The chefs at Cadillac have whipped up some very different fare from a new and wholly different cookbook. In an effort to capture younger buyers who previously have owned imports, Cadillac pushed aside the division's box of traditional American recipes. Instead, its new entre-called the Catera-is heavily based on a tasty European dish: the Omega MX6 sport sedan from General Motors' German subsidiary, Opel.
To handle triple-digit autobahn speeds, this platform already boasted such ingredients as a refined 3.0-liter/200-horsepower V-6, sprightly rear-drive handling, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, and stringent Deutschland-spec crash protection, which includes pyrotechnic tensioners that cinch up seatbelts in the instant after impact.
To this, Cadillac added traditional American luxury-car flavorings: a pinch of faux wood, a sprinkling of pleated leather, one black chrome grille, a smidgen softer ride (largely through its 225/55HR16 Goodyear Eagle RS-A all-season tires), a generous helping of chassis stiffeners and sound-deadening insulation, and some delicate styling enhancements. In addition, Cadillac stirred in a list of standard features that Americans consider the price of entry for luxury cars: a four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, power seats, a remote keyless entry system, automatic dual-zone climate control, dual front (and, soon, side) airbags, an engine-disabling theft-deterrent system, and, of course, cupholders.
The result retains the Omega's distinctly Germanic flavor, in a quieter, more solid, and better mannered luxury-sport sedan.
One feature we Yanks demand is affordability: Although prices hadn't been set by our press deadline, the Catera's base sticker should be right around $30,000, with fully loaded versions coming in under $35,000. For less than the price of a BMW 328i, Lexus ES 300, or Mercedes-Benz C280, the Catera offers luxury comparable to those respective brands' upper-level 528i, GS 300, and E320 plus more space-for both cargo and passengers.
Built in Russelsheim, Germany, the Catera drives, sounds, and, from the inside, looks much like an Audi with rear drive and firmer steering. This, to use an auto journalist's technical term, is a good thing. (Actually, the Catera drives much like an Opel Omega, but since only one editor on our staff-and probably not many of you-has driven an Omega, that's an empty comparison.)
The Catera connects its driver to the road in an enthusiastic manner. Consumers accustomed to sport-flavored offerings from Germany and Japan will interpret this as confidence inspiring, while traditional Cadillac buyers likely will assess the ride as too harsh, the seats too firm, and the steering too heavy.
This sedan is powered by an English-built DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder, aluminum-headed V-6 that features an unusually narrow 54-degree angle between cylinder banks. Compared with the conventional 60-degree V-6 angle, this not only reduces size and overall weight but also reciprocating weight. Still, the Catera's off-the-line acceleration is fairly soft. Its 8.9-second 0-60-mph performance falls more than three seconds-a virtual lifetime-behind its Northstar-powered relatives, and though competitive with the automatic-transmissioned versions of the Audi A4 and Lexus ES 300, it's roughly 1.5 seconds off the 528i and C280. The Catera's other performance numbers challenge its rivals in the entry-luxury segment: a solid 128-foot 60-0-mph stopping distance, a modest 60.9-mph dash through our slalom cones, and a quick 0.82g run around the skidpad.
Overall, we found the Catera to be a pamperingly luxurious, impressively commodious, value-packed, and thoroughly pleasing German-American sport sedan. Still, it lacks the stand-up-and-cheer acceleration excitement of its considerably more expensive Northstar-motivated brethren, its ride is a bit firm for some American tastes, and its styling left us uninspired.
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