Test drive Cadillac STS 2004 - 2007 Sedan

American dream?

Thanks to the efforts of the Russian representative office of the Cadillac concern (General Motors division), SRH SUVs are increasingly flashing on the roads. But the luxury cars of the American brand are not particularly familiar to our motorists. All the more interesting it was to test Cadillac STS (Seville Toming Sedan) a machine related to the representative class and designed to compete with the Mercedes S-class and the BMW seven.
Its sales in America began at the end of 2004, and the sedan reached Russia in mid -2005 and almost immediately hit the automatic unit of the Kaliningrad Autotor Plant. Russian registration made it possible to reduce the price by 12%, and as a result, now STS with a 4.6 Northstar engine and all -wheel drive in maximum configuration costs $ 82,310. It was this car that we took on a test drive.
The flagship Cadillac is built on the same Sigma platform as other modern models of this company CTS business class sedan and SRX SUV. All these models are made in a single heavy-brewed company style Art & Science (art and science), which resembles either a fragment of a rock or a faceted glass. By the way, the main designer of the machine and the author of this style Kip Vasenko is a native of Russia.
The tested Cadillac, as befits a representative machine, is painted in lacquer-black color. Looking briefly at my reflection in the smooth polished side of the car, I open the door and get behind the wheel. Electric drives that regulate its position in eight directions help to choose a convenient position of a massive seat, including a lumbar roller adjustable in thickness and height. Even the steering column is electrified, which allows it to be pushed up while planting and landing from the machine. Heating the steering wheel, front and rear seats will appreciate the in winter, and the ventilation of the front seats will refresh in the summer.
You can go on the way. By pressing a large button with a circular arrow to the right of the steering wheel, I want to start the engine. No effect. A reminder lights up on the instrument panel that before starting the engine, press the brake. I correct the error - the engine started, the movement began. On the windshield, green numbers of current speed lit up: they are projected there from a small window in the front panel. The button to the left of the steering wheel, the projection position can be moved up and down and change brightness, although on a sunny day the image still fades and it is almost not visible. And if you wear sunglasses with a polarization effect, then the projection disappears at all.
The capabilities of the 4.6-liter engine is a sedan weighing 1800 kg with a margin with a sharp press on the Cadillac gas literally breaks down. Perhaps it would be more spectacular to start with smoke from under the wheels, but such a focus on STS does not pass: even with wet asphalt, an all -wheel drive sedan starts without slipping. By the way, the transmission of Cadillac is quite serious, similar to the one that is used on Mercedes. The central differential constantly distributes the torque between the axes in a ratio of 40% on the front axle and 60% to the rear. Such a scheme guarantees reliable handling on any asphalt, and an electronic anti -industrial system is responsible for the off -road abilities of the sedan.
The motor traction seems endless, it allows you to accelerate even when the tachometer arrow rests in the area of \u200b\u200b1500-2000 rpm, and if you press the gas more difficult and wait for the transition a couple of steps down, then STS will leave many competitors behind. There is also a manual and sports mode of gear shift, but there is not a lot of use from them, except that the chosen gear and horizontal scale of the tachometer are shown on the projection.
As expected, a large motor is not particularly economical to consume less than 15 liters it is simply not capable of a hundred sedan, and the average consumption based on the test results, according to the on -board computer, amounted to 19.5 liters per 100 km. And since the gas tank has a volume of only 66 liters, the gas station will have to be visited often quite often, gasoline is rarely enough for more than 300 km. The number of kilometers that can be driven on the gasoline remaining in the tank is not unequivocally displayed on the display. When the stroke reserve is reduced to 60 km, the inscription Low Range begins to burn permanently, but already without a kilometer, which is confusing. Well, you have to call on a gas station. I fill in AI -92 - such savings are authorized by GM - a huge motor is not forced as much as German counterparts, and therefore allows the use of cheaper fuel.
It is interesting whether it will be possible to go from the gas station in one reception: the narrow passage forces the maximum to twist the steering wheel of the car from the stop, which, given the significant dimensions of the lamb, turns into serious work, and the length of Caddy is almost 5 meters. It seemed that the car would not fit into the turn, but the radius of the turn with STS was modest enough for its dimensions. It was only for better control of the car that parking sensors in the front bumper would not have prevented, but, alas, even among the options.
In the machines supplied to Russia, due to the impossibility of working in our conditions of the navigation system, a large color display in the central console is replaced by two small monochrome: one is responsible for the audio system, and the second for the microclimate. Such a simplification clearly did not benefit the appearance of the salon and ease of use: despite the high price, the interior of STS looks rustic. The picture is complemented by the best plastic on the front panel and doors. There are quite a few different options in the car, including the non -contact access system and the launch of the Easy Key key without a key, which remembers personal settings of the driver, the position of the chair and mirrors and welcomes it by name with the instrument on the instrument panel. Also, an audio system is set up on a whole series, which has a CD changer. All these functions are controlled through a small upper display, which is inconvenient and makes you distract from the road for a long time. It is also completely incomprehensible why in the car that claims to be the representative class, the size of the glove box is designed exclusively for the dimensions of the operating instructions. Even gloves in it manage to place with difficulty.
Oddly enough, but a similar crowd awaits passengers on the back sofa. People higher than 185 are guaranteed a tight contact of the crown with the ceiling, and there are not so many places for legs as you expect from a car claiming the title of representative. But the services of the rear passengers provide their own block of microclimate and heating the seats.
The disadvantages of Caddy would like to include a small area of \u200b\u200bglazing, which in a car with a dark salon can create an impression of a crypt and cause an attack of claustrophobia. Fortunately, our STS was with a bright interior and small glasses did not cause any special problems. Another consequence of narrow glasses are bad visibility back. We have to rely on the side mirrors and completely trust Parktrika.
But the adaptive cruise control is good, which provides a safe distance to the ahead of the car. Moreover, this distance can be adjusted with the key on the steering wheel, reaching a comfortable movement mode. On the highway, such an option helps a lot, the main thing is not to relax and have time to react before steep turns, when a guide car turns to the side and the radar gives a command to increase speed. With the cruise control, the radar still remains active and begins to squeak if a rapidly approaching obstacle is suddenly found in front. But, as they say, hope for electronics, but do not flatter it yourself: at a speed below 45 km/h, the radar is sealing, and therefore there is no benefit in traffic jams from it.
Active Magnetic Ride Control suspension has its own characteristics. It automatically regulates the rigidity of shock absorbers, in addition, the springs are quite long -term and have a greater energy intensity. As a result, you can roll at a decent speed on a primer, not to mention the second -rate suburban highway. But everything is fine only until the electronics manage to track the movements of the wheels. It is worth running into a sharp pothole or patch and electronics are lost, and the body shakes a hard blow.
In corners, active shock absorbers cope well with the rolls, but all -season tires that are so popular in America have led to good road tires that are equipped with European and Japanese sedans, we must be prepared for the fact that American tires have a lower adhesion to the road. In a steep turn, the STS can be corny slipping from the intended trajectory, and with sharp braking, ABS works early enough. When buying CADILLAC, it is better to immediately spend an extra thousand dollars and retrain the car in high -quality tires, otherwise the cost of body repair may be significantly higher.
What happens if you summarize all the pros and cons of the representative sedan in American? Comparing Cadillac with German machines is absolutely useless: STS has nothing to oppose to formidable Europeans. Neither a powerful motor nor cruise control saves. But if you take into account the price, then everything falls into place for 82 thousand dollars Mercedes only an E-class 4-Matic, but with a 6-cylinder engine of 3.5 liters and in the basic configuration. Prices for well-equipped machines reach the 100,000th mark. But this is the most expensive Cadillac: the basic version with a motor of 3.6 liters (255 S.L.) costs at all $ 66,490. It turns out good Driver's Car for fans of the new American style.
 
Leonid Pavlov
 
 
 

Source: Carclub.ru