Design Before setting foot inside the 2006 Cadillac DTS, company spokespeople claimed that the benchmark vehicle for interior quality was the Lexus LS 430. That set expectations very high, and in our opinion, Cadillac has not met its target.

With the debut of the 2006 DTS, all Cadillac models feature the edgy styling that first debuted half a decade ago on the controversial Evoq concept car. Building on the old DeVille’s structure, from the windshield pillars forward, the 2006 Cadillac DTS is restyled with a new power-bulge hood, egg-crate grille, trapezoidal bi-xenon headlights, bumper fascia, and fenders. The doors and greenhouse are carried over from the current DeVille, but the alloy wheel designs are new. In back, the revised quarter panels, LED tail lamps, decklid, and bumper update the appearance of the DTS. The new look brings the DTS into line with the CTS and STS to create a familial resemblance, and the result is a handsome sedan that looks good going down the road.

More important is the new interior design, which resolves the weaknesses of the old DeVille. Simpler and more elegant than before, the improvements to the 2006 Cadillac DTS’s cabin are instantly apparent to those familiar with the DeVille. The parts fit together better thanks to flush seams, the control layout is easier to use and understand than before, and the materials look and feel more upscale.

However, before our test drive, company spokespeople claimed that the benchmark vehicle for interior quality was the Lexus LS 430. That set expectations very high, and in our opinion, Cadillac has not met its target. A Lexus LS 430 exudes luxury from every nook and cranny of its interior, the Cadillac not so much. Certainly, the DTS is a big improvement over the DeVille that it replaces, but this interior is more on par with the entry-luxury Lexus ES 330 than the ultra-luxury LS.

Like many recent GM products, what looks good at first glance loses luster with closer inspection. From the excessive gaps between the driver airbag cover and the steering wheel spokes to the rough-edged plastic seam on the steering column, from the hollow thunk the center console lid makes when closing to the sagging black plastic bezel that surrounds the gauge cluster, it’s easy to find flaws inside the DTS. Surface treatments are either too obvious, like the graining on the soft-touch dash panels, or too plain, like the vinyl door inserts that would look better if they appeared to be gathered leather. Add in a dashboard that shows too much gloss in sunlight and gratuitous chrome surrounding an analog clock that throws blinding glare into the driver’s line of sight, and it’s apparent that GM’s designers need to spend more time outside of Michigan, where thick clouds shroud blue skies nine months out of the year.

We’d also like to see greater attention to detail when it comes to control layout and placement. Lexus uses every inch of available real estate, creating large buttons and controls with clear markings that are easy to understand. In contrast, the 2006 Cadillac DTS is equipped with smaller buttons grouped closer together, some of which are marked by enigmatic symbols. For instance, we found the stereo’s deeper functions distracting to use, accessed through menus activated by the radio station pre-set buttons and displayed on a screen that was difficult to read in bright sunlight. On a positive note, every button, dial, and stalk operates with the sort of silken fluidity that has come to identify refinement.

With the optional DVD navigation system, a touch-screen with voice-activated control manages stereo and navigation features. It seems simple enough, but during a demonstration by a Cadillac representative the voice commands didn’t respond consistently. With the DTS in Park, the navigation screen will play DVD movies with excellent sound coming through the optional Bose Centerpoint speakers. We also liked how the system made it easy to sort through your iPod files by song title, artist, and genre.