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Posted April, 2006

Road Test: 2006 Cadillac DTS vs. Lexus GS 300

The Clash of Standards

By Kevin S. Lowery

In one corner we have Cadillac. After the WWII, it quickly became the standard by which all other luxury automobiles were measured. Cadillac easily blew Packard away and outsold Lincoln at one point by an astonishing 7-to-1. Enter the gas crisis of the 1970s. In the company’s race to find a small, fuel-efficient vehicle, Cadillac stumbled through the next decade or more while Lincoln gathered strength. Near the millennium when Lincoln’s sales reached near parity, Cadillac launched their new design philosophy — Art & Science — influencing every new car, beginning with the 2000 DeVille DTS. The 2006 DTS is the next generation of that vehicle, new under the surface and topped off with a refined exterior. Let’s see how age and experience does against the contender.

In the other corner is the new kid on the block: Lexus. Nary a gleam in its Toyota father’s eyes back in WWII, the Japanese luxury car invasion of 1990 hit just as magazines were predicting the death of Cadillac. Roll over Grandpa. Like Cadillac some decades before, Lexus raised the standard by which all other luxury brands were measured, sending designers at rival companies scurrying back to their drawing boards.

After fifteen years, has Lexus got lazy in its dominance or is it the unchallenged record holder in its class? Has Cadillac been pinned against the ropes or is it getting its second wind?

Age and beauty first.

Under the hood of the 2006 DTS’ Northstar engine (so named because it is built in Canada) comes in two variations. The car that we tested has the Northstar 4.6L V8 engine with a 291-horsepower L37, 5200RPM, torque is 292 ft-lbs at 4400 rpm. The “heavyweight” version, the 275-horsepower LD8 with torque at 292 lbs-ft. Both variations are mated to a four-speed auto hydra-matic 4T880-E transmission.

As my father would always say, it has a “Cadillac ride.” Of course, he used that in reference not just to automobiles — but everything down to his Lazy-Boy recliner. He was right, after a fashion. Cadillac’s hallmark of a smooth, quiet or refined ride continues with the 2006 DTS. There are many different features that come into play including an all-new structural design, integrated chassis control technologies that include four-channel anti-lock brakes and traction control, four-channel StabiliTrak with Brake Assist, and Magnetic Ride Control. To complete the package the car employs larger seventeen- or eighteen-inch tires and larger brakes.

The exteriors of all "Art & Science" Cadillacs have received mixed receptions. But as we are want to remind readers, exterior design is subjective. The DTS’ design had no mediocre fans in our office; the staff either loved it or hated it. Though the exterior styling is not wholly new for the 2006 DTS, it has been simplified without losing its striking stance or sleek elegance. New front-end sheet metal, egg-crate grille fascia and standard high-intensity-discharge Xenon headlamps have been tweaked. Also, the decklid, rear quarter, rear fascia and light emitting diode (LED) taillamps and CHMSL are new. The rear taillamps still have their trademark vertical shape. People stared at them when I hit the unlock button on the key fob — especially at night. It is crisp and piercing, just like the headlamps. That became my favorite thing to do. ZAP! Hey, I do actually test these things!

Inside, seats have been engineered to dual-firmness for comfort and support, seat travel has been increased, real burl wood garnish is available; a repositioned instrument panel for spaciousness and an analog clock tops the center-stacked console.

Speaking of sleek, Cadillac has simplified the DTS with one model having a couple of option packages. For comfort, convenience and safety the features are plentiful and include heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, standard tri-zone climate control, factory-installed Adaptive Remote Start with personalization, heated windshield washer fluid, rain-sensing wipers, power folding outside rearview mirrors, front and rear ultrasonic park assist, IntelliBeam automatic high-beam headlamps, in-dash six-disc CD changer/AM/FM/MP3 player with 8 speakers, standard dual-stage (driver) and dual-depth (front passenger) air bags (that deploys a small or large air baag depending upon crash severity, seat belt usage and seat position), roof-rail curtain air bags, front seat side-impact thorax air bags, GM Passenger Sensing System, radar-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) with audible and visual alerts, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio (an additional $12.95 fee that can be added to your car payment) and an optional DVD navigation system.

Twelve months of what I call “pay services” are complimentary including access to On Star’s Virtual Advisor that monitors traffic for up to three personalized routes, weather conditions and the stock market — all are within the touch of a single button on the steering wheel. OnStar-equipped DTS models will feature OnStar dual-mode (analog-digital) equipment with hands-free voice recognition capabilities, digit dialing and improved voice recognition accuracy. Standard on the 2006 DTS includes OnStar’s General Motors Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) system, making crash data available to the participating 911 centers to help them dispatch the appropriate life-saving personnel and equipment to crash scenes faster.

As usual, our DTS had additional options like the navigational system, seventeen-inch chrome wheels and a special paint. But many of the aforementioned features were included. The total vehicle price was $47,775. The gas mileage was 17/25, city/highway — not bad for a 4.6-liter V8.

Now for the Newbie

Below the surface is an all-new 3.0-liter, 245 horsepower V6 engine that replaces the old inline six. The new V6 uses a new direct fuel injection system and a “Dual” variable valve timing technology. Because it acts on both intake and exhaust valves it enhances performance through a wide RPM range. A new 6-speed automatic transmission is used with both the new V6 and the proven 4.3-liter V8 which accelerates from zero-to-60 mph in only 5.7 seconds. Both the V6 and V8 engines benefit from an all-new, close-ratio, six-speed automatic transmission with a sequential manual-shifting mode. And like the latest LS 430, the new automatic transmission also uses a special fluid that never needs to be checked or replaced.

About the exterior, Lexus says:

The new GS is also the first in a new wave of Lexus products to reflect a new, more passionate direction in styling.

Passionate? Oh, contraire mon ami. The styling left no impression on me except — boring! They say it has a “vertical” grille. Yeah, if you lean sideways. The grille has been widened like so many other vehicle manufacturers are doing these days. (Believe me, automobile manufacturers are just as trend-conscious as any clothing store.) I loathe it, regardless of the manufacturer. The headlamps with integrated foglamps were nicely designed. Seventeen-inch tires come standard, eighteen-inch are available. The GS family combines available all-wheel drive (GS 300 only) for the first time in a Lexus passenger car.

The interior of the new GS uses wood, polished metal and leather materials. Inside, it tries to create an intuitive and natural environment. I found the interior to be less spacious than Lexus purports and it was complex and disorienting, too. I had to ask the passenger to look in the owner’s manual several times to figure out how to find and operate some of the controls that were not obvious and/or counter-intuitive. Many luxury automobiles are going back to a “starter button” ignition. Years ago, all cars had this feature. What’s next? Whitewall tires? Eeek! Just keep the SmartAccess keyless fob in your pocket or purse and it will allow you to start the automobile. For those of you who misplace their car keys, you got to have this!

An entirely new instrument panel and gauge cluster has been created. Another novelty is hidden away. The dash panel on the left side of the steering wheel reveals buttons and switches that are not frequently needed when driving in order to simplify the driver’s view. Problem is, the driver has to take his eyes off the road and look down to find the appropriate button. And, ergonomically speaking, it got in the way of my ingress and egress several times. (And, boy did it hurt!) And how does Toyota know which ones I use a lot and which ones I won’t? Each driver is different. Some adjustments I make on the fly like putting on my seatbelt or adjusting my side mirrors. So this panel just makes it all the more confusing — like looking through a junk drawer to find the right size batteries.

Other features include multi-adjustable front seats, dual standard heating and optional fan ventilation, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, standard Regency leather-trimmed seats, Bluetooth wireless telephone capability, a Tire Pressure Monitor System, Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS), a rear back-up camera, an optional navigation system, Intuitive Park Assist, an optional Pre-Collision System (PCS), Brake Assist, knee airbags for the driver and front passenger as well as front and rear side-curtain airbags as standard equipment, a Supplemental Restraint System (monitoring the force with which to deploy the front airbags, helping to provide the appropriate level of occupant restraint.), upgraded Navigational system, standard premium audio system with three new speakers with Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL) to maintain consistent sound levels at varying vehicle speeds, optional XM radio, optional Mark Levinson audio system that uses a 7.1 channel speaker architecture with 11 channels of amplification and a total of 330 watts with 14 speakers. It also plays CDs and DVDs from its seven-inch color touch screen. Optional items are the ventilated front seats and a power rear sunshade that works in tandem with the climate control system.

To augment that, a completely new suspension system to eliminate unwanted wheel angle changes during suspension movement. The result is a natural, confident feel that’s also spirited.

We tested the 3.0 Liter 245 horsepower 24-valve V6. The total bill was $51,579. That includes the Mark Levinson sound system, a $4K option that I felt was completely over-the-top. Without that, it puts the GS300’s price competitive with the Cadillac DTS. The GS 300 fuel economy is rated at 21/27, city/highway mpg.

Now for the Recap:

PUNCHES:

* Fuel economy of the DTS is 17/25, city/highway mpg. The GS 300 is 21/27, city/highway mpg. The Lexus won but it wasn’t necessarily a one-two punch.

KNOCKOUTS:

*Unexpected Road Noise in the Lexus. No such thing in the Cadillac (This is supposed to be Lexus’ area of expertise. What is going on, guys?)

* The flip down panel for seldom-used controls was awkward to find, use and got in the way of the kneecaps. Cadillac’s were easily displayed high on the dashboard and the driver’s door.

* The GS 300’s buttons were hard to find in the dark because the icons were not backlit. The Cadillac’s controls were not only backlit, the icons were very intuitive and grouped logically.

* The GS 300 had a large trunk (about the same as the DTS) but the opening was small and difficult to load bulky items — like hockey bags — in it. The Cadillac’s trunk was enormous and the opening was three times the size of the GS 300.

* Rear seat legroom was passable in the Lexus, spacious in the Cadillac.

* The GS300’s Mark Levinson sound system sounded no different than the standard Cadillac system (and, we guess, the standard Lexus system) — and it was $4K more!

* The Auto Leveling feature on the Lexus is a nuisance!!

* The steering wheel on the GS was awkward and didn’t have enough room around it, no matter how it was adjusted. The Cadillac’s front cabin and console were roomier and less complicated.

* The Lexus had a smaller engine with less horsepower and torque than the Cadillac.

* The design of the Lexus is bland. The design of the Cadillac is controversial but distinctive.

TIE:

* The price is practically the same.

* The list of standard and optional features are practically identical.

* The highway mileage is near parity.

* Both have XM radio. Cadillac lets you add it to the monthly payment.

AND THE WINNER IS…

It gives us a certain amount of pleasure to be able to say the Yank car is better than the Japanese overall. How long has it been since we're been able to say such a thing? Has GM finally got it's act together? We've been wondering for years if they would see the light before they went out of business entirely. Maybe it IS possible to teach an old car company new tricks! R&D