2006 Cadillac STS-V Review (continued)
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Walkaround

The 2006 Cadillac STS is both new and familiar. It is strikingly dissimilar to its immediate predecessor, the 2003 Seville STS. The design of the STS, introduced as an all-new model for 2005, is the latest example of Cadillac's Art & Science design motif. Only the grille pretends to keep faith with any of the old Seville's softer, rounder shapes and lines.

Yet the STS is recognizable in its striking similarity to the CTS. The STS and CTS are indistinguishable to the casual observer even when parked side by side. Both cars present only minimally different iterations of the sharp angles and flat planes first seen in the Evoq concept. We now encounter examples of the Art & Science design theme almost daily in the SRX sport utility and XLR sports car. The now familiar theme can be seen to a lesser degree in the forward quarters of the new Escalade.

The similarity between CTS and STS runs deeper than the sheet metal. They both ride on the same platform. The wheelbase of the STS is only three inches longer than that of the CTS, and its body is six inches longer. The STS features much shorter overhangs (less metal hanging out over the front and rear wheels) than the old Seville. Besides better looks, this design makes for better handling and improved stability.

All that said, there's no mistaking the STS for anything but a Cadillac. Viewed head on, the trademark egg-crate grille and stacked headlamps are starkly functional in appearance. No wasted motion or volunteer excess there, to be sure.

From the side, the body's crisp lines draw an almost box-like silhouette that somehow still looks aerodynamic. Perhaps it's the gently curved A-pillar and C-pillar that tend a bit more toward art than science. Sharply contoured lower rocker panels tracking rearward from the front fascia's bottom edge pull the body down, adding a stylistic ground-effects look.

The backside is vaguely reminiscent of the old Eldorado coupe, with vertical taillights bracketing a tall, squared-off boot. Recessed in the boot's rear vertical is a trapezoidal inset, long enough for European-spec license plates, housing large backup lights at the left and right extremes. American-tradition dual exhausts exit below and at each end of the rear bumper. The optional rear spoiler, running the width of the trunk lid, adds stabilizing rear downforce without spoiling the look.

The performance STS-V is distinguished from the other STS models by its unique hood covering the supercharged powerplant, a larger, polished stainless steel wire-mesh front grille, a lower front fascia with a larger lower grille, brake ducts and splitter, lower side rockers, 10-spoke wheels, a higher rear spoiler, a lower rear fascia with wire-mesh accenting, and V-Series badging along with Supercharged badges on the doors.

Interior Features

The Cadillac STS cabin is warmer in appearance than the exterior, with soft leather surfaces complemented by warm wood accents. Those wood accents are not standard, but we much prefer them over the standard brushed aluminum trim, which looks and feels cold and reflects sunlight to the point of annoyance. Get the wood.

Seats are refreshingly supportive, for a Cadillac, without being overly firm. Arm rests and head restraints are a degree or two softer than the cushions and side bolsters, boosting the comfort factor a couple notches. All essential controls are within easy reach, although there could be more clearance between the lower door panels and seat bottom to access the front seat adjusters. For this reason, we were especially grateful for the seat memory feature, which often saved us from having to reach down there. The interior is roomy, fitting in between the marginally smaller CTS and externally larger 2003 Seville.

Instruments are easily scanned, white-on-black round analogs, with a large nested tachometer and speedometer between the smaller fuel and engine temperature gauges. The speedometer changes between English and metric electronically, so there's only one set of numbers around its circumference. Cruise control and running lights are managed via a stalk on the left side of the steering column, windshield wipers and washers with a stalk on the right. Buttons in the steering wheel spokes provide redundant controls for audio and driver information functions. A word of caution: the top-level stereo system, although delivering superb surround sound, is multi-tasked with a navigation system that, in combination, demands an extensive study of the owner's manual to operate with any degree of alacrity and confidence.

All four doors boast map pockets. The front center console is deep and wide and pre-wired for cellular and Bluetooth (to wirelessly tie the cell phone into the car's audio system allowing hand-free operation). The glove box, though, is barely sufficient to hold the navigation DVD case and owner's manual. Two cup holders are provided front and rear. The trunk is fully lined, with articulated, gas-pressurized struts.

Fit and finish are top grade, with notably tight interior trim tolerances. Careful attention was paid to reducing noise, vibration and harshness, with remarkable and commendable success. Specially laminated windshield and front door glass, wind tunnel-tuned outside mirrors and high-density/low-mass sound-deadening padding combine to deliver the quietest interior Cadillac's delivered in memory.