Ride Report 2009 Cadillac DTS
Oct 14, 2008, 3:27 pm
#1
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Ride Report 2009 Cadillac DTS
I rented a DTS at SEA; I'm pretty sure it was a 2009.
It had 4,000 miles and some nice options such as moonroof, chrome wheels, heated/cooled seats, and working XM.
I haven't driven a DTS in a while, but did drive a Hertz STS the week before. The DTS is a much larger car than the STS, but doesn't feel that much larger when driving. One does notice the size (mainly the length) when parking, though. The front and rear sensors help.
Driving manners are very pleasant. Suspension is well-cushioned, but there is no "floating" sensation that one gets with Town Cars. The car sits lower than you would think and handles very nicely with no pronounced lean in corners; impressive for a heavy car. There is a lot of power to be had from the Northstar V-8 and passing on the highway is not a problem. I drove 500 miles of about 60% highway and 40% city and averaged about 21 mpg.
Cabin comforts are top notch for those in the front with dual climate and heated/cooled seats. Rear passengers get heated seats and a/c vents. At one point, I had four other people in the car and heard no complaints about legroom or seating discomfort. The DTS uses a normal key and fob, unlike the STS, which has a fob and push-button starting. The tag clearly states there is a $250 fee for lost keys.
The audio system has an MP3 jack and working XM. Sound was crisp and clean, but lacking in bass response. One needs to really crank up the volume before the subwoofer kicks in and fills out the sound. There are tons of controls on the steering wheel for audio controls as well as cruise control.
The trunk is huge and has a cutout for skis. I was able to fit two large boxes and three 22" suitcases in without any Tetris-ing. The low stance helps with getting items in/out.
I did think it was neat that when I switched from US to Metric (I was in Canada for a few days) the analog spedometer display reset and the needle recalibrated itself. I got a bit nervous to be doing 100 kph and seeing the needle all the way over at the 2 o'clock position.
It had 4,000 miles and some nice options such as moonroof, chrome wheels, heated/cooled seats, and working XM.
I haven't driven a DTS in a while, but did drive a Hertz STS the week before. The DTS is a much larger car than the STS, but doesn't feel that much larger when driving. One does notice the size (mainly the length) when parking, though. The front and rear sensors help.
Driving manners are very pleasant. Suspension is well-cushioned, but there is no "floating" sensation that one gets with Town Cars. The car sits lower than you would think and handles very nicely with no pronounced lean in corners; impressive for a heavy car. There is a lot of power to be had from the Northstar V-8 and passing on the highway is not a problem. I drove 500 miles of about 60% highway and 40% city and averaged about 21 mpg.
Cabin comforts are top notch for those in the front with dual climate and heated/cooled seats. Rear passengers get heated seats and a/c vents. At one point, I had four other people in the car and heard no complaints about legroom or seating discomfort. The DTS uses a normal key and fob, unlike the STS, which has a fob and push-button starting. The tag clearly states there is a $250 fee for lost keys.
The audio system has an MP3 jack and working XM. Sound was crisp and clean, but lacking in bass response. One needs to really crank up the volume before the subwoofer kicks in and fills out the sound. There are tons of controls on the steering wheel for audio controls as well as cruise control.
The trunk is huge and has a cutout for skis. I was able to fit two large boxes and three 22" suitcases in without any Tetris-ing. The low stance helps with getting items in/out.
I did think it was neat that when I switched from US to Metric (I was in Canada for a few days) the analog spedometer display reset and the needle recalibrated itself. I got a bit nervous to be doing 100 kph and seeing the needle all the way over at the 2 o'clock position.
