mmarshall

A Review of the 2011 Cadillac DTS

http://www.cadillac.com/

In a Nutshell: Cadillac has seriously neglected this car, and it shows.












(LOL in the handicapped tag, but this was the only Google-image of a DTS bench-seat interior I could find)








The sun seems to be about to set on the age of the big, soft-riding, classic American luxury car. I myself have always been a fan of them, and, in my own lifetime, have owned a big Buick (and a smaller Buick) and a big Chrysler. In fact, I owned a big Buick while still in my teens...and loved it. So, from a personal standpoint, I never agreed with the common, auto-press/media-driven stereotype about these cars being only Grandpa/Grandma-mobiles. However, one cannot discount facts (or, as one well-known CL member likes to put it, "factual" data). In recent years, these cars, in fact, have indeed become more and more the realm of white-haired senior-citizens, and of some of the not-quite-senior Baby-Boomers like me who still remember them fondly from the age we grew up with them in. Yes, the 60's were indeed the age of American muscle and pony-cars. Yes, I was a fan of them too, and enjoyed them as well (I also owned a Plymouth Barracuda). But, when you got tired of loud exhausts, firm suspensions, Friday-night drag-racing (which was dangerous, too), and uncomfortable noisy interiors, or when you were tired and worn-out from a hard day's work, it was nice to have those BIG Cadillacs, Lincolns, Buicks, Mercurys, Oldsmobiles, Chryslers, etc... to get into and relax on the way home with a soft ride, soft seats, quietness, air-conditioning, and stereo (only upper-level cars had cruise-control and stereo in those days). I felt that way, as a teen-ager, over 40 years ago (in the 1960's) and still do today.

Unfortunately, the Great Age of the big American luxury car started downhill in the late 1970's, with the tightening of CAFE and emission laws, and the once-great 4500-5500-lb. behemoths shrank, got smaller engines, more cheaply-done interiors, firmer rides, and, yes, to an extent, achieved some of the better gas mileage they were seeking.....at the cost of some poorly-done, unreliable technology like the GM 5.7L diesel V8 and V8-6-4 cylinder-decoupling. Big, luxury-car nameplates, like the Pontiac Bonneville, were transferred to smaller, mid-sized platforms like the former, mid-70s Pontiac Le mans/Grand Prix. I found it depressing to watch...but there was little that I, as one person, could do about it...it was basically being forced by the Federal Government.

The Cadillac DeVille (later to become the DTS) was, of course, no exception either. It was first shrunk in 1977, along with the rest of the GM full-size line-up. Then, in 1985, it was radically shrunk again and shifted to FWD. The larger, RWD full-size (for that era) Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham stayed in production until 1996, when GM cancelled all of its large, V8, RWD, full-frame cars to retool the Arlington, TX plant for trucks and SUVs. Ford (fortunately) continued on with the big Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town car (but gave up the big wagons) until now, but now even those are pretty much gone.....they are basically just special-order or fleet sales, and even that will soon be over.

Of course, that's not to say that the big American luxury cars were not without their faults....far from it. Most of them steered/handled like battleships (the torsion-bar/leaf suspension Chrysler full-sized cars generally handled a little better). A number of them were unreliable or poorly-built, and spent more time in the repair shop than out.......this was especially true of late 60's/early-70s Chrysler models and some GM models after 1980. They were ponderous in traffic and hard to park/drive in large cities. They never got the versatile AWD systems that some of gtheir replacements did. And, of course, as time went on, they became more and more the realm of the aging buyers who had driven them since the 50s and 60s. But sentimentality that was not the only reason that older people liked them. Though they were no longer as pillow-soft-riding as before, when compared to many newer cars, they were still relatively easy on aging back and legs. The over-55 Driving-school (which many of these seniors attended) instructors often advised their classes to get big, heavy cars for crash-protection, and that also kept sales up. So, there was at least some truth to the media-stereotype of them becoming Grandpa/Grandma cars, though that stereotype was (and is) still somewhat overblown.

So, with most of the other big, classic, American luxury soft-riders gone (or almost gone), that leaves just the Cadillac DTS (formerly the DeVille) and its sister Buick Lucerne, which is done on the same chassis/platform but with different engines. And the DTS's days could may be numbered....2011 looks like it may be the last year, as Cadillac engineers are at work on a new flagship that (supposedly) will replace both it and the STS. So, to have one last romp in the type of luxury car I still remember from so many years ago, I decided to check out the DTS for what (sadly) could be its final sunset....the Buick Lucerne will probably go out with it, or be extensively redesigned. And, these days, when a luxury car is redone or redesigned, it usually comes out more of a sport-sedan than what I would call a true luxury car....everyone is rushing to try and make their upmarket-cars more and more like BMWs and Audis.

So, for 2011, the DTS remains.....but, it was obvious from the time I first walked up to it that Cadillac has seriously neglected it, but this didn't HAVE to be....GM's having ignored this car was also a factor in its decline. It is also not particularly well-built, and, indeed, has a worse-than-average reliability history from Consumer Reports). I will get into the details of just how it's been ignored later on, and you'll see.

For 2011, the DTS comes in basically three versions.....Luxury Collection, Premium Collection, and Platinum Edition. All have the same 4.6L Northstar V8 with 275 HP and 295 ft-lbs. of torque (what is essentially V6 power these days) and a 4-speed automatic (yes, you heard right...a FOUR-speed automatic in a 50-60K premium-vehicle. One body style is offered...a rather handsome (IMO) 4-door sedan. I chose a silver Luxury Collection model for the review, because it was one of only two on the lot with the bench-front-seat/column-shift option for 6-passenger seating (the DTS is one of the last cars on the market still offering that option). There were a few things I liked about this car (particularly its ride comfort), but, in general, I was very disappointed in it....details coming up.




Model Reviewed: 2011 Cadillac DTS Luxury Collection

Base Price: $51,925


Options:

Flex (6-passenger) Seating: $395


Destination/Freight: $950 (this is outrageous..luxury-cars are delivered from Europe/Japan for less than that)

List Price as reviewed: $53,240


Drivetrain: FWD, transversely-mounted 4.6L DOHC 32-valve V8, 275 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque, 295 ft-lbs @ 4400 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission.

EPA Mileage Rating: 15 City / 23 Highway


Exterior Color: Radiant Silver

Interior: Titanium/Dark Titanium




PLUSSES:


Superb riding comfort....one of the best.

No discernable torque-steer depite the FWD V8.

Handsome (IMO) exterior styling.

Cavernous trunk space for one of today's sedans.

Nicely carpeted trunk.

Good wind/road-noise insulation.

Bench-front-seat option available (rare nowadays) for 6 people.

5 interior leather colors offered.

Good legroom, front and rear.

Clear, easy-to-read primary gauges.

Relatively simple, easy-to-use (by luxury-car standards) climate/stereo controls.

Good rear-vision.

Paint jobs generally done well.

Body-side mouldings for parking-lot protection.

Nice 5/100 GM powertrain warranty.




MINUSES:


Northstar V8 underpowered by today's V8 standards.

Inflexible 4-speed automatic an insult in a car of this price.

Small Donut/temporary spare tire also an insult at this price.

Lacks the AWD option of other Cadillacs.

Very slow, lethargic steering response.

Ponderous, Roly-Poly handling on the standard suspension, without Magna-Ride.

Too much exhaust noise for a luxury car.

Brakes OK but could be improved.

Unimpressive thin, light sheet metal.

Fairly poor underhood layout.

Manual-tilt, no-telescope steering column.

old, fashioned, column-mounted ignition switch instead of START/STOP button.

Awkward, non-automatic parking-brake pedal.

Tight front headroom for tall people (OK in back).

Bargain-basement plastic interior parts/hardware.

Only 6 exterior paint colors...unusually few for a luxury car.

Extra-cost for White Diamond and Red Tintcoat paint colors.

No more traditional DeVille/DTS hood ornament.

Fairly high depreciation/low resale value.





EXTERIOR:

One of the car's few really nice features, IMO, is the exterior body styling. The large, full-sized body is handsome, has good lines, and lacks the aero-jelly-bean look of so many of its rivals (I never liked the aero-look, and find it boring). The front grille/headlights have the standard (and, IMO, good-looking) Cadillac chunk-angle style, with the big chrome egg-crate grille and the Cadillac crest/logo in the middle of the grille. I much preferred the traditional DeVille/DTS hood-ornament, but it has (probably) been sacrified to pedestrian-impact standards. Why, I don't know, because the spring-mounts required today on hood ornaments remove much of the chances of pedestrian-injury....I guess Cadillac's lawyers had it removed. The body sheet metal itself, though, leaves much to be desired. Most of it feels quite light, especially the very light, sheet-aluminum hood which feels almost like a tin can. Only 6 exterior colors are offered, much less than usual for a luxury-car, and some of the colors didn't appear to have been very well-applied, compared to some other Cadillacs, which have superb paint jobs. Other DTS colors, such as the White Diamond and Red Tintcoat, are much better-done, but, annoyingly, cost extra. The exterior hardware is also rather unimpressive, and some of it did not feel very securely-attached. On the plus-side, there are still body-side mouldings on the doors for parking-lot protection, something that automakers are increasingly omitting due to cost-cutting. The conservatively-done rear-body styling helps give good vision out the back window. And, of course, there are the traditional DeVille/DTS vertical rear taillights, which, (along with rear-body-fins, up to just a few years ago), trace back to the original DeVille of 1949, which were inspired by the twin-boom rudders of the Lockheed P-38 fighter of World War II.



UNDERHOOD:

Not the worst I've seen by luxury-car standards (which are definitely not user-friendly), but still a bit on the tight/covered side. Open the light, tin-can hood, and two nice gas-struts hold it up. There is a thick underhood insulation pad, but its effectiveness may not be the best...more on that later. The big 4.6L Northstar V8, sideways-mounted (GM is the only corporation I know of that, in Chevies/Buicks/Cadillacs, does a transverse-mounted V8/FWD) fits in fairly tight, but allows some limited room under and around the big plastic engine-cover to reach engine components. The battery and most of the underhood computer/ABS hardware is also covered up. Reserviors and filler-caps are reachable, but I don't remember seeing an oil-dipstick (maybe I forgt to check for it).



INTERIOR:

I was unimpressed by, and disappointed in the DTS interior, especially compared to not only what I've seen in competing Audi/Jaguar models, but even in some other Cadillac models such as the CTS, SRX, Escalade, and STS. It is clear that Cadillac has neglected both the interior trim and hardware, and not given it the impressive updates that the CTS, for example, got two years ago, and the STS got a couple years before that. Like the exterior sheet metal, much of the interior had a lightweight, bargain-basement look and feel to the plastics, hardware, and trim materials. Yes, there was wood paneling and some padded surfaces, but it did not look impressive or appear to be fitted-well (the Light-Ash wood in the higher-level Platinum Edition is definitely, IMO, better-looking). I chose a so-called "bench-seat" model because it is one of the last cars in the industry to offer that feature. It is actually not a traditional one-piece bench, but a split-front seat where center arm-rest and flip-compartments (there are two of them) fold up to accomodate a third front-seat passenger. The center-passenger sits on the area (with a seatbelt, but no apparant harness) where the two split-seats come together, even if they are not adjusted evenly. This, of course, does away with the center-console, so the shift-lever is an old-fashioned column-shift version (more on that later). The leather on the seats is OK by luxury-car standards...fairly smooth, but the seats, while not super-firm, don't have the traditional DeVille pillow-softness they had years ago. Headroom, in front, under the sunroof-housing, is a little tight for tall people like me with a cap, but OK in back. Leg room is fine, both front and back, for tall people....this is, of course, a car (supposedly) designed for big Americans. The stereo-sound quality was, again, OK, but not up to some of the competition....especially the Lexus Mark-Levinson stereos. The sun visors had a fairly nice soft-fabric covering, and, of course, vanity mirrors. The steering-wheel, leather-covered, did not include a wood-rim like on some other DTS models.....and the steering-column had manual-tilt feature but no telescoping at all. Most luxury cars in this price range have both power tilt and telescope.

A few things I DID like about the interior were the clear, no-nonsense easy-to-read primary-gauges, the no-nonsense, easy-to-use climate control/stereo buttons/***** (that can be a PITA with BMW's I-Drive and Audi's MMI), the intuitive power-seat controls, and the fact that 5 different leather colors are offered. But that was about it. All in all, a rather poor job inside.




CARGO AREA/TRUNK:

The trunk, as expected in a car this size, was quite big by today's standards). Open the power-operated trunk lid with the remote key/fob, and the interior is generally well-finished with a nice, plush-feeling grade of black carpet on the trunk walls and floor. You can store a lot of luggage in this car, and cargo nets are provided to help hold bags and packages. I forgot to check if the rear seats fold down or have a pass-through for added cargo space, but, even without that feature, the trunk is so big you that are not likely to need much more room, very often (if you do, you can always look at an Escalade). The trunk's floor-panel, though, did not feel very solid, though, so I don't know how much luggage-weight it will take without bending or buckling. Under the trunk floor was another insult for a car of this price range......not only a temporary-spare tire, but a small, donut one at that.

(By now, I was starting to get irked)




ON THE ROAD:

And I got even MORE irked when it was time to drive it. Only one thing, on the road, IMO, justifies this car's price....the ride comfort. The drivetrain/chassis, like much of the rest of the car, was clearly a disappointment.


Start up the 4.6L Northstar V8 with a traditional ignition key/fob and a side-mounted, traditional igniton switch....most luxury-cars have converted to an electronic or push-button START/STOP. At least the key-fob housing is nice, durable metal, and not cheap plastic. The big V8 fires up smoothly, but some engine-noise and exhaust is heard during idling...it is not Lexus-quiet on the idle. The high, awkward left-foot parking-brake pedal does not automatically release when you put the car in gear like on many earlier Cadillacs...you have to release it manually.


On the road, this engine, though a rather large, sophisticated V8 with twin-overhead cams and 32 valves, doesn't put out any more than typical power-levels for today's mid-sized V6s. It has enough power to get this (roughly) 4200-lb. car out of its own way (with even a mild shove in the back). But, given the engine's size, its early-1990's vintage clearly shows.....I've seen the same, and often better, from many of today's V6s. And the engine is not Cadillac-quiet on the road either....exhaust noise intrudes into the cabin as you give it gas...it's not as loud as, say, a Mazda Miata or Porsche Boxster exhaust, but noticeable. I did not take the engine over 4000 RPM, since it was brand-new, but it was still fairly near the torque peak at 4400 RPM, and I did not notice any discernable torque steer, despite the big engine and FWD.

The inflexible 4-speed GM Hydra-matic was also quite dated in this age of 6, 7, and 8-speeds in luxury cars. I'm a firm believer that any more than 6 speeds is usually overkill, but in a luxury car, here was a case of classic underkill (and probably cost-cutting). Most GM automatics, of course, have a reputation for shift-smoothness/quietness, and this one was no exception. But the four gears were rather inflexible, and probably keep the Northstar from doing its best with what power it does have. The EPA 23 MPG highway gas-mileage figure also reflects this, to some extent. The column-shifter (most DTS models have a console-shifter) generally worked well, but, of course, did not have a manual auto-shift function.

The handling on this car was little more than a joke. The power-steering, with almost no road feel, took all day to respond, and the body rolled and heaved like an overstuffed beach ball, even with moderate steering-inputs. Hustling this car around tight corners was like trying to square-dance with Mama Cass Eliot. Of course, this is not meant to be a sports car....but, clearly understand that, on the road, this is strictly an Interstate-cruiser and nothing else (yes, just like the classic Cadillacs from 40-50 years ago). The wind-noise level was low and well-muted, as was road noise. Brakes were reasonably firm and lacking of sponginess, but were not very responsive, and the pedal-location was not the best for keeping my big size-15 clown-shoes from hanging up on the edge of the brake pedal going from gas to brake.

Now.........all this brings us to the car's one truly outstanding feature...the rough-road riding comfort. The Cream-of-Wheat springs and shocks, which screw up the handling so much, simply do wonders for a magic-carpet ride. The 55-series all-season tires and soft chassis simply glide right over bumps. The older DeVilles and DTS models, with higher-profile tires, probably rode even smoother (I haven't tried one of those out in awhile). This is the way that many big American cars used to ride (the torsion bar/leaf-sprung Chryslers an exception) until automakers got the idea, in recent years, that luxury cars had to all drive like BMWs and Audis. And, of course, this is the standard, lower-level suspension.....the upper-level DTS Platinum models get GM's computer-controlled Magna-Ride suspension that automatically adjusts the shocks to changing road conditions, but it is not avalable on the Luxury and Premium models.

So, if a float/boat ride is your thing, and you don't care about handling or steering response (as is the case, of course, with many senior-citizens), or much else in the way of quality, then your friendly, grinning Cadillac salesman is ready to take your check. But you gotta move..... the DTS probably won't be around much longer.




THE VERDICT:

Though of course I liked the ride comfort, I was rather irked when I got this car back to the shop, after the test-drive, and parked it. GM and Cadillac, IMO, should be throughly ashamed of themselves for the way they have neglected what was once a classic American icon and let it slip to this level of indifference. Nor am I convinced that the DTS necessarily needs to be replaced, though it would obviously require a lot of time and money to address and fix its many faults and sub-standard features. It needs a V8 that can (now) outperform the average V6, at least one or two more gears in the automatic transmission, better-quality sheet metal, an interior worthy of a luxury car and not dime-store plastic, a substantially faster-ratio steering rack, and, last but certainly not least, an AWD option like other Cadillacs. All of this, of course, will take money...lots of it. GM, right now, has had its share of money-problems, but it certainly found time to give the CTS and STS nice interiors....so why not the DTS as well, a classic American icon? Still, given what it would take to address this car's shortcomings from years of neglect, GM might be better-off just designing a new car to replace it.....which is what they seem to be doing. Still, I hate to see it go.....it could have been saved if GM had not so badly neglected it.

And, oh, that marvelous ride......................



And, as always, of course............Happy Car Shopping.

MM

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Thanks for the Review Marshall. Even the overlooked cars need a review from time to time hah!! Though I've never driven a DTS, I recently drove an STS, and found the ride comfortable but lacking in terms of handling and dynamics as opposed to the competition (mainly German). I find it interesting that GM never used a stretched STS RWD chassis for the DTS and rather let it be the FWD competitor it was. Taking on the likes of another aging crosstown rival the Lincoln TownCar, oh Detroit (speaking of which, Hey Lincoln, waiting for your flagship...someday..). They certainly have neglected the DTS, and look where's it's left them. A "flagship" never even muttered in the same sentence as S550, 7 Series, XJ, LS460, A8. I think if they really want to be competitive and compete in the "Tier 1" category, then a replacement is necessary. Although I'm not sure how ground breaking the replacement XTS will be, it will surely be a massive step forward. Like your review says, the DTS is in need of a newer V8 powertrain (which GM has plenty), and an upgraded transmission. Same goes for the interior. Cheap plastics do not cut it in this category. the DTS was a decent car, but not worthy IMO to run with the likes of the a fore mentioned. To keep up with today's modern vehicles, GM has to go back to the drawing boards, which hopefully the upcoming XTS much like the CTS remains a viable competitor in this segment.

mmarshall

Sure...anytime.

The DTS, of course, has a transverse-mounted V8....one of few cars to have that feature (and none outside GM that I know of). It would probably be difficult to mount a larger or more updated V8 and transmission under the hood, especially with an AWD option, without a lot of extensive work. That's why I said that, like it or not, we (and me in particular) may have to accept the fact that this car may just have to be replaced....to tear it apart and do that kind of work would simply cost too much. Might as well start with a clean slate.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

True, I can't think of any off the top of my head other than the Impala (Caprice replacement plz!!!) which as we know is GM.

Won't argue with you at all. Way to much money to devote to a product that seems to be tarnished in more than one way.

Which GM definitely has planned. I haven't seen any mules or anything, but the rumored XTS is more than a drawing I'm sure. Same with the 3-series competitor "ATS"

Forgot to add my comment for this in my first post:
IMO a lot could have been saved had GM not gone and fudged up. Not everyone of their brands had to be a volume seller. For instance, I think Pontiac "the performance division" should not have been so diluted as it was. I think offering only the G8, GTO, Solstice etc. would have been a better Idea than say the Aztek and Montana SV and Torrent. Saturn to me should have been running with the likes of say today's Kia and Scion. Nothing really wrong with the brand other than I feel it was unfairly axed at the expense of GM trying to make an extra buck after they went bankrupt due to poor decisions in badge engineering and neglecting other losing brands. And as for Hummer, why not ever offer a two mode hybrid on the H2 like the Tahoe and it's siblings!?!? lol, sorry none of this is here nor there just my .02 hah

RXSF

isn't this what the president drives or is driven in? Over 50 thousand and it has a 4 speed? How embarrassing. Nice review

mmarshall

The Buick Lucerne, last year's (2009) Buick LaCrosse Super, the FWD Impala SS (as you note), and top versions of the now-discontinued Pontiac Grand Prix all had transverse-mounted V8s.

mmarshall

Limo, stretched-wheelbase, armored, corporate, or White house versions of the DTS are, of course, custom-built, and not run-of-the-mill production versions. They can't be compared with what I reviewed here.

Thanks.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Chevy Monte Carlo SS

(I call it the mullet car )

mmarshall

The problem is that the DTS is one of the VERY few cars still left on the market with that kind of ride comfort, even if the Roly-Poly handling that goes with it is (admittedly) a joke....that's the one thing that really makes me sad to see it go. Today's premium-car suspensions, of course, especially from German manufacturers, often produce an excellent compromise of ride/handling, but (still) not with that kind of ride that the DTS produces. The Mercedes S-class, in non-AMG trim, also has a super-smooth ride (with decent handling), but it costs twice what the DTS does. So does the Lexus LS460, but its ride is not quite what it was a few years ago due to lower-profile tires, and it, too, costs substantially more than the DTS.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

It seems that with today's trend of adding a dose of sport to most vehicle offerings, it is getting harder and harder to find a vehicle that focuses primarily on Luxury and comfort without climbing the $$$ ladder ie Rolls, Bentley, Maybach. Currently I think the next best things would be Lexus and Buick. Gone are the days of traditional large American sedans with comfortable if not floaty rides

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Nice review,Mike.
I'm with you on the compact spare being an insult with the cost of the car.I'll add the car has the room for a full size spare.
Also only Good wind/road-noise insulation.The car should be super quiet.
I agree the 4 speed trans is bad too.
Manual tilt steering!

Car service business sales probably keep the model going.

rdgdawg

I would think this would be the prefect example for Govt Motors as to what's going on.... ahhh... WRONG with GM... if anyone of them gave a crap about what people think ("irked" mentioned multiple times on an initial drive and review from a "prospective" buyer)... CTS-class seems to be GM's "flagship" going forward

Well done Mike, very well done

TripleL

Nice review mmarshall

Enjoyed your review and I agree not too much to get excited about here.

As you noted the car is its sunset phase of the life cycle. Limo and rental use seem best suited for it in 2010 but that's not a bad thing as it is a niche, but they really did fail to update this car as needed to keep it fresh, exciting and competitive.

caddyowner

The DTS Performance is my favorite Cadillac sedan. The upgraded suspension gives the car a more composed feeling on the road. That said, I agree with most all of the negatives Mike cites. The interior styling is horribly dated and lacks quality. The hood and trunk lid feel very flimsy. The 4-speed Hydramatic is best viewed as maintaining the legacy of past models. A couple features that always made me smile:

- The V8 exhaust note is wonderful. I miss this in my LS. It is present in the standard DTS and even better in the DTS performance, with revised exhaust.

- The front seats are the epitome of comfort for me. The size and firmness are great. The upgraded leathers are good, but not to the level of the semi aniline leather on my LS. The seat chillers are practically strong enough to induce frostbite. My LS430 cooled seats are a joke in comparison. The heated function can be split between the bottom & back or just back alone. This is great for those of us that may want help for a sore back without getting a hot rear. However, the heated seat controls are mounted on the door. Since I have to have access to this controls when my wife rides in the passenger seat (she doesn't know when she's getting too warm), I can't safely reach them when mounted on the passenger door.

I was close to buying a late model used DTS Performance instead of my LS430, but the expected reliability of the two cars, especially during the second 100K miles, really favors the Lexus. The overall feeling of quality favors the LS430. The steep depreciation, even of used DTS units, also favors the Lexus. The LS430 provides nearly the same interior and trunk space in a vehicle size that is almost a foot shorter. Another consideration in my already-crowded garage.

Och

iTrader: (3)

I rented that thing once in Florida. Actually I rented a much cheaper car, but when I arrived they didnt have it on the lot, and I didn't want anything else they tried to offer to me... So they upgraded me to that Caddy for free.