An earlier post got me thinking and I started looking at the earlier model STS. I'm currently not a Caddy Owner but have been looking at the newer models, particularly an 05 sts waiting for the used values to come down to what I'm willing/wanting to pay. It's not that I can't afford a new or a used, I'm just pretty cheap and spend my money on other frivolous stuff and or invest it. Here is my situation. I've been reading and admiring the new STS's since 2005 and new my next vehicle would be an 05 STS. I'm a patient person and can forgo purchasing something I want for a long time. For better or worse, my decisions often can be price driven but without sacrificing quality (Quality + Price + Convenience = Value).

With that said, because of the prices on 02 - 03 sts and sls's out there, I'm seriously considering forgoing an 05 STS and purchasing an 03 sls or sts. Understand, I'm now driving a 92 plane-jane Bonneville with a lot of miles on it. So driving an older model car doesn't bother me. I know I'm probably trying to compare apples to oranges but hearing perspectives of others helps. Base on the quality of these two cars (particularly the older model), am I nuts?

If you can live with FWD, the last generation STS / SLS is a fine car. However, cost of repairs can be very high. A co-worker had an 00? STS and he said he had two $600 repairs per year. When buying used luxury cars, I would recommend buying a certified pre-owned unit that is 2-3 years old and then sell / trade it for another CPO unit before the 6 yr. / 100K warranty expires.

If you can live with FWD, the last generation STS / SLS is a fine car. However, cost of repairs can be very high. A co-worker had an 00? STS and he said he had two $600 repairs per year. When buying used luxury cars, I would recommend buying a certified pre-owned unit that is 2-3 years old and then sell / trade it for another CPO unit before the 6 yr. / 100K warranty expires.

I prefer the front wheel drive when the weather gets bad. I wouldn't call myself a spirited driver and and haven't driven a rear-wheel drive for over 20 years so I can live with front wheel drive. I typically pay cash for a vehicle so any repairs I make to my cars I compare to a car payment (at least this is how I rationalize the method of my madness). I would look at a couple of $600 repairs as car payments. Now, a $3200 repair is another story!

I assume you are not suggesting the older version aren't reliable but simply the repairs are expensive when something fails.

I would recommend the 2005+ STS over the previous generation. If you already had an older Seville, then I would think twice. I have owned both and they both both are good cars. But when it comes down to it, if you're going to buy a new (pre-owned) car anyway, get the newest one you can afford.

Reliabilitywise, the 05+ is a huge step up.

Thanks for the replies .... very helpful. I think buying an 03 was a cheaper way to "scratch the itch" to own a caddy. ... may have to rethink this one ...

I agree with the comments about purchasing certified used Cadillacs, it is the only way to buy used. The out of warranty Cadiilac repair costs are too high. If you are looking for fwd perhaps a v8 Lucerne or DTS is a better choice than the rwd STS.

If you just have a want for a modern Cadillac, consider a certified CTS 3.6. Interior aside, they're reliable, quick, and fun. If you get an 05 STS, see the sticky in this forum for some corrections to a few first-year glitches.

If you just have a want for a modern Cadillac, consider a certified CTS 3.6. Interior aside, they're reliable, quick, and fun. If you get an 05 STS, see the sticky in this forum for some corrections to a few first-year glitches.

If I were going to get a CTS, it would be an 08. Unfortunately, I ain't spending that much "ching". That leaves the 05 which is in a price range I'm willing to spend. But like I say, I was looking at some of the early models and discovered I could get into an early sts/sls for much less. Sometimes I get too driven by price. Thats why I thought you guys could straighten me out with some logical perspective. Thanks for all the input. I really don't know what I'll do at this point in time. Other than the itch, I'm in no hurry (I suspect car dealers hate my type). When I make a decision, I'll share it with you.

With that said, my 92 Bonneville is in the shop today getting new gaskets for the valve cover and transmission pan and new transmission lines. I plan on keeping it for my daily driver (which it's been for the past 13 years). The eventual new caddy will replace the 02 Bonneville SSEI (supercharged) that my wife drives (although I drive it quite a bit). That's a bit of a story unto itself. Damn thing flies when you step on it. As much as I like the car, I just can't get comfortable in the seat.

Another couple worthy alternatives:

- Late 90s Buick Riviera with the supercharged 3.8

- Buick Park Avenue or PA Ultra through 2005.

Another couple worthy alternatives:

- Late 90s Buick Riviera with the supercharged 3.8

- Buick Park Avenue or PA Ultra through 2005.

I second that recommendation. All of these Buicks are really fantastic cars. The 3.8L V6 (even when supercharged) is very reliable.

They're not Cadillacs, but close.

Make sure you test drive the older ( less than 05 ) sts`s on the hwy at about 65 mph. Some of them ( i had one)
would shake quite a bit , i think it was due to the fwd . i also had a 97 park ave that shook at the same speed.
I now drive a 06 awd V6 , and i enjoy this one quite a bit more than my 00 sts. This one is so smooth on the hwy
and seems more controlled .
i still like the looks of the older body style , very distinctive , the 05`s and up look like a stretched cts .

Thanks for all the great posts. I've read through them again and appreciate the different perspectives. I've decided "no" to the older version sts/sls. My reasoning was I'd eventually regret not getting the newer model STS. Actually, I might even wait on the used 08 cts market come around. I briefly considered a used cts but after driving one, didn't care at all for them. Too small. The newer models are actually very nice. Again, thanks. In the mean time, I'll continue to live vicariously through you all!

Yeah i'm kinda in the same boat as you... I really like the Seville STS/SLS but after reading some information about them and my boss telling me they are extremely unreliable, I think I will wait for a really nice '05 STS or CTS to come along. My friend's mother has a Infared '05 STS V6 and she has had few issues with it. As for price, I have seen a couple in my area selling for $23k, which I find reasonable for a car that cost $50k 3 years ago.

I would have to agree with the other posts about buying a 'certified' vehicle. My first Caddy was a 93 STS, and it was a good thing that it was 'certified', it was at the dealer all the time for repairs which didn't cost 1 cent because of the 'bumper to bumper' coverage. My second caddy was a 2000 STS which I also bought as a 'certified' unit and I only had it in for repairs a few times, then just as the 6yr warranty was up the r/rear power window went bad and I had to shell out about $500 to get it fixed. Now I have an 07 STS RWD V8 1SG and it was a GM 'program' car with only 2300 mi on it and you guessed it, it's certified! Basically being 'certified' means you pay between $1000 & $1500 for an 'extension' of the origional warranty for a full 6 yrs or 100,000 mi. This is the only way I would buy a Cadillac because if it need repairs its very expensive and when my current STS nears the end of the warranty I'll look for another 'certified' Caddy. So in response to your 'post' go for the 05!!!!

If any car shakes at high speeds, forget it. That could be the suspension.
I own a 1996 STS. Looks great, I'm so comfortable with it and love it to death, it's REALLY fun to drive.
Recently I have had to replace the front wheel bearings ($770) and the front struts are bad too. Those are $1K each. I did find passive struts that are a lot more affordable.

I highly recommend test driving them both. I test drove the 2007 STS and didn't care for it. It was OK but I personally liked my STS WAYYYY better. The previous generation has a look that won't fade. They all look good, drive good, and you'll grow to love whatever it is you get. I would also recommend going to the Seville / Eldorado forum if you're really considering the earlier generation. There is a year that's kind of lemony but I forgot which. Your 2003 selection should be dandy though.

Anything you buy will cost you to maintain. The key is to keep it maintained and solve problems as they arise.
Also, the 2005+ STS's have more mods available, exterior and engine-wise. Sometime I may add one to the lot, but I'll keep my '96.

I think it might have been the '98 that had the most issues. The poll in the Northstar forum shows that it has the highest amount of failures for that generation of Seville. Basically, anything that is 2000 and higher will have a lot less issues with the headgaskest. If you can, find a really nice 2003 STS. It comes with the Magnaride system, which is supposed to be a really nice upgrade. I can't comment on that myself, I've only driven a '99 STS.

I had a 2000 STS, traded it for a Ford (don't know what I was thinking). The 2000 had a shimmy/shake between 55-65 mph. I have just purchased a pre-owned/leased 2005, no shimmy. I've had the car less than a week, and I am very happy wth it.

Hi Everyone,

Great Site here, just wanted to say that before anything since this is my first post.

The 2005's STS V8's are pretty cheap at the auction, I just picked one up this week for 12,100.00 at Manheim Auto auction in Lancaster PA, This is a fully loaded car with every option except the Adaptive Cruise Control, otherwise, every option including heated/cooled front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, NAV, DVD TV ect... ect....
I owned the older style, although it was not that bad, but the 05 is a huge difference. 03's are around 6,100. to 6,800. and 04's are runing around 7,000 - 8,000.
Currently I have a extremely clean 2004 if anyone is interested at 7,900

Keep up the great info on the site.

Regards
Bob

That sounds to good to be true. I hope it is true for I don't live too far from that auction. How many miles does it have on it? Do you have to have a dealer's license to enter the auction and purchase vehicles?

Hi Everyone,

Great Site here, just wanted to say that before anything since this is my first post.

The 2005's STS V8's are pretty cheap at the auction, I just picked one up this week for 12,100.00 at Manheim Auto auction in Lancaster PA, This is a fully loaded car with every option except the Adaptive Cruise Control, otherwise, every option including heated/cooled front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, NAV, DVD TV ect... ect....
I owned the older style, although it was not that bad, but the 05 is a huge difference. 03's are around 6,100. to 6,800. and 04's are runing around 7,000 - 8,000.
Currently I have a extremely clean 2004 if anyone is interested at 7,900

Keep up the great info on the site.

Regards
Bob

USD or Euros???
I do some light freelance car sales at my local Cadillac dealership. Is blackbook also totally irrelevant? Paying 12K for a STS with a clean title is 10K below rough, at least here in GA. I have never been to the auction, but that does seem low.

USD or Euros???
I do some light freelance car sales at my local Cadillac dealership. Is blackbook also totally irrelevant? Paying 12K for a STS with a clean title is 10K below rough, at least here in GA. I have never been to the auction, but that does seem low.

2005 STS's with around 30k to 40k miles go for around $20k+ at dealer auction.. They can also be had on ebay for around $22k if you take your time looking for a good clean deal.

Here is an example of a few from Yesterday's GM Dealer Auction where vette98guy bought his.. The one he bought had 76809 miles on it.

CADILLAC STS 2005 GRAY 41673 Miles $21,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 50588 Miles $17,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 SILVER 74009 Miles $14,900
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 76809 Miles $12,100

Also, $12,100 is the lowest price ever sold for an STS atleast one that did not need to be towed out of auction and is very rare so dont get all crazy thinking that your cars are not worth anything anymore. Once these cars fall out of warranty the prices do drop quite a bit since one repair could set someone back quite a few bucks with how computerized these cars are.

There is also alot of options that are not noted.. The one sold for $12,100 was originally a $58k MSRP Vehicle... My Personal STS was $67k MSRP so there are many options that are not on that vehicle that are on mine. I personally paid $28k for mine, Original dealer paid $24,700 (28k miles) at dealer auction and they paid almost $2400 to prep it for me, All new tires, new brakes, rotors, certified warranty (100k 6 Years), full detail etc. I did not mind allowing them to make $1000 or so profit to get the vehicle I exactly wanted with every possible option..

Damn, I would like to buy one at that price just to keep around for spare parts!

Had a 99 STS from @40K to 155K. Never took it to the dealer, changed the brakes and coolant, waterpump, and belt @100K. However, it was throwing codes from transmission to suspension etc, which would have been VERY expensive to fix. And it burned at least a quart of oil a month (a "feature" of agressive cross hatching of the 98-01's I believe) from the get go.

2005 STS purchased @20K has not burned a drop of oil. I am getting a check engine light since it doesn't like the fuel/air mixture (at least the computer doesn't) when it gets cold. Faster than an old corvette, very stealthlike on the road. Worse gas milage due to lower gearing. Did I say faster though!

They depreciate like rocks, keep checking Cars.com and get one with a 100k warranty.

CG

2005 STS's with around 30k to 40k miles go for around $20k+ at dealer auction.. They can also be had on ebay for around $22k if you take your time looking for a good clean deal.

Here is an example of a few from Yesterday's GM Dealer Auction where vette98guy bought his.. The one he bought had 76809 miles on it.

CADILLAC STS 2005 GRAY 41673 Miles $21,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 50588 Miles $17,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 SILVER 74009 Miles $14,900
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 76809 Miles $12,100

Also, $12,100 is the lowest price ever sold for an STS atleast one that did not need to be towed out of auction and is very rare so dont get all crazy thinking that your cars are not worth anything anymore. Once these cars fall out of warranty the prices do drop quite a bit since one repair could set someone back quite a few bucks with how computerized these cars are.

There is also alot of options that are not noted.. The one sold for $12,100 was originally a $58k MSRP Vehicle... My Personal STS was $67k MSRP so there are many options that are not on that vehicle that are on mine. I personally paid $28k for mine, Original dealer paid $24,700 (28k miles) at dealer auction and they paid almost $2400 to prep it for me, All new tires, new brakes, rotors, certified warranty (100k 6 Years), full detail etc. I did not mind allowing them to make $1000 or so profit to get the vehicle I exactly wanted with every possible option..


The only options that I see missing in my car are the HUD and Adaptive Cruise Control, otherwise I got every option for 12,100.

2005 STS's with around 30k to 40k miles go for around $20k+ at dealer auction.. They can also be had on ebay for around $22k if you take your time looking for a good clean deal.

Here is an example of a few from Yesterday's GM Dealer Auction where vette98guy bought his.. The one he bought had 76809 miles on it.

CADILLAC STS 2005 GRAY 41673 Miles $21,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 50588 Miles $17,200
CADILLAC STS 2005 SILVER 74009 Miles $14,900
CADILLAC STS 2005 BLACK 76809 Miles $12,100

Also, $12,100 is the lowest price ever sold for an STS atleast one that did not need to be towed out of auction and is very rare so dont get all crazy thinking that your cars are not worth anything anymore. Once these cars fall out of warranty the prices do drop quite a bit since one repair could set someone back quite a few bucks with how computerized these cars are.

There is also alot of options that are not noted.. The one sold for $12,100 was originally a $58k MSRP Vehicle... My Personal STS was $67k MSRP so there are many options that are not on that vehicle that are on mine. I personally paid $28k for mine, Original dealer paid $24,700 (28k miles) at dealer auction and they paid almost $2400 to prep it for me, All new tires, new brakes, rotors, certified warranty (100k 6 Years), full detail etc. I did not mind allowing them to make $1000 or so profit to get the vehicle I exactly wanted with every possible option..

Tomm,
What other options are there that you have that I don't, Im curious about the 8000.00 to 9000.00 difference.
Either I was robbed or You Were!!:)

Thanks

Tomm,
What other options are there that you have that I don't, Im curious about the 8000.00 to 9000.00 difference.
Either I was robbed or You Were!!:)

Thanks

Dont have the sticker saved for either vehicle so I cant tell you what all the differences are. I can say that I have an AWD, ACC w/HUD, Polished 18 Wheels, 1SG Premium Luxury Package, Xenon Lights, Parking Sensors, Auto High High Beam Control, Tire Pressure Monitors, Headlamp Washers... A bunch of stuff. Again without window stickers I can give you all the differences but there are definately differences.

Dont have the sticker saved for either vehicle so I cant tell you what all the differences are. I can say that I have an AWD, ACC w/HUD, Polished 18 Wheels, 1SG Premium Luxury Package, Xenon Lights, Parking Sensors, Auto High High Beam Control, Tire Pressure Monitors, Headlamp Washers... A bunch of stuff. Again without window stickers I can give you all the differences but there are definately differences.

Hi Tomm,
I guess the AWD adds alot, I have all the other options you mention except the acc and HUD, I think I have the sport/performance package (1SF) GM had a printout on the window and shows all the options. All in All My son is happy with what he got and so am I, I was prepared to spend alot more. Now my wife likes the car, so I guess Im going to get another one, Im hoping I can get it less than the 12,100.00
Take Care

Premium paint adds $1k Tuscany leather also adds anothe $1k

Just talked with a GM mechanic on those older superchargers. He told me that many fail because owners do not keep the oil filled in the supercharger. I asked him when they typically lose/use oil. He said around 24k miles. (That is why the blue books show a $3,000 drop in price on a 3 year old supercharged car.) He said that there is a plug somewhere on the supercharger, and you can 'shoot oil' in there when it needs it.

Interesting.

Malatu,

Your philosophy on cars is similar to mine.

I recently located an 03 STS with 25k miles on it, one owner, whose street was named after her. ($$ speak.) I wanted it badly, but I walked when I looked at some of the options on that car. e. g. special automated suspension. Steering col also had memory for individual drivers. Car was out of warranty, and I did not want to take a chance. On the other hand, my Caddy service mgr says those cars are rockets.

I have typically owned SDVs. Fantastic comfort. Less expensive on purchase than STS or SLS.

I currently own an 04 CTS with sport and lux package. Very quick, very reliable, but back seat rides like a VW. Then again, I usually drive from the front seat.

Just purchased a 95 Fleecewood Brougham with 17k miles. Fantastic ride. Repairs will be fairly inexpensive since it has old old technology. I bought this for nothing; as a result, I can afford repairs on this.

If I were you, I would visit a couple of gray-haired Caddy service mgrs and ask "what car should I stay away from?" If you approach them with a cup of coffee and a snack, they will be very honest.

In summary, DTS/DHS is quick and reliable. Not known for big problems as long as you stick with 2001 and newer.

CTS is a quick smaller car. Short wheelbase eliminates much of the ride of the DHS. Some CTSs have had rear end problems. (abuse??)

STS reliability is good, but certain options can be pricey when repairs are necessary.

1. Talk with service mgrs.
2. Buy car with GMPP.
3. In my opinion, stay away from aftermarket warranties, as the fine print sometimes creates problems.
4. Good luck.
5. If all else fails, Buicks are fantastic, but they are not Caddies.

Thanks. What do you mean my GMPP?

Thanks. What do you mean my GMPP?
GM Protection Plan... Usually this means GM Certified Vehile which will have a bumper to bumper 6yr/100,000 mile warranty.