2011 Cadillac DTS

The 2011 Cadillac DTS carries over essentially unchanged. The 2011 DTS sedan is something of a modern take on the classic American luxury car. The Cadillac DeVille was nothing less than an imposing, powerful luxury car with room for six and innovative features.

But current times haven’t been as kind to Cadillac’s full-size sedan. In fairness, some of those vehicles can cost $10,000-$30,000 more than the 2011 Cadillac DTS. As an American luxury sedan in the classical sense, the DTS gets it right.

The 2011 Cadillac DTS full-size sedan is available in four increasingly well-equipped trim levels: base, Luxury, Premium and Platinum.

The base DTS includes 17-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, foglights, remote engine start, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, power front seats, OnStar and an eight-speaker CD stereo with satellite radio. Step up to the Luxury model and you get 17-inch chromed wheels, a sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, triple-zone climate control system, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, driver seat memory settings and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with a six-disc CD changer.

The top-of-the-line Platinum adds a more powerful version of the base 4.6-liter V8 engine, 18-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension, upgraded interior trim and lane-departure and blind-spot warning systems.

Other notable options include adaptive cruise control and a 40/20/40-split front bench that gives the DTS seating for six.

Under the hood, the 2011 Cadillac DTS has a 4.6-liter V8. On all but the top-of-the-line DTS Platinum, this engine puts out 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The DTS Platinum managed a 0-60-mph time of 7 seconds flat, which sounds respectable enough until you learn that most V8-powered luxury sedans — and even some V6-powered models — are considerably quicker. The DTS Platinum differs with 22 mpg on the highway.

Standard safety features include electronic stability control, antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. Side-impact tests resulted in four stars front and rear. The DTS received a top "Good" rating in frontal-offset crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but a second-best "Acceptable" rating in side impact testing.

While front bucket seats are standard, the available 40/20/40-split front bench makes this one of the few modern sedans that offers seating for six. No matter which configuration you choose, you’ll find comfortable seats and abundant head- and legroom for both front and rear seat passengers.

The huge trunk offers nearly 19 cubic feet of cargo room. With a suspension tuned to favor a cushy ride over sporty handling, the 2011 Cadillac DTS is all about coddling its occupants.