- Cars
- Used Cars
- Used Cadillac
- 2009 Cadillac DTS
- Performance
Note: This performance review was created when the 2009 Cadillac DTS was new.
Performance: | 8.0 |
The Cadillac DTS is built for highway cruising. Its suspension is tuned for a soft ride, its turning circle is wide, and its big V8 moves the heavy car well enough for highway passing -- but not so quickly that it can compete with the cars at the top of its class. A Performance trim level outhandles the ordinary DTS.
The 2009 DTS is powered by a 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine making 275 horsepower. Power travels through a four-speed automatic transmission -- a serious flaw, the press says, since even other GM products generally use six-speed models. The result is a car that lacks serious thrust compared to most luxury sedans -- but the DTS never had sporting pretensions. It's strong enough to get to highway speed quickly and pass easily. Performance models get 300 horsepower out of the same engine, but it doesn't change the fuel economy rating. The DTS gets an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 22 on the highway -- the lowest fuel economy in this class.
The DTS is tuned for a gentle ride, not a sporty one. Some reviewers find it more athletic than one might expect from such a big sedan, but never the equivalent of canyon-carving big sedans from BMW or Infiniti.
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