2008 Cadillac STS Review

Specifications

When Cadillac introduced the STS in 2005 it was a gigantic step forward for the luxury brand,the most significant since the compact CTS was launched. Compared to previous generations of STS, which were merely trim upgrades of the Seville and front-wheel drive at that, this model stood alone in its “alpha” designation and was rear-wheel drive, with available all-wheel drive. This car, the current STS, is resultantly the sportiest to date, not to mention one of the most accomplished. For a brand usually associated with floaty barges, the STS showed that Cadillac could do European-style luxury where the entertainment of the driver was as important as the comfort of the passengers. If there was one area where the STS could be improved, however, it would have to be its exterior styling. The midsize Caddy isn’t a bad looking car, per se, but it’s a bit too conservative on one hand and on the other, looks too much like its little brother, the CTS. The former, at least, will soon change with the introduction of the new 2008 STS, which, while looking much the same as the recently revamped and very enticing CTS, will debut in New York this week.

The most important and arguably most impressive exterior feature ofthe new STS is its grille. Like the Escalade and the new CTS, it’s a highly complex, very ornamental design that catches the eye in ways that the simple, plastic slat grille of the old car couldn’t. Though bigger and slightly more imposing, it’s nevertheless classy and elegant, making it a welcome change. The STS also gains a couple of additional exterior details such as fender-mounted vents, like the CTS, which also mimic the pattern of the grille, plus chrome-plated door handles and larger, three-inch chrome-plated exhaust tips.

Entry-level V6 models also receive, for the first time, the availability of HID bulbs for the vertically stacked headlamps. As with the V8, they feature Intellibeam, which automatically turns them from high to low beam if a pair of approaching headlamps comes into view, or when the car approaches a set of taillights. It’s a feature that doesn’t only make driving at night more effortless for the owner of the car, but certainly reduces the chance of blinding glare for surroundingdrivers.

Inside, the most easily noted change is the new three-spoke steering wheel, which is trimmed in wood and can be heated. The dashboard has been cleaned up a bit with wood and metal trim, but the rest of the console is… well, much the same. We were hoping that the redesign would include the stunning cabin from the Chinese-market STS-based SLS sedan, with its sleek design and seemingly hand-sewn leather dashboard and door panels, but it didn’t. In fact, as far as we know the STS won’t get the SRX crossover’s Cut and Sew interior either, which too is disappointing considering this is Cadillac’s flagship sport sedan (the DTS may be larger but its position in the market makes it less aspirational). The V6 model gains Head Up Display, previously available only on the V8 model.

Customers interested in buying the base STS will be glad to know thatit’s just been given a serious power hike. It will be the first Cadillac to feature the new 3.6-liter V6 engine, which was announced for the 2008 Cadillac CTS. The new “base” engine has all the technological goodies that European automakers have been boasting about for years. Just about everything from the manifolds to the timing of the valves is variable, and the engine also features direct injection, just like the high-output turbocharged four-cylinder in the Sky Red Line and Solstice GXP. Compared to last year’s car, the new STS V6 makes 298 horsepower, a remarkable 40 horsepower gain, while torque is up 16 lb-ft to 268. This is a serious power boost, and fairly high specific-output, and keep in mind that this is more power than the six-cylinder competition from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Infiniti. Cadillac has also fitted the new V6 with a six-speed automatic gearbox, besting some of this imported competition too, with Driver Shift Control manual mode, much like the V8 model. Speaking of which, GM felt that the Northstar V8 was sufficiently good, so it’s being carried over without any changes.

New for 2008 is the Performance Handling Package that seeks to further emphasize theSTS as a driver’s luxury sedan. Larger 255/45R18 Michelin performance summer tires get wrapped around chrome-plated 18-inch alloy wheels, and the kit includes powerful Brembo calipers and 14-inch disc brakes. If the STS is driven over its limits, the all-new StabiliTrak stability control system will kick in. Unlike most stability control systems we’ve encountered that individually apply the brakes to each wheel while physically restraining throttle input, the STS’ system has the ability to control the steering of the car! A plethora of sensors that measure wheel slippage under all conditions feed information to an onboard computer, which using a new steering motor assembly can control power oversteer by countersteering all by itself. We’re interested to see how the new system works as compared to the current StabiliTrak, and are curious to the degree of its interactivity.

Eager to show that the company is still a technological innovator, just as itwas in its glory days, the technology blitz continues with a new blind spot warning system and lane departure warning system. Blind spot warning systems are a new technology recently introduced to the North American market with Audi’s Q7 and Volvo’s new S80 luxury sedan. Cadillac’s version is radar-based, like the Audi system, and functions similarly, warning the driver if there’s a vehicle in his or her blind spot by illuminating a light on the appropriate side near the window. Cadillac will also be featuring a lane departure warning system on the STS, which uses a camera mounted in the rearview mirror that keeps an eye focused at the lines on a road. If the car crosses over solid or broken lines without using its turn signals, a visible indicator will alert the driver accompanied by an audible chime to warn them. This sort of system has been featured in European and Japanese cars for a number of years, although the signal to the driver is usually conducted through vibrations in the seat. It’s surprising that it’s only now coming to North America, on an American car no less, and may have more to do with Cadillac’s need for competitiveness in the European market, where it is a relative neophyte, than anything else. We are the benefactors just the same, so Cadillac should win some feel good points for being first in our market with this relevant safety technology.

The revised STS will join the brand new CTS sedan in dealerships when it is launched later this summer, and Cadillac will enjoy a fresh new lineup of highly competitive models to stay off the imported competition, bolstered by a recent upgrade to its warranty that extends powertrain coverage to five years or 100,000 miles. Most luxury rivals only offer powertrain coverage of four years or 50,000 miles, the extent of Cadillac’s bumper to bumper coverage, giving the domestic brand a significant edge and its customers a distinct advantage. All the same, the STS now appears enticing enough to be able to stand on its own merits as a top-tier performance-oriented luxury car, and not to need incentives like longer warranties in order to lure in conquest customers. Only time will tell however, and during that time Cadillac buyers will no doubt enjoy the peace of mind offered by such coverage, while burning rear-wheel rubber in the new STS.