I’ll tell you right off — I love this car. In my opinion, the Cadillac Seville STS is bar-none, the best car to come out of Detroit in my lifetime. The 300 horsepower Northstar engine is the best American powerplant since the workhorse small block Chevy V-8 debuted in 1955. And, totally re-engineered for 2000, the Northstar in both the STS and SLS models runs quieter, smoother, more efficiently and cleaner than in previous years.

Maybe I should stop right here.

Make no mistake, this is a Cadillac through and through, And Cadillac is synonymous with American-style luxury. But the Seville STS feels and drives like a sophisticated, grown-up’s luxury hot rod.

The Seville comes in two models — the STS and SLS. In true Cadillac style, they come loaded with technology and features designed for comfort, safety and performance.

Our test model was a hot looking pearlescent white STS. The paint seems like it’s a foot deep and the STS’ stance is wide, low and very aggressive. The appearance just hints at what true delights await the driver.

Let’s face it, the Seville’s distinctly Detroit styling won’t win any awards for innovation, but neither will Mercedes. The bold, egg-crate grille and strong, vertical taillights are traditional Cadillac while the wrap-around projector headlights offer a high-tech look that produces outstanding lighting quality. Overall, the Seville has an aggressive, yet refined look with edges that are sculpted, yet soft.

Shorter bumper-to-bumper than previous models, this generation of the Seville appeared two years ago and is closer in size to some of its import competitors. It offers significantly more usable space plus a stance that’s two inches wider, enhancing both the ride and handling capability of the Seville’s world-class suspension.

Cadillac’s StabiliTrak system has also been overhauled for 2000. It’s smart enough to respond to a skid before the driver is usually aware there’s a problem and the standard, Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension responds to changing road conditions to find the optimal balance for premium ride and handling.    Interiorwise, the Seville’s generous use of richly grained zebrano wood is very tasteful. Instrumentation appears to be influenced by Lexus, with backlit black face gauges and subdued red indicators utilizing a three-dimensional Vacuum Fluorescent.

The front bucket seats are among the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in. They’re deep and plush, but not overstuffed. They provide lateral support to keep the driver firmly anchored while maneuvering through tight curves, and the front seatbelts are secured to the seat so they fit comfortably.

The center console houses a five-inch color display that sports bright, clear graphics and a touch-screen that operates the navigation system, climate controls and the Bose 4.0 sound system. The map works off of a trunk-mounted CD-ROM.

The Bose system, which blasts out nearly 425 watts of sound through eight speakers, including a 12-inch subwoofer, automatically adjusts volume and tone levels to compensate for changing interior sound conditions.

One option I know from personal experience is well worth the price is GM’s OnStar system. OnStar marries cellular technology to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that constantly pinpoints the vehicle’s location. Pressing a button connects you to an OnStar service center in Flint, Mich. which will provide driving directions, call a tow truck or remotely unlock the doors, as well as provide restaurant recommendations, make airline reservations or send flowers. However, more importantly, OnStar will check on you immediately after an airbag deploys and will send help if you don’t respond.

All this is nice, but driving is what the Seville is really about. The 4.6-liter Northstar V8 has enough off-the-line torque and acceleration to blow the doors right off most genuine muscle cars, and enough raw horsepower to keep up with the traffic on the German Autobahn.

The engine is tuned differently for the STS and SLS, and the same engine, in an even more detuned configuration, sits under the hood of the Olds Aurora as well.
The STS version of the Northstar delivers 300 horses to the highway and is, in my opinion, far and away the best choice for drivers who want a high-performance luxury sports sedan. The 275 horse SLS version is better suited to those who prefer quiet luxury cruising.

The 2000 Northstar boasts an all-new head design, intake manifolds, coil-on-plug ignition and rolling cam runners. In an effort to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, pistons, valves, connecting rods and cams were all updated, and the engine can now run on regular unleaded instead of premium.

The engine is coupled to a four-speed automatic that uses a Performance Shift Algorithm to analyze your driving style and adjust shifting appropriately. Put the pedal to the metal and the throttle responds with the crisp shifts of a stick. Accelerate gradually and it shifts smoothly. Go into a corner under hard acceleration and it knows to delay shifting until you’re through the turn for improved handling balance.

Whines: The resolution of the map in the navigation system isn’t near as good as in the Acura or BMW. As much as I love this car, at $55,000+ as tested, I thought it a bit spendy.

Kudos: A serious high performance, luxury sedan second to none built in America that can hold its own against the best imports.

Bottom Line: The Cadillac Seville STS deserves a serious look from the buyer who wants the comfort, refinement, performance and handling expected from a Mercedes, Lexus, BMW or Infiniti. The Seville STS is a luxury sedan that is truly a real “driver’s car.”.