Performance, Ride, and Handling
What you think about the roadgoing manners of the DTS really depends on what you want. Starting things out slow, drivers are aided by front and rear ultrasonic parking assists, which eliminate the "parking by touch" technique that previous Deville drivers frequently relied upon.
The drivetrain is largely familiar, but it adds a couple of new tricks for 2006. The Northstar all-aluminum 32-valve DOHC V-8 still displaces 4.6 liters, and in Luxury form generates 275 hp and 292 lb-ft. New for 2006 are polymer coated pistons, dual knock sensors, a 32-bit powertrain control module, two onboard networks, and electronic throttle control. The four-speed electronic transaxle remains.
Performance packages get the slightly different Northstar NHP, set at 291 hp and 286 lb-ft, with a much different torque corve. The transaxle gains GM's well-known and well-liked performance shift algorithm, and the separate Performance Algorithm Liftfoot, which downshifts rather than upshifts when the driver lets off the gas under appropriate conditions.
The big liner will not disappoint in acceleration. The response feels like a 7.3-7.6 second 0-60 time, though the DTS continues the trend long after 60 mph has passed. Many will find that the DTS feels faster, due to a bit of torque-steer drama and the indulgent, ego-feeding new exhaust tuning. The new sound is boisterously old-school throaty, and much different from the finely-carved high-tech sounds that come from the STS V-8. It's another reason that I'll bet strongly in favor of the DTS appealing to current Escalade owners, who love to be reminded that they're piloting a machine of power.
I think that the long overdue electronic throttle control, coupled with the more powerful electronics, contributes greatly to the vastly improved passing response in the DTS. "Simulated passing maneuvers" yeilded instantaneous, crisp downshifts from the Hydramatic transaxle, that seem even a tad quicker than in the excellent 5-speed STS. It's certainly compensation for some lost ground until the six-speed arrives, but it's also welcome. Upshifts, on the other hand, are typical GM-Hydramatic in their smoothness.
One maddening inclusion is the flubbery “Louisville Slugger” floor shifter, as dubbed by
Car and Driver. An heir from the days of the Seville STS, it feels clumsy and its action is much cheaper-feeling than that of the other Caddys' switchgears, as well as the new 2006 Impala.
When it comes to handling, long stretches of highway are the Luxury DTS's forte. A comfortable ride is the top priority, and I think it compares most directly with the settings in the 2005 Deville DTS. The front MacPherson strut and rear multilink (basically a strut plus a semi-trailing arm) are the weapons of choice for highway miles, but the spring rates are noticeably higher than those of the earlier base Devilles. Expect some float, but less than before.
You'll notice bumps, but hear them more than you'll feel them, unless you have the stereo tuned to XMLiquidMetal. Wait, XM dropped that, so I guess I meant to say unless you have the stereo tuned to the lame stuff you're settling for, like SquiZZ or the BoneYard.
Long sweepers give the Luxury DTS little trouble, but more sporting switchbacks are best taken at six tenths. When sport arrives, the soft spring rates and large-diameter hollow anti-roll bars conspire to lift the inside front tire, resulting in a greater load on an outside touring radial beneath a heavy vehicle. That means understeer, and a fair amount of mid-turn correction by us less practiced driving types. Fortunately, grip is good enough, and the tires don't voice their opinions the way they did in older Devilles. It's an overall handling improvement that increases the poise of a vehicle not likely to be pushed.
I've been careful, so far, not to mention anything about the handling of the performance package for two reasons: One, I haven't driven one yet, and Two, I'm completely sold on Magnetic Ride Control. It's not worthwhile in a Corvette, but what it does for an STS, an XLR, or an SRX is downright miraculous.
Magnetic Ride Control, standard on the Performance Package DTS, uses electric currents to vary the viscosity of the fluid in the shocks. The system monitors data from the DTS's various networked systems, including wheel-motion sensors, to change the shock fluid viscosity every one thousandth of a second, if necessary. One thousandth of a second, by the way, translates to one inch of road at 60 mph. First appearing in the 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette, the system, which has no moving parts, has repeatedly proven its reliability and its value.
Reviews of the Performance DTS, so far, have reinforced this system's contribution to the sporty handling of an intended luxury car. With my previous experiences with Magnetic Ride Control, in the other Cadillacs, such as impeccable body control, and great roadfeel without the sacrifice of smoothness, I won't even compare the Performance DTS with the Luxury DTS until I've driven them both.