2004 Cadillac
STS
 By Michelle Krebs
 $43,000 to
$55,000
 

BAJA 20
Outlaw
  
By Jeff Hemmel

 $25,000

Cadillac is nearing the end of the first round of a $4 billion makeover with the unveiling of the flagship STS.

The 2005 Cadillac STS replaces the Seville, a name that has been dropped from Cadillac's lexicon, and wears the new family styling used on everything from the entry-luxury CTS sedan to the SRX family utility to the Escalade sport utility.

The STS marks a number of milestones for General Motors and Cadillac: it becomes the eighth new Cadillac since 2001; it is the fourth Cadillac to be built on GM's global Sigma platform; it is Cadillac's first rear-drive sedan in 25 years; and it is the first rear-drive GM sedan to also offer all-wheel drive.

The STS was designed by Kip Wasenko, who came up with Cadillac's edgy design scheme first unveiled on his Cadillac Evoq concept car, the precursor to the XLR roadster. However, the STS features a more toned-down, less edgy interpretation of the styling scheme. It features a smooth, clean, uncluttered body. The doors cut into the roof. The windshield is more raked to give it a sportier, aerodynamic look. The lower intake uses the same stainless steel mesh as on the grille of the V8-powered, performance-oriented CTS-V.

In size, the STS is 196 inches long, 72.6 inches wide and 57.6 inches high, the largest of the Sigma family. The STS is shorter than the 201-inch long Seville, but its wheelbase, at 116 inches is nearly four inches longer.

At less than $25,000, Baja's 20 Outlaw gets you in the go-fast game without suffering a sticker-shock coronary. And it doesn't skimp on the essentials to do it. This boat has the familiar low-profile deck, flat transom, and many of the same components you'll find on larger Outlaws. Racing-style bucket seats, power steering, and a brushed aluminum Dino wheel complete with leathery grip are all here. What's more, it shares construction features with the big dogs. The marine plywood in the transom is the same thickness as what you'd find in the 40 Outlaw.

The 20 Outlaw is built for running at top speed—it seems to come alive when it's up and going on its keelpad. Powered by a standard 260-hp 5.0L MerCruiser MPI, our test boat hit 59.7 mph as it danced across a windswept Sarasota Bay. Go ahead, fling the wheel—this boat corners precisely. But don't worry: It's exciting enough on the high end to give you that running-the-racecourse feel.

To be honest, you simply have to drive the 20 Outlaw at top speed to appreciate it. Don't expect a skiboat's holeshot, though. Like most high-performance boats, this baby climbs, rather than leaps, to plane. It took us seven seconds to hit 30 mph. Chicks dig speed (or so we keep telling ourselves), so just keep it moving.