2007 Cadillac DTS 2.0 Xtronic CVT

The Cadillac DTS might be among the last of the big boats, but it's no ordinary land yacht., , This car has the comfort of a cruise ship, and all that's lacking is white-clad waiters bringing food and drink., , With a car such as this one, you could ride in the spacious back seat while someone did the driving for you, and enjoy food, libations and the car's excellent audio system., , Don't permanently relegate yourself to the back seat, though. Our test vehicle, as comfy and cushy as it was, offered a bit of driving fun, too. You might want to take the helm (before imbibing) for at least part of your journey., , As for the DTS in general, this is the car that Cadillac called the DeVille until last year, when it was significantly upgraded and renamed., , For 2007, the DTS, comes with a few enhancements. Among new standard equipment this year are chrome wheels, which come with new center caps featuring the Cadillac wreath-and-crest badge in color., , GM says options such as XM satellite radio, a cargo mat and rear sunshades - previously offered only in the most-expensive packages, are now more readily available. Some changes in exterior colors have been made for '07, as well. And inside, the dark Cashmere accent and aniline leather have been replaced with a cocoa hue, Cadillac said. In addition, the center stack is now dark argent metallic., , A new Cadillac key fob makes its debut as well, not only with the DTS but on several other Cadillac models as well., , And indicative of GM's expanding global marketing of Cadillac, the navigation system now is offered with maps for Korea and Taiwan, and Arabic is available as one of the languages on the driver-information center, replacing Italian. The analog clock on the instrument panel also been improved to make it easier to read., , Just as with the DeVille, the DTS is aimed almost entirely at the over-60 crowd, with no obvious features to appeal to younger buyers except for the performance package. This is understandable, as Cadillac already has a full stable of new vehicles designed for younger buyers., , The DeVille became the DTS to follow the same pattern as the other alphabet names of recent new Cadillac cars - such as CTS, SRX, XLR, STS - but otherwise remained much the big boat that its predecessor was. It also retained its front-wheel drive, while all of the other Cadillacs now come with rear- or all-wheel drive., , Some restyling was involved with the change to the DTS, even though its overall look is clearly DeVille-like. The "art and science" design theme of other recent Cadillacs is evident in the front and rear of the DTS. The front end has all-new sheet metal, along with a new grille, fascia and high-intensity-discharge Xenon headlamps. Cadillac says that the deck lid, rear quarter panels, rear fascia and taillights also are new., , Inside, the DTS has new seats that GM says are "optimally engineered for comfort and support"; a new instrument panel; and new wood trim., , Standard or optional high-tech features include four-channel antilock brakes and traction control, four-channel StabiliTrak with brake assist, and Magnetic Ride Control. , , As for the stated fuel-economy ratings, many DeVille owners have reported getting even better highway mileage than the EPA estimates suggest. That's probably because these are drivers who usually take it easy and conserve fuel with their driving habits., , We earlier tested the DTS with the base 275-horsepower engine, and found it to be quite peppy and certainly more than adequate for this heavy car, which weights just over two tons.., , Neither model of the DTS offers the sporty driving experience of the smaller STS and CTS sedans or SRX wagon. This car trades suspension stiffness for a softer ride to accommodate its older consumers., , Chassis tuning "focused on achieving a smooth, quiet, refined ride," the company says. Not that the previous version didn't already have that, mind you. The new one is just better, and even on some