Let’s start with the sedan that has one tire firmly planted in Cadillac’s classic luxury car past. The XTS is a piece of iron that your male ancestors would love, if for no other reason than its vast, cavernous, deep trunk. There are also great expanses of room in the interior of this car, even though it’s not exactly a tugboat in terms of physical size. In this sense the Caddys of old are represented by a coach that offers extreme luxury in an expansive setting, as well as rather over-boosted power steering which is a tad on the numb side (much like the ’62 Cadillac Fleetwood my grandfather owned. Almost). 

But after this traditional feature of room everywhere that was always a Cadillac trademark, the engineers decided embrace modernity, too, by launching every bit of whizz-bang technology they had in their arsenal at the XTS. As a result, the company describes this sedan as “. . . the most technologically advanced production car in the brand’s history.” They can say this because it really is loaded with a veritable plethora of silicon-based electronic devices, as well as advanced hardware such as Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control as a standard feature. This chassis magic is aided by rear air springs, HiPer Strut front suspension and Brembo front brakes. An excellent option found on our tester was Caddy’s advanced All Wheel Drive system; developed with Haldex engineering and aided by an electronic rear limited-slip differential. This is the way to go, as the system operates seamlessly and can deliver better overall traction and torque balance than the Front-Drive version. With the exception of the light steering I mentioned earlier, the XTS handles its heft well and is a pleasure to hustle around. It’s no ATS (see below) but it’s no lumbering bovine, either. The self-adjusting rear suspension is especially impressive, should you choose to fill up that massive trunk with wood stove fuel the way I did. Even with 400 lbs. of compressed sawdust on board the car cared not a whit. Hauling was no problem also because the lone engine is a 304-horsepower V6, which is commendable smooth and quick aided by a very efficient 6-speed automatic transmission. 

Of course, the grandest tech excesses are found in the cockpit, starting with a very innovative instrument cluster. What we have here is an LCD screen with virtual analog instruments, and it is of course adjustable. Cadillac describes it thusly: “Available exclusively on the XTS is a 12.3-inch (312 mm) reconfigurable instrument cluster. It features vibrant graphic displays showcased among four driver-selectable themes, ranging from minimal to extensive information.” So it’s like having a small tablet computer for an instrument cluster, like a video game or a Boeing 777’s “glass” cockpit. It’s a true benchmark of where we seem to be heading, in that apparently we’re supposed to see more and more of the world through an LCD screen. They are attractive, these instruments, but they certainly give the car a very different feel from luxury sedans of the past, especially Cadillacs. But, like with e-books, I’ve never been a huge fan of electronic solutions to problems that don’t exist. Of even more fascination is the optional “Safety Seat” on the XTS, which in concert with parking assist, lane departure warnings and other alert systems can buzz your backside (or pulse your posterior) on the side of the seat corresponding to the side of the car that the alert is addressing. For example, if you wander out of your lane on the passenger side the right side of the seat will vibrate to let you know about it. Weird, but interesting. Yes, you can turn it off and/or use a pure audible warning if you desire. There’s boatloads of other e-gizmos in this substantial car, but you get the idea. The XTS has the size and sumptuous accommodations of the Caddies of the past, but also injects additional tech goo from our present including the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) visual/voice control system. This is similar to My Ford Touch, and every bit as counterproductive. It is my hope they will quickly realize these new interface systems are not only an operational mess; they are a huge step backwards in auto safety. But that’s just my opinion. No doubt, like BMW’s hideous iDrive, some people will think these marketing-based blunders are brilliant. 

Something that is legitimately brilliant in my view is the chassis of the new Cadillac ATS. This sedan embraces the new, sporting side of Cadillac and is the car I always hoped the CTS might be (with the exception of the CTS-V, which I love ‘cause of that mighty, marauding mill). The ATS is much less capacious than the XTS but it doesn’t have it’s overly boosted steering, either. It is also a rear-drive platform (All Wheel Drive is an option) and there’s two inline Fours (one turbocharged) and a 3.6 V6 like the XTS, only in this case they’ve managed to eek out nearly 20 more horsepower (up to 321). I sampled this engine with a 6-speed auto, and it was a very nice powerplant indeed with plenty of power to rocket the light, 3,500 lb. (or so) sedan around. This is a lithe, sporting auto that you would never think was a Cadillac, if not for some of the characteristic interior appointments and aforementioned CUE interface system (just to ruin it for me). 

Well, to be honest this iPad-on-wheels approach to basic control operations really can’t ruin this car (or the XTS) completely for me, as both sedans have so many fine qualities that they are still quite desirable. Even the fact that neither car had a spare tire didn’t throw me off completely, but c’mon, man. Have we become such as weenie, call-the-auto-club, spaghetti-armed geek society that we have to summon somebody with callouses on their hands to swap a shoe on our machines? Sad, really.  And run flat tires, like on the ATS? Please. These are both fast cars, and I am in a hurry. If I encounter a puncture, I need to pit and change to the spare with great despatch (see A Christmas Story). 

But, I wander into the bush, off topic. Cadillac continues to build some really intriguing new models, and at the very least are soundingly thumping their cross-town rivals at Lincoln. As for taking on the best in the world and knocking down the door in the performance sedan category, I don’t think they’re there yet but they are certainly tapping politely on the window. That’s something unheard of just a few years ago, and I say well done, House of Cadillac.