Presenting AutoGuide’s newest Five-Point Inspection featuring the six-cylinder 2013 Cadillac XTS Premium.
The XTS is a front-wheel drive full-sized luxury sedan, with a starting price of $44,075. The model tested is the Premium model, which has almost all the bells and whistles, and costs $54,505. The only things missing from this model are massive 20″ rims, a sunroof and sunshades for the passengers.
The XTS is meant to lead Cadillac to a new generation of luxury, so lets take a quick look and see how it fares.
Right off the bat, the XTS disappoints with its toned down exterior design. It just doesn’t feature the same edgy lines that make the ATS and CTS so eye-catching. As a result, the XTS has a softer road presence, making it seem dull and uninteresting. With evolving designs and amazing concept cars like the Ciel it feels like Cadillac is on the cusp of establishing an interesting and unique design language, but the XTS slows down that progress.
By now you might have heard everything about Cadillac’s CUE telematics system. Sure it’s nice and responsive, features haptic feedback and a superb high-resolution screen, but did you know about its information cluster?
But the most pleasing tech feature on the XTS is its gauge cluster. With four different layouts, it’s practically impossible to find one that doesn’t suit your tastes. Also, the information available in the different panes on the 12.3-inch digital display is fully customizable as well, ensuring you feel right at home whenever you step into it.
Cadillac interiors have never been awe-inspiring, but the latest cabins from the American luxury brand are getting pretty close. Our tester is outfitted with impressively stitched tan leather that gives the Cadillac an upscale feel equal to that of most brands flagship models.
Thanks to CUE, the XTS features a cabin bare of knobs and buttons. This makes for an extremely modern look, although ergonomics take a bit of a back-seat to the aesthetics.
Passenger space is generous, and it would be surprising to feel cramped in any part of the car. Cargo space is also a superb feature of the XTS, with a huge trunk that will put you at ease when it comes to things like grocery hauls to golf-clubs.
This being a large luxury car, the priority for its ride quality should be on comfort, and the XTS doesn’t disappoint. It’s a smooth operator, dealing with imperfections in the road and gracefully gliding through corners. The best part: this handling feel is standard on the XTS. GM’s magnetic ride control is one part of the equation, but the superb rear air suspension and brembo brakes are all equally important to the ride.
While the company’s past sedans (ATS and CTS) have had a sportier feel, the XTS has no such pretensions. In essence, the exterior sets up the attitude of the car as both the exterior design and driving dynamics are softer than the new Cadillac sedans we’ve come to expect.
The XTS, which starts at $44,075 is significantly cheaper than the six-cylinder competition from BMW (535i starts at $53,100), Mercedes (E350 starts at $51,000) and Audi (A6 with the 3.0 V6 starts at $50,400.) Against the Japanese vehicles though, the XTS is much closer in price to the Infiniti M (which starts at $48,200) or the Lexus ES and GS (which start at $36,100 and $46,900.) This means is that Cadillac is aggressively pursuing its competition. Not only that, but with its smooth driving feel, and a fantastic modern interior, the XTS does present itself as a solid vehicle in a competitive segment.
Are you interested in a luxury sedan, or think that the Cadillac XTS is for you? Then check out our new car buying page, where you can build the car the way you want it, and get a quote. You can see all of Cadillac‘s offering, or jump straight to the 2013 Cadillac XTS. Not convinced? Check out the competition from BMW, Mercedes,Audi, Lexus and Infiniti.
To read Autoguide’s full Cadillac XTS review, click here.