A generation ago, the Cadillac brand meant something … just saying the name prompted images of luxury, style and elegance. In other words, if a friend or family member said he (or she) was buying a Cadillac, you figured that person had arrived at a lofty place in life.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Cadillac lost some of its ability to raise eyebrows. It became much more fashionable to say you were moving up to a Lexus, a Mercedes or a BMW. Stung, General Motors Corp. has spent much of the young 21st century pouring vats of money into its Cadillac division, attempting to restore its luster in the luxury segment.
GM’s efforts have produced results; auto industry analysts have pointed to Cadillac resurgence as a genuine success story. And if anyone doubts Cadillac’s current ability to produce a player in the luxury field, a ride in the extensively reworked-for-2005 Cadillac STS should put any doubts to rest.
A week in an STS luxury sports sedan with a 4.6-liter Northstar V-8 engine convinced me … Cadillac is back.
Exterior styling on the tested STS managed to come off as both aggressive and graceful. Rear-drive power and the big V-8 delivered top-drawer performance. Inside, tastefully arranged luxury, comfort and convenience features could be enjoyed in a cabin as quiet as a bank vault.
The STS is one of those cars that looks better close up than in any of those sunset-on-the-beach photos you see in the magazine ads. Horizontal sculpting in the grille is accentuated by a front bumper that angles forward from the headlamps and comes to a point. The STS appears to be sticking its chin out, saying, “Look at me.”
Tall, slab-like sides angle in at the door handles – a nice look that reminded of the popular 2005 Chrysler 300 sedan. The 17-inch, polished-aluminum wheels added to a decidedly sporty look.
It’s an appropriate look because this Cadillac cooks.
I had to learn to lie back on accelerations at T-intersections and from standing starts at traffic lights because I kept squealing the rear tires. On the fly, the STS effortlessly created space in rush-hour traffic and snapped into narrow openings on cat feet.
The four-wheel independent suspension was exceptionally stable in all conditions. Road noise was gobbled up by dampers and bushings. In short, the STS has the kind of performance you expect from a Cadillac.
The same is true inside, with buttery-soft leather surfaces and aluminum trim feeling as comfortable as a five-star hotel’s lobby.
Naturally, there’s a price to be paid for such luxury. In the case of the tested STS, it was the approximate price of a compact sedan – $11,065.
The “Luxury Performance Package” included an arm-long list of goodies that included XM Satellite Radio, power-adjustable lumbar seats with heat, eucalyptus wood trim, moisture-sensing windshield wipers and an “Intellibeam” system that automatically switched headlamps from high beam to low beam and back.
Intellibeam was fascinating to observe in action, but I found it a mixed blessing. Without getting too technical, the rearview mirror-mounted system uses a miniature camera, light sensors and microprocessor to sense oncoming light. When it detects an approaching vehicle’s headlights or a preceding vehicle’s taillamps, the system is designed to turn off the STS high beams “gradually before it distracts other drivers.”
Very cool technology, but in some situations with oncoming cars, it seemed about a half-second too slow to change from high to low beam. Several times, I had drivers in oncoming cars flash their high beams at me because the Cadillac’s high-intensity xenon lights had caught them in the face.
Chalk that one up to: Neat feature that might need a little more work.
The monster-size “Luxury Performance Package” also included a subtle rear spoiler and an advanced DVD navigation system that included dual maps of the car’s position – one close-up and one showing the surrounding area.
Suffice it to say that the optional package had enough features to keep driver and passengers busy for weeks learning how to use them. The $11,065 in extras might offend some budget watchers, but this is the luxury class.
The bottom line on the tested STS came to $58,560 – not all that bad in this field. Check out some of the stickers on Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW models, and you might consider nearly $60,000 a bargain.
If the budget allows for stepping up to a luxury sedan, add the 2005 STS to the test-drive list. It’s a new Cadillac that rekindles some of that old Cadillac respect.
Cadillac STS at a glance Make/model: 2005 Cadillac STS. Vehicle type: Five-passenger, luxury sports sedan.
Base price: $46,800 (as tested, $58,560).
Engine: 4.6-liter V-8 with 320 horsepower at 6,400 revolutions per minute and 315 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm.
EPA fuel economy: 17 miles per gallon city; 26 mpg highway.
Transmission: Five-speed automatic with overdrive and clutchless manual shift mode.
Steering: Power rack and pinion with speed-sensitive feature.
Brakes: Power four-wheel vented discs with anti-lock and special braking-enhancement features.
Suspension type: Four-wheel independent with automatic leveling, anti-roll bars, coil springs and stabilizer bars.
Interior volume: 102.9 cubic feet.
Trunk volume: 13.8 cubic feet.
Fuel tank: 17.5 gallons.
Curb weight: 3,921 pounds.
Front track: 61.8 inches.
Rear track: 62.3 inches.
Height: 57.6 inches.
Length: 196.3 inches.
Wheelbase: 116.4 inches.
Width: 72.6 inches.
Tires: P255/45VR17 performance tires.
Assembly site: Lansing, Mich.