Who owns a Catera?

[Sarah]

Orginally I had a '98 Catera. I hated vehicles and driving until Dad had me sit in that one. I fell in love instantly. :-) It ran for three months perfectly, no problems, until something happened (frayed wires to the traction control or hydroplaning... not sure) so that I couldn't control the steering and ended up rolling down a steep embankment. Was heartbroken that my classy little Caddy was ruined.

We did more research before buying the second time and specifically looked for a '99 or newer, so that's what I have now. Despite a few problems, I wouldn't trade it for anything. There is nothing like its perfect fit for me. And the comfort. And cool ride!

By the way, thank you everyone who is part of this forum. Living in northern Minnesota I don't know anyone else who has a Catera.

[ScottCatera]

1998 Cranberry Cat

Had it a month and aready put 2500.00 into it. - New: Fuel Pump and filter, battery, front-end s/a bushings, resevoir(sensor failed, rad flush)- Rear caliper service. Check engine light was on number 5 cylinder miss fire. Cleared code- it's fine now, plug was ok.

Still love the car though

[taurushierophant]

I own a '98. Only problem with mine is the check engine light likes to turn on when it rains.

[Eagleta2]

Hi Everyone....

I have been lurking on here since I bought my 97 Catera on 7-20... I figured I would share some thoughts.

I happened to be looking at various dealers for a CAR... My 95 Taurus was getting old and tired. For some reason this 97 Catera with 40K on it came up 4 different times so I went and looked at it. Never saw a Catera before... and definately never drove one so I went to the dealer and drove it and bought it! I was home in a couple hours!

I have to tell ya - I was a little nervous after I looked at the online reviews for a 97 Catera ( 2 notes... #1 what the hell am I doing that for I thought...never did this with any of my other cars and #2 Maybe next time I read the reviews BEFORE I write the check ) Anyhow - after getting over my paranoia of turning the key and finding out I have been periled by one of the numerous catastrophic failures that I have read about- I REALLY love this car!

So I am taking a different approach to all the negativity that I have read about the car:

#1 - Sounds to me like the little sport button on the shifter gives some people a license to pound on their catera and make it what it wasnt designed to be. It isnt a street racer.... it will never dust a vette off the line - and I am ok with that.

#2 - Sure there are alot of negative reviews about the car online. So where are the 54,000 people that like their 97 Cat? Why arent they compelled to write raving reviews about the car? Not many people do... Its human nature that when something pisses a person off they go and tell the masses. You never hear about something that got done right. Here is an example of that - Have you ever been pulled over and thanked for driving the speed limit??? yeah - me neither

#3 - Maintenance - I drive 12 miles a day RT to work and home.. and maybe 50 miles on the weekend. I figure if I keep up the maintenance I should be generally safe. I have to remember that most of the problems that I am reading about are happening from 80-100,000+ miles! It may take a looooong time to get there at my pace!

Anyway - I am rambling on and on and on and on and.... well you get the idea. I love my car and quite frankly I have tired of trying to talk myself into or out of it. It is what it is... if it breaks down I will have it fixed.

One last question... Of all the Cateras I have checked out online and all of the pics I have seen on e-bay I have not seen one of them with a feature that mine has. Was the imitation convertible top a really expensive option? It doesnt seem to be very popular. Do any of you have this option?

Thanks for listening to my rambling... I look forward to leaning more about this car!

Geo

[TomCat]

Geo, I bought my '97 a few weeks ago with 77,000 on the clock and really like the car overall. It does have it's challenges: rear windows are stuck closed, the coolant keeps disappearing into another dimension, have a little oil leak I understand may cost an arm and/or a leg to fix, and my power seat works when it decides it wants to. But it came with almost all the options available for that year, except for the sunroof (which I understand can also have a mind of its own).

You're right, the car is not a racing car - it was meant for the "aging" boomers who were buying Beemers, Mercedes', Lexus', etc., and GM was losing a big share of that market.

As to your "faux" convertible top, I saw another Catera like yours on Ebay, and it was described as the Presidential Package. Very expensive, I believe. You have a rarity.

Take it out on the highway and rev it up, if you haven't already. You'll hear a nice little roar coming from under your hood as you open the throttle. That's all I need for my "fix". Just my 2 cents.

[Sarah]

Oh yes, my sunroof does possess its own mind. Sometimes sweetly obliging. Now and then, quite contrary. :rolleyes2 At the moment, it's discombobulated and in need of reprogramming.

Despite the different problems, which I know would drive me mad if they happened on any other sort of car, I still love my Catera! Was cleaning it out yesterday and loving all the little things and extras which are perfect. The carpet even! I could vacuum Mom's LeSabre or Dad's Chevy Cheyenne all day, and the carpets wouldn't look as clean and luxurious as a Caddy's. Silly, maybe, but true.

[TomCat]

That's a good point, Sarah. The "feel" of the interior is unlike any car I've owned before. It's quieter, for one thing, and feels more expensive. It's also roomier than I'd expect from a car this size. I'm lovin' the audio controls on the steering wheel!

[Sarah]

And the power seats and mirrors. I'm kind of a little girl, and hate feeling hidden being the dash. In every other vehicle driven, I have struggled with seeing over the dashes and getting the mirrors adjusted to be able to see where things are behind me. Sat down in the Catera at the dealer's and first thing I easily backed out of a very tight parking spot. Perfect fit for me.

Then there is the exterior... sporty class any way you look at it!

[OpelOmegaB]

Hi,

after 3 Saabs which I really liked, I decided to buy a 2000 Opel Omega B 3.0 rebadged Catera in this country.

First thing, I removed the Cadillac badge from the trunklid, replacing it with
an Opel badge and I ordered a new Opel frontgrill from Germany. Now I have
to find an emblem for the steering wheel.

The car is silver with black leather, sunroof, Bose and Sportpack.
It has 33.000 miles and is very well maintained. I paid $ 6.500.-- for it.

It drives like an Opel is supposed to drive. It does not have the floating
mushy feel of a Cadillac. Not quite like my last Saab 9.5 Aero, but nevertheless so far I really like this car.

Hopefully I will still like it after a year or so of driving.

[jesserb306]

Greetings!

I am looking for smoked tail lights and head lights, does anyone out there know of a website or a place I can find them? I found a few places that sell the plastic film to cover the light but I want the whole light assembly. Any help would be great.

Jesse