We tried to unsettle the STS with hard braking and found its stopping rock steady. Likewise, we tried to get the back end of the AWD to breakaway, and were unable to shake it, even on slick pavement, reaching speeds that were slightly over the limit for everyday driving.
To compete with the German road cruisers often complemented for their handling, Cadillac has extensively reworked STS’s suspension. The fully independent configuration uses an unequal length control arm and coil-over-shock setup in the front with a multi-link design employing coil springs out back. Anti-roll bars add cornering stiffness at both ends, while Magnetic Ride Control offers lightning fast damper adjustment in either touring or performance mode. Thanks to magnets, the suspension can re-adjust up to one thousand times per second according to road conditions. Cadillac is clearly intent on perfecting its handling - Magnetic Ride Control is derived from GM’s flagship sports car, the new Corvette C6.
STS models with the V8 engine are available with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), a system that maintains prudent distances behind others via radar. When the system cannot adequately adjust vehicle speed, like during emergency braking, it alerts the driver both audibly and visually through the Head-Up Display. HUD, another option, projects vital information on the windshield for the driver to read. Cadillac reminds customers, however, that ACC does not substitute for the driver’s attention to traffic.
