Impressive.
That's the '05 Cadillac STS. No major caveats are required.
Simply, this car shows that when GM's designers, engineers, and
manufacturing people put their minds to it—and we probably
shouldn't forget the executives who allowed them to do so—they
can create a product as good as other vehicles in its class.
Which is saying a lot. Clearly, the context for this car is one
that contains BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. But I think there is
still a goodly number of people who would still rather spend
their ~$45,000 on a domestic brand rather than one from abroad.
Heretofore, these people have not been well serviced by
Cadillac. Sure, they've bought the cars. But they've not really
gotten the goods—at least not as regards the other makes. Local
rival Lincoln hasn't offered a whole lot (LS, perhaps. Town
Car?) But with the STS, there is the possibility for not only
those domestic intenders but for those who have left the fold to
get into a solid car. No excuses necessary.
The STS is a solid four-door. It is roomy without being
cavernous. With a 3.6-liter V6 under the hood, the car has a
sufficient capability of moving. More than sufficient, perhaps,
inasmuch as because of the overall smoothness of the ride (there
is an independent SLA front and multilink rear suspension setup
and the Stabilitrak four-channel handling system) and quietness
of the cabin (there's acoustic laminated glass for the windshield
and side windows and other noise-reducing features, such as a
28-mm thick TPO cast foam front-of-dash mat), when driving along
on a freeway, one may find oneself to be, um, surprised at
where the needle on the speedo happens to be pointing. While the
4.6-liter Northstar V8 certainly offers a whole lot more under
the pedal, I find that the 255-hp offered by the V6 is really
well suited to the vehicle. (And let's face it: there is a fuel
economy advantage with the 6, and it takes regular gas. Perhaps
that's not something that Cadillac buyers think about often, but
if gas prices make a return to the upward climes, we'll all be
thinking about that.)
Exterior designer Kip Wasenko (see
http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/020402.html ), the
man who created the design vocabulary with the Evoq concept car
(1999), told me, "The CTS is very bold, edgy, youthful; the STS
is quieter, more refined. That's the strategy I had for the
designs from the very beginning. When I would get criticism of
the STS as being too smooth, I said with all sincerity that I
really believe that's the right thing, based on talking to a lot
of customers in that market: looking at the way they dress, the
homes they live in, their aura of self-confidence,
sophistication, and refinement." This is a car that is
contextually consistent with places like country clubs, yet it
doesn't have that
"yes-I've-finally-made-enough-money-to-own-a-luxury-car-and-the-n
ext-sheetmetal-mode-of-transport-I'll-have-has-a-body-by-Batesvil
le" feeling to it. Simply: It is a car for an ungeriatric
demographic.
OK. There is a quibble. Yes, yes, they're doing a better
job on the interiors. But this one is just not exactly up to
snuff. The plastic is the problem. (Isn't it always?)
Specifically, the plastic used to cover the airbag on the
steering column is made of a hard, shiny material that would be
best deployed for something found in a Wal-Mart toy department.
The door arm rest plastic (including faux stitching) is also a
bit on the "we're holding down prices" side. After all, this is
not a Cavalier we're talking about here. Another niggling issue
is with the monochrome display that provides information about
various things, from the audio to the temperature. Somehow the
type font displayed resembles something from one of those
Tamagotchi Japanese electronic pet toys. These issues could be
easily remedied.
Impressive? Indeed.
Simple specs:
Type: Four-door sedan
Engine: V6, all-aluminum with variable
valve timing
Horsepower: 255 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb.-ft.) 252 @ 3,200
Wheelbase: 116.4 in.
Length: 196.3 in.
Width: 72.6 in.
Height: 57.6 in.
