Ever drove a Cadillac?

Have you ever driven a Cadillac? And with driving I mean not just as a passenger or as a test drive from a car dealership. A couple of weeks I rented a Cadillac DTS for a week to go on a vacation. I can tell you - it is fun to drive one. First of all the luxury component is awesome. The seats were soft, but still firm enough to give you enough hold when driving curves. Leg room - well, I wish I always would have that much room when hopping onto a plane. Have you ever experienced air-conditioned seats? The 2006 Cadillac DTS I drove had them. I love it. I wish I could get those in my normal car (Ford F-150 Crewcab Pickup Truck).

The Cadillac had so many buttons to play with - I pulled out the manual while my wife was driving. At the end of the trip we had finally tested every piece of functionality that was available from the passenger cabin. And we did not even have a fully loaded model.

Driving: Driving a Cadillac is fun. It’s not a sports car when it comes to accelerating from a full stop. Acceleration is fast though. However - going 65 Mph up a steep mountain and then flooring it was stunning. At that speed going up hill we were still gently pushed into the seats. The smile on my face must have lasted a while. Seeing the other cars disappearing in the rear mirror was cool fun. Only that guy in a brand-new BMW 6 series convertible was easily following us at the same speed (he actually passed us in a curve where I had to slow down a notch). On a flat road the acceleration from like 60 Mph to 80 Mph and above was sports car like.

Gas Mileage: We were surprised how good the Caddy was housekeeping with the gasoline. I did not actually measure the gas mileage very close, but I think we got mid 20’s out of a gallon. However - we were surprised how small the tank was and that the usage display was not very accurate. Down to one quarter I was able to fill up only 11 gallons. A notch further down on the next tank stop and I had fill up 15 gallons. Overall the tank can hold 18 gallons. My truck has a 25 gallon tank in comparison. Something similar had been my expectation for the Cadillac.

Things we liked most:

- XM Radio built in (Awesome when you travel over 1,500 of miles through remote desert areas)
- AC for the seats
- Automatic Lights on/off
- Powerful engine with a nice roaring sound inside the car

Things we like least:

- Small tank
- Board Computer cannot be programmed while driving
- Not enough cup holders / storage room for items inside the cabin

At the end of the week we had really enjoyed renting the Cadillac. We got a great deal - about $300 + tax and fees for the entire week. So, the next time we go on a road trip I think we will do the same thing again. Travel in style.

Christoph

PS: Would I buy one if I had the funds? Yes, I would buy a Cadillac in a heartbeat if I would have enough funds to spare. This was not an “old man’s” car - this was fun.