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2009 Cadillac STS-V Safety Review

February 22, 2009

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Good," frontal offset; "acceptable," side impact
IIHS

Four stars, front impact protection; four stars, side impact protection, driver; five stars, side impact protection, rear passenger
NHTSA

Rear parking assist, a lane departure warning system and blind spot warning system are also standard.
Edmunds

Based on a glance at the list of safety features offered on the 2009 Cadillac STS-V, you might expect only the best marks resulting from crash tests. Instead its results are a bit disappointing for such a large, expensive sedan.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) scored the 2009 Cadillac STS-V  "good" in frontal offset tests, but "acceptable" in side-impact tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting four stars, front impact protection; four stars, side impact protection, driver; and five stars, side impact protection, rear passenger.

Cadillac employs Side Blind Zone Alerting (SBZA) to keep the driver from sideswiping punier traffic caught in the large Caddy's blind spots. The system uses radar and lights up small icons in the car's mirrors to alert the driver to a possible collision hazard. "Side Blind Zone Alert is what Cadillac calls its version of Volvo's Blind Spot Information System, or BLIS,” reports Car and Driver. "We had to look at the mirror so intently to see if the icon were illuminated, we might as well have just turned our heads a little farther and manually checked the blind spots." If consumers don't like the system either, Car and Driver has the solution: "Fortunately, both the blind-spot alert and the lane-departure warning are quickly and easily deactivated."

Edmunds observes "a limited-slip differential, antilock brakes, stability control and traction control are all standard on the STS-V," along with a full complement of airbags. They add, "Rear parking assist, a lane departure warning system and blind spot warning system are also standard." Cars.com likes the STS-V’s Intellibeam headlights, "which adjust their intensity based on the oncoming or leading vehicles."

Conclusion

Crash-test results that are good but not great merge with some of GM’s top accident-avoiding safety features in the 2009 Cadillac STS-V.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Good," frontal offset; "acceptable," side impactIIHSFour stars, front impact protection; four stars, side impact protection, driver; five stars, side impact protection, rear passengerNHTSARear parking assist, a lane departure warning system and blind spot warning system are also standard.Edmunds Based on a glance at the list of safety features offered on the 2009 Cadillac STS-V, you might expect only the best marks resulting from crash tests. Instead its results are a bit disappointing for such a large, expensive sedan. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) scored the 2009 Cadillac STS-V  "good" in frontal offset tests, but "acceptable" in side-impact tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting four stars, front impact protection; four stars, side impact protection, driver; and five stars, side impact protection, rear passenger. Cadillac employs Side Blind Zone Alerting (SBZA) to keep the driver from sideswiping punier traffic caught in the large Caddy's blind spots. The system uses radar and lights up small icons in the car's mirrors to alert the driver to a possible collision hazard. "Side Blind Zone Alert is what Cadillac calls its version of Volvo's Blind Spot Information System, or BLIS,” reports Car and Driver. "We had to look at the mirror so intently to see if the icon were illuminated, we might as well have just turned our heads a little farther and manually checked the blind spots." If consumers don't like the system either, Car and Driver has the solution: "Fortunately, both the blind-spot alert and the lane-departure warning are quickly and easily deactivated." Edmunds observes "a limited-slip differential, antilock brakes, stability control and traction control are all standard on the STS-V," along with a full complement of airbags. They add, "Rear parking assist, a lane departure warning system and blind spot warning system are also standard." Cars.com likes the STS-V’s Intellibeam headlights, "which adjust their intensity based on the oncoming or leading vehicles." ConclusionCrash-test results that are good but not great merge with some of GM’s top accident-avoiding safety features in the 2009 Cadillac STS-V. 2009 CADILLAC STS-V STYLING | [7 out of 10] Edmunds: "the Cadillac STS-V makes a tremendous impression" CNNMoney: “bright and angular, with a mouthy stainless-steel grille” Car and Driver: "some of the switches and buttons lack the precision feel of the competition" For 2009 the ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Both the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5—sedans have better-known reputations than the STS-V—have interiors that feel more opulent and exclusive. But performance-wise in real-world driving, the 2009 Cadillac STS-V competes solidly against both. However, both of those vehicles have what matters more to many buyers—a faster acceleration time. The upcoming Jaguar XFR is another highly expected rival, with a 510-horsepower supercharged V-8 and a host of additional performance equipment.

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See the Cadillac STS-V in Other Years:

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

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