Approx 2 weeks in Cadillac XTS
05-19-17, 10:11 AM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Approx 2 weeks in Cadillac XTS
I was in a car accident almost 2 weeks ago and have an XTS as my rental (likely for another 2+ weeks). After driving it about 1,000 miles, I thought I'd give some insight for those interested since this goes beyond your typical test drive at a dealership. I am coming from a 2010 460L, so some of my perspective is based off of driving that (and having a 430 for 9 years prior to the 460). The XTS I'm driving is silver with black leather interior.
Exterior- not a huge fan of the car from all angles, but overall not too bad. I like the front, am somewhat indifferent from the side view, but don't like it much from the back. It kinda reminds me of the prior generation Avalon from the side and back- which is not necessarily pleasing to my eye.
Interior- I really like the feel of the leather and how they used leather in places like the armrest on the doors, the dash, etc. This is very well done in my opinion. I love the use of LED lighting on the inside lights, and the car overall is pretty well laid out and has a decent amount of room in the back seat (more than I would have thought). I do find it a bit skinny for the driver where the center console seems a bit wide and makes it so you can't sit with your right leg too far "open" or "wide". I like the width offered on the LS series and have probably become accustomed to this in the way I sit. I don't like the touch screen at all for a few reasons:
1) Volume control is a pain. If you're listening to the music somewhat loud and need to quickly turn it down, the absence of a **** to turn really becomes a problem.
2) It has dual zone climate control (driver and passenger) but no way to set them both at the same temp with the press of a single button (like the LS has had for 15+ years)
3) I think the way you navigate through menus, etc. is extremely distracting and it's not something I'm comfortable doing while driving. You may get used to it, but it would still seem that it wasn't well thought out to me.
All that being said about the touch screen, the steering wheel controls are nicely laid out and can handle some of the things you'd use the touch screen for. I also find it cool that the buttons on the steering wheel go completely "black" when the car is turned off. They light up and turn on when you start the car just as the digital dash does.
Drive- it has really nice pick up and acceleration. I do find the shifting is a bit harsh at times- this car only has 20k miles on it so was surprised at how jumpy the shifting felt sometimes. The car feels nimble and is pretty quiet at all speeds. The problem for me is for some reason the way a Cadillac rides it makes me feel motion sick on winding roads. I remember when I was like 12 years old my parents looked at the STS and I was sitting in the back during the test drive and felt like I was going to get sick. I actually get the same sensation in this car, even when I'm driving. It's very bizarre. Visibility is good, not sure it's quite as good as my 460 and I think some of that is the trunk is a bit higher (or the rear window is smaller; or both). But no big issues or concerns with feeling like I have adequate visibility.
Misc- I'm typically not the type that likes too much exterior lighting on a car (meaning I hate the Ford & Lincoln approach to having their logo shine onto the ground from the side mirrors), but I actually like how Cadillac has illuminated the outside door handles. It's a bit too much light IMO, but it doesn't look cheap or cheesy to me. One random thing I really don't like is the car will automatically lock itself when you walk away from it. I have walked into my garage to get something out of the car no less than 20 times only to realize the car locked itself and I need to go get the keys. I don't know if this is something that can be customized, but I don't like it the way it's set up. You also have to push a button on the exterior door handle to get the car to unlock as opposed to the car unlocking once you just put your hand on the handle (like my LS and our LX 570). Finally, I find it really strange that a Cadillac doesn't come with a moonroof as standard equipment. This car has beautiful leather, navigation, Bose speakers, cooled seats, heated seats, etc. But no sunroof/moonroof. I just don't understand the logic of not having that on this class of car.
Overall, it's not a car I would consider because of how it makes me feel somewhat sick on certain roads. Even without that, I'm not sure I could get over the design of the touch screen interface and appearance of that in the car. I give credit to Cadillac for the quality of the interior (other than the touch screen) - the leather and where they placed the leather with stitching looks nice IMO. Size wise, I think the car is slightly bigger than an ES, but slightly smaller than the SWB LS460. I actually really like the size of the car as it feels nimble enough to easily navigate, but big enough to take a road trip with the wife and kids.
I imagine this is a pretty viable car in the segment and overall I have been pretty pleased with it.
Exterior- not a huge fan of the car from all angles, but overall not too bad. I like the front, am somewhat indifferent from the side view, but don't like it much from the back. It kinda reminds me of the prior generation Avalon from the side and back- which is not necessarily pleasing to my eye.
Interior- I really like the feel of the leather and how they used leather in places like the armrest on the doors, the dash, etc. This is very well done in my opinion. I love the use of LED lighting on the inside lights, and the car overall is pretty well laid out and has a decent amount of room in the back seat (more than I would have thought). I do find it a bit skinny for the driver where the center console seems a bit wide and makes it so you can't sit with your right leg too far "open" or "wide". I like the width offered on the LS series and have probably become accustomed to this in the way I sit. I don't like the touch screen at all for a few reasons:
1) Volume control is a pain. If you're listening to the music somewhat loud and need to quickly turn it down, the absence of a **** to turn really becomes a problem.
2) It has dual zone climate control (driver and passenger) but no way to set them both at the same temp with the press of a single button (like the LS has had for 15+ years)
3) I think the way you navigate through menus, etc. is extremely distracting and it's not something I'm comfortable doing while driving. You may get used to it, but it would still seem that it wasn't well thought out to me.
All that being said about the touch screen, the steering wheel controls are nicely laid out and can handle some of the things you'd use the touch screen for. I also find it cool that the buttons on the steering wheel go completely "black" when the car is turned off. They light up and turn on when you start the car just as the digital dash does.
Drive- it has really nice pick up and acceleration. I do find the shifting is a bit harsh at times- this car only has 20k miles on it so was surprised at how jumpy the shifting felt sometimes. The car feels nimble and is pretty quiet at all speeds. The problem for me is for some reason the way a Cadillac rides it makes me feel motion sick on winding roads. I remember when I was like 12 years old my parents looked at the STS and I was sitting in the back during the test drive and felt like I was going to get sick. I actually get the same sensation in this car, even when I'm driving. It's very bizarre. Visibility is good, not sure it's quite as good as my 460 and I think some of that is the trunk is a bit higher (or the rear window is smaller; or both). But no big issues or concerns with feeling like I have adequate visibility.
Misc- I'm typically not the type that likes too much exterior lighting on a car (meaning I hate the Ford & Lincoln approach to having their logo shine onto the ground from the side mirrors), but I actually like how Cadillac has illuminated the outside door handles. It's a bit too much light IMO, but it doesn't look cheap or cheesy to me. One random thing I really don't like is the car will automatically lock itself when you walk away from it. I have walked into my garage to get something out of the car no less than 20 times only to realize the car locked itself and I need to go get the keys. I don't know if this is something that can be customized, but I don't like it the way it's set up. You also have to push a button on the exterior door handle to get the car to unlock as opposed to the car unlocking once you just put your hand on the handle (like my LS and our LX 570). Finally, I find it really strange that a Cadillac doesn't come with a moonroof as standard equipment. This car has beautiful leather, navigation, Bose speakers, cooled seats, heated seats, etc. But no sunroof/moonroof. I just don't understand the logic of not having that on this class of car.
Overall, it's not a car I would consider because of how it makes me feel somewhat sick on certain roads. Even without that, I'm not sure I could get over the design of the touch screen interface and appearance of that in the car. I give credit to Cadillac for the quality of the interior (other than the touch screen) - the leather and where they placed the leather with stitching looks nice IMO. Size wise, I think the car is slightly bigger than an ES, but slightly smaller than the SWB LS460. I actually really like the size of the car as it feels nimble enough to easily navigate, but big enough to take a road trip with the wife and kids.
I imagine this is a pretty viable car in the segment and overall I have been pretty pleased with it.
05-19-17, 10:49 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Had an AWD one in Chicago in 2015.....it wouldn't be anything that I would purchase, but I liked that it was a Cadillac. I remember thinking the rearview mirror was cool, as it's electronic, but frameless, unlike the German cars, who have thick plastic around them...it's all style I suppose, but for GM it was a good style. I noticed that if I had the tire psi's displayed, they would all change in no particular pattern, indicating to me that the GM TPMS probably cannot be trusted at least on that car. Suddenly one low, then all same, then another low, then all same, then two low, then 3 low, then 2 low, random....
05-19-17, 10:59 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Thanks for the input. 
I did a full-review of an XTS a couple of years ago, and was generally not impressed with it. Nor am I terribly impressed with its CT6 stablemate.
The problems you had navigating through the menus on the screen are a very common complaint with Cadillac CUE systems, both from owners and from the auto press/reviewers. Newer versions generally operate somewhat easier than older ones, but still gather some complaints.
On the lack of a sunroof/moonroof, not everyone, even in this class of car, actually wants one, as they tend to take out some headroom with their housings, take away some from the roof's structural strength in the car's unibody, can jam or fail at an inopportune time (such as a big rainstorm just ahead of you), and develop squeaks/rattles/leaks with age (I'll admit, though, that newer ones are much better than old ones in that regard). Cadillac is probably doing the right thing by keeping it an option. I recently ordered a Buick Lacrosse, for example, without one.
On the highway-cruise, the one I sampled had a small but noticeable shimmy in the front end that could not be traced to the usual reasons....out of round or out-of-balance tires/wheels. It was a design flaw that, hopefully, was corrected by the time the one you drove was built.
I agree with your general comments about the nice interior, aside from the frustrating climate and stereo controls. The interior trim is a big step up from the DeVille / DTS that it replaced, though the DTS had a notably smoother ride from the softer suspension and taller-profile tires. The XTS, of course, also offers the AWD option that the DTS lacked.
I don't quite understand what was giving you motion-sickness from the XTS's ride.
Usually, that comes from excessive up-and-down motion on the human inner-ear and its fluids (I am an ex-pilot, and sometimes experienced that problem in air-turbulence and G-forces). The XTS's suspension and tires, however, are significantly firmer than those of the former DTS...so you're not going to get wallow or floating. Perhaps, for you, the XTS suspension may (?) be TOO firm....bouncing up and down over bumps.
I did a full-review of an XTS a couple of years ago, and was generally not impressed with it. Nor am I terribly impressed with its CT6 stablemate.The problems you had navigating through the menus on the screen are a very common complaint with Cadillac CUE systems, both from owners and from the auto press/reviewers. Newer versions generally operate somewhat easier than older ones, but still gather some complaints.
On the lack of a sunroof/moonroof, not everyone, even in this class of car, actually wants one, as they tend to take out some headroom with their housings, take away some from the roof's structural strength in the car's unibody, can jam or fail at an inopportune time (such as a big rainstorm just ahead of you), and develop squeaks/rattles/leaks with age (I'll admit, though, that newer ones are much better than old ones in that regard). Cadillac is probably doing the right thing by keeping it an option. I recently ordered a Buick Lacrosse, for example, without one.
On the highway-cruise, the one I sampled had a small but noticeable shimmy in the front end that could not be traced to the usual reasons....out of round or out-of-balance tires/wheels. It was a design flaw that, hopefully, was corrected by the time the one you drove was built.
I agree with your general comments about the nice interior, aside from the frustrating climate and stereo controls. The interior trim is a big step up from the DeVille / DTS that it replaced, though the DTS had a notably smoother ride from the softer suspension and taller-profile tires. The XTS, of course, also offers the AWD option that the DTS lacked.
I don't quite understand what was giving you motion-sickness from the XTS's ride.
Usually, that comes from excessive up-and-down motion on the human inner-ear and its fluids (I am an ex-pilot, and sometimes experienced that problem in air-turbulence and G-forces). The XTS's suspension and tires, however, are significantly firmer than those of the former DTS...so you're not going to get wallow or floating. Perhaps, for you, the XTS suspension may (?) be TOO firm....bouncing up and down over bumps.
05-19-17, 12:14 PM
#5
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Thanks for the input. I did a full-review of an XTS a couple of years ago, and was generally not impressed with it. Nor am I terribly impressed with its CT6 stablemate.
The problems you had navigating through the menus on the screen are a very common complaint with Cadillac CUE systems, both from owners and from the auto press/reviewers. Newer versions generally operate somewhat easier than older ones, but still gather some complaints.
On the lack of a sunroof/moonroof, not everyone, even in this class of car, actually wants one, as they tend to take out some headroom with their housings, take away some from the roof's structural strength in the car's unibody, can jam or fail at an inopportune time (such as a big rainstorm just ahead of you), and develop squeaks/rattles/leaks with age (I'll admit, though, that newer ones are much better than old ones in that regard). Cadillac is probably doing the right thing by keeping it an option. I recently ordered a Buick Lacrosse, for example, without one.
On the highway-cruise, the one I sampled had a small but noticeable shimmy in the front end that could not be traced to the usual reasons....out of round or out-of-balance tires/wheels. It was a design flaw that, hopefully, was corrected by the time the one you drove was built.
I agree with your general comments about the nice interior, aside from the frustrating climate and stereo controls. The interior trim is a big step up from the DeVille / DTS that it replaced, though the DTS had a notably smoother ride from the softer suspension and taller-profile tires. The XTS, of course, also offers the AWD option that the DTS lacked.
I don't quite understand what was giving you motion-sickness from the XTS's ride. Usually, that comes from excessive up-and-down motion on the human inner-ear and its fluids (I am an ex-pilot, and sometimes experienced that problem in air-turbulence and G-forces). The XTS's suspension and tires, however, are significantly firmer than those of the former DTS...so you're not going to get wallow or floating. Perhaps, for you, the XTS suspension may (?) be TOO firm....bouncing up and down over bumps.
I did a full-review of an XTS a couple of years ago, and was generally not impressed with it. Nor am I terribly impressed with its CT6 stablemate.The problems you had navigating through the menus on the screen are a very common complaint with Cadillac CUE systems, both from owners and from the auto press/reviewers. Newer versions generally operate somewhat easier than older ones, but still gather some complaints.
On the lack of a sunroof/moonroof, not everyone, even in this class of car, actually wants one, as they tend to take out some headroom with their housings, take away some from the roof's structural strength in the car's unibody, can jam or fail at an inopportune time (such as a big rainstorm just ahead of you), and develop squeaks/rattles/leaks with age (I'll admit, though, that newer ones are much better than old ones in that regard). Cadillac is probably doing the right thing by keeping it an option. I recently ordered a Buick Lacrosse, for example, without one.
On the highway-cruise, the one I sampled had a small but noticeable shimmy in the front end that could not be traced to the usual reasons....out of round or out-of-balance tires/wheels. It was a design flaw that, hopefully, was corrected by the time the one you drove was built.
I agree with your general comments about the nice interior, aside from the frustrating climate and stereo controls. The interior trim is a big step up from the DeVille / DTS that it replaced, though the DTS had a notably smoother ride from the softer suspension and taller-profile tires. The XTS, of course, also offers the AWD option that the DTS lacked.
I don't quite understand what was giving you motion-sickness from the XTS's ride.
Usually, that comes from excessive up-and-down motion on the human inner-ear and its fluids (I am an ex-pilot, and sometimes experienced that problem in air-turbulence and G-forces). The XTS's suspension and tires, however, are significantly firmer than those of the former DTS...so you're not going to get wallow or floating. Perhaps, for you, the XTS suspension may (?) be TOO firm....bouncing up and down over bumps.Re: motion sickness - I have no idea either. It would be strange that the suspension is too firm for me - I just sold an Audi S5 that I had for about a year which was very firm and I never had that feeling in that car. Maybe my inner ear is programmed to Lexus after all these years..!!
05-20-17, 07:09 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
I test drove a 2014 XTS AWD before I got my 2010 LS460 SWB in early 2015 - while the XTS was promising (its tech was pretty impressive at the time), I just couldn't escape the scream of "unrefined" in my head. I happened to have rented a Buick Lacrosse and found out its the same underpinning/powertrain; granted the XTS takes regular gas but it isn't a Deville equivalent of yester-year, poses a decent value when pre-owned but nowhere close to being comparable to the LS. Maybe the ES...
05-20-17, 08:14 PM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
The XTS is not comparable to the LS, but the CT6 compares better. I actually like the CT6 a good bit.
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05-20-17, 09:40 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Hasn't this car been discontinued with the introduction of the new CT6? It's been such a non-contender on the West Coast. If it's still for sale, it's got to be mostly for rentals and fleets.
05-21-17, 03:38 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Cadillac still has it in their line-up. That may (?) be because the company seems to be unsettled on whether to do an even larger flagship than the CT6, though, at present, the SUV craze seems to be taking up most of the company's development funds.
05-21-17, 10:29 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
No, the XTS is still going to be around. Largely I think for fleets
05-21-17, 10:37 AM
#11
Lexus Champion
XTS sales are strong vs. Caddy's other sedans. Granted a big percentage of the sales are to fleets, but here are the sales YTD thru April:
XTS 5,592, ATS 4,751, CT6 3,382 and CTS 3,359.
XTS 5,592, ATS 4,751, CT6 3,382 and CTS 3,359.
05-21-17, 12:56 PM
#12
Alongside the Escalade, the XTS is the only "true" Cadillac that Cadillac still makes.
Sales figures have proven that trying to out-German the Germans has not worked one bit. Instead, they should invest R&D into their infotainment system, reliability, and fixing their interiors (which are GM parts bin specials once you get past the wood and leather).
Residuals are the worst I've seen of any car brand. GM needs to do something about that. On Autotrader, there's literally ATS' with under 10K miles on them selling for $20,000.
Sales figures have proven that trying to out-German the Germans has not worked one bit. Instead, they should invest R&D into their infotainment system, reliability, and fixing their interiors (which are GM parts bin specials once you get past the wood and leather).
Residuals are the worst I've seen of any car brand. GM needs to do something about that. On Autotrader, there's literally ATS' with under 10K miles on them selling for $20,000.
05-21-17, 12:59 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
I don't agree with that at all. Have you driven a CT6? Much better ride and more refined than the XTS. The CT6 is the only appealing Cadillac I've driven on any level in a long time.
05-21-17, 04:10 PM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
While I respect your opinion, I wouldn't call the Escalade a "true" Cadillac. It's a body-on-frame truck (if, admittedly, a bling-laden one)...essentially an overdone Tahoe/Subrban, which itself is a passenger-carrying version of the Silverado/Sierrra. And, personally, I would consider the new 2017/2018 Buick Lacrosse, especially with the comfort of the 18" wheel version, to be more of a "True" Caddy than the XTS itself. Today's Caddy sedans, IMO, even in the more complaint drive-mode settings, just ride too firmly.
05-22-17, 07:26 AM
#15
As if the depreciation hit on a Caddy wasn't enough of a turn off.
