For years American premium cars have been the butt of jokes in the motoring world. Their reputation for terrible handling and substandard build quality often saw them overlooked by the new car buying public in favor of mostly European makes. Meanwhile, traditional German marques have continued to dominate the luxury segment and relative newcomer, Lexus, has also managed to gain a sizeable foothold in the competitive luxury car market.
Thus, those in the market for a well heeled, rear-wheel drive luxury car would more often than not look to BMW or Mercedes, but in this burgeoning segment new offerings from the American manufacturers are beginning to measure up to their foreign cousins and once again capture the attention of new car buyers around the world. So as a rear-wheel drive (or optional all-wheel drive) luxury sedan, just how does Cadillac’s updated STS measure up against its foreign counterparts who have largely set the benchmark for the segment?
Since the STS is a large sedan, its main competitors are the 5-series, E-Class or GS models. The Caddy offers three options in terms of engines - a V6, a V8 and a supercharged V8. Perhaps the most significant update from the 2007 model is the extra 47hp (35kW) to be found under the hood in the V6 model, which brings the 3.6L unit’s output to 302hp (225kW) and 369Nm (272lb-ft) of torque. The 4.6L Northstar V8, meanwhile, has not been updated and still musters 320 ponies (239kW) at a premium of $9,000 - though you do get extra equipment as well.
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