By Tom Crosby
AAA Carolinas

Cadillac is introducing a standard 302-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 engine with direct injection for 2008, the third direct injection engine developed by General Motors, and the STS is the first to get the improved model.  Other 2008 changes include refreshing design adding several new option packages, some of which we tested in an STS with Cadillac’s vaunted V-8 Northstar engine. (There are three STS choices – V-6, V-8 and a Supercharged V-8).  A 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, STS is the largest sedan currently being built by Cadillac. Our test-drive STS added a premium luxury performance package ($8,180), a V-8 performance collection ($3,500), all-wheel drive (($1,550), active steering ($995 and only available with all-wheel drive), premium Tuscany leather seats ergonomically as comfortable as a plush chair in an exclusive club ($995), premium paint ($995) and gas guzzler tax ($1,300). Final price tag: $70,200 with enough safety and comfort features to be a top-notch luxury ride.  Active steering controls brakes and engine power, turning front wheels into a skid when rear wheels lose traction and measuring wheel slippage independently to provide confident handling in icy or slippery conditions. A lane departure warning system notifies a driver who is crossing into a lane without signaling via a yellow dash warning light and a chime that lane marker on the highway is being crossed without a turn signal. Another new feature is a side blind zone alert that uses radar beams sweeping adjacent lanes and ignites a yellow light on the outside rearview mirror when a vehicle is entering the driver’s blind spot. Both lane departure and blind zone systems can be turned off as a driver option. Brembo brakes and 18-inch tires help handling, an STS plus, that is marred only by a slightly rougher vibration than expected over uneven road surfaces, even when the softer of two ride choices is picked.

Outside, the STS adds a front grille similar to the Cadillac Escalade, a new lower fascia intake, side air extractors in the front fenders and chrome-plated door handles and lower rocker moldings. The 18-inch tires use 14-spoke aluminum wheels. Inside, Sapele Pommele wood trim is now used inside and on the now heated steering wheel as well as the center instrument stack. Other pluses include heated/cooled seats, adaptive cruise control, Bluetooth phone connection, and an upgraded 15-speaker Bose sound system with CD/DVD changer that accommodates DVD-A and MP3. The heads-up display for speed (shown in orange) becomes more colorful with some green, yellow and blue displays when adjusting climate controls. The intuitive navigation system tilts to reduce glare, gauges are easy to use and controls comfortably with reach, and a remote state features warms/cools in advance. The ride is quiet and comfortable in all seats. Trunk space is average.