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9K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  osu411yamaha 
#1 ·
I've spent about 2 good weeks with my Seville and have gotten to know my car very well (and still finding out things about it). However, I've also spent my time around the new RWD STS since I work around them all day. This "comparison" test is one that has been brought up many times: 2000 Seville STS vs. 2005 STS V8. I'm going to break it down into categories and at the end the vehicle with the most points takes the cake.

Design
Winner: Seville

Both cars look damn good, obviously not confused with anything else on the road. However, the design award goes to the Seville. It's sleek, elegant, low, and sexy. This car still stands out after 10 years, something that is hard to accomplish. The compliments for this body style never seem to end, as few cars can be so sexy. I adore the flowing body lines of this car: how it gracefully flows from the headlights to the subtle built in spoiler in the rear. Everybody around here knows how much I love the Seville, so i'll move to the STS now. Score: 10 out of 10

Not a bad looking car at all, the STS. 2005 was the first year for STS, and it's a clean looking car. However, from certain angles it looks like a bloated CTS. The car has a slab-sided look, and the front end has been referenced as a "Japanese Cadillac". I don't see this at all, I find the front very attractive with good looking headlights and nice looking turn signal lamps. The rear has neat horizontal taillights and a short decklid. Score: 8 out of 10

Powertrain
Winner: STS
Now you could argue that since they're both Northstar powerplants, they would be about equal, correct? Well, not exactly the case here. See, the new Northstar engine is 80% new, and utilizes VVT (Variable Valve Timing) for smoother operation and a quieter exhaust note. This is obvious in around town driving and highway cruising. The only downside to this is the toned down exhaust, which I'm not a fan of. I love the sound of my Northstar dammit! The transmission is a 5 speed auto unit, which is super smooth and upshifts and downshifts with few issues. Very impressive, along with the manumatic gate function. Kudos to Cadillac. Score: 9 out of 10

The Seville's N* was redesigned in 2000 to run on regular gasoline among other things. However, the same basic design dates back to the 1993 engine which isn't a bad thing. Being able to run regular gas is a huge plus, especially with today's volitale gas prices. At times, the engine runs a little rough, but this is mainly due to age. This particular unit is mated to GM's 4 speed "Hydra-Matic" automatic transmission through a gated shifter. Smooth shift action and predictable downshifts make this a great unit, but could use an extra cog to help with fuel mileage. Score: 8 out of 10

Handling
Winner: STS
This one was obvious: the STS is a RWD vehicle, using GM’s Sigma platform. The handling is balanced, controlled, and quite good for such a large car. It’s not as sporty as the CTS, but that is the point. The STS demographic is the older market, so don’t except a 4 door sports car. The ride isn’t compromised with the STS, with excellent road manners and a only slight bit harsher than the Seville was. Score: 8.5 out of 10

The Seville’s largest downfall is the FWD K-body platform. While it isn’t a terrible platform at all, it’s dated and handling suffers. The car sometimes wallows through the corners, with very little road feel and numb steering. The Seville uses GM’s Magnasteer system that changes steering feel when needed. I can’t tell to be honest; the steering always feels light. However, the Seville STS is an improvement over the SLS’s steering, which is overly soft and none too sporting. The ride on the other hand is super smooth, and always comfortable. The only negative is the way the car sometimes crashes over the bumps; thank the K-body for that. Score: 6.5 out of 10

Interior
Winner: Draw
Wait, Stop! The STS is a newer car, so it clearly has a better interior, right? Wrong. Yes, The materials are greatly improved and the build quality is much better, but the design leaves a lot to be desired. Let's start with the good: smooth and sumptuous leather, elegant wood trim, straightforward controls, more interior space. It stops there. For a car that could sticker close to $70k new, it's too boring inside for this to be a true contender to BMW and Lexus. The center stack is boring, with no kind of character. Controls are easy to locate, with the exception of too many similar size buttons. The gauges are too plain, an obvious downgrade from the Seville. The center console is extremely small, and the cupholders still suck. A few cheap bits and pieces mar the interior, but it is an improvement over Seville. Score: 7 out of 10

Seville impresses at first glance; you're quickly disappointed. Cheap bits ruin a good looking interior. Plastic door sills, cheap headliner, ungainly A-pillar molding, unimpressive build quality? You name it, the Seville's got it. However, it more than makes up for it in design and attractiveness. The leather seats are extremely comfortable, with plenty of adjustment and 2-way memory settings, the Zebrano wood looks elegant, as does the wood steering and shift knob, and the controls are stupidly simple to use. What I like most about the Seville interior is the design. It looks cleaner than the STS and much more elegant. The cupholders are a disappointment though. It seems Cadillac can’t design a decent set to their lives. My old Camry had better cupholders. Storage space is decent, with good side door pockets and a large glovebox, but the center console is taken up with the CD changer. Luckily, it is two tier system so it is larger than the current STS, which plain out sucks for storage. Score: 7 out of 10

Value
Winner: Draw
In the used car market place, both cars are excellent values. The rapid deprecation of these cars help tremendously: you can pick up and ’05 STS V8 w/35k miles for $20k. 3-4 years ago, that same car was easily $55k brand new. In 3 years, the car has dropped $35k? That means the car drops around $12k a year. Damn, I would never buy one of these new. Even now, the newly refreshed ’08 STS is going for as low as $30k with 10k miles.

Again, why is this a draw? A 2003 Seville STS, fully loaded with Magneride and Nav is going for $11-$15k w/ low mileage. Brand new, the same car cost around $60k. However, I’d recommend the STS is you can swing an extra $3-4k. The RWD alone makes it a better car, but there are those people (like me) who would take the Seville bodystyle any day of the week. Score: 9 out of 10 for both.

Seville: 40.5
STS: 41.5

Well, it looks like the STS wins by the slightest of margins. While you would think the STS would blow the doors off the ‘ol Seville, Cadillac didn’t make enough improvements to make the STS an much better car. The style is one area where I think it was a downfall, even though the STS is pretty sexy itself. The interior was also a style downfall, though again the STS has much improved quality. Overall, both cars are on equal footing. Excellent in some areas, poor in others.
 
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#2 ·
That was a good read, makes me feel better about not being able to afford a new caddy, lol to be honest i haven't been a fan of the newer STS's, CTS's too "angley" and ridged looking for me 2009's seem to have smoothed out tho so that seems to be a move in the right direction.
 
#3 ·
The 05+ style is a very acquired taste, where the '98-'04 is a more universally praised design. It's more cohesive in every way, and the interior is a much nicer place to sit and easier to control. However, I do find the newer style growing on me and they drive a whole lot better than the Seville's. Much less tendency to crash over bumps, and the handling is light years better.

The '05's are already getting down to around $15k on the auction circuit with V8, Nav, and Sunroof. In 2-3 years, i'll trade my car in and purchase one.
 
#4 ·
please explain to me exactly what about the headliner is "cheap"? i seriously dont understand. if it was made from Antelope's butt would it be better? i think its a bit nitpicky to complain about something like a headliner. as long as it doesnt fall down like every other GM product made then its doing its job.

the same goes for the plastic door sills. what would like then to be made of, iron? aluminum would ne cool i suppose, but them im certain people would bitch about that too saying they scratch too easily or something.

the only part of the Seville that isnt that great of quality is the dashpad. it tends to separate. i think most owners know that. mine is starting to do it near the drivers side front and the obligatory section right above the glove compartment.

i also have to disagree with you on the steering of the Seville STS. my steering wheel always seems to feel heavier than would be expected for a luxury car but i like it that way. in fact, the steering itself is great and any lack of on center feel i blame squarely on the 225/60/16 marshmellow tires. a nice set of 18s with corresponding reduction in tire size takes care of that.

i like the comment about cup holders. while i completely agree i do not use the cup holders in the car at all. my car has the light tan interior and im afraid that ill stain it. i cringe everytime the wife drives it. shes a clutz and im just waiting for the inevitable "honey...".

the Seville's tendancy to jump over bumps stems from the rear suspension design. fill your tank full and go over bumps that would normally make the rear jump to the right slightly which so many talk about in disdain. then have a buddy or 2 sit back there. itll completely go away. it is my opinion that Cadillac set the spring rate slightly hard on the back on accident to make up for the load leveling suspension or to make up for lots of weight in the rear seats.
 
#6 ·
Go sit inside a BMW 540i of the same year and then go sit inside a Seville STS and you'll see what I'm talking about. The headliner is the same thing that came from low end Chevy's of the same year, and so are the door sills. I would have never payed $50k for the STS in 2000, while I would have more than likely spend the same money on the 540i or E420. The cars also hold their value much better. The problem is I like the STS styling much better than the 2 German's. Hell, my 2000 Camry was much better assembled and used higher quality materials. It cost $22k new.

GM did way too much cost cutting inside Seville to make it a competitive car. I can handle it being FWD, but the materials are not up to luxury car expectations.
 
#11 ·
I've spent about 2 good weeks with my Seville and have gotten to know my car very well (and still finding out things about it). However, I've also spent my time around the new RWD STS since I work around them all day. This "comparison" test is one that has been brought up many times: 2000 Seville STS vs. 2005 STS V8. I'm going to break it down into categories and at the end the vehicle with the most points takes the cake.

Design
Winner: Seville

Older is not necessary better

Both cars look damn good, obviously not confused with anything else on the road. However, the design award goes to the Seville. It's sleek, elegant, low, and sexy. This car still stands out after 10 years, something that is hard to accomplish. The compliments for this body style never seem to end, as few cars can be so sexy. I adore the flowing body lines of this car: how it gracefully flows from the headlights to the subtle built in spoiler in the rear. Everybody around here knows how much I love the Seville, so i'll move to the STS now. Score: 10 out of 10

Not a bad looking car at all, the STS. 2005 was the first year for STS, and it's a clean looking car. However, from certain angles it looks like a bloated CTS. The car has a slab-sided look, and the front end has been referenced as a "Japanese Cadillac". I don't see this at all, I find the front very attractive with good looking headlights and nice looking turn signal lamps. The rear has neat horizontal taillights and a short decklid. Score: 8 out of 10

Powertrain
Winner: STS
Now you could argue that since they're both Northstar powerplants, they would be about equal, correct? Well, not exactly the case here. See, the new Northstar engine is 80% new, and utilizes VVT (Variable Valve Timing) for smoother operation and a quieter exhaust note. This is obvious in around town driving and highway cruising. The only downside to this is the toned down exhaust, which I'm not a fan of. I love the sound of my Northstar dammit! The transmission is a 5 speed auto unit, which is super smooth and upshifts and downshifts with few issues. Very impressive, along with the manumatic gate function. Kudos to Cadillac. Score: 9 out of 10

The Seville's N* was redesigned in 2000 to run on regular gasoline among other things. However, the same basic design dates back to the 1993 engine which isn't a bad thing. Being able to run regular gas is a huge plus, especially with today's volitale gas prices. At times, the engine runs a little rough, but this is mainly due to age. This particular unit is mated to GM's 4 speed "Hydra-Matic" automatic transmission through a gated shifter. Smooth shift action and predictable downshifts make this a great unit, but could use an extra cog to help with fuel mileage. Score: 8 out of 10

This score should be much lower for the FWD, just try to replace a transmission in this baby and o yes, the regular gas, anything running longer than 10 years would have to have higher octane or it will detonate like hell, forget old go with new, 5 out of 10.

Handling
Winner: STS
This one was obvious: the STS is a RWD vehicle, using GM’s Sigma platform. The handling is balanced, controlled, and quite good for such a large car. It’s not as sporty as the CTS, but that is the point. The STS demographic is the older market, so don’t except a 4 door sports car. The ride isn’t compromised with the STS, with excellent road manners and a only slight bit harsher than the Seville was. Score: 8.5 out of 10.

Wrong again, 8.5 is to high, too much weight in the front end, no way would you get a score like that on the Autobahn, RWD hands down, real power is not powered by the front end.

The Seville’s largest downfall is the FWD K-body platform. While it isn’t a terrible platform at all, it’s dated and handling suffers. The car sometimes wallows through the corners, with very little road feel and numb steering. The Seville uses GM’s Magnasteer system that changes steering feel when needed. I can’t tell to be honest; the steering always feels light. However, the Seville STS is an improvement over the SLS’s steering, which is overly soft and none too sporting. The ride on the other hand is super smooth, and always comfortable. The only negative is the way the car sometimes crashes over the bumps; thank the K-body for that. Score: 6.5 out of 10

More like 4 out of 10. How would you get a 6 when all the weight is in the front? Very poor design, this car should be sold in Russia.

Interior
Winner: Draw
Not hardly, the STS runs away with the title. Nothing compares before 2004, this is really about personal taste, not performance.

Wait, Stop! The STS is a newer car, so it clearly has a better interior, right? Wrong. Yes, The materials are greatly improved and the build quality is much better, but the design leaves a lot to be desired. Let's start with the good: smooth and sumptuous leather, elegant wood trim, straightforward controls, more interior space. It stops there. For a car that could sticker close to $70k new, it's too boring inside for this to be a true contender to BMW and Lexus. The center stack is boring, with no kind of character. Controls are easy to locate, with the exception of too many similar size buttons. The gauges are too plain, an obvious downgrade from the Seville. The center console is extremely small, and the cupholders still suck. A few cheap bits and pieces mar the interior, but it is an improvement over Seville. Score: 7 out of 10

Seville impresses at first glance; you're quickly disappointed. Cheap bits ruin a good looking interior. Plastic door sills, cheap headliner, ungainly A-pillar molding, unimpressive build quality? You name it, the Seville's got it. However, it more than makes up for it in design and attractiveness. The leather seats are extremely comfortable, with plenty of adjustment and 2-way memory settings, the Zebrano wood looks elegant, as does the wood steering and shift knob, and the controls are stupidly simple to use. What I like most about the Seville interior is the design. It looks cleaner than the STS and much more elegant. The cupholders are a disappointment though. It seems Cadillac can’t design a decent set to their lives. My old Camry had better cupholders. Storage space is decent, with good side door pockets and a large glovebox, but the center console is taken up with the CD changer. Luckily, it is two tier system so it is larger than the current STS, which plain out sucks for storage. Score: 7 out of 10

Value
Winner: Draw
In the used car market place, both cars are excellent values. The rapid deprecation of all FWD cars is astounding, RWD is on the move again

of these cars help tremendously: you can pick up and ’05 STS V8 w/35k miles for $20k. 3-4 years ago, that same car was easily $55k brand new. In 3 years, the car has dropped $35k? That means the car drops around $12k a year. Damn, I would never buy one of these new. Even now, the newly refreshed ’08 STS is going for as low as $30k with 10k miles.

Again, why is this a draw? A 2003 Seville STS, fully loaded with Magneride and Nav is going for $11-$15k w/ low mileage. Brand new, the same car cost around $60k. However, I’d recommend the STS is you can swing an extra $3-4k. The RWD alone makes it a better car, but there are those people (like me) who would take the Seville bodystyle any day of the week. Score: 9 out of 10 for both.

Seville: 40.5
STS: 41.5

Well, it looks like the STS wins by the slightest of margins. While you would think the STS would blow the doors off the ‘ol Seville, Cadillac didn’t make enough improvements to make the STS an much better car. The style is one area where I think it was a downfall, even though the STS is pretty sexy itself. The interior was also a style downfall, though again the STS has much improved quality. Overall, both cars are on equal footing. Excellent in some areas, poor in others.
The STS wins by a large margin, if you are foolish enough to buy a used gas hog FWD, get your wallet out. The poor design of all the moving parts all in the front end will cost you more cash than premium package or higher octane, and don't forget the recalls, you will be tied up at the stealership for quite sometime.
 
#12 ·
It really all depends on how you look at it. I have never been a huge fan of the RWD STS, and they don't handle all that well. Steering feel is non-existant, handling is sloppier than comparable RWD cars, and the style is boring and nonexistant. The Seville is classy, the STS is a bloated 1st Gen CTS.

The Seville is actually quite a good handler for a large, FWD sedan. Sure it's no canyon carver but it's not boat-like. Interior style is boring. I've had many people comment on how much nicer the Seville interior is to the STS, even though the STS is nicely assembled and uses richer materials. BTW, have you seen the price of the RWD STS lately? I've seen V8 models w/40k going for roughly $15k. In 4 years, the car has depreciated that much? Hell '03 Seville STS's are still going $10-$12k with similar mileage. People still appreciate the Seville bodystyle very much.

Oh, my Seville STS has been mechanically sound, with only a few nagging issues that don't bother me. It's 9 years old. What would really suck is to get an out of warranty '05. Do you know how many more things can go wrong on those cars vs. a Seville? You know all that electronic BS is going to die out one day.
 
#14 ·
I like the looks of the Seville STS better than the current model plus the Seville's Bose 4.0 really pumps compared to the sts Bose studio setup plus what happened to the air bladder system seats that the Seville offered?
 
#15 ·
The air bladder seats weren't really a popular option on Seville's and most of the automotive press criticized Cadillac for offering the so-called "unnecessary" feature on the car that would probably break one day. I've actually noticed that quite a few features were omitted from the latest STS from Seville:

Electro gauge cluster
Power headrests
Large side door pockets
Less storage space
the CVRSS and Magneride suspension as standard equipment (Seville STS only)
Massaging seats
Bose 4.0 Stereo

What I really think killed STS is the market is the styling that traditional Seville buyer's were used too that the STS didn't offer. They should have stayed with the sleek look of Seville but brought it into the Art and Science era.
 
#17 ·
I have had many opportunities to drive the new series "STS" in a number of trim/performance packages and would never consider changing from my Seville Touring Sedan (the real STS).

The mistake of the new "STS" revealed that GM's emperor had no new clothes, and their midsize performance sedan market fell apart.
 
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