Consumer Report: What's YOUR opinion? We'd like to know... - Page 9

neturn · #81 (**permalink**) 07-19-07, 11:28 PM

I bought a second-hand 1999 STS Deville which had been imported into New Zealand from an Embassy in Japan.

Cadillac is not a common car here in New Zealand - there are very few of them and there is no dealership as such, although GM do have other cars here. So my car is listed as an "exotic"

Bearing in mind that I sold a Mercedes to buy a BMW which gave me nothing but trouble and then sold my BMW to buy the Cadillac, I was taking a risk. But I am delighted with it.

My only problem is getting information about it. I wrote to GM several times asking for assistance but I was totally ignored. Thank goodness for the internet and this forum.

The car is a real head-turner. It has a low mileage (around 18000 miles) and is in mint condition. I even managed to get the DIC changed from Japanese to English, although initially they changed it to US English, but now it is reading in English with metric information such as temperature etc.

It's a bit of a learning curve - the manual pretty much sucks. However the car is pretty complex and for me it has been a matter of trial and error. Even with the manual, setting the memory for the radio was a bit of an effort.

Interestingly, although my BMW was a 2 liter, this car is less expensive to run, even though it is more than twice the literage.

My only gripe is that so few dealers will send parts to New Zealand and so I am off to the US in one week to buy lots of little bits n bobs for the car, such a a small rubber grommet which is broken.

Apart from that, this car is superb and is easily the best I have owned.

Cars Owned: Mercedes SLK, BMW 280i, Lexus, Ford Fairlane Ghia (worst car I ever owned) Honda Legend, Honda Accord, Hond Prelude.

Best car I ever owned? THIS ONE!

Worst backup from manufacturer? Again, THIS ONE. But the Holden dealer (GM) here has been very helpful.

Destroyer · #82 (**permalink**) 07-26-07, 10:23 PM

My experience with my '98 Deville was awful. IMO the Northstar is the Cadillacs fall from grace as was the 4.1 before it. Cadillac needs to start using corporate Chevrolet engines again. Would a Deville, STS, DTS or whatever with a 303hp 5.3 Chevy motor have been a bad car?. I think not.

Old Fleetwood · #83 (**permalink**) 09-17-07, 10:14 PM

Got my 1995 Fleetwood Brougham in May of 2006 with about 91,242 miles on it from a Texas owner who kept it in showroom condition.
Since then I've been wowed at how this barge has proven to be extremely fast, capable and surprisingly fuel-thrifty for its size.
It doesn't even know it has our PopUp RV on the trailer hitch when we tow (and this car isn't equipped with the V4P towing package, either).
The only major repair has been to the right rear window mechanism which let the window drop all the way down when I lowered it just a bit and those damn el cheapo plastic runners split apart in the channels.
What a helluva job to fix.
To aid in towing, I had a Carolina Performance Transmissions Stage II HydraMatic 4L60E unit plus high-stall torque converter installed and it makes a great difference off the line in acceleration both towing and when getting on to freeways from short entrance ramps.
As a highway cruiser, there are none better. She's totally effortless and comfortable, even when the road gets a bit twisty which is surprising considering the weight of this big girl.
I say this having had a bit of experience as a "road warrior" with good and not-so-good company cars; from full-size, V-8, Plymouth Fury IIs of the late 1960s to Ford Torinos of the mid 1970s (personal business mileage ~1mil) and owning Mercedes, Mercury, Buick, Plymouth, Chrysler, AMC, Dodge, Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet personally.
Overall, Cadillac is losing high-end customers, in my not so humble opinion, by abandoning the full-frame barge such as this since this big, Dark Adriatic Blue FWB still elicits awestruck stares from just about everybody standing beside the road as it rolls by. Almost nobody believes she's a twelve-year-old. And at the campgrounds, she always draws a crowd.

RRG · #84 (**permalink**) 09-18-07, 05:36 AM

I have had my 99 Deville for 7 years now . Nice powerfull, comfortable ride . Great looking car , but under engineered and poor quality for a 50 thousand dollar car . Far to many expensive problems . Thats why they depreciate so fast , once the warrenty is gone no one wants them . You can buy a year old one for less then half the new price . That speaks volumes about the car , but G M doesen't care , and thats why Toyota is now number 1 !!!
My next car will be a Lexus , I have had a 96 Toyota SUV since new and only had to replace brakes and tires . Thats the quality I want .
RRG

ThrowSumD'sONDatBiSH · #85 (**permalink**) 10-25-07, 03:55 AM

I got two cadillacs. A 92 and a 95. The 92 is the best front wheel drive car I've ever driven I used to make super aggressive high speed turns to where the back slides out a little bit and you can still control it excellent handling. The 95 is faster, and thats about it. The handling is waay less better then the 92 in my opinion and I had to get used to the 95 because brakes suck. The Northstar seems like its a very expensive high tech machinary that was designed by the best engineers but it seems like it was rushed, and it seems like they made a very good engine thrown together with cheaper parts to increase profit.

Barber of Seville · #86 (**permalink**) 12-20-07, 10:07 AM

My personal driver is now a 2000 DeVille. Picked it up with 100K for $5800. Runs great, looks better...but the vibration issue over 65mph is something GM should hang their head in shame about. http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_19040.html

Have to clear the SES P0420 and get the center mounted LED brake light fixed...but other than that an OK ride so far.

1990 Seville with the 4.9 liter - indestructible, reliable.
1986 FWD Fleetwood - Milkshake Motor need I say more.
1981 Seville Elegante Diesel - slow but reliable once they replaced the engine with a new factory one.

grgrose · #87 (**permalink**) 12-24-07, 04:17 PM

I have a 94 Deville that I saved from the bone yard last Christmas. The car had 111000 miles on it when I brought it home. Over the pasy year I have invested around $1500 dollars in it to bring it back to a reliable state. Most of that is due to being a northern car and neglect. All of the transmission lines and brake lines had to replaced to rot. The car is no doubt a land yacht! It is the most comfortable car I have ever owned. I logged 1500 miles on it going on vacation last year and I am truly surpirised at the fuel economy. Fo a long road trip, I am convinced this is the only way to go!.

HaydenOothout · #88 (**permalink**) 01-11-08, 12:20 PM

I Love my 99 deville its the best

jasper60103 · #89 (**permalink**) 01-16-08, 10:15 AM

Its great to hear all the positive testimonies.
This is my first caddy.
I purchased my 04 base Deville in Mar 07.
It was a single owner, lease return with ~25,500 miles.
I put on about another 7k miles since then.
No problems at all aside from initial defects I discovered
right after I took delivery.
Air pump replaced, windnoise from rear quarter window (replaced)
and noisey Blower motor (replaced).
All covered under warranty.
The dealer also replaced front brakes and rotors
under their good will policy.

I truely enjoy driving this car. The engine and trans
produce a ride as smooth as silk. I sometimes prefer just to
turn off the radio and listen to it pur down the road.

Bradscaddi · #90 (**permalink**) 02-13-08, 01:15 AM

I'm happy with my 95 deville and have had only minor problems with it fuses, power antenna, and i still haven't fixed my A/C. I love it, its big and luxurious. The thing i don't like is I like to go fast and I can do that with my 4.9L the acceleration is great, a little iffy on the road over 100. The body roll on it is terrible it's hard to stay on the road if it is windy. It was a pain to put in my new pioneer stereo because no one makes a kit (I rigged one for a 95 Seville, it works) and I had to run all the wires to the trunk. Personally I'm glad I didn't buy it when my step mom did because for a car with only 40,000 miles on it she had a lot of stuff go wrong, the biggest being the fuel injectors died, some chip on the engine fried, and all the stock wheels became warped so now there are cheap ones on there with hub caps. Then just a few days ago my dad took it to work (he's getting a new engine in his 04 Silverado) and he spun out on an icy exit ramp hit the curb on "a sharp pointy thing" and got me a flat tire, then the spare went flat on him. LOL, AAA is a great thing. Like I said I love the car, just glad I got it after all the big problems. 111,400 miles and running strong.