2005 Cadillac STS in Houston

The Cadillac STS is almost a poster child for what's right with General Motors at the moment-and for what's wrong. On the positive side, there has been a revolution among some of the divisions when it comes to getting the basic hardware right. Cadillac has done the best job, because the CTS, the STS, the XLR, and even the SRX all handle, go, and stop with true authority. A real effort was made to improve the quality of the vehicles, particularly inside. And whatever one thinks of their looks (the SRX, STS, and XLR are more palatable than the CTS), they do have a distinctive stance and presence on the road.

But-and this is a big but-the Caddys aren't quite there yet. This particularly applies to the interiors, whose high-quality materials somehow look cheap. And the detailing that is so well executed on an Audi or a Lexus just isn't seen in the STS. The column stalks seem to have come out of a lower-class car, and the switchgear just doesn't feel the way it should in a $50,000 automobile. The Chrysler 300C has its faults, too, but the column stalks have a precision that the Caddy doesn't come close to matching. And it's a cheaper car.

Having said that, there's a lot to like about the STS. The 4.6-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 engine is a nice piece and makes a solid 320 hp, but a fully laden STS V-8 rolls out on the wrong side of $60,000, which is BMW 545i or stripper Lexus LS430 money.... Read full article