Despite the fact that the Seville is designed to compete against the best sport sedans in the world, our Cadillac has too many annoying problems to rise successfully to the challenge. This became apparent to us this month when the electrical system started acting up in an unsophisticated manner.

The radio has gone on the fritz several times this month, at one point failing to come on after the OnStar mobile phone system did its post-startup diagnostic. The problem happened only once, and restarting the car seemed to cure the problem. Unfortunately, the system has not been trouble-free since that little glitch, and the speakers have shorted out a few times when the car has traversed rough roads.

Additionally, the auto-positioning right-hand outside mirror has been positioning itself right out of the affections of our drivers. On one occasion, the mirror refused to return to the "normal" driving position after the car was backed out of a garage. (The Seville's right-hand mirror can be programmed to tilt downward when the car is in reverse to aid drivers when parallel parking.) Again, this was a one-time problem, but now the mirror reflects more of the sky than the road after reversing, because it will not properly adhere to the driver-selected automatic presets.

Non-electrical problems this month are limited to loose fittings. During one of the Seville's recent car washes, our editor-in-chief found the weather stripping along the bottom of the driver's door coming unfastened. To reattach it, all he had to do was pop the cheap plastic rivets back into place. Nevertheless, materials and workmanship such as this are not expected on a $50,000 car.

Snow has also proven problematic for our powerful Seville. Two of our drivers complained that the Cadillac doesn't handle wet and snowy roads as well as expected, and that it slides across the tarmac with little provocation. Chances are that our drivers were just getting reacquainted with the joys of foul-weather driving, but some fault may lie with the Goodyear all-season tires that adorn our tester. On a positive note, the traction control works quite well in the snow, retarding wheel spin so transparently that some drivers may not even realize the system is engaged. Another point about the snow; with cold weather blanketing the Rockies, our editor-in-chief is second-guessing his decision to leave seat heaters off his list of desired equipment. Those plush leather seats are like cold slabs of marble on frosty Colorado mornings.

Complaints are still rolling in about the Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension (CVRSS), which is not surprising since none of our drivers like cars that try to "help" too much. As mentioned before, the system always seems about one-step behind, reacting to the road-surface the car just traversed, not the road surface that is currently under the tires.

Despite our gripes, the Seville still manages to please when given an open stretch of road. The engine is truly marvelous, and the sensation of tooling along in the quiet, luxurious cabin never disappoints. When not worrying about whether the radio will cut out, the Seville offers lond-distance drivers a great deal of pleasure. The silky control stalks, rich materials, comfortable front seats, and elegant interior design makes simple things like switching the lane change indicator and activating the cruise control feel almost sensual.

Best fuel economy: 19.5 mpg
Worst fuel economy: 14.6 mpg
Maintenance costs: $0
Problems: Odd electrical shorts affecting the stereo and hands-free phone. Weatherstripping coming loose on driver's door. Passenger-side rearview mirror is losing its memory.