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2010 Cadillac STS Review

November 8, 2009

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

high-class ambience
Edmunds

we think it's handsome
ForbesAutos

edgy styling
Kelley Blue Book

elements are in proportion
Cars.com

The Cadillac STS and STS-V are aging gracefully, but no longer have the cutting-edge appeal they once did.

In 2008, Cadillac gave the STS a mild restyling with a new nose and a wider grille. It's still clearly related to the original Seville STS that ushered in Cadillac's latest design themes, dubbed Art & Science at one time and ensconced at the crisp, folded end of the luxury spectrum. The unique blend of angular panels and smooth, continuous sheetmetal is teamed with elegantly minimal chrome details, which is why the STS still looks contemporary. Kelley Blue Book thinks if you like the "edgy styling of the CTS and XLR cars...you'll like the 2010 Cadillac STS," while admitting most shoppers in this class will want "a more distinctive vehicle." Cars.com finds the STS's styling "elements are in proportion" but critiques its now cliché side vents. Edmunds sees the grille as "particularly striking," but Automobile corroborates TheCarConnection.com's take, calling the STS "anodyne...a car whose exterior and interior both leave us cold." In contrast, reviewers gloss over the similarities to fawn over the STS-V: "In a luxury sport sedan market that's traditionally dominated by German carmakers, the Cadillac STS-V makes a tremendous impression," says Edmunds, while CNNMoney pegs the shape as "bright and angular, with a mouthy stainless-steel grille, vertical headlights, vertiginous flanks, and an engorged hood." Cars.com has a poignant thought to add to the debate, pointing out "few carmakers have managed to craft an entire lineup as cohesive as Cadillac has."

The 2010 Cadillac STS's interior is much softer and more luxurious than the exterior, and it's clear the brand's been paying attention to the lessons of German sedans with its soberly styled cabin. The layout, with some screen-driven controls and quite a few small buttons, can be confusing, and the materials haven't been upgraded to the extent seen in the latest edition of the smaller Cadillac CTS. "Cadillac snazzed up the STS's interior significantly for 2009 with higher-quality wood and the addition of tasteful aluminum trim," Edmunds reminds shoppers, and Car and Driver notes the "more sophisticated instrument cluster looks much richer than those in past cars." The streamlined dash style sports a wide center stack of controls and a nice balance of leather, plastic, and wood-Kelley Blue Book details the materials that give the dash and door panels "a rich look mimicking real leather," but worries "how well this material will hold up over time." It doesn't faze Edmunds, which thinks "luxury buyers should be pleased with this Cadillac's generally high-class ambience."

Conclusion

Groundbreaking days are behind it, but the 2010 Cadillac STS and STS-V still seem fit and trim, inside and out.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:high-class ambienceEdmundswe think it's handsomeForbesAutosedgy stylingKelley Blue Bookelements are in proportionCars.com The Cadillac STS and STS-V are aging gracefully, but no longer have the cutting-edge appeal they once did. In 2008, Cadillac gave the STS a mild restyling with a new nose and a wider grille. It's still clearly related to the original Seville STS that ushered in Cadillac's latest design themes, dubbed Art & Science at one time and ensconced at the crisp, folded end of the luxury spectrum. The unique blend of angular panels and smooth, continuous sheetmetal is teamed with elegantly minimal chrome details, which is why the STS still looks contemporary. Kelley Blue Book thinks if you like the "edgy styling of the CTS and XLR cars...you'll like the 2010 Cadillac STS," while admitting most shoppers in this class will want "a more distinctive vehicle." Cars.com finds the STS's styling "elements are in proportion" but critiques its now cliché side vents. Edmunds sees the grille as "particularly striking," but Automobile corroborates TheCarConnection.com's take, calling the STS "anodyne...a car whose exterior and interior both leave us cold." In contrast, reviewers gloss over the similarities to fawn over the STS-V: "In a luxury sport sedan market that's traditionally dominated by German carmakers, the Cadillac STS-V makes a tremendous impression," says Edmunds, while CNNMoney pegs the shape as "bright and angular, with a mouthy stainless-steel grille, vertical headlights, vertiginous flanks, and an engorged hood." Cars.com has a poignant thought to add to the debate, pointing out "few carmakers have managed to craft an entire lineup as cohesive as Cadillac has." The 2010 Cadillac STS's interior is much softer and more luxurious than the exterior, and it's clear the brand's been paying attention to the lessons of German sedans with its soberly styled cabin. The layout, with some screen-driven controls and quite a few small buttons, can be confusing, and the materials haven't been upgraded to the extent seen in the latest edition of the smaller Cadillac CTS. "Cadillac snazzed up the STS's interior significantly for 2009 with higher-quality wood and the addition of tasteful aluminum trim," Edmunds reminds shoppers, and Car and Driver notes the "more sophisticated instrument cluster looks much richer than those in past cars." The streamlined dash style sports a wide center stack of controls and a nice balance of leather, plastic, and wood-Kelley Blue Book details the materials that give the dash and door panels "a rich look mimicking real leather," but worries "how well this material will hold up over time." It doesn't faze Edmunds, which thinks "luxury buyers should be pleased with this Cadillac's generally high-class ambience." ConclusionGroundbreaking days are behind it, but the 2010 Cadillac STS and STS-V still seem fit and trim, inside and out. 2010 CADILLAC STS STYLING | [7 out of 10] Edmunds: "high-class ambience" ForbesAutos: "we think it's handsome" Kelley Blue Book: "edgy styling" Cars.com: "elements are in proportion" The Cadillac STS and STS-V are aging gracefully, but no longer have the cutting-edge appeal they ...

Read More of this Review:

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

Other Choices:

With a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive and V-6 or V-8 engines, the 2010 Cadillac STS/STS-V slots right alongside the mid-size luxury sedans from Germany and Japan, but both those vehicles are new for 2010 and 2011. The new E-Class takes a turn to the edgy, and its styling doesn't win many friends, though it feels lighter and more adept than ever before. A new 5-Series arrives early in 2010, and a preview in the form of the 5-Series Gran Turismo shows a refined interior, a handsome new design outside, and likely, more fits for Cadillac and Mercedes. Yet another STS rival is the new Jaguar XF/XFR, with a stunning new body, a boutique-hotel interior, and massively powerful V-8 engines but no all-wheel drive. The Infiniti M models are due to be replaced in 2011 with a svelte new shape, but the 2010 models have a surprisingly roomy interior-including a spacious backseat, which is somewhat hard to find in this class-along with available all-wheel drive.

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See the Cadillac STS in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

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