2006 Cadillac DTS Road Test

[91 s-10baja]

http://familycar.com/RoadTests/Cadil.../index2006.htm
pictures:
http://familycar.com/RoadTests/Cadil...Photos2006.htm

[AdmiralViscen]

Good review.

[giagastormer]

Excellent review. Nice to see REAL wood trim on Luxury III models.

[mgescuro]

While I'm annoyed by the simulated wood int he base packages.... I'm wondering what the Tehama leather option is.

[VivienM]

I still can't get used to the side profile of this car... it looks just like the DeVille. Cost savings, I guess.

I'm curious to see how it can allegedly still be a soft traditional luxury car without the vague steering, floaty ride, etc., too.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by VivienM

I still can't get used to the side profile of this car... it looks just like the DeVille. Cost savings, I guess.

I'm curious to see how it can allegedly still be a soft traditional luxury car without the vague steering, floaty ride, etc., too.

It's the entire greenhouse of the car that's just wrong. IT'sa carryover... from teh A to the C pillar. Everything else is nice... except maybe the tail.

But hey.. if it performs.. and it manages to hold onto its clientele, maybe Cadillac will invest in a truly new version down the road... a RWD one.

[VivienM]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

It's the entire greenhouse of the car that's just wrong. IT'sa carryover... from teh A to the C pillar. Everything else is nice... except maybe the tail.

But hey.. if it performs.. and it manages to hold onto its clientele, maybe Cadillac will invest in a truly new version down the road... a RWD one.

Honestly, I think this "traditional Cadillac", for as long as it survives, will always be sharing a lot of things with lesser GM sedans.

If it wasn't for the Zeta "cancellation", I would have thought a Zeta-based DTS replacement, along with a Zeta-based large Buick and maybe Pontiac/Chevy, to be a reasonable possibility. But now... if the large sedan future is the FWD/AWD Chi, then that's what the next DTS will be, probably.

No point in wasting engineering money/resources/etc on this car, given the people buying it are probably THE most brand loyal, unlikely-to-pick-up-an-R&T/MT/C&D, etc types around. Spend the money on the segments where those journalists need wowing.

[mgescuro]

I suppose I could live with the Chi platform on the DTS... but it just won't be the car that truly competes with Town Car without RWD in the limo market.

So far the only Zetas OK'd for the NA market is GTO and ULS. It's disappointing... yes. But if Zeta wasn't OK for Velite... what makes it OK for DTS. That's what I don't get.

I suppose Sigma could be used on the DTS... but it needs to be widened by 5-6 inches and lengthened by about 10 inches. SIgma can't handle that... but Sigma II can.

[VivienM]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

I suppose I could live with the Chi platform on the DTS... but it just won't be the car that truly competes with Town Car without RWD in the limo market.

So far the only Zetas OK'd for the NA market is GTO and ULS. It's disappointing... yes. But if Zeta wasn't OK for Velite... what makes it OK for DTS. That's what I don't get.

I suppose Sigma could be used on the DTS... but it needs to be widened by 5-6 inches and lengthened by about 10 inches. SIgma can't handle that... but Sigma II can.

The way I've understood it, Zeta was supposed to be a "cheap large" RWD platform that would more or less replace the G body as the "cheap large" GM platform... thus why I'd want to stick the DTS on it. But then this whole ULS on Zeta business... sounds like a Cimarron to me. Maybe I've misunderstood the plan, though.

The DTS on Sigma/Sigma II? I don't think so... This car isn't about class-leading anything, it's about competing with Lincoln in a market that Lincoln isn't exactly innovating in. (Should we talk HP from 4.6L engines?) And maybe competing with Lexus a little... but not much. Thus why I don't expecting to see GM spending any kind of serious money on it.

If it starts to cost lots of money, then I expect the DTS to be trashed for a large Buick and a Euro-competition-only Cadillac lineup.

How does the DeVille compare to the Town Car in terms of sales? And more specifically, in terms of fleet sales (where they might care about RWD for durability-type reasons?) and retail sales?

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by VivienM

The way I've understood it, Zeta was supposed to be a "cheap large" RWD platform that would more or less replace the G body as the "cheap large" GM platform... thus why I'd want to stick the DTS on it. But then this whole ULS on Zeta business... sounds like a Cimarron to me. Maybe I've misunderstood the plan, though.

The DTS on Sigma/Sigma II? I don't think so... This car isn't about class-leading anything, it's about competing with Lincoln in a market that Lincoln isn't exactly innovating in. (Should we talk HP from 4.6L engines?) And maybe competing with Lexus a little... but not much. Thus why I don't expecting to see GM spending any kind of serious money on it.

If it starts to cost lots of money, then I expect the DTS to be trashed for a large Buick and a Euro-competition-only Cadillac lineup.

How does the DeVille compare to the Town Car in terms of sales? And more specifically, in terms of fleet sales (where they might care about RWD for durability-type reasons?) and retail sales?

ULS is supposed to be on an extended and widened Cadillac exclusive premium version of the Zeta. Whether or not that's reallly the case... remains to be seen when ULS is launched.

I don't believe FWD will make it "competitive" with Town Car. THen again.. if Ford gets rid of Town Car as is rumored... then it's a moot point. But you really do need a RWD platform for a limo. So, I think a Sigma would be perfect for DTS. Or a regular Zeta. It would compete with Lexus now... but not Lexus of the future, as they reorg their lineup. I'll just hope for a RWD DTS in the future.

In terms of fleet sales? I don't know. But all the executive cars out there are Town Cars. DTS executive cars are very rare. DTS used to be the best selling luxury car. Not sure if that's teh case anymore. ANd I don't know if that included fleet sales.

[MCGARRETT]

Not really,


Both Lincoln and Cadillac sell alot of limos. Cadillac practically has a lock on the hearse/family car business even with FWD, where Lincoln has traditionally sold more "party limos".

Where I live, I see about 50/50 DeVille vs Town Car "party" limos, but about 98% of the funeral homes around here have a matching Cadillac hearse and 6 door family car combo.

Make no mistake the DeVille with either the limousine or hearse upfitter package is a very, very robust vehicle.

Just because it's FWD means nothing, remember GM was making 10,000lb plus FWD motorhomes in the 70's.

[AdmiralViscen]

Deville is still the best selling fullsize luxury car, by far.

It's going to Chi, it is not going to RWD. There is no finalized platform for the ULS. There is no reason for the DTS to be RWD.

[VivienM]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

I don't believe FWD will make it "competitive" with Town Car. THen again.. if Ford gets rid of Town Car as is rumored... then it's a moot point. But you really do need a RWD platform for a limo. So, I think a Sigma would be perfect for DTS. Or a regular Zeta. It would compete with Lexus now... but not Lexus of the future, as they reorg their lineup. I'll just hope for a RWD DTS in the future.

In terms of fleet sales? I don't know. But all the executive cars out there are Town Cars. DTS executive cars are very rare. DTS used to be the best selling luxury car. Not sure if that's teh case anymore. ANd I don't know if that included fleet sales.

If F*rd gets rid of Town Cars (and Crown Vic, etc), they are idiots... those things are unique in a lot of market segments, and apparently very profitable to sell, too.

Regarding limos... are the DeVille limos out there FWD or RWD? I once read something suggesting that GM was putting the DeVille sheet metal on some RWD platform for limos (I mean the stretched kind, obviously...), yet if you look at the ones on eBay, they seem to have transverse-mounted Northstars... so was the thing I read wrong?

[pkd87]

Great Review, can't wait to read more reviews from Motor Trend and Car and Driver and compare.

[MCGARRETT]

DeVilles limos are FWD, they have been since Cadillac discontinued the Fleetwood in 1996.

What you might be thinking of is the Presidential Parade Limousine, which has about as much in common with a regular DeVille as a Cessna has with an SR-71.