2000 Cadillac Catera Catera Sport plays it tight with European manners. By Bob Plunkett, New Car Test Drive .com

Anyone impressed with the precise road manners of European touring sedans may not expect to find one in the showroom of an American luxury car brand. But the Catera, Cadillac's mid-size sedan imported from Europe, matches German machines in performance and surpasses them with luxurious comforts and high-tech standard equipment.

In effect, Catera amounts to an athletic sports sedan. It has the power and taut independent suspension system of a BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. But it also has the plush interior features of an American luxury car along with the sophisticated safety hardware of a Cadillac. As the only rear-wheel-drive car from Cadillac, the Catera runs against the Cadillac norm of large cars constructed with front-wheel drive and the resultant nose-heavy weight balance. The Catera is balanced and predictable when navigating a snaky set of curves, but energetic at high speed for long stretches on a freeway.

For 2000, Cadillac has honed the Catera by refining its exterior styling, reworking the interior gear and tweaking the suspension and powertrain. The result is a more aggressive character.

Just one model is available. The $30,860 Cadillac Catera comes with a 3.0-liter V6 and all the standard equipment expected of a luxury sedan. For an additional $2000, a new Sport edition molds the Catera persona to a hard edge.