Introduction

There's a new game in town, and the 2005 Cadillac STS is writing the rules. At long last, Cadillac has delivered on the promise of the original Seville Touring Sedan: a car that people who like to drive will want to drive. The new STS gets GM's newest V6 and V8 engines, both of which boast the latest in computerized engine management and variable valve timing. The result is smooth, efficient power. And speaking of smooth, the new STS offers a choice of suspensions, too, from the traditional, keyed more to commuting, to the extraordinary, actively compensating for and adjusting to a host of inputs, large and small, smooth and sharp. But the headline here is that the STS returns to rear-wheel drive, an essential element for truly spirited driving. All-wheel drive can be had as well, putting the STS head to head with the best of the world in the handling competition. There's much more in the hardware and technology arenas, but enough of the gearhead stuff. STS is blessed with Cadillac's best interior ever, with comfortable but supportive seats that are infinitely adjustable, ample storage space, and superior sound systems. Most important, state-of-the-art occupant safety is standard. Cadillac's top management rolled the dice. It empowered its stylists and engineers to create an all-new STS, one designed and outfitted from the tires up with one goal in sight: a car meant to bring as much joy and pleasure to the driver as it does comfort and convenience to the passengers. If the 2005 STS is any gauge, there's new life in the wreath and crest.

Walkaround

The 2005 Cadillac STS is both new and familiar. It is strikingly dissimilar to its immediate predecessor, the 2003 Seville STS. The new model's design is the latest example of Cadillac's new Art & Science design motif. Only the grille pretends to keep faith with any of the old Seville's softer, rounder shapes and lines. Yet the STS is recognizable in its striking similarity to the new CTS. The STS and CTS are indistinguishable to the casual observer even when parked side by side. Both cars present only minimally different iterations of the sharp angles and almost painfully flat planes we first saw in the Evoq coupe concept. We now encounter examples of the Art & Science design theme almost daily in the SRX sport utility and XLR sports car. The now familiar theme can be seen to a lesser degree in the forward quarters of the big Escalade sport utility. The similarity between CTS and STS runs deeper than the sheet metal. They both ride on the same platform, for instance. The wheelbase of the STS is only three inches longer than that of the CTS, and its body is six inches longer. The 2003 Seville STS, in contrast, rode on a wheelbase four inches shorter than the 2005 model's, but its body was five inches longer. That means the new STS has much shorter overhangs, less metal hanging out over the front and rear wheels, and that makes for better handling, improved stability and better looks. All that said, there's no mistaking the new STS for anything but a new Cadillac. Viewed head on, the trademark egg-crate grille and stacked headlamps are starkly functional in appearance. No wasted motion or volunteer excess there, to be sure. From the side, the body's crisp lines draw an almost box-like silhouette that somehow still looks aerodynamic. Perhaps it's the gently curved A-pillar and C-pillar that tend a bit more toward "Art" than toward "Science." Sharply contoured lower rocker panels tracking rearward from the front fascia's bottom edge pull the body down, adding a stylistic ground-effects look. The backside is vaguely reminiscent of the late, lamented Eldorado coupe, with vertical taillights bracketing a tall, squared-off boot. Recessed in the boot's rear vertical is a trapezoidal inset, long enough for European-spec license plates, housing large backup lights at the left and right extremes. American-tradition dual exhausts exit below and at each end of the rear bumper. The optional rear spoiler, running the width of the trunk lid, adds stabilizing rear downforce without spoiling the look.

Interior Features

The interior of the new STS is much more welcoming than the exterior, with soft leather surfaces complemented by warm wood accents. Those wood accents are not standard, but we much prefer them over the standard brushed aluminum trim, which looks and feels cold and reflects sunlight to the point of annoyance. Get the wood. Seats are refreshingly supportive, for a Cadillac, without being overly firm. Arm rests and head restraints are a degree or two softer than the cushions and side bolsters, boosting the comfort factor a couple notches. All essential controls are within easy reach, although there could be more clearance between the lower door panels and seat bottom to access the front seat adjusters. For this reason, we were especially grateful for the seat memory feature, which often saved us from having to reach down there. The interior is roomy, fitting in between the marginally smaller CTS and externally larger 2003 Seville. Instruments are easily scanned, white-on-black round analogs, with a large nested tachometer and speedometer between the smaller fuel and engine temperature gauges. The speedometer changes between English and metric electronically, so there's only one set of numbers around its circumference. Cruise control and running lights are managed via a stalk on the left side of the steering column, windshield wipers and washers with a stalk on the right. Buttons in the steering wheel spokes provide redundant controls for audio and driver information functions. A word of caution: the top-level stereo system, although delivering superb surround sound, is multi-tasked with a navigation system that, in combination, demands an extensive study of the owner's manual to operate with any degree of alacrity and confidence. All four doors boast map pockets. The front center console is deep and wide and pre-wired for cellular and Bluetooth (to wirelessly tie the cell phone into the car's audio system allowing hand-free operation). The glove box, though, is barely sufficient to hold the navigation DVD case and owner's manual. Two cup holders are provided front and rear. The trunk is fully lined, with articulated, gas-pressurized struts. Fit and finish are top grade, with notably tight interior trim tolerances. Careful attention was paid to reducing noise, vibration and harshness, with remarkable and commendable success. Specially laminated windshield and front door glass, wind tunnel-tuned outside mirrors and high-density/low-mass sound-deadening padding combine to deliver the quietest interior Cadillac's delivered in memory.