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97K views 61 replies 15 participants last post by  ryannel2003 
#1 ·
The Cadillac Seville represents everything that is great in America. This car will get you noticed, and that is a good thing. If you’re the type of person who can overlook small things like a slightly cheap interior, less than excellent build quality, and the sticker price, well this is the car for you. Driving a Seville STS will have people turning heads, looking at the car over and over. It will be catching stares from people while you’re washing it in the driveway. It represents power, prestige, and the sense that you’ve made it. Sure, you can get a Lexus, but when have you ever caught yourself staring and dreaming about a Lexus? Exactly, you haven’t. The Seville is a different type of animal, and it’s the type that I love.

The specific model I’m talking about is the 2000 Seville STS. Sure, you can get the cheaper and plusher Seville SLS, but you’re basically getting a Deville in re-organized packaging. When you say, “Yeah I just picked up a Cadillac STS” people instantly know what I’m talking about. Try saying the same thing, only say Cadillac SLS. It doesn’t work; people seem confused. Still, regardless of what model you pick up, this car is an excellent value on the used car market. Take my “new” Seville STS for example. My car is a ’00 STS with 54k miles; Sterling Silver w/ Pewter interior. Fully loaded, only missing the Navigation system and sunroof. The sticker for this car brand new easily topped $52k. However, I just picked up this clean example complete with new head gaskets, water pump and motor mount for only $10,700. Yes, this 8-year-old car only cost me $10,700. Amazing, and that’s only the beginning.

Cadillac was on the emergence of a great renaissance when this car was introduced in late 1997. Not only was this car a huge improvement over the already great model it replaced, it was a huge hit with automotive journalists alike. Sales, on the other hand, dropped almost 11k units in the 1998 model year. Why you ask? Price. The base price for a ’98 SLS was almost $43,000 while the STS went for a staggering $46,000. This might sound reasonable to a Cadillac loyalist, but this car was up against some stiff competition. BMW had it’s excellent new for ’97 5-series, Lexus had its ultra refined GS400, and Mercedes had it’s super elegant E-Series. Suffice to say, sales floundered and the car went out of production in 2004 to make way for the brand new STS (minus the Seville moniker). However, there are Seville loyalists (like myself) who think this is the best modern Cadillac yet. Sure, there are a few downsides to owning this car, but they are worth accepting.

I have to say, this is the most beautiful and elegant looking sedan to ever come out of Detroit. Hell, it may be one of the best looking cars ever put into production. Sure, the new CTS and STS are impressive efforts, but none of them do it for me like the Seville STS. The car is perfectly executed, from the front grille to the rear taillights and everything in between. Cadillac was at its absolute highest from a design standpoint when this car was put into production, and there are few cars that “do it” for me like the Seville does. It turns me on, no matter where I see one or what kind of mood I’m in. I swear, I think I have a Seville monitor in my head, because I can always spot one coming down the road. The car looks stunning in Crimson Red, a lighter shade of burgundy, Sable Black, which is just badass. White Diamond is typical Cadillac, typically elegant. Sterling Silver is very clean, sophisticated, and sexy. Another of my favorite is Polo Green, an extremely rare color that looks black from a distance. The other colors are no match for the body of the Seville, and just dull the cars look. The ’98-’01 Seville SLS have a plain silver colored grille, ugly plastic molding on the bottom, and cheap wheels that look out of place on a car of this caliber. Starting in 2001, you could order a “STS Appearance Package” which added a body colored grille, 16” 7-spoke chrome wheels, body color appearance molding, among other things. This package became standard in 2003; the STS pretty much stayed the same throughout its 5-year run, with the exception of 2001 when Cadillac offered a STS Sport Package, which offered larger 17” 6 spoke wheels and other accessories. In 2002, both SLS and STS models left behind the old Cadillac logo in favor of the new “Art & Science” logo first introduced on the CTS. Other than this few appearance changes, there was nothing to distinguish the cars year to year. Only true Seville loyalists could spot these changes.

The interior of the Seville has its ups and downs, very unlike the exterior. At first glance, the car looks of the highest caliber, using exquisite leathers, high-end gauge clusters, smart controls, and beautiful wood trim. Unfortunately, this is quickly downplayed when looking closer. The headliner is made of a cheap, mouse like material found in Chevrolet’s, the plastics used on the door jams and around the console area is GM Corporate, which means of the lowest caliber. You can pull the A-pillar material off with one hand, and the weather-stripping around the door needs to be reattached on several occasions. However, none of this really matters to me. If I would have paid $53k for the car brand new, yeah I would have been disappointed with the materials. However, I’m not complaining one bit at $10k. Another thing I’m not complaining about is the features. Damn, this car really brings a new meaning to the phrase “fully loaded”. Power leather memory seats, Bose 425 watt sound system, 6-disc CD changer, and optional navigation system. Sure, most modern cars have self parking assistance, lane change warning and other useless crap you don’t need, but for a late 90’s car the Seville has everything a person would want. I’m personally the most fond of the Bose stereo, which I have still not found a suitable match for. Even the new STS with its 15-speaker system still can’t match the Seville for sound quality. This blows the competition away of the same area, with the exception being the LS400’s Nakamichi sound system. However, you might not need the Bose system at all…

…You might instead be listening to the Cadillac Northstar V8. Yes, the engine that practically saved Cadillac in the early 90’s is installed beneath the bonnet of this sexy machine. All 300 horses are driven through the front wheels, and it’s probably one of the best exhaust notes this side of a Ferrari or Porsche. The car has a typical V8 snarl when being started up, but it really shines when you floor it. You can get some serious trouble when driving this car. Most Seville’s never have the chance to be driven hard, since they are owned by old ladies driving to church. For this single reason, is why most people experience problems with the Northstar engine. The engine is extremely reliable if well maintained. The key to a strong running Northstar is changing the coolant. GM recommends the Dex-Cool get changed every 5-years/150k miles; I wouldn’t go by this, I would get it done every 3-years/48k miles. This way, you don’t have to worry about the engine blowing a head gasket. Also doing regular WOT (Wide Open Throttle; a.k.a mash that bitch to the floor) will help keep all the carbon deposits cleaned out. Do those few things (along with changing the oil of course) and you should be able to get 200k or more miles out of the Seville and its Northstar.

Ok you’ve heard me ramble on about the seductive styling, nicely laid out interior, and powerful engine, so how does it drive? Well, what do you think? It’s a Cadillac, so it has a smooth ride that soaks up the bumps like no other. It’s not super soft like the Deville, but no overly hard like the CTS. The ride motions are well controlled, and the handling is superb for such a heavy FWD sedan. It takes the corners with ease, and there is little understeer to be detected. However, if you want BMW handling this isn’t your car. The car does have a little more body roll than your average sports luxury sedan, but it isn’t anything 90% of people complain about. It feels confident throughout the ride, and the only hint of torque steer is when mashing the accelerator when exiting a corner. Overall, I give it a 7.5/10. In late 2002, Cadillac introduced the Magneride suspension for the Seville STS (and to be introduced on the 50th Anniversary Corvette) and was a marvel if anything. It uses a special fluid to adjust shock rates depending on the road. From what I have read, handling was largely improved and finding a late example ’03 STS is the best deal on the luxury market today. I haven’t had a chance to drive a Magneride equipped car, but I hope to in the near future.

The Cadillac Seville STS represents the best value on the used luxury car market today. Modern styling, loads of electronic goodies, powerful Northstar engine, great handling, and a low price makes the car the best of the best. You can find plenty of low mileage, good conditioned cars for under $10k. The ’03 STS w/ Navigation, Sunroof, and around 40k miles will set you back a very reasonable $15k. Not a bad deal for a car that stickered for near $60k when it was put to sleep. Now, I have an assignment for you: find a low mileage Lexus GS400, BMW 540i, or Mercedes E420 w/50k miles for under $14k. Might be a little harder than you think…
 
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#54 ·
The past couple of months have been tough on the Seville. It has needed quite alot of expensive work done and it's getting to the point where I can't afford to own it anymore with me going to school and working part time.

Around October of last year my A/C started acting funny. It would loose Freon at rate of a 1lb every couple of months. The driver's side would start to become warm and gradually the A/C just didn't cool the car at all. I had it at the dealership several times for this problem and it was finally fixed last week. The A/C line that goes from the compressor to the accumulator was leaking freon. My tech thought it was going to be the evaporator so I was lucky to escape that. However while he was working on the A/C I was informed that one of my radiator side tanks had a small crack in and it had started leaking coolant. Well that was unexpected but $500 later I had a whole new radiator. My left CV joint was busted and it's going to need replacing in the near future. I had two blown Bose speakers that I replaced as well. My motor mount busted in early January and was replaced along with two new front tires.

All in all I have spent around $1500 in the past 3 months on the car and it's only March. At this point I have the car listed for sale because I'm worried about what is going to happen next. I haven't had many calls on it but I hopefully somebody would like to own a really clean Cadillac. If I get lowballed or don't get what I ask, I'm going to keep it and just see what else comes along. If anybody is interested in the car, PM me. I'm trying to get $6750 for it but I am open for offers. 85k miles. All original records and always serviced at Cadillac dealer. I'm the 2nd owner of it. Sterling Silver w/ Pewter leather interior. Thanks.
 
#55 ·
I traded in my POS 2000 STS the end of January. Got to where it wouldn't even start. The battery was fine, I think it was in the ignition switch. It also needed all new brakes, rotors, etc. It started to have a leak somewhere. I said screw it. Traded it in the end of January and bought a Buick!! Good luck to you on selling yours.
 
#56 ·
Ryan, if your STS is pretty much sorted out by now, you may consider riding it out.
Many people on this very forum have a rash of expensive repairs, and then go for long periods
of time with just gas and oil, nothing more.
It would be a shame if someone picked up your car, then drove it free of repairs thanks to your service diligence.
 
#57 ·
I probably am going to ride it out because if you think about it... for the price you pay for one of these what else could you find with 1/2 the luxury, comfort, power, or style? Not a damn thing. At this point the car is behaving... I do need a CV shaft and I have a annoying, but not killer clunk/rattle coming from the from of the car that I need to get looked at but otherwise a good running Cadillac.

Plus I haven't had any calls on the car and I figure it's not a hot sell because these cars are on the market for next to nothing and there are plenty to choose from. I doubt somebody would find one as clean as mine with the service history but you really couldn't ask for a cleaner car. If it starts giving me more expensive problems I'm going to have to let it go.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Yikes... I have been dithering between another LS400 or STS lately and was pretty close to pulling the trigger on a pristine 2003 STS at a dealer in Georgia if I could score it for 7k. Its sable black and still has some of the 100k warranty left somehow.

However, after reading through all 4 pages of this thread, IF I end up getting anything (and its likely I won't as the Jeep is fine) I think I'm squarely in the LS400 camp again. It is amazing how much car those are for such a small amount of money... just like the Seville. As an auto enthusiast the very principle of a Lexus makes me sick, but the LS400 in particular from 1998-2000 is an absolutely amazing engineering marvel... even more-so as time goes on than the years that came after. Lexus' "W140" if you will.
 
#59 ·
A few months ago I just about sold the Seville. I was sick of dealing with the constant worry of a looming $500 repair, the annoying rattles that emitted through the cabin, the suspension that started getting soft and weak, and the motor that seemed like it was going to break any day.

Then I realized I'm driving a 10 1/2 year old luxury sedan... it's not perfect. It has its flaws but they aren't terrible. The car is still (in my eyes) absolutely stunning. The paint still gleams like showroom new; the interior still smells factory fresh and it still drives smooth and comfortably. I'm completely OCD about the car, but I've really toned that down in the past few months. Since getting all of those expensive repairs done this past March the car hasn't been giving me much trouble at all. The only issue I did have was the motor mount that completely broke in half, no thanks to my lead foot. Pissed that I was faced with another $200 repair bill, I rushed the car on craigslist and had a few people interested with the price set at $5250. I could have sold the car and had cash in my hand, but once I started rationally thinking about it I knew I was making a mistake. I know that I will never be satisfied to drive anything else but a Cadillac for the rest of my life, and I quickly took the car off and continued to drive it. Turns out, my motor mount was covered under warranty and I didn't pay a cent.

The car continues to amaze me with it's cleanly sculpted body that never ages, an interior that still looks fresh and is comfortable yet ergonomic, and a powerplant that thrills while providing great gas mileage and a exhaust note that would rival any sports car. I love my Seville STS very much, and it has provided me with 2 years of great service. I'm not gonna lie... I've driven the car hard. It has had a few hiccups along the way yet it never ceases to give up. It still needs a few bits and pieces but otherwise I'm happy with how my ownership has turned out with it so far. When it dies, I'm going to find the lowest mileage '03 STS I can find. The newer RWD STS doesn't give me a similar satisfaction that Seville provides. The Seville STS is the perfect Cadillac, and the perfect car for me.
 
#60 ·
Haven't updated this thread in nearly 4 months so I'm gonna give a quick update on the car. It's definitely been behaving itself within the last few months; nothing really new or interesting has gone wrong. Within the last few months my 3rd LED brake light has nearly gone out however. Only a small segment is left that works; no biggie, I found a nice replacement from an '02 SLS on eBay for $85 and I plan on picking that up soon. Car is gonna need a new set of tires soon, and I asked my parents to get me a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4's to cure the vibrations and improve the handling. The car is closing in on 100k miles and you can start to feel things getting "worn out". I still need to replace the CV joint but it's only started clicking a little bit. Brakes and rotors will need to be done soon as well, and I would love to replace the control arms and start getting a few suspension parts out of the way. I'm gonna keep these struts going as long as possible before I replace them, and when I do so I will go the active Monroe route.

The car is still as comfortable, powerful, elegant, cleanly sculpted and thrilling as the day I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. It pisses me off, but ehh it's like having a wife. On the days it doesn't bitch, it's a truly great automobile.
 
#61 ·
My daily routine is pretty much the same. Get out of bed, throw some clothes on, brush my teeth, put my contacts in, and head out the door. I don't know why but everytime I walk out the door and see the STS, it just puts this smile on my face. Even after nearly 3 years of owning the car, I don't grow tired of it. Maybe that's because it's such a good looking car. Maybe it's because I'm constantly worried about what might go wrong next, but one thing is for sure: I really do love this car.

In June it will have been 3 years since I owned the car, and to be honest it has been behaving itself very nicely since I sunk $2000 into the car last year. Of course the car isn't perfect and needs a good $2000 worth of work to make it great, but for right now it's doing a good job. As of today she is off the road, but not for long. Coming back home last night I heard this terrible rubbing noise coming from the front... but I knew my problem. The brake pads were completely worn down; now I know this car is intelligent enough to tell me I need to change my brake pads, but I've been ignoring the fact it has to be done. In fact, I've been ignoring the car for the past 6 months. Of course I change my oil and rotate my tires, but otherwise the car has been neglected. The front windshield has a large crack I have yet to take care of, the rear suspension is sitting a little bit low and needs new air shocks, and the brakes have been bad for 6 months. However, I realized that once I stopped trying to make this damn car perfect... it's been great.

Once I got home last night it was too late the check the rotors, but this morning I got a glimpse of them... and they are toast. To be completely honest, they are 11 years old and they needed replacement anyway so I'm not too upset about the loss. Since the car is not suitable to drive, I decided to take this time and do some TLC. The dash pad has come out and is going to be re-glued. I tackled this project around 2 years ago but I didn't put glue all the way around the edges and the places where I didn't have been coming up for 6 months. I'm also going to take this time and steam clean the carpet and condition the seats. They aren't in bad shape, but the seats could really use a good clean, along with the carpet. Once that's done (along with the brakes and dash) i'm going to start saving up for the 3rd LED brake light, which shouldn't be to difficult to find and replace.

However this summer I'm going to start doing more drastic things with the car, starting in the rear. I'm going to find a new "used" low mileage set of air shocks and have those installed, along with new rear air lines. Once that's finished, I'm going to move up front and buy some Monroe active suspension parts and control arms. If I have to replace tie-rod's I'll do that as well. The windshield will also be replaced around this time, and once all of that is done I plan on driving it and being happy. It won't be perfect, but it will most likely have 110k miles on it by summer and I plan on making the cleanest, best running 100k+ mile Seville on the road.

Plus, it makes me smile when I walk out the door. I can't say that about any other car I've come in contact with.
 
#62 ·
As I approach the 3 1/2 year mark with my Seville, things seem to be quite good to be honest. Sure the car isn't perfect and at this point it never will be but my journey with the Seville has been a good one compared to some of the horror stories I have read about these vehicles. In the past year I've had new Michelin HydroEdge tires installed, the oil changed a few times, a new cv axle installed, new air filter, a throttle body and fuel injector cleaning done... and that's it. The car has behaved itself quite well over the past 6 months which is awesome. As a college student this is not the ideal car to be driving and at some point I'm going to have to spend some money on it, but otherwise it's getting me from Point A to Point B in comfort and without any fault. I have a box with two control arms ready to be installed, and I'm ordering a new transmission mount and 3rd brake light this week. On Thursday I'm having the front bumper painted due to a previously bad job, and sometime soon I'd love to be able to get new shocks and struts installed, even though the old ones aren't too bad (the rears do leak a little though).
 
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