2006 Cadillac DTS. Interior Review

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2006 Cadillac DTS. Interior Review

Had a chance to sit in a brand new 2006 Cadillac DTS tonight. Wow! Very impressive, I wish I was lucky to enough to sit in the Luxury III package but I had to settle for either the Luxury I or Luxury II. I am not sure which one I sat in.

First off, Cadillac has done a really good job at the luxury end of the scale. Upon entering the Cadillac you immediately notice that Cadillac has installed some sort of LED lighting system. Very impressive! There is a nice silver Cadillac door sill plate that is lighted up by the door lights, very elegant. Once seated, I immediately notice the improved build quality of this vehicle, maybe not quite Lexus levels but more on that later.

The dash layout is very effective. Everything is right where you need it. Stereo and HVAC controls are located right where they should be within perfect arm reach of the driver and the passenger. The analog clock is also a nice little touch that I found elegant. The seats in the DTS were very comfortable and plush however they were slightly on the narrow side for my six foot two frame. The centre console has two well designed cup holders and a gated shift lever covered in tasteful wood.

Side door panels are well crafted and well put together however there is some evidence of hard plastic on the outer edges of the door and lower front dash. Door pockets are also well designed and handy while being spacious. Head room, knee and leg room are plentiful. Rear seat head and leg room is also generous.

While the new Cadillac DTS interior is very impressive there were some things that need to be worked on.

While the new DTS has some impressive materials and minimal panel gaps, the hard plastic on the lower dash and outer door panels could be a little softer, in addition the steering wheel column has some massive panel gaps when connecting to the dash. The wood on the shift lever is nice but the dash treatment is not as impressive as the previous generations Zebrano would trim. The interior dash lights could brighten up by one more notch and interior buttons and switches are on the small side.

The Cadillac DTS is overall a very impressive full size luxury sedan. I have yet to be this excited about any of the new GM launches. The interior is impressive but it might not be up to Lexus levels just yet but it is pretty darn close. Oh and I forgot to mention something. Doesn’t Cadillac have the nicest smelling leather in industry?