Day-by-Day Review: 2013 Cadillac XTS

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2013 Cadillac XTS

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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It is a pretty rare occurrence that one drives two full-size sedans back-to-back, so I was excited to jump into Cadillac’s XTS immediately after last week’s Toyota Avalon. Now I wouldn’t say the XTS is a direct competitor to the Avalon – it’s more the equivalent of the Lexus ES350. But despite lacking some technology and the badge, the Avalon does offer many of the same attributes of this XTS – including comfort and spaciousness.

It is also a pretty rare occurrence when one can stand up in the back of a car (not an SUV or CUV but a car) to take photos – headroom need not be mentioned any further in this review.

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The XTS is Cadillac’s answer to the aging DTS full-size sedan that was no longer selling. It is also a replacement for the STS – the rear-wheel-drive, full-size Cadillac that was above the more commonly known CTS. The the XTS is smaller, more forward thinking and more technically advanced than the outgoing models, though I was surprised to hear it would be offered in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive and not rear-wheel drive when it was announced over a year ago at the LA Auto Show.

With a starting price of $48,995 the XTS is $6,000 more than the Avalon’s “as-tested” price last week, but my XTS tester is no base model either. Loaded with features like a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, lane departure, blind spot detection, a safety alert seat (more on that later), Navigation and 14-speaker Bose audio system; my tester tops out at over $60,000.

Of course the talk of the town and the centrepiece of the XTS is the technology-filled interior with Cadillac’s new CUE system. A system I didn’t particular like on the ATS I drove a few months back, but perhaps it has grown on me – stay tuned to see!

MSRP as tested (including destination): $61,320

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Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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Where do I start with the interior of the XTS? It is large, similar in size to the Avalon I tested last week. The trunk is massive as well, but again no folding rear seats. Maybe that is no big deal in this class of vehicle but I should mention it nonetheless.

The key interior detail is the Cadillac CUE system. Is technology always progress? Sometimes I wonder. The CUE system is slow to respond and the vibrating feedback takes so long to activate you really wonder if your screen touch worked or not. Please, Cadillac, just go back to regular buttons.

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And the centre gauge cluster – oh my! Look, I’m not a luddite. I work in high tech, I love new technology, smart phones, tablets, fancy TVs and all that jazz. But a luxury vehicle using an LCD screen for the gauge cluster just looks tacky.

It works on a vehicle like the Volt because that vehicle is a little different. But on the XTS I would like to see nice, clean, elegant, white-on-black gauges. Yes there is a lot of additional information displayed in the cluster, but that information can be had elsewhere easily enough. It just feels like a bad 80s movie when I get in.

The rest of the interior is typical Cadillac with lots of leather-covered surfaces, nice wood trim, aluminum accents and art-and-science styling throughout.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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Remember that safety alert seat I mentioned on Day One? Well it certainly wakes you up! Unlike most cars that shake the steering wheel or beep at you when you wander from your lane, the XTS uses vibration motors in the seat to vibrate the appropriate butt-cheek… cheeky.

It’s not a bad system, but can be a little startling at times when you are moving around in traffic or if a lane splits. Luckily this feature can be disabled, but what good is a system when you turn it off? The collision avoidance and back-up sensors are also tuned to use the seat, the back-up sensor is very annoying and the collision avoidance system is far too sensitive – twice it warned me I was about to die as a truck passed in the opposite direction of my travel in the opposite lane.

So once you disable the nannies, how does the XTS drive? Out on the highway where a lot of my driving is done the XTS rides like… a Cadillac. Oh I know, that’s a cliché, isn’t it? But it is quiet, smooth and offers a serene ride. Compared to the Avalon I drove last week the Cadillac is noticeably quieter and more isolated from the outside world.

Dive into a corner with the XTS like most owners will never do and it really corners flat. This car is more capable than one may expect when looking at it. Steering and braking are both communicative enough to have some fun while being easy to manipulate as needed.

The 3.6L V6 that powers the XTS is excellent with ultra-smooth power delivery that makes acceleration feel effortless. It is the near perfect engine for a car of this type, as smooth and powerful (304 horsepower) as the old V8-powered Cadillacs that came in the ’80s, but of course much more fuel efficient.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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The XTS is certainly a comfortable vehicle to pilot, and it also draws some attention – one teenager was so enamoured by it that he had to take a picture of it while I was parking it at Ikea.

Fuel consumption was average at best; with my typical driving route I averaged 9.5 L/100 km, though it was actually 9.7L/100 km until the aforementioned highway jaunt to Ikea.

Overall I enjoyed the XTS but I feel it is overpriced. Certainly there is a ton of technology in this vehicle but mainstream is approaching luxury quickly in that department and at a substantial price difference.