You've owned both, Sal. Since I have the Fleetwood as a recent point of reference, please give me your impressions and comparisons:

Ride quality?

Seat comfort?

Quietness?

Handling?

I test-drove a pre-Northstar Eldorado about nine years ago and I can't really remember much about it. I just remember that I wasn't all that impressed with it. I'm thinking a 1999+ ETC might be a different story, though.

Oh, boy.. I'm going to have fun doing this little comparison.. Ride quality? Well.. The ride quality is definitely smoother on the Fleetwood. Not that the Eldorado was harsh or anything. Oh, keep in mind that I had the ETC - which I believe had a stiffer suspension.. Still, it rode like a Cadillac should.. It held the road better, too..

Seat comfort? I've never felt a seat like the Fleetwood Brougham. Even the Lincoln Town Car Cartier of the same year had a hard seat in comparison. But, the Eldorado had the second most comfortable seat I've ever sat in... Very soft and plush...

Quietness? It was quieter than my Fleetwood Brougham. I didn't have any wind noise in the cabin. But the engine - when you hit it - forget about it! It's loud and very, very mean.. If you've never heard the Northstar roar, it's very impressive. :)

Handling? Well, I already mentioned that.. It doesn't handle anything like a BMW, but it's not bad. The Fleetwood Brougham feels a BIT unsafe when you think about avoiding an accident.. I didn't feel that way with the Eldorado..

The inside of the Eldorado is a little more comforting.. The '95 is the first good option if you want a fairly new model - because the exterior is almost identical through 2002.. The interior changed for the better in '96.. It's just WAY more "Today" than the Fleetwood.. Some kids got in my car a few weeks ago and said, "Wow, this car is old!".. I didn't feel to great about that.. The ETC, with it's cool-looking chrome rims and aggressive stance, is probably a better choice..

Oh.. The way Traction Control works ALONE is a good reason to choose the Northstar.. And the POWER is really impressive... Go for the ETC.. I know you'll love it... But don't forget the reliability of the Fleetwood.. There's a lot less to go wrong with it... I guess it's a hard call. But like so many here say, if the car was maintained, it should be fine..



You've owned both, Sal. Since I have the Fleetwood as a recent point of reference, please give me your impressions and comparisons:

Ride quality?

Seat comfort?

Quietness?

Handling?

I test-drove a pre-Northstar Eldorado about nine years ago and I can't really remember much about it. I just remember that I wasn't all that impressed with it. I'm thinking a 1999+ ETC might be a different story, though.

Thanks, Sal.

I just re-read my 4-page thread from a few months ago when I was considering that big black Fleetwood. I wish I could've bought that thing and stuck it in the barn. Someday...

Anyway, there's a white Eldo for sale around here with all the chrome and vogue tires. It looks pretty good and I'm going to consider it for a while.

http://photostore.automark.net/dealerphotos/26521/1403a_4488945.jpg

That's got the Biarritz package. I saw one at my local dealer and wasn't too crazy about it. Personally, I don't like the half vinyl top on the Eldorado - or the whitewall tires.. The Eldorado, to me, is perfect without these aftermarket addons.. But - that's just me. There's surely a huge amount of people out there that love these things - hense, the Biarritz. :)

is that an ETC or ESC?

Elvis, that eldo there has been molested!!!! Get rid of all that extra crap and it would be golden...

Not a huge fan of white..... I just dont like it for some reason, I like dark colors....

That's White Diamond (pearl white). :)

I like Sal's old Eldo better than that one.

I don't like the chrome on the wheel wells. I do like the vinyl top, and I like the Biarritz chrome trim running up the hood toward the front.

I'm not real crazy about Vogue tires either, but this car has 40,000 miles on it and it's probably due for a change anyway.

I think this one's an ESC, and I would prefer an ETC. I'm not ready to do anything for a while, but this car's been on the lot since October. It may stay there a while longer.

I like the Biarritz chrome trim running up the hood toward the front.
That is the only thing I like on that car.

I kinda like that chrome strip as well. It says, "Biarritz".

The ETC and ESC are both really nice. I don't think it's too big a deal to have one over the other. The ETC is geared a little higher and has 25 extra horsepower or so (damn, I forget) - but I doubt it makes all that much of a difference.

The ESC engine (275hp model) has more torque than the 300 model.... You honestly wouldnt be able to feel the 5 ft/lb difference, and you would hardly be able to feel the 25 HP difference..... The difference you would feel if any would be in the gearing (final drive)......

Right. The 373's (or Cadillac's version of it) is found in the ETC.. I think the ESC had around 323...

So Sal, would you get a Fleetwood again, or would you get another Eldorado? I think the interiors in them look pretty new, but then again most do when you're used to the classic interior of my Cadillac :p

I didn't even know they had a Biarritz for those ones. What does it really look like from the side? From that angle those vogues really don't do much for it. The vinyl roof also looks.... different :disappoin

It looks perfect for a pimp. Just add a continental kit and a Rolls Royce grille and as elwesso says it would be..... GOLDEN!! :golden: :histeric: :vomit:

Would I get a Fleetwood again? I don't know.. It's hard to say. I love my car. It's very comfortable and there's just something very commanding about it! I do love it. But it doesn't look nearly as nice as the Eldorado - which is also very comfortable.. If it weren't for all the high-tech stuff in the ETC, I'd probably take IT over my Fleetwood. But the Fleetwood doesn't make me worry...

If I were to buy one brand new with a 100,000 mile warranty, I'd take the Eldorado... But keep in mind that the Fleetwood hasn't been around since '96.. If it were around today, it would probably be my most-wanted automobile.. It wouldn't look so dated - especially on the inside...

It wouldn't look so dated - especially on the inside...
I think a big factor in making the Fleetwood interior look 'dated', besides the very fake wood trim, is the color choice.

The only color I saw that didn't look like a warn out '80's GM interior was black. I think it's because all the black components seem to match each other. The other colors had way, way to much variation from interior part to part for my taste.

Shouldn't this thread be some where else anyway? :confused:

Q: Is the suspension any different between the ESC and ETC?

Q: Aren't there a whole lot more creature comforts in the ETC?

The suspensions are different, the ETC is a bit stiffer for handling, ESC is for more comfort

The ETC does have a few more features, but nothing significant... Basically some features are standard that are options on the ETC... On the 95 the only big idfference is like wood trim and stuff like that......