Introduction

The Cadillac DeVille is one of America's best-selling full-size luxury cars. As you'd expect of Cadillac's flagship sedan, the DeVille coddles its occupants with a roomy, luxurious interior. The DeVille's powerful 4.6-liter V8 harmonizes with the smooth, responsive transmission, delivering quick acceleration and responsive passing performance. It feels solid and stable at high speeds, yet this big front-wheel-drive sedan offers surprisingly athletic handling, particularly the sporty DTS model. DeVille is mostly unchanged for 2004, though new heated and cooled front seats are available.

Walkaround

The Cadillac DeVille is a handsome car, a combination of European and American, of contemporary and traditional. It still looks stylish and contemporary, though it was last redesigned for the 2000 model year. Its styling distinguishes it from other cars, including other Cadillacs. Large front lighting clusters and an eggcrate grille give DeVille a bold appearance. Turn-signal indicators are integrated into the side mirrors, alerting drivers alongside of your intention to turn or change lanes. In profile the DeVille looks like a Cadillac. Large doors, massive body panels and expansive glass are broken only by trim along the lower body section. Large wheel wells are filled by 16-inch alloy wheels on DeVille and DHS, or 17-inch wheels and performance tires on DTS. From the rear, the DeVille carries the traditional Cadillac ambiance, but with a far more contemporary flair. The fins of yesteryear may be gone, but those twin vertical slashes still shout Cadillac loud and clear. The tail lamps, redesigned for 2003, rely on Cadillac's industry-leading LED technology to light up significantly faster than normal incandescent units, giving drivers of following cars an extra fraction of a second warning, which is all it takes in some cases, to prevent a collision. The rear turn signals are distinctive and stand out brightly when blinking.

Interior Features

The Cadillac DeVille interior is roomy and luxurious. DHS and base DeVille models come with a full bench seat in front and a column shifter. DTS comes with bucket seats and a floor shifter. New heated and cooled front seats come standard on the DHS and DTS and are optional on the DeVille that feature three levels of cooling. They also feature full-seat heating or back-only heating. A pair of fans in each seat blow heated or cooled air into the seatback and cushion. The system also includes a heated steering wheel, nice on cold winter mornings. DHS has elegantly gathered leather upholstery, while the DTS has stretched perforated leather for a sporty look. The DTS is distinguished by a wreath and crest in the grille, while the DHS and DeVille use a traditional hood ornament. The standard DeVille uses digital instrumentation, while DHS and DTS get analog gauges. The rear seat is inviting and comfortable. There is plenty of room available as you open the rear doors and climb in. Legroom seems endless. Even with the front seat at its rearmost position, the tallest of our testers could easily fit in back. Independent climate controls for rear passengers offer fan and temperature adjustments. Side-impact air bags for the rear seat are optional ($295). The optional Rear Park Assist is very well executed. When backing up, it sounds a chime as you approach a garage, a kid on a tricycle, or another parked car, or if they approach you. A small yellow lamp lights above the rear window, where it is visible in the rear-view mirror or when looking over your shoulder. A second yellow light illuminates as you get closer. A third light comes on in red when you're in imminent danger of hitting the object. Aside from its obvious safety benefits, Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assists is useful when parking the car or maneuvering in tight locations. It's a must-have feature for those of us who find parallel parking a challenge, and it speeds up the process for skilled parkers. One thing we don't like is the placement of the high-beam indicator next to the digital trip odometer. Both are nearly the same blue color, making the high-beam indicator difficult to see, so it's easy to leave the high beams on by mistake, blinding other drivers. Cadillac's Advanced Vehicle Navigation ($1,995) incorporates voice-recognition technology, so the driver can keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. A 6.5-inch touch-screen is mounted in the dashboard. The screen tilts down to load the navigation DVD. You can also insert and play an entertainment DVD (but only while it's in Park). The system plays music CDs as well. For those who want to play music CDs while the navigation system is engaged, a glove box-mounted six-CD changer is available ($595). OnStar comes standard and includes Personal Calling, which allows drivers to initiate and receive hands-free, voice-activated phone calls without an additional cellular contract. The system also includes Personal Advisor, which delivers Internet-based news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, and weather reports. XM Satellite Radio ($325 plus a monthly subscription fee) is available, providing drivers with CD-quality sound nationwide. You can tune in to the 24-hour TV news or sports broadcasts and there's no need to change stations as you drive across the country.