2014 CADILLAC XTS Review

Yes, the XTS aims to close the gap between the Cadillacs of old, the DTS and STS luxobarges it replaces and the future of the brand. Until the GM brand comes up with something superior, the XTS has "Cadillac flagship" written on its business card. Well, this is one unusual fleet commander.

For one thing, the Cadillac XTS rides on GM's Epsilon II platform which, in English, means it comes with either front-wheel drive or with an optional all-wheel drive system. In a segment dominated by RWD, this is a bold move.

While some of the decisions taken during the XTS' development were dictated by costs, it is obvious that Cadillac is also learning things here. These days, flagship vehicles aren't the dinosaurs they used to be, so the automaker wants to make sure it understands what the customers want before it puts its badge on a four-wheeled incarnation of The Enterprise - yep, our expectations for a model that would top Cadillac's range are that high.

The XTS starts fulfilling its mission right from the styling department. In the car's design, you can see that massive stance that made Caddys famous, blending with the company's new-age angular design details. As far as the latter are concerned, we see a softer approach compared to other models and the light clusters are perhaps the best example.

No matter how good the "angle-this-angle-that" tricks are, you're never going to escape the idea that you are looking at a hefty piece of automobile. While we prefer our cars a little sleeker, others will be won over by the imposing stance.

There will be no split opinions when it comes to the cabin of the XTS though. This is definitely a superb place to spend your time in. The design mirrors that of the exterior, while the execution brings one of the finest interiors, not just in the segment, but in the whole US car industry.

In the XTS Platinum, the highest, non-sports trim level, the perforated and non-perforated leather engulfing the cabin mixes harmoniously with the Alcantara on the headliner.

With or without the optional panoramic sunroof, the XTS' interior is well-lit. There couldn't have been a better complimentary asset for the tons of cabin space the car offers.

As for the luggage compartment, its 18 cubic feet (510 liters) put it on par with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Technology is another thing that hits you once you enter the Cadillac XTS. The digital instrument cluster is one of the nicest implementations we've seen so far - as the landscape flies by and you rack up the miles, the layout and functionality of the configurable digital cluster make you feel like the captain of the ship.

As for the ergonomics, this is another story altogether and we'll start with the controversial CUE. This mixes capacitive touch buttons with a touch-screen display and voice control. To put this shortly, using CUE reminds us of the era when we all had to switch from our keyboard-gifted phones to touchscreen smartphones.

Of course, when you live with the car everyday, you get used to the system and some of the drawbacks disappear. However, just like in the case of the early smartphones, it's the technology that needs to advance, not us humans - the touch interaction can sometimes be impossible and without any solid button on the center console, this has the potential to ruin your day.

The menus of the touchscreen infotainment system could've saved the day, but they didn't - this interface isn't exactly intuitive either. As for the voice control, once again, the current level of the technology makes it as usable as a stylus - yes it works, but in a way that makes you want to give up on it.

Ford has had its fair share of criticism concerning the MyFord Touch system and it appears that Cadillac accepts to pay this price for the sake of the added drama.

Our tester was gifted with the optional Head-Up Display, which is simply brilliant. The full-color unit's party trick is the high extent to which it can be customized by the driver.

Right now, we're in the middle of the city and the XTS feels royal. The superb soundproofing and the solid feel of the car make a clear statement - you are not traveling in some mainstream vehicle here, this is something special.

The Cadillac XTS also owes its refinement to the comfortable suspension, which protects you from the bumps as if you’re riding in the Presidential Limousine.

From behind the steering wheel, the XTS doesn't feel out of place inside the city. Dimensions aside, the visibility is remarkably good for a car with such a sophisticated design.

The only issue comes when you have to stop - the ample pitch generated by the rather soft adaptive suspension, as well as the sheer mass of the thing, make you feel like you have to work to bring this
Cadillac to a halt.

The stopping distances themselves are far from an issue though, since the XTS packs standard Brembo hardware. Ah, yes, we haven't talked about this yet - if you check out the tech highlights of the XTS, you'll get the impression of a European performance sedan.

To the Brembo goodies, you can add Magnetic Ride Control adaptive dampers (Corvette drivers, we salute you!), as well as Opel's HiPer Strut front suspension. Despite the awful spelling, the front setup makes wonders when it comes to neutralizing understeer.

This is basically a custom application of the MacPherson strut suspension we all know, with its dual-path top mounts allowing it to separate the loads coming from the springs from those coming from the dampers.

HiPer Strut is also the reason for which the standard front-wheel drive setup of the car will do just fine. The all-wheel drive is indeed optional.

Even if you do ask the car to use all fours, the FWD bias is still present.

We didn't need our usual review procedure to figure out that the XTS has plenty of body roll. If you ask Cadillac, Magneto is a superhero who fights in the name of comfort and nothing else.

In this respect, a rear-wheel drive platform would've made the vehicle unpleasant - in its current configuration, the driving dynamics are decent given the nature of the car, but in RWD guise the whole thing would've felt mighty imprecise.

The usual American suspect in this class packs a V8, but the XTS' motivation comes from a 3.6-liter naturally-aspirated V6. This delivers 305 hp at 6,800 rpm and 264 lb-ft (358 Nm) at 5,200 rpm, working with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Just like in the case of the sufficient FWD, the powerplant brings decent driving dynamics for this Cadillac, with a linear power delivery. And thanks to the excellent soundproofing, you won't feel the engine at work.

Sure, the setup in the XTS isn't as clinical as that of the Mercedes S-Class, where the car could very well burn sun waves and travel on air - you wouldn't know anyway.

In this Cadillac, the engine is not perceived as a powerplant, it's more of a discreet propulsion system. The gearbox falls a bit behind - nobody asked for sporty shifts, but the transmission is less smooth than expected on certain occasions. GM's Hydra-Matic 6T70 has such a complicated designation that we've decided to simply call it "outdated".

Those seeking extra grunt can go for the XTS V Sport - we are talking about Cadillac's warm division here, which sees the XTS' engine compartment occupied by a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 that churns out 410 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm). The forced induction, along with the overall dynamic updates on the XTS, bring an even more solid feel to the car, they don't turn it into a sports sedan.

With its proper V models, Cadillac has shown it can match and beat members of the German Power War, but this is not the case here. The XTS V Sport displays a coziness Audi S and BMW M Sport models can't achieve, but it's no match for them when it comes to driving involvement.

We've been on the interstate for hours and yet not a sign of fatigue appears. Somewhere in the conception process, the XTS inherited the roadtrip skills from the Cadillacs of the golden age.

Serene. This is the best word to describe the atmosphere generated by the Cadillac XTS during a long journey. And if the seats didn't feel overly comfortable at first, they've proven to be so.

This peace of mind is also backed up by the car's dedication in terms of safety. To sum things up, Cadillac used a name that seems derived from the world of strategy gaming - Control and Alert. We call it the command seat - the left and right edges of the seat vibrate to communicate various things to the driver, from Lane Departure Warning to Rear Cross Traffic Alert, the XTS pinches its driver into attention.

The asymmetrical and sudden nature of the seat vibration means you won't mistake this for the massage function. We preferred to keep an eye on the lane marking or watch for oncoming cars while backing up ourselves - the system works well, we just felt too much of a hassle being notified of situations that attentive drivers can handle on their own. Perhaps if we had been navigating the Caddy through a mine field...

Regardless, it's good to know the tech is here. As for passive safety, the XTS was awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick, which means it received "Good" rating for all the tests. There's an exception here, the strict small overlap front impact - the Cadillac hasn't been tested in this manner so far.

It's easy to understand why Cadillac had to build this car. With such a brand, you can't just't steal a Neuralyzer from the Men in Black, erase everybody's memory and come up with a revolutionary product. You need to somehow connect traditional buyers to those seeking novelty and the XTS manages to offer a good compromise.

This Cadillac is built upon three main pillars. The first is the sophisticated styling, which gets even better in the cabin. Speaking of the latter, it has the power to enchant front and rear passenger alike. The coziness of the thing certainly wins it extra points, while the remaining crucial asset has to do with the technology. The XTS is a non-apologetic display of safety and convenience goodies.

Alas, when it comes to the gadgets area, Cadillac's CUE infotainment system has more critics than it has fans. Yes, you really need to be a fan in order to learn its ways and eventually use this on an everyday basis without feeling frustrated - you've guessed it, this is the worst part of the car.

The technical side of the Cadillac XTS break away with tradition, as we have a platform dominated by front-wheel drive. We've already talked about comfort and, in terms of driving dynamics, the result is acceptable.

As far as the pricing is concerned, the XTS comes with a MSRP of US$ 44,600, while a fully-loaded twin-turbo V Sport model will set you back US$ 72,535.

The Cadillac XTS may be a crossbreed and yet you can describe it in just one word: this is an asphalt-yacht.