This is by far the best-handling Cadillac ever...assuming you're under 70 years old. Those over 70 may find the ride a tad stiff, and may miss that 30-degree lean into the corners. I'll tell you what I really like about this car: It's VERY European. The handling is very sporty and flat in corners. The engine is plenty powerful. The transmission is supersmooth. The interior is (unbelievably) understated, tasteful, and nicely sized. And it's not overdone with fake walnut and chrome. The leather seats are firm and comfortable. The Bose audio system will actually play things other than Wayne Newton (the Sedan de Ville comes with the radio welded to the Big Band station).

This is a breakthrough car for Cadillac. And the price is quite reasonable, at about $35K pretty well loaded. The question is, will anybody buy it? I mean, I drove it because that's what I do for a living (other than drink cappuccino and insult my brother). But will other, normal people who up to now "would never be seen in a Cadillac" be seen in this Cadillac? It's hard to know. I'm sure Cadillac is dying to find out, too.

Here's where the Catera falls short, in my humble opinion: It's horrible in the snow. At least ours was. It may be the tires, but our test car went absolutely nowhere in the snow, even with traction control. If you live in the Snowbelt and you want a Catera, plan on getting four excellent snow tires, and even then we can't guarantee that you'll get around. The styling is bland. The shape is nice enough, but the full-width taillights remind me too much of an older Subaru Legacy. The power window switches are between the front seats, where your winter coat is always blocking them. Why not put them on the door where God intended them to be (Saab, take note, too!)? In going European, Cadillac also mistakenly gave up one of the true American technological advantages: fast power windows, which they seemed to have exchanged for the Euro-poky variety. And, finally, there's the engine noise. On acceleration, it sounded like a Chevy Lumina. I found a similar annoyance in the Lexus ES300. It seems as though these cars want to be thought of as "sporty," so they make the engine roar when you step on the gas. Guys, for $35K, I want some peace and quiet on my way to work. If I want to hear the engine roar, I'll open a window, OK?

But this is a very interesting and promising car. It'll be interesting to see how the quality holds up, and if Cadillac becomes acceptable to the non-AARP generations. We'll see. In the meantime, if you buy one be sure to fill out our ownership survey, so we can learn more about this car, and hopefully give Cadillac a pat on the back for a change.

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