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Cars

Cadillac DeVille now DTS

By ANN M. JOB, Associated Press
Published September 2, 2005

President Bush and Donald Trump aren't the only ones to ride in style in Cadillac's refreshed full-size sedan.

Beginning this fall, consumers will find the 2006 version of the Cadillac DeVille at dealerships, albeit several months after Bush and Trump received keys to their new Cadillacs.

Cadillac's largest car is restyled, inside and out, for a more modern, upscale look; has new, more ergonomic seats and updated suspension tuning; and adds 18-inch factory wheels for first time.

Cadillac's largest auto isn't called the DeVille anymore, though.

Following the nomenclature that Cadillac started to adopt some four years ago when it introduced its CTS luxury sedan, the 2006 DeVille is renamed the DTS. If that sounds familiar, it was the name of one of the trim levels of the DeVille in the 2005 model year.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for the 2006 DTS is $41,990. This is $4,850 less than the base, 2005 model and makes the base DTS less pricey than many full-size, luxury sedan competitors.

For example, the 2006 Lincoln Town Car has a starting MSRP, including destination charge of $42,875 and the 2006 Lexus LS 430 starts at $51,175.

The new styling on this Cadillac did attract attention during the test drive, with even drivers in style-conscious Los Angeles staring and looking the car over. The front now has a look similar to the edgy style of Cadillac's CTS and Escalade, though it's not quite as sharp.

The DTS' rear is a long, streamlined trunk lid that's reminiscent of the back of a Cadillac Eldorado. Overall, the look is definitely contemporary.

Unlike the major competitors, Cadillac's big car remains front-wheel drive, even as new rear-wheel-drive sedans such as Chrysler's 300C have become strong sellers. Some drivers prefer rear-drive for its predictable, sporty character and feel it belongs in large-sized cars.

But Cadillac's DTS continues to offer the cushioned, quiet ride that buyers in this segment seek. During a test drive, the car sort of bobbed up and down over sizable highway expansion cracks, but I was never jolted. Long straight stretches of road were delightful, because the 4,000-plus-pound DTS sometimes seemed to skim the road surface lightly, rather than heave itself along.

The ride is quiet. Even with semitrailers trucks driving nearby on a freeway, I could talk in conversational tones to passengers. Fuel economy isn't great in this big-sedan segment, and the DTS is estimated to get 17 miles a gallon in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. I wish the DTS came with something other than its four-speed automatic transmission. It dates back to the early 1990s, and while it has been shown to be durable, it doesn't include a shift-it-yourself manumatic feature, much less a higher number of gears that could improve fuel economy and responsiveness. The Lexus, for example, has a six-speed automatic. The long-running Town Car retains its four speed.

The DTS back seat is a highlight. There's good room for three adults to sit back there without them having to squeeze tightly against each other. The middle passenger, however, has a slight hump to contend with in the middle of the rear floor and also doesn't have a height adjustable head restraint.

Dimensions for the new DTS are pretty close to that of the 2005 DeVille. While the DTS is nearly an inch taller than its predecessor, front-seat headroom remains the same and back-seat headroom is reduced 0.3 inch.

The DTS trunk has 18.8 cubic feet of cargo room, which is less than the 21 cubic feet in the Town Car.

Night Vision, an option that helped drivers see obstacles at night and in foggy conditions, is no longer offered. Officials said few consumers - only 5 percent or so - bought it. But standard DTS safety equipment includes antilock brakes, stability control, six airbags and improved structural reinforcements.

Some safety equipment isn't available, however. For example, an automatic brake drying system that BMW is adding to its sedans to help ensure good brake performance in wet weather isn't available on the DTS. Neither is an automatic pre-collision feature offered by Mercedes and Lexus that helps prepare passengers and the vehicle for impact during an impending crash.

Indeed, the DTS arrives in showrooms without a factory-installed rear entertainment system. Officials said they're still studying their choices for this feature.

Cadillac officials expect that early buyers of the DTS will be "Cadillac loyalists" who already like the brand and have been previous Cadillac owners.

Most are expected to be married.

But officials also look for younger buyers to be attracted to the new styling. This will help reduce the average buyer age from the mid to high 60s that has been characteristic of the former DeVille, they said.

Next car reviews, in this order: 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2005 Acura MDX, 2006 Hummer H3, 2006 Chevrolet HHR.

BASE PRICE: $41,195 for Luxury I model; $43,695 for Luxury II model; $47,695 for Luxury III model; $49,695 for Performance Package model

AS TESTED: $50,490

TYPE: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger large sedan

ENGINE: 4.6-liter, double overhead cam, Northstar V8

MILEAGE: 18 (city), 27 (highway)

TOP SPEED: NA

LENGTH: 207.6 inches

WHEELBASE: 115.6 inches

CURB WT.: 4,009 pounds

BUILT AT: Hamtramck, Mich.

OPTIONS: None

DESTINATION CHARGE: $795

[Last modified September 1, 2005, 08:26:09]