Cadillac BLS Review
Published: 11th November 2006
Cadillac BLS
We drove the 1.9 litre TiD 150 hp four cylinder diesel, the first time a diesel has been seen in a Cadillac, although some may call this sacrilege considering Cadillac’s heritage. The engine is already used in the Vauxhall Vectra, Alfa 159 and the Saab 9-3. Our test car was fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Performance is best described as adequate with 0-62 mph being reached in 9.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 131 mph. We liked the flexibility of the 1.9 diesel engine, it offers plenty of low down torque and impressive fuel economy. We achieved around 44 mpg whist touring, which we consider pretty good going.
The 6-speed gearbox was flexible although if you are lazy with your changes, letting the revs drop off you can find yourself floundering. Oh and if you are lazy there is a 6-speed automatic transmission option for an extra £1,460.
The diesel engine can be a little intrusive when cold but you soon get used to it and it really does not bother you after a while.
How It Drove - Ride/Handling
Overall the handling is good with relatively well-weighted steering but the BLS is not up there with the class leaders. It feels softer than the Saab 9-3 it is based upon, also the ride feels rather fidgety on poor road surfaces and we think that the BLS is more suited to the smooth rather then the rough. Unlike its bigger brothers the BLS is front wheel drive, which means when pushed on it, will understeer.
Our car was fitted with the enhanced handling package with comprises of firmer sports suspension and 18” wheels with 225/45 R18 tyres which put the ride on the hard side. Normally you would expect to see 16” or 17” wheels depending on the specification and with higher profile tyres the ride would probably improve.
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