2005 Cadillac STS Test Drive

A Reason to Buy American

Spend five minutes in the 2005 STS and you'll know why Cadillac is bouncing back.

The new 2005 Cadillac STS, which replaces the Seville, is fast, sporty and luxurious -- but in an American way.

Unlike the old Seville, which had front-wheel drive, the STS has rear-wheel drive standard. In a first for a Cadillac sedan, four-wheel drive is an available option. Although with slightly softer lines, the STS picks up on the Cadillac "Art and Design" theme that first appeared on the 2001 Cadillac CTS, with which the STS shares its Sigma platform. The wheelbase of the STS is three  inches longer than that of the CTS, and at 196 inches the STS is six inches longer than the smaller Caddy.

One notable change from the old Seville: Cadillac pushed the wheels out to the corners on the STS. The new car is 5 inches shorter than the model it replaces, yet is has a 116-inch wheelbase versus 112 for the Seville.

The STS inherits the excellent chassis dynamics of the CTS, but it also shares some of its interior genetics with the CTS. Although its inside isn't nearly as claustrophobic as that of the CTS, the packaging, especially in the rear, is a tad snug. With the switch to rear-wheel drive, the back center seat is tighter than it was in the Seville. On paper, the STS is called a five-passenger vehicle; realistically, it is a four-seater.

STS prices start at $40,525 for the standard V6 model powered by a new, 255-horsepower, all-aluminum, 3.6-liter, six-cylinder engine. The more luxurious V8 models are powered by a new version of Cadillac's 4.6-liter Northstar engine, which belts out 320 hp and 315 pound-feet of torque. Both Cadillac engines offer variable valve timing, which helps increase efficiency, creating  better power at more engine speeds and reducing fuel consumption.

The Northstar-equipped Silver Smoke tester started out with a base price of $46,800, plus a $695 destination charge. STS V8 models come standard with a five-speed automatic transmission with driver shift control, leather interior, eight-way power front seats, stability and traction control and an automatic leveling rear suspension. The as-delivered sticker of the tester came to $58,560, putting the Cadillac in the company of pricey European and Japanese luxury sedans.

Boosting the tester's sticker is an $11,065 luxury performance package, which includes a navigation system, XM satellite radio, a sunroof, magnetic ride control, a Bose 5.1 surround audio system, 17-inch wheels, performance brakes with fade-resistant pads and a performance cooling package. (Note: Cadillac has since revised its STS model offerings and option packages, but a similarly equipped car under the new scheme would price out about the same.)

The STS has different-sized Michelin Pilot HX tires on the front and rear (front: 235 X 50 R 17; rear: 255/45 R 17). Our tester had only one obvious flaw on a pretty decent exterior sheet-metal job: uneven metalwork around the upper door frames. That glitch aside, the addition of the STS to its new family of letter vehicles -- CTS, SRX and XLR -- gives Cadillac additional iron to put up against the world's best.