Game show host Ben Stein recently lamented the demise of the Cadillac DeVille, asking audience members if any of them remembered it.  None of them did.  But don’t worry, Ben:  the DeVille hasn’t gone anywhere.  It’s still in production, and better than ever in fact, in the form of the 2000 Cadillac DeVille High Luxury Sedan (DHS).

This is a massive, massive slab of automobile.  Gigantic sport-utes and four door pickup trucks aside, the Cadillac DeVille reminds all onlookers that it doesn’t have to be a truck to be huge.

Joined in the Cadillac lineup by the DeVille and DeVille Touring Sedan (DTS), the DHS is a new-for-2000, full-size car that could be poised to remind the world of what the name “Cadillac” is supposed to mean.  Anybody remember the “Standard of the World” slogan?  If the DHS is any indication, Cadillac has finally discovered a modern interpretation of exactly what that standard should be.

The DHS is a picture of sleek, modern sophistication, yet there’s no doubt that the car is a Cadillac.  The bold eggcrate grill and big Caddy crest up front make sure there’s no mistake about that.  Big, droopy-eyed headlights flank it on either side in a 21st century interpretation of a classic Cadillac face.  The hood and sides are contoured subtly, but overall the DHS’ design is sheer and low-relief.  It splits the difference between the current Seville and the ultra-futuristic Cadillac Imaj and Evoq show cars.  The DHS has almost no chrome, apart from a narrow strip around the windows and license plate–and the big, flat chrome wheels on our test car, which we found a little questionable.  Out back, wider taillights delineating the edges of a smooth trunk replace the vertical units and vestigial tailfins of years past.  Subtle dual exhausts peek out from under the bumper.  Overall the newest Cadillac is a subtle and substantial beast.

Looking for luxury?  Plush is what Cadillac does best, of course. Not only are the leather seats decadently comfortable, but they’re multi-adjustable, side-airbagged (front and rear), and heated (front and rear).  The instrument panel is backlit for easy reading, and the gauges can be switched from digital to analog with the touch of a button.  The only obvious chrome is on the elegantly sculpted door handles.  The wood and leather rimmed steering wheel is elegant as well, although a metal Cadillac crest instead of an embossed one would look more upscale.  Amazingly, there’s no hood ornament at the end of that long, flat hood.  (the DeVille has one, by the way)

There are enough gadgets here to make the Batmobile look like a stripped-out rentacar.  Among them:  Vanity mirrors and window shades for rear seat passengers (the rear window shade is power-operated); a console which flips back to become a seat for a third front-seat passenger; a good and loud BOSE sound system with adjustable ambiance and surround sound; “puddle” lights in the doors to illuminate the ground as you approach at night; a rear-bumper ultrasonic system which assists when backing up; an optional Night Vision system, whose grille-mounted camera projects an enhanced view of the road onto a heads-up display at night, and a GPS navigation system, which shares its touch screen with the sound system.  We didn’t like the GPS in this car; the screen is too small and impossible to use while driving.  The satellite positioning on our test vehicle was a little nonspecific as well, and it didn’t display the names of  every street.  Worse, since stereo controls are accessed through the same touch-screen, changing radio stations or CDs while driving is an impossible exercise.  And one final complaint about that touch-screen; it houses the DHS’ clock, rendering the time in quarter-inch tall letters which are impossible to read from the driver’s seat.  We’d opt for the more conventional controls available in the non-GPS cars.

On the road, seamless, fluid cruising is the name of the game.  The DHS is stiffer than its Eighties and Nineties predecessors are, but the float is still there.  That’s not a bad thing.  The DHS is far from mushy.  It’s softer, more subdued, and more stately than smaller General Motors stablemates like the Buick LeSabre and Pontiac Bonneville.

At the same time, it’s just as composed as those other cars when pushed.  The DHS is massive, no doubt about that, but it doesn’t panic when asked to respond suddenly.  Sudden brake applications don’t result in violent nose dives, and the car responds immediately to steering inputs.  It’s luxurious without forgetting that it’s first and foremost an automobile–just like Cadillacs used to be.

Of course, the sticker is high enough to officially merit the descriptor “whopping.”  At a base price of $44,700, the DHS is solidly in the territory of the well heeled.  That price includes a list of features that’s about three pages long, however. Our test car was equipped with the GPS system, rear side airbags, and CD changer, but didn’t have the Night Vision or StabiliTrak traction control systems, which are also available on the DHS.  All told, our test car stickered at $50,795, putting it in competition with Lexus, BMW, and Infiniti.  But guess what?  Unlike other recent Cadillacs, the DHS actually measures up to these rivals.

The Fact Box:

All specs are for the 2000 Cadillac DHS, which we tested.

Length:         207.2 in
Width:            74.5 in
Height:            56.7 in
Wheelbase:        115.4 in
Curb weight:        4049 lb
Cargo space:        19.1 cu. ft.
Base price:        $44,700
Price as tested:     $50,795
Engine:         4.6 liter V8
Drivetrain:         four-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Horsepower:         275 @ 5600 rpm
Torque:         300 ft./lb @ 4000 rpm
Fuel capacity:        18.5 gal.
Est. mileage:        Don’t be silly.

6/2009 update: Time has been kinder to the DHS’ contemporary, the Lincoln Town Car.  While both have generally proven to be durable, long-lasting vehicles, the DHS is much more apt to show its age in terms of worn-out trim and other aesthetic issues.