The stuff of rock and roll songs, movies, and American nostalgia, Cadillac's DeVille lives on. And in its De Ville Touring Sedan (DTS) form the "living" is easy. A few years ago, Cadillac, in line with its overall refreshed line, gave the DeVille a new look and the new name. While the DTS still lags behind Lexus and Mercedes in material quality and handling performance, it is also thousands of dollars less expensive.

Classic Americana in the form of Cadillac's well-respected Northstar V8 powers the DTS. There are two versions of the 4.6-liter Northstar, the standard one at 275-hp and the Performance option at 292-hp. The four-speed Hydra-matic, recalibrated for faster response in the Performance model, is the only transmission offered. The 0-60 jump in the Performance arrives in 7.0 seconds. The standard engine averaged 23.7 mpg in mostly highway driving with 18.7 mpg in mostly city driving, while the Performance model scored 14.4 mpg in the city.

The DTS remains one of the few sedans that can comfortably seat six adults for long-distance cruising. The Cadillac's plush, spacious, quiet interior and nearly 19 cubic foot trunk (four golf bags, easily) makes it a serious candidate for king of the highway award.

Underneath that comfortable interior Cadillac has wired the DTS for safety. Stability control comes standard across its five trim levels, along with ABS disc brakes, front-seat side and full-length side curtain airbags. The DTS achieved a five-star rating in National Highway Traffic Safety frontal crash tests for the driver, four stars for the passenger, and four stars for front and rear passengers in frontal-offset testing, with an "Acceptable" (second highest) rating for side-impact.

The ride combines the characteristics of two American motoring eras with some of the float and wander of the highway cruiser and with the firmer control of the Performance model's electronically monitored Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Overall, given its large size, reviewers were impressed with the handling of the Performance model.

Within its class, the DTS outscores the Lincoln Town Car in performance and the Chrysler 300C in interior size and luxury.