A Quiet Blend of Luxurious Simplicity |
Although stripped of two cylinders, 45-horsepower and a dessert cart full of electronics, the de-contented 2006 STS is still a pretty sweet ride. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
The latest generation of Cadillac Seville, now simply dubbed STS to align with the domestic brand's new alpha naming strategy, was launched as a 2005 model, and shortly after its introduction I road tested a top-of-the-line V8 model. Recently, however, I thought it fitting to test a more modest and sedate version of the STS; one that wouldn't require such deep pockets to call, "mine." Although stripped of two cylinders, 45-horsepower and a dessert cart full of electronics, the de-contented 2006 STS is still a pretty sweet ride. It is a tightly assembled sled, embodying much of the quality and amenities we have come to expect in modern luxury cars.
In its less competitive form, the STS exhibits a character more inline with the domestic premium-car market rather than the Euro performance-car market, meaning that refinement and comfort trump handling and performance - but the skew in favour of pampering is ever so slight. This isn't yesterday's land yacht Caddie by any stretch. It's a sure-footed cruiser that spoils its occupants in many ways over and above physics-defying handling, and it does so at a cost that may be more pocketbook compatible than many other premium vehicles.
The most important point of departure in today's STS is its rear-wheel-drive, or all-wheel-drive configuration. Gone is the front-wheel-drive format that led the previous gen STS, and I couldn't be happier. Along with sending power to the "correct wheels," GM engineered a very rigid body structure for the latest STS. When encountering beat-up pavement, the solidity of the car's unibody construction becomes immediately noticeable thanks to the absence of suspension noise, body-flex and cabin shudder. The fully independent arrangement smoothly absorbs bumps and potholes while keeping the
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The 3.6-litre (217 cu in), 255-horsepower V6 in the STS stands shoulder to shoulder with the best the aforementioned marques have to offer. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
vehicle stable and connected to the road. There is no float or excessive rebound to suggest the chassis under foot is anything but sound. The placid, but well-controlled ride of the STS enhances the sense of relaxation that comes with driving a refined luxury car.
That refinement carries over to the sedan's V6 powerplant as well. Now before I go further, let me say that I have never been fond of the V6 engines found beneath most domestic hoods. In my view they seldom match the "silkiness" I so admire in Acura and Audi products among others. But stop the presses; Cadillac has altered my perception of reality. The 3.6-litre (217 cu in), 255-horsepower V6 in the STS stands shoulder to shoulder - or should that read air cleaner to air cleaner - with the best the aforementioned marques have to offer.