2005 Cadillac STS V6 Sports Sedan
The "New" Cadillac

As Cadillac continues to reclaim its position as the Number One luxury vehicles, their offerings keep getting better and better. Driving the STS V6 sports sedan is enjoyable it's beginning to become clear why consumers are coming back into the Cadillac showroom.

Our test STS came equipped with the standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with 5-speed transmission. It's smooth, responsive and adequate to pull all 3,857 pounds of the STS sedan. With a base price of $40,525, the STS doesn't come cheap, however, it quickly has the potential to become the vehicle of choice when on the open road, as well as daily driving.

The STS V6 is about $5,000-to-$6,000 less than the Cadillac Seville. If you prefer the V8 version it starts at $47,495, averagely equipped around $52,000. Should you be inclined to blow the wad, the Seville (which the STS replaces) could reach as high as $62,000. Instead, you'll have the STS in Seville's place, and if you prefer a V8, it's available ( 4.6-liter, 320 horsepower). GM's V6 engines have always been strong, responsive engines, leaving little need to upgrade to the V8. Unless, of course, you just have to have an eight!

Total vehicle price on our test STS V6 sport sedan came to $49,815, due to an almost $9,000 worth of options. To be sure, one could do without this package of goodies, but then, it wouldn't be a luxury vehicle, would it? One comes to expect such amenities as memory/lumbar/heated seats, wood trim steering wheel, door trim and shift knob (after all, Cadillac wrote the book on these features), power sunroof, and navigation system.

The redesigned STS very much resembles its stablemate the CTS. Hard to mistake it for anything other than a Cadillac. At first, this didn't appeal, but we've become accustomed to the design and rather like it. Although such features as the horizontal taillights seem exaggerated, they are unique. The Cadillac design is also recognizable; something every automotive manufacturer wants to achieve.

SPECS
MSRP	$40,525; total vehicle price: $49,120; destination $695
Engine	3.6-liter V6 VVT, 255 horsepower
Transmission	5-speed automatic with drive shift control
Wheelbase	116.4 in.
Height	57.6 in.
Weight	3,857 lbs.
Width	72.6 in.
Length	196.3 in.
Tires	P255/45R17 Rear V-rated; Michelin P235/50R17 front
Wheels	17-inch aluminum
EPA Fuel Economy	17/24 mpg.
Warranty	4 yr/50,000-mile limited

As an example of the kinds of optional features you could add onto your STS V6, our test vehicle's $8,595 package included trunk convenience net, Bose 5.1 studio surround sound with in dash 6-disc DVD changer and DVD navigation, XM Satellite radio, rainsense wipers, Homelink garage door opener, auto dimming ISRV mirror, 17-inch polished aluminum wheels, tire pressure monitor, express open/close sunroof, rear spoiler, and such performance features as 4-wheel performance disc brakes with ABS, limited slip differential and premium ZF steering gear.

A luxury performance package (1SC), also an option, included multi-driver memory settings, power adjustable lumbar/heated-ventilated front seats, Eucalyptus wood trim on center stack, console, IP, shift, knob, door trim and steering wheel.

Standard features on the STS include all-speed traction control, panic brake assist, nuance leather seats, 8-way power seats, aluminum trim, cruise, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, adaptive remote start, 8-speaker Bose system, power windows/locks/mirrors, front and side impact airbags, theft deterrent system and OnStar.

The wood accents seem to shout "domestic automaker" to us. However, that would be a big generalization since some imports have begun to offer wood dashes, IP's and consoles as well. It doesn't particularly appeal to us, but many like it; if for no other reason, it spells luxury to them.

Compared with the BMW 7-Series, the new STS weights almost 500 pounds less, and although handles well as a "performance" vehicle, it's hard to beat a BMW performance package.

The STS is a well-handling sedan. The model we tested as rear-wheel-drive (RWD), but the STS is also available in all-wheel-drive (AWD). As with many large sedans, taking a corner at 50 mph can seem risky, but the STSπ performance package seems self-assured. The ride is smooth and quiet, and theV6, although in most situations is more than adequate, there are moments it struggled like a V8 wouldn't have to.

New gizmo's on our STS included such high tech items as keyless access (unnerving at first), adaptive cruise control, Intellibeam system (switches headlights from high-to-low beams, DVD navigation system and adaptive remote start. The latter allows for the driver to start the vehicle before entering it. We found that it started fine with the remote, but at times we had to turn off the engine before we could move the gearshift out of park. Not sure what this meant?

It's hard not to like the new Cadillac STS, from its unusual design (a nice change from many of today's"appliance" appearance in vehicles), to its feel of luxury, to its quiet, smooth ride.