CUE Cadillac XTS: Completely Unexpected

When I hear Cadillac, I used to conjure up images of my beloved Nana. Starting in the 1960s, she believed that Cadillac epitomized the height of luxury and drove them all the way into her 90s. With this iconic image squarely in mind, I was caught completely off-guard in a test drive of a new XTS luxury sedan with the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) technology system on board. What a juxtaposition to my Nana’s version!

The 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan itself has thoughtful, cool design features – including a double sun roof, expansive leg room for backseat riders, a built in USB port and compartment for charging and connecting your phone to the CUE system, and shade screens that can be pulled down on each window. But what captured my attention and had me mesmerized was the state-of-the-art CUE electronic system that comes with the car.

Most strikingly, I realized that mechanical gauges will soon become antiquated. Instead, the CUE system serves up digital gauges in an LCD display and allows you to pick what you most want to see: your miles per hour, the local speed limit, miles until empty, haptic sensor alerts in all directions in traffic, or what’s currently playing on the radio. Also, when I tried my hand at the built-in steering wheel controls, I found it surprisingly easy and quick to navigate my way around the system intuitively, without any need for instructions or searching a manual, which I must admit I try to avoid at all times!

Also amazing was that the navigation system features a touch screen, operates with the ease of finger taps and swipes, and projects a digital “heads up display” low on the front windshield where you can choose to see everything from navigation signals, to speed, to local speed limits without having to look down at the dashboard or navigation panel. There’s even a USB port for digital upgrades to the system.

The bold exterior only begins to tell the story of what this car offers on the interior. In short, the cutting-edge sophistication of the XTS makes a must-have for anyone who considers themselves tech savvy and is in the market for a luxury sedan. The 2013 Cadillac XTS with Cadillac User Experience technology offers up a way to transform the daily commute. Instead of moaning and groaning during bumper-to-bumper traffic, I could reroute my drive home with 3D navigation, play music from my Pandora Radio account, call home with Bluetooth, and control the entire car with an 8-inch LCD touch screen. CUE also includes natural voice control, OnStar’s safety and security functions, and intuitive controls on the steering wheel.

Lawrence “Yogi” Berra, the Major League baseball player and manager, famously said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Well welcome to the future, and what a changeup for Cadillac!

The CUE XTS comes at a $44,000 base price. To learn more go to www.xtsmediadrive.com.

Disclosure: I went for a half-hour test drive in the new Cadillac XTS with CUE system for a demo of its features to facilitate this review.