A TV commercial from the go-go '80s once told us that we could have it all - that we need not feel compelled to pick between comfort and excitement.
And that ethic appears to be at the heart of the Cadillac DeVille Concours.
When it made its debut in 1994, the Concours (pronounced kahn' kor) combined Cadillac's market-tested luxury appointments with the muscular Northstar powertrain. Cadillac seemed to be telling its traditional buyers - mostly middle-aged and older - that they could still ensconce themselves in Cadillac-style luxury without completely forgoing the speed-demon impulses of youth. Evidently, that message struck a chord, as the Concours accounted for 30 percent of all DeVille sales in 1994.
The 1995 Concours offers a bevy of luxury and performance features as standard equipment - most notably, the aforementioned Northstar engine. In the Eldorado Touring Coupe and Seville Touring Sedan (STS), the Northstar is powered by 300 horses. In the Concours, however, the 4.6-liter DOHC V8 is a bit tamer - yielding 275 hp (five more than in 1994) and 300 lb.-ft.
The Concours' performance is enhanced by standard equipment such as a 4-speed electronic transaxle, speed-sensitive steering, road-sensing suspension, full-speed traction control, anti-lock brakes and a new-for-1995 Integrated Chassis Control System (ICCS). The ICCS is designed to shorten straight-line stopping distance, stabilize the brakes during high-speed turns and level out the traction control system in tight, low-speed maneuvers.
Also standard on the Concours are cast aluminum wheels, dual airbags, remote keyless entry, flash-to-pass feature, rear-door child safety locks, leather seats, electronic climate control, two-position memory driver's seat, interior Zebrano wood appliques, 12-way power seats, illuminated front and rear vanity mirrors and stereo cassette player with 11 speakers.
Our test model had a base price of $39,400 and came equipped with the following options: chrome wheels, premium sound system with CD player, PASS-Key II theft-deterrent system, heated front seats and electronic compass. These options boosted the MSRP to $42,141.
Let's start with the hood. This sleek stretch of metal is so expansive that you could get out the high-backed chairs and serve Thanksgiving dinner to an entire family - the Corleone family. Indeed, with its tinted windows, weighty quarter panels and gleaming black paint job, this Concours is imposingly stately: It looks like a car from which you might get an offer you can not refuse.
We know that stolidity is a Cadillac hallmark, but to us, the Concours' low-skirted rear-quarter panels looked too blocky and hefty for a model that's trying to woo a more style-conscious market segment. In fact, more than anything, these sturdy hind quarters recalled the back fenders of the '72 Plymouth Fury our test driver commandeered during his college days. We felt ourselves yearning for some kind of styling flourish in the back - or maybe just something a bit more svelte in the quarter-panel department.
However, the judicious use of chrome side molding provides a minimalistic antidote to the gaudy Caddies of yore. The no-nonsense body-colored door handles, window trim and mirror housings lend the Concours the kind of earnestness that could make it the car of choice for a CEO - or, for that matter, a head of state.
