic understeer excursions. All praise to GM’s Magnetic Ride Control, which virtually eliminates body lean. Unfortunately, the DTS’ numb (but accurate) steering is a killjoy, and the flat, puffy seats ensure that rapid left hand corners leave cheek marks against the laminated glass.
In a straight line, bump suppression is brand compliant– though not without a slight jarring effect over bad surfaces (and noticeably less Novocained in the lower spec models). At 80mph, the DTS cruises serenely– except for some wind noise around the front window and a strange pulsing feeling through the tiller. With only a four-speed Hydramatic gearbox swapping cogs, highway overtaking means lots of noise and little alacrity.
And so to the trunk, whose lid swings as freely as members of The Black Key Club. Yes, it’s big (the trunk). But it’s ugly. Perhaps the only thing nastier than the DTS’ mouse pelt headliner is the rancid rabbit fur covering the rear cavern. And then there’s the trunk mat. Good idea: rancid rabbit fur on one side, rubber on the other (for “wet work”). But the colors don’t match.
And therein lies the tale. Never mind the DTS’ po-faced design. Never mind the lack of interior refinement. It’s obvious Cadillac can’t be bothered to sweat the small stuff. If you clock the DTS’ price against a same sized, similarly equipped German or Japanese rival, the $41k and up Caddy will be the lowest-priced alternative, by a large margin, without incentives. So what? The DTS is not as good a car. Even within its own remit, it falls short.
Unless GM stops stiffing Cadillac’s designers and engineers, unless they start with a clean sheet of paper, once again, the brand has peaked.
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“lots of noise and little alacrity”
Whew, i thought he was talking about me on Monday morning.
Seriously, trim issues can be fixed, but the four speed transmission is a real flaw.
After the lead in, pleasantly surprised you liked the performance and handling. Though I also found it better than expected. The biggest disappointment for me is rear seat room and comfort, which should be much better in the largest Cadillac.
My price comparison and reliability site’s page for the DTS:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/DTS.php
Actually, Cadillac should concentrate on their demographic – adding “SAS” (Sidewalk Avoidance System), “DYCA” (Double-Yellow Crossover Avoidance”, and ATSO1K” (Automatic Turn-Signal Off after 1000 Feet). That aside, the most important thing is that the USS Caddy has markedly inproved handling which may actually improve vehicle control, and possibly reduce the likleyhood of granny sailing off the road (or over the centerline). The downside is an unknown to me (and maybe GM) should the “magna-ride” system fail, what default condition exists? Hopefully, the car is still safe while sporting whatever idiot light that’s likely to be illuminated for some time…
When caddy came out with the present deville (now reskinned as the dts) in 2000 I was disappointed with the big on the outside small on the inside body. Your knees (I,m 6′4″) bang the console, you can’t stretch out behind a tall driver and the whole thing comes off as well small inside. I noticed Lesabers and other full sized gm cars had poor packaging. I don’t get it, without the need for rear wheel driveshaft and tranny intrusions they come up with less interior space than the old fleetwood rwd. I hope the all new generation of gm’s fwd stuff is more efficient in it’s design. The caddy dts should be smaller on the outside particularly the airport sized hood, and larger inside ala other competitors. Hopefully this dated design can be upgraded.
The big question is this: Does Caddy REALLY want to position itself as the budget alternative to “real” luxury cars? I thought Buick already had that arena covered.
A few extra touches (esp 5 or 6-speed gearbox) and jack the price up by $8k or so and reap the additional margin. I just get the feeling this is a case where the car might actually be discounted (no pun intended) by prospects because it’s TOO cheap on paper.
I like the caddy and its ride. It is not a car for people that wear jeans and boots. Go buy a silverado for that and a caddy is not a car for a family with kids. Go get your favorite minivan for that. I own an STS and have run down Mercedes’s and BMW’s overrated cars. My car is well built and runs great! Mind you that I do like their’s too and have owned a few but don’t believe the hype people; those cars have trim issues too!
My take is that this Caddy’s incremental improvement makes it good enough for the Guido/bling-bling/aging golfer crowd. What seems to matter here is the wreath and crest, the massive size, and chrome wheels; the rest be damned. RF, I too am a fan of the Northstar, but after 15 years, shouldn’t the output be increasing? Especially since there are a lot of naturally aspirated 3.5ish liter V-6s that put out similar power, including GM’s own upcoming direct-injected 3.6 liter V-6.
As for the four speed auto, I must say that I recently leased a new GMC Acadia with GM’s new six speed auto, and that tranny is not ready for prime time. The four speed auto actually works better. So given what they had to work with, I think the four speed is the way to go, at least for now.
GM has a perfectly decent interior-light fade in the Saab 9-5…
Warren Buffett drives a DTS. In fact, he liked it so much he called Wagoner to tell him he was buying one (this was in Forbes or something last week in the “what do billionaires drive” article).
11 years ago my elderly neighbor bought a Seville STS. Last year he bought a new STS with the intention of trading the old Seville version. I noticed that the old STS was still in the driveway after the new car arrived, so I inquired as to why he hadn’t traded it — the car had a whopping 57K miles on the clock. It turns out the dealer offered him $1,500 on the trade. My neighbor was so angry, he decided to sell the car by placing an ad in the local paper. Before he could place the add, I offered him $1,700 dollars and the deal was done.
The car was dirty, inside and out, there was no body or interior damage, but the car did have a half-dozen mechanical/electronic issues which were addressed.
After everything was repaired/cleaned, I was shocked at just how cheap and half-assed this car is. The car does accelerate and handle reasonably well, but it is obvious that there was very little attention paid to detail. My neighbor spent $41K on this car 11 years ago — certainly not a cheap ride.
After reading this review of the DTS, it seems that not much has changed at Cadillac. Caddy will continue to do well for a few more years until there current customer demographic all end up in the nursing home or in jail for crack dealing. I can’t imagine Cadillac being able to convert any Lexus, Mercedes or BMW customers.
My Cadillac Review summary: Nice ride for $1,700, but only an idiot would pay $40,000 for a car like this.
My mechanic says the Northstar engine is unreliable and very expensive to repair, necessitating an extra-cost extended warranty. He recommends avoidance.
How hard or costly could it be for GM to improve switchgear quality and tactility? It seems like a clear case of penny-wise and pound-foolish.
GM has had over five decades to design the successor for the four-speed hydramatic transmission but just got around to it last year, and it’s far from perfect.
It makes one wonder what GM’s multi-million dollar executives do all day.
I guess GM’s Aisin-sourced 5-speed can’t handle that kind of power?
Maybe they thought their buyer demographic wouldn’t notice…and they’re probably right. Way to score another point on the shortsighted chart.
Hey gents,
I am by no means a GM defender, but I think alot of critiques tend to avoid addressing the reason this car exists, i.e. it’s intended market.
Lets assume the average buyer is over 60 years of age, retired or about to be retired, and comes from a middle-class background. They don’t want to spend 60-70k on a ride such as this, so that knocks out BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes.
They want power, but not aggressive power, nor necessarily instantaneous. Just smooth. Unobtrusive. They want low cruising RPMs and decent gas mileage.
They want a quiet ride, and soft. Seats that are easy to get into to, and easy to get out of, and can comfortably hold you for hours and hours. Body lean SHOULD be minimized, because said seats don’t exactly provide lateral support.
And so we have the (correct me if I’m wrong) Delphi sourced magnetic ride control. Used in a ferrari, the corvette, and the Caddy. A fine piece of technological innovation, and available in this modest-priced full-size. Reduced lean AND a comfy ride? Pretty nice for this price point.
As for the buttons. RF, let me ask something: Are they large buttons with raised gnurls on them? Do you want a 70-75 year old senior to press a button that makes no noise and is so damped they can’t even tell if they hit it?
Bear in mind, I’m not defending the product. I’m trying to make a point: sometimes things are designed differently for a reason. Not because they are cheap, but because those who buy the product want it that way.
Anyway….while I think the STS is the current pinnacle of Caddy design, and I haven’t been into a DTS, I think this review may have been off mark.
If a car costing anywhere from 25-40% less than it’s “competition” is nagged by things such as non-fading lights (maybe this makes the demographic feel like they are fading from this world…)….well, it sounds like they hit the mark for the price segment.
I read this review and thought that it sounded decent.
Joe O.
I would have sold my soul for a black on black Seville in 79… vinyl top delete – with factory Cadillac wire wheels!
Now in 2007 , driving my father- in -law`s three year old Deville is one of the most dredful experiences one could have behind the steering wheel of anything.
GM should have kept the large rwd chassis, aka as the Fleetwood, instead of making their large car based on the front wheel drive design. The fact that the Esalade based on a truck platform is one of their best selling models should have clued them to the fact that buyers of Cadillac like to drive a large vehicle. Let MB, BMW and Lexus build the small vehicles, folks with money want to live large and most all of the success of Cadillac was based on large vehicles. The Seville of the 70’s was an aberration due to the fuel crisis, the DeVille was always their best selling vehicle.
Cadillacs and Lincolns make good rental cars for those either used to driving a luxury car or for those wanting to make a good impression. They are reasonably priced and fairly reliable, just what a rental company and their customers demand. Can you imagine Hertz or Avis with a fleet of MB or BMWs or Lexus cars. Their rental rates would be very high to due the high maintenance costs, isurance costs and no doubt frequent repair bills for electonics that don’t ever seem to last as long as needed. And who cares if the transmission has 4, 5 or 6 gears. As I recall you mainly need closley spaced gearing for engines that produce their torque in a somewhat narrow band, like 4 and 6 cylinder engines with high rpm horespower bands. Not exactly the type of engine used to power a luxury car. You guys just might be too sports car minded when it comes to evaluating a sedan designed to offer comfort and relatively ease in driving. That’s my $.02.
No only is Cadillac not Audi, BMW, Lexus or Mercedes. It also isn’t Honda, Acura, Avalon or Volvo for fit and finish. Sadly unless the shrinking 2.5 can afford to take the Hyundai route and combine a revamped product with a “real” 7/100,000 bumper to bumper warranty I am afraid their days are numbered.
to Joe O,
You make a convincing argument, but if the features on the DTS are designed to appeal to 60-year-olds looking to pay 25-40% less than the competition, why does GM need Buick?
If Caddy is going to survive, it’s got to provide a standard of luxury that appeals to multiple generations. Caddy’s current resale depreation and insipid ride quality has repelled younger buyers, and I don’t think they’ll be heading back once they turn sixty.
durailer
If Caddy is going to survive, it’s got to provide a standard of luxury that appeals to multiple generations. Caddy’s current resale depreation and insipid ride quality has repelled younger buyers, and I don’t think they’ll be heading back once they turn sixty.
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60 is probably young for new Cadillac buyers, my neighbor is 79. You are also correct that these cars have no resale value. As I stated in my previous post, I bought an 11 year old car with 57K miles for $1,700. I see clapped out Honda Civics sell for $3K.
It is true that comparable Euro or Japanese cars sell for $10K-$15K more, but you can get the difference back at resale time, a 10 year old Caddy is near worthless — even if in good condition.
“…and the flat, puffy seats ensure that rapid left hand corners leave cheek marks against the laminated glass.”
Call me juvenile, but I’m still snickering.
The point of this car is what again? Because no one in my generation (late boomer) is buying them unless as a company car (with a domestic restraint….).
RF, methinks you are being too kind to the General. I rented one of these and hated every moment of it. Every aspect of ride/handling was disconnected. I would sooner drive a Lexus and you know how I feel about those. I couldn’t even get comfortable in those odorless seats.
My boss has an STSV, which isn’t much better and the six speed tranny is in pieces in the shop with no replacement parts on the horizon.
>>Warren Buffett drives a DTS. In fact, he liked it so much he called Wagoner to tell him he was buying one (this was in Forbes or something last week in the “what do billionaires drive” article).
Maybe he can bail GM out
>>Lets assume the average buyer is over 60 years of age, retired or about to be retired, and comes from a middle-class background. They don’t want to spend 60-70k on a ride such as this, so that knocks out BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes.
My girlfriend’s 75 year old fairly wealthy stepfather is very happy with his new Acura TL. My 84 year old uncle, also not hurting, is very happy with his couple of years old Camry. Both had the same brand previously.
Texaguido style? Love it. You’re getting a set of Boss Hogg bullhorns for that.
This car doesn’t cut it as a FWD euro-wannabe. Even worse, loyalists have to rally around the DTS since they quit making the Brougham over 10 years ago. If you remember how much better those were, of course.
Bring back the bro-ham, or support your local Town Car.
I have a 2000 DeVille sitting the emplotee parking lot right now that I wish a Metoer would fall on our the Earth would just swallow it up.
To say I hate the car is being very kind. And the fact that they haven’t fixed or changed anything except the body panels in 7 years speaks wonders about GM’s focus on making better products, wont happen in my lifetime(I’m only 32).
The car doesn’t even have 100K miles on it and almost everything has failed on it thus far, some things more than once. That Northstar engine is complete junk, repaired half a dozen times and it still runs like crap. Idles poorly, shuts off at lights or whenever it damn pleases, even on the highway. The only time I like it is when you can here it but that is only near redline. It doesn’t feel like 300 hp when you put it in 4000 lbs and with that worthless transmission, and I am averaging 13 mpg, nice! Not only is it only a 4 speed but it misses shifts, robs power, and sometimes wont go into gear(par for a GM tranny). 3 of the 4 power windows quit working almost all at once within the last 2 weeks. The climate control is glitchy turning o and off and doing things when it wants, dash display is about the same. The A/C compressor quit about the same time the windows ALL broke, so I get to die of heat stroke in the Georgia heat. I haven’t even gotten to the things that are just anooying about the car, just the stuff that doesn’t work.
The handling is a joke guess I should have waited for the fancy suspension. The handling is somewhere between a yellow schol bus and a massive cruise liner. The Subaru I bought for my wife to replace the Caddy has a 10x more comfortable ride, no bouncing for an hour after the pot hole.
Skor is right only an idiot would pat $41,000 for this junk, guess I’m half and idiot since I bought it used back in 2003 for 1/3 that price. They depreciate so fast it would make your head spin.
Wont find me buying another GM, ever!
I guess all “crash up derby”/”banger races” will be run only in reverse gear in the future.
Maybe Warren Buffet should pick up a Consumer Reports and look at the black circles the DTS leaves in its wake. I belive it earned a stellar 1/2 black circle for reliability. Any wonder why these things are worth less than an Accord 3 yrs into ownership?
Durailer -
If you notice a large post of mind under the last death watch editorial, I mentioned how I think GM needs to shrink brands.
That being said, Buick offers similar characteristics to Cadillac at an even lower price point. Perhaps it exists as Honda exists to Acura or Toyota to Lexus? I’m not sure. I like Buick; they make a solid car catered to a specific market at a reasonable price. But I’m not sure if they are helpful or harmful.
As for build quality: I can’t speak to the Mercs and Lexi…but the current BMW 5-series is bombasted by cheap interior materials, uneven chrome door trim, and it’s and ergonomics nightmare (the 3-series isn’t much better). Go onto a BMW forum and check out the current build quality of the 5-series if you want to make a comparison.
Further, I recently (6 months ago) drove an ~2004 Lexus LS430/460….a friend’s psychiatrist father’s ride.
This ride was so removed from reality it was dangerous. No noise, no vibrations. I’m sure I did 0-60 in ~6.5 seconds but I couldn’t tell, because even the acceleration felt numb. I entered into a 4-wheel drift going into a modest right-hand turn at 20 MPH because I couldn’t discern the breaking point of the tires.
Sure, the interior ergonomics and comfort were flawless. But for anyone who drives in aggression once in awhile, that car was pure danger.
Joe O.
Gardiner Westbound: It seems like a clear case of penny-wise and pound-foolish.
“Seems”?
Sooo RedBarchetta, other than that, how do you like your DeVille? In the same spirit as Sooo Mrs. Lincoln, other than that, how was the show.
Looks like GM will go to a RWD platform with the new DTS…Perhaps with their new Ultra V8 that is under development.
GM has been paying lip service to its Cadillac loyalists by slowly/gradually/minimally updating the G platform since its introduction over 20 years ago. It’s cheap and probably profitable. In the meantime, the rest of Cadillac’s product line has zagged while the DTS has zigged, to use an old analogy. But, DTS is still the top seller, much to Lutz’s chagrin as it’s now so out of place.
How do you mess with success, when the SRX and STS are sales duds, and ‘Slade looking increasingly vulnerable to the oil supply woes a few of us have been talking up in the Deathwatch threads?
starlightmica:
You build the world’s best luxury car, bar none.
I’m sure it is an accurate road test. But this DTS sounds like what Cadillacs have always been (at least since WWII) : a large, comfortable, “prestige” car at a reasonable price. There has always been a sizeable portion of the US driving public who could care less about driving dynamics or fit-and-finish. They realize a car is an appliance, a declining, depreciating asset. The DTS (or Towncar) is cheaper to buy, maintain and insure than a full size Lexus, BMW or Mercedes. The owners feel right at home pulling up in one at a first class restaurant or golf club. If it is a company car for a mid to high level employe, it won’t give the shareholders pause. For years, that was enough for several hundred thousand people a year. Some of this market has turned to luxury domestic SUVs as well as the high end imports. The real shame is that no one in charge at GM realizes that it is possible to engineer/produce/outsource world-class parts for very little more than what would be provided by the lowest bidder. And I kinda think it’s probably always been that way.
I rented one for a week of sightseeing in Santa Fe. Once I got used to it, it was a great car. At 80 mph, the four of us had a normal voice conversation with the cd playing piano… this is what this car is for, leisure. As such, it was a wonderfull companion for a short vacation. At home, I bomb around in a little VW, scaring all the pony cars…but i was entranced by this gentle monster. It gives new meaning to smooooooth and quiet. Today I needed to go about an hour each way on I95 in philadelphia. I wish I had one of these to do it in!. Also, in Sants Fe I managed 23 mpg. amazing!
Bravo Cadillac. And I cant beleive that I wrote that!
jerseydevil:
Alternatively, any other luxury car made.
Last I remember, I thought Cadillac had big plans for the DTS/premium car by the end of the decade. Whatever, they need it. Wether or not they realize it at GM, there is a huge generational transition going on. Baby boomers are moving closer and closer to that retirement age, and this kind of crap wont cut it. Not when you have Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura to name a few bringing out the cars they have. Even worse, what about Gen X? Gen Y? GM has to constantly evolve if they want to stay in the now, so to speak. They should have built the Sixteen.
& Yet the lucerne and DTS sell 160K per year. No business case could be made on anyones’ planet to dump them, yet. Just update them on zeta with the same formula, at least a v-8 would then make sense. They should build the 16 and sell it for $50-60k with the zeta platform.
My seventy something father and I thought it would be fun to swap cars for the weekend a few months back. He was going to a golf tournament and I had an event in Napa. So he took my 2006 GS300, and I drove his 2006 DTS.
Bottom line: my crowd and I liked his car a lot more than his crowd and he liked mine. And while I’m not ready to make a permanent trade, it’s also the case that he likes his car way more than I like mine.
We all thought the Caddy was kind of cool looking, and enjoyed the retro wide feel. They thought the Lexus wasn’t comfortable enough, either to get in and out of, or to settle back into (those sporty seats car reviewers are so fond of aren’t necessarily appealing to the geriatric set).
It sounds like Cadillac intends to drop the DTS after this iteration, but I don’t think it’s fair to knock it for failing to meet boomer and younger criteria. The DTS crowd lacks today’s fetishistic focus on fit and finish, and couldn’t care less about the feel of interior buttons or the carpeting in the trunk. If the next CTS is any guide, DTS’s successor will address these issues, and the retirees of 2010 will be satisfied.
But the retirees of 2006 love their DTS, and I think Cadillac deserves credit for giving its customers exactly what they want, and at a price they’re comfortable with.
This car only has to be better than the rival towncar and it succeeds at that.
Look, I understand: I am not the ultimate arbiter of what constitues a "great car" for any given person.
Believe it or not, I'm happy for people who are happy with their DTS.
And I know there are a lot of them. (As I said in today's GM DW editorial, the model accounts for over 25% of Caddy's biz.) God bless them. I share Caddy's hope that they all live to 100!
Feel free to challenge my opinions and their relevance. But the truth is, I know a good car when I drive one. And this ain't it.
RF:
Average US life expectancy, 2006 = 77.9 years. Not to mention that there are a good number of folks above that age that don’t drive.
Built the world’s best luxury car? That’s a tall order even for the established high-end marques, never mind the intenders. File that one under notgonnahappen.com.
Unbalanced: We all thought the Caddy was kind of cool looking, and enjoyed the retro wide feel. They thought the Lexus wasn’t comfortable enough, either to get in and out of, or to settle back into (those sporty seats car reviewers are so fond of aren’t necessarily appealing to the geriatric set).
A Subaru Forrester will give you that easy entry & exit for a much lower price than the Caddy. Of course, noone who identfies with the Cadillac brand would be seen in the automotive equivalent of a plaid, flannel shirt, no matter how functional.
My $25000 CDN car comes with rain sensing wipers…I hardly consider that luxury anymore
I do like the gangsta look of the previous gen Deville (black with deep tinted windows and lowered).
PS: support TTAC. don’t forget to click on the advertising links!
There's something remarkable (and telling) about the earlier poster's story of the old fellow with an old STS being highly incensed at the dealer only offering him $1500 in trade for his eleven year old ride which cost $41k when new, and that is he still bought a new one for another $41k!. Does the old dude really think he's going to get more than $1500 for his latest $41k STS eleven years from now?
The strange thing is, your review and stars kind of said otherwise. It’s almost like you’re taking on the philosophy behind the car’s existence, rather than the car itself. You gave it a 3 and two 4’s, and somehow you came out saying it was a 2??? Very Clarkson-esque. “It goes well. It rides well. It handles well. But, NONE of this matters…”
rudiger:
There’s something remarkable (and telling) about the earlier poster’s story of the old fellow with an old STS being highly incensed at the dealer only offering him $1500 in trade for his eleven year old ride which cost $41k when new, and that is he still bought a new one for another $41k!. Does the old dude really think he’s going to get more than $1500 for his latest $41k STS eleven years from now?
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He paid over $50K for the new STS. This man is 79, I’m guessing his next ride will be a hearse.
Good review, accurate assessment too of the quality of the DTS, aka it’s lack thereof.
I have been in the automobile business for a number of years selling “disposable” import and domestics along with high-line. I have NEVER had ANYONE comment to me about the sound quality of the “click” switch gear makes. I currently sell Mercedes Benz, and believe me, they have there problems and its NOT Chrysler. Here to the “bean counters” have entered the fray and it shows. I love the look and feel of the new Cadillac lineup. The build quality is excellent and the materials used are very nice. I have been to many auto shows recently and was happy to see MANY young drives/consumers looking and admiring the Caddies, and NONE of them appeared to be of questionable character. I would proudly drive a newer model Cadillac and so would many consumers out there. Its a real shame that the heads of Ford, Chrysler and GM dont make a full fledged effort to stand together as the “Big Three” again and challenge Americans to look at the product and compare. Cadillac is just one example of many very fine products built by our domestic manufacturers. We should be encouraging, and providing constructive criticism but NOT helping them to the grave by OVER EXAGERATING what SOME see as minor imperfections. Particularly those that NOBODY ELSE would notice.
I agree with the sentiment that this is a perfectly suitable car for the demographic for which it is intended. Regrettably, they are getting fewer in number evert year. They are either dying of old age, or getting lured away by competitors that are either somewhat cheaper or somewhat more expensive. IF Cadillac was depending on this segment for growth, then they’d wrong. However, I think growth will be fuelled by the CTS, so pursuing a skimming strategy in this segment is probably suitable for this segment. With the impending demise of the inferior Town Car, the DTS’ prospects are looking pretty good. The car could probably use some improvement, especially wrt reliability, but I can’t see how investing a pile of cash into this would pay off for GM.
In China, Caddy sells an STS with an improved interior and a 5 inch addition to the wheelbase, improving rear seat room. I gotta believe that they could offer that here for DTS money and have a truly competitive car.
I know that Imperial concept car Chrysler showed was God awful butt ugly, but if this is the competition, they’d be foolish not to build an upmarket 300 of some sort.
I always wondered why Toyota continued to keep the Avalon on a stretched Camry platform. I’d love to see them decontent the LS460 down to the $35K level and sell it as the Avalon. That would be the death knell of the Lucerne, Town Car and DTS.
Anyhow, nice review!
Do NOT knock the Town Car. I have a 2003 Town Car and a 2003 Cadillac Deville.
The Town Car is the superior vehicle to the Cadillac in almost every respect (in terms of ride, comfort, reliability, safety, and room). I have owned Lexuses, Mercedes, Toyotas, and Hondas, but they don’t compare to my Town Car. Sorry. It is the only car built in modern times that I would consider buying again. Cadillac had an opportunity to remake the Deville into the Fleetwood (my all time favorite car) but they failed.
I find the DTS, especially in “Performance Package” guise, a deeply frustrating car. Like RF, I dug the Northstar’s torque and exhaust note, and even got into the soft-but-surefooted ride and handling. Hurtling around corners with grand, sweeping motions at the frictionless helm was almost…dare I say it… fun.
So why won’t Cadillac give these obviously talented engineers something other than the fat, dated G-body platform to build a flagship upon? Why won’t they stretch the budget enough for a (decent) six-speed auto, soft-touch IP plastics, and switchgear *not* shared with a $25K Buick LaCrosse? It’s like arming Navy SEALS with slingshots.