Consumer Report: What's YOUR opinion? We'd like to know...

[Lord Cadillac]

Okay. So what's your opinion on these cars? Which do you own? Which HAVE you owned? Let's hear it from the people who can tell it...

[Ls1 Catera project]

97 black 3.0L v6 Cadillac Catera
64.000 miles
4 door sports sedan
made in Germany.

Maintance done: all the gaskets, transmision oil changes + filters, coolant flush + replace with new, timing belt tensioner raplaced, engine oil changes, Bosh Platinum2 spark plugs and other etc's.

Modification's: 2.5 super single Magna Flow dual box shaped catback exaust, Ice Man custom Cold Air ram Intake with K&N filter, INM Air Intake Modification resistor, Thermo-Sheild tape around intake and 2 dual engine air tubes, 50 pound's weight reduction, tornado air managment gas saver, fog lights removal.

Report: Once I got the car first it ran fine but it needed that extra maince done that Cateras known for. It also felt like it was little bit heavy and been asked for more performance potentials. Now car performs and runs very nicely. It sound like a jet and looks awsome. I would say Cadillac should of never gave it up for CTS but just improved it to 3.2L and over looked over it's quality which is already good. I hope Cadillac owners keep it and store it as a well known car.

Car gets up to 60MPH in just under 7 seconds now.

[Vesicant]

2000 Cadillac Catera , Rainforest Green, 3.0l V6 DOHC, 37,000 (approx) miles.

Very nice cars, as LS1 said... it would have been very nice to keep the Catera line going if they had updated the engine (which they have, but only in the newer EU version), and maybe help it loose half the 500 pounds it gained when being converted from Omega to Catera. As with all cars, they should also be taken care of wisely. With these, not too many parts exist anymore unless you go to the UK to get them

I rate them very high in my book, and even more if they were to be re-fit better.

Also, for the UK model Omega... they've redesigned the interior dash and made it very smooth "one piece" looking moreso than our version, plus added navigation inplace of where the oil pressure and voltage gauges went in the corner of the dash. Im not sure what else has been updated, but it looks much better than the Catera's did. Click the link and scroll down to see it.

:coolgleam


Omega

(Note: Using this link only as example, credit given to Klaus in Deutschland)

[jealous57]

'97 Catera, 78,000 miles, Slate
I have had this car for about a week now, I like it alot. I have read where people said it was terrible in the snow. But, living in NYS, and driving it during the 2 biggest snow storms so far this year. I think it is pretty good, yes it is a dog going up snowy hills but it eventually gets there. But overall it is not too too bad in the snow (I don't think)

[cateraowners]

Good and Bad...Biggest issues are engines (recalled) alignment/tire wear (GM has ignored this issue) and oil coolers (redesigned but not recalled). Early cars (97 & early 98) more problematic than later vehicles. Catera Owners Group on Yahoo! has 500+ members now, and every opinion under the sun between love and hate. I have a 98 standard and a 2001 Sport, the 98 is about to be sold. Sport is a Cadillac Certified car so Cadillac is stuck with me until 2007.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/CateraOwners/

Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

Okay. So what's your opinion on these cars? Which do you own? Which HAVE you owned? Let's hear it from the people who can tell it...

[vogel81]

99 Black with 67,000 miles.

I have owned my Cat for about 10,000 miles and haven't had any problems other than uneven front tire ware. I would recomend this car to anyone and would also recomend buying a 99 or newer due to these years being less problamatic. This car drives and handles very well. My only complaint, other than tire wear, is the aftermarket has not produced anything for this car, and that parts are hard to find. Oh yea, another 20-30 horse would be nice.

[Theo]

I had my 1998 catera for almost 2 weeks now, although I went through this forum before I bought it, but decided to go ahead !!

I know it looks dumb, but I use to own Opel Vectra few years ago and it was fun to drive regardless of the problems.

I couldn't resist the beauty of this car and the price ( I paid CAD$5000 or US $3600) it has high clicks on it ( 215k KM = 133k miles ). but it has been serviced all the time at the dealer.

I'm gambling here...If I drive the car for 2 years without big issues then I won if not then I'll lose.

so far other than wet floor problem, which was easy to fix no major problems.

[figgie]

98 with 94k miles.

since the day i bought this pos.

ignition failure on THREE cylinders. Worn out tie rod end (how!!!) on the drivers side. Now the assenger side is going. My 87 Supra hasn't ever been this bad.

May this craptera burn in hell.

[Theo]

figgie,

they have some problems...but over all I'm happy with my 98 Catera and can't wait to get it back from the body shop.

[SilverFleetwood85]

I used to own one. It was a 1997 model, white with tan interior and chrome wheels. A really good looking car. It did have some problems such as tire wear, overheating, coolant leak at heater valve, needed sensor replacement for airbag, and power lock problems. The car was well built and was extremely solid. I attribute its problems to being a first year model. The only thing I could never understand is why such a new cars heat gauge would go so high when it had its air conditioning on? The dealer told me that all Catras did this. I think it was BS. Anyway somebody rear ended me and that was the end of my Catera ownership.

[tuttlejr]

I had heating problems from day 1 and was told that Catera's run hot. Several years later it got very hot and I went to an independent garage and they found that the radiator had several tubes blocked. That did solve the problem but it was out of warranty and I got stuck. Later, the brake system gave trouble and the cost to fix was just about what the 1997 was worth so I dumped it. Parts for the Catera are very costly so I would not recomend buying a foreign badged Cadillac. I might have looked into the CTS but after getting burned, I did not want another Cadillac as their customer service ignored all my complaints. If you must have a Catera, go for the newer models.

[omermurat]

My Catera is a 97 with 106K miles on it.

I replaced the timing belt, pulleys & water pump 6K miles ago, and spark plugs with Bosch +4, paper filter element with K&N filter, and added oil cooler to solve heating and oil pressure problems (worked just great), also upgraded the already fine looking original wheels with 17" ATS Planet wheels.

Yes, she is a problematic car but I like maintaining her )

[DWKerux]

I just purchased a 2000 sport. A friend got it for me in Dallas. I haven't even seen it yet. My wife & I head down Monday to pick up. Excited and after reading different posts nervous.

[vegaspro]

WooHoo! I have gotten absolutely wierd about this car. Never owned a Cadillac until a CTS that just went out of lease. I was so impressed, I knew I wanted another Cadillac. Getting out of the new car rat race, and going 'economy,' I decided on the Catera. I bought an 'as new' car with 25k miles, but it is a '97.

In a little over a month, I have been on two trips of over 500 miles. Here in the Southwest, coupled with a get-out-of-jail-free card, it's not to difficult to do straight two-lane and highway driving for extended periods in the three figure range. On one stretch I went 140 miles with the speedo between 105 and 115 (with one blip to 121 just to check it out). Not a waiver or a hiccup. Heck, at speed the I could still hear the radio as clear as at 40. City driving is o.k., but I am convinced that touring is the raison de etre for this car.

I'm not suggesting that this is something everyone should be doing in an eight-year-old car. My Catera was thoroughly gone over, has 2k on the timing chain, solid belt(s) and hoses, and has brand new high speed rubber.

The choice was made, in part, after speaking at length with a senior automotive engineer at GM. While not talking Catera specifically, he stated again and again that the best GM car ever (and he did say ever) made was the Opel Omega. At least as of this time, he gets no argument from me.

[caterakid]

Ls1 Catera project where did u get the ice man cold /ram air intake thanks