#1 Cochran Automotive

• Introduction  »
• Interior / Walk Around  »
• Driving Impressions  »
• Summary

Walk Around

The Cadillac DTS is not just a new skin on the old DeVille. Numerous refinements have stiffened the body structure, increasing safety and dampening noise. A laminated steel dash panel significantly reduces noise from the engine compartment. That kind of detail engineering is evident throughout, demonstrating the effort expended to achieve the archetypal Cadillac ride.

The DTS is a big car. Its overall length of 207.6 inches makes it 5 inches longer than the Escalade full-size SUV, and nearly a foot longer than the STS. It's 9 inches longer than a BMW 7 Series and 2.6 inches longer than the latest long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. It's also wide, more than 2 inches wider than an STS.

Despite its size, however, the clean forms of the DTS give it a European look, though in a distinctively American idiom. With its vertical headlamps and tail lamps, and its grinning egg-crate grille, the DTS has acquired the design heritage of the Cadillac family and adapted it to 21st Century reality. It acknowledges tradition, yet remains fresh and modern. The nose is particularly expressive, with jewel-like xenon headlamps framing an expansive chrome grille adorned with a center-mounted wreath-and-crest badge.

Other interesting styling elements include body-side chrome trim accenting body-color door moldings, and a narrow LED high-mounted stop light that runs nearly the entire width of the decklid's crisply edged rear contour. The fenders provide a purposeful stance, and the profile is slightly wedge-shaped. Chromed 17-inch wheels come standard (with optional 18s). The overall look is brought together by Cadillac's characteristic spline line, which rises from the top of the front fender, runs along with lower edge of the side windows and then flows over the rear fender.

Cadillac boasts that the DTS has some of the tightest production tolerances in the world, and it certainly looks the part of a well-honed luxury machine. The panels fit well, the paint is glossy and blemish free, and overall the DTS wears its bulk well, like a fine-tailored suit. The quality of GM cars has been improving, and Cadillac scores well in quality surveys.

Interior

2007 Cadillac DTS

The DTS cabin is roomy and luxurious. The interior was completely revised for 2006 and some color and detail changes have been made for the 2007 model.

Leather and wood abound, along with a dusting of chrome accents, creating a handsome, upmarket environment. Low-gloss surfaces, with a three-dimensional grain, were chosen for the upper instrument panel and upper doors in order to reduce glare and absorb sunlight. Three leather upholstery offerings include a base leather called Nuance; a more supple, semi-aniline Tuscany hide; and a specially tanned leather called Tehama, found only in the DTS. The Nuance interior benefits from fitment of a material crafted from a vinyl/silk blend for seatbacks and armrests. Claimed to be as durable as vinyl, it has the look and feel of leather.

The trim used on base and Luxury I models is a good-looking faux burl wood material, while Luxury II and Performance versions get a darker, genuine burled walnut. Found on the shifter head, center console, around the center stack and on the upper and lower sections of the instrument panel, the wood trim creates a flowing theme throughout the entire interior.

Chrome door handles, select knobs and switches, shifter column surround, and in rings that wrap the four analog gauges in the instrument panel work with the wood to create an upscale feel. Instruments use white-on-black LED readouts for speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temp gauges.

On five-passenger models, the center console between the bucket seats houses the shifter and storage bins. On six-passenger models, the shifter is mounted on the steering column to accommodate the front bench seat; it has an integrated center armrest that transforms from an integrated back cushion into a console with two levels of storage.

The cabin has a spacious feel and good sightlines for driver visibility. Facing the driver is an attractive four-spoke wood-and-leather steering wheel with a finely etched wreath-and-crest center badge. Tilt function is standard; on Luxury II and Performance models, the wheel has a power tilt/telescoping function with memory. On Luxury I, II, and Performance models, the wheel is heated.

The center stack design is attractive and the controls are easy to see and use. 2007 models have a Dark Argent finish surrounding the radio and HVAC control heads, which are set flush into the console for a well-integrated look. Nestled between air outlets, high up in the center stack, is a sharp analog clock, in keeping with other high-end automobiles whose clocks also measure out time in the old, traditional way. It's a good way.

The rear seat is large enough for a couple of six-foot-plus males with a few extra pounds of girth, and fitting a smaller fifth passenger in between is no problem. The seatbacks are nicely raked for long-range comfort, and even kids will appreciate the heating elements in the outboard positions (Luxury I, II, and Performance).

Comfort is, of course, a primary component of luxury, and we drove both Luxury II and Performance editions of the DTS to get the full dose. We especially liked the tri-zone climate control, and the cooling for the front seats. However, the heat and cooling controls are set high up and forward in the door panels, making it hard to see if they've been turned on. It's one of the few ergonomic miscues in the DTS; otherwise, there are no difficult or hidden controls or complicated electronic interfaces to mar the luxury experience. Worthy of praise is the ease of using the complex audio system.

Our ears were treated by the Bose audio system, which features eight speakers and centerpoint signal processing for multi-channel surround sound.

A DVD navigation system with voice recognition and a 6.5-inch color screen is also available; you can even watch movies on it when the car is in Park. For 2007, its maps include Korea and Taiwan, two of Cadillac's overseas markets for the DTS. Language choices offered by the dri

Go to Driving Impressions