With several inches of snow on the ground and more expected, this wasn’t the best day to show off the exterior of the 2006 Cadillac DTS. I wiped off the snow at 9:15 am and again at 11:15 am just before going out to pick up lunch for the guys.
So, don’t expect beautiful pictures from this review. Those are available elsewhere. What I can say is that this vehicle has a comfortable, luxurious interior. Cadillac mixed soft leather and wood throughout the car to make it a pleasant experience. This particular car had the touch screen navigation system and a wood steering wheel. The combination of black leather and dark wood was appealing to the eye.
A wintry day is not the best time to test the performance of what I thought was a rear wheel drive Caddy. Motor Trend says it’s good for 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds but I didn’t try to verify that today. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is that fast as it comes with a 4.6L DOHC V8 which is rated at 275 hp / 292 lb. ft. torque. The engine is mated to a four-speed automatic that powers (surprise, surprise) the front wheels. Apparently, Cadillac has moved back to RWD cars since then. According to AOL Autos, J.D.Power gave the 2006 Cadillac DTS the highest rating for Initial Quality-Mechanical which includes the powertrain. That’s nice to know. On my short drive from the dealership to Kirtland, the car ran well and made me think that this would be a good car to take on a long trip. It was comfortable and secure even on the snowy roads.
When I left the dealership, I took Mentor Avenue to Rt. 306. There were no cars behind me so I tested the brakes and tires. Coming to a stop happened quickly with no skidding at all. That gave me confidence for the rest of the trip. This was especially helpful when I was driving down the hill just past Lakeland Community College. The hill descends to Chillicothe Road and then back up to downtown Kirtland. Thankfully, the speed limit is 40 mph otherwise you’d be holding the brake pedal the whole way. I found that this Cadillac held the hill well and never experienced any slipping whatsoever. And when I got back to the dealership, I was surprised to note that the car has
98,xxx miles. You’d never know it by looking at the car.
One of the things you need to consider is that this is not a small car. It is a luxury cruiser. In other words, this is a big boat. But lots of people like boats, right? In fact, after driving my Jaguar for the last six months, I’m growing to like this segment of the auto industry. I guess I’m getting old. But at the end of a long day its nice to float home instead of feeling every bump in the road. If that’s what you are looking for, you should consider something like this for your daily driver. It will definitely calm your nerves after a stressful day at work.