Inside, Cadillac has given the XTS the full Cadillac User Experience interface, or CUE for short. It is a touchscreen-based infotainment unit that is designed to resemble using a mobile tablet. It will also respond to voice controls, and although it takes a little while to get used to, it is more intuitive to use than some other, similar systems on the market. Finished in piano black plastic, those who have OCD about fingerprint marks on shiny surfaces may go bat-crazy when looking at the centre stack.
   2013 Cadillac XTS Premium Collection AWD. Click image to enlarge |
The overall fit and finish of the XTS interior is well executed; the materials look and feel more expensive than usually associated with a vehicle costing ‘only’ $60,760. The steering wheel feels great, and I really liked the cruise control buttons that allowed me to adjust speed levels by one or five kilometres depending on how hard it was pushed down. But all was not perfect with the steering wheel; the volume down button had a tendency to stick in when it was depressed and would cause the radio to spiral down to mute. While I am mentioning malfunctions, the keyless entry thumb buttons on the outside of the XTS door handles were on the fritz as well. At first, only the rear left side door would work, but by the end of the week that one also refused to operate. These were probably one off issues isolated to my specific test vehicle, but they were issues nonetheless.
  2013 Cadillac XTS Premium Collection AWD. Click image to enlarge |
The rest of the vehicle did perform as expected and the heated front seats are some of the most powerful I have experienced. The driver’s seat also features the ‘Safety Alert Seat’ function that will vibrate the front seat when either the lane departure warning or forward crash detection is triggered. I found the lane departure warning was too aggressive and is constantly vibrating your rear; I turned it off within hours of picking up the XTS. The crash detection warning works much better and rarely gives out a false warning, but I found it odd that adaptive cruise control is not standard with this system and can only be purchased with the $2,495 Driver Assist Package.
As can be expected of a Cadillac cruiser, up front it feels like sitting on a recliner while rear seat space approaches limousine levels thanks to its generous proportions. I could easily spend a road trip anywhere in this car, and with 509 L of cargo space in the trunk, bring all the gear I’d need as well. The XTS really is a big, posh, luxurious vehicle. Although it comes up a bit short in other areas, and could have been so much more, it still should resonate well with current Cadillac owners driving Devilles and Sevilles. And really, that is its true mission within the Cadillac family, anyway.
Pricing: 2013 Cadillac XTS Premium Collection AWD
Base price: $59,000
Options: $1,660 (Ultraview sunroof with express open/close, power sunshade)
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,595
Price as tested: $62,355
Competitors
Acura RLX
Lexus ES
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80
Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
