01-24-06, 01:07 PM
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 | Cadillac Owners Member Cadillac(s): None  | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Pensacola Age: 55 | |
| 2001-2003 Seville Review
I have been test driving used Seville STSs' and SLSs' for over 5 months now. My attempts to actually buy 4 have resulted in unsuccessful outcomes. I leave Sat the 28th of Jan '06 for Newark to try and purchase my 5th Seville, an '02 SLS, one owner, with every available option save XM. I paid SGS Automotive Inspection Services $99.50 to inspect, photgraph, and test drive the car for me. I have personally settled on the SLS for two primary reasons. The SLS gives a lot smoother ride and fuel economy is notiecably better. All models and years driven utilize 87 octane fuel. This review is a general overview of the 17 Cadillac Sevilles from 2001 to 2003 that I have test driven extensively to date. I was fortunate enough to have a one owner '02 SLS for 24hrs. This forum has been my 'Go To' source for information and contains a literal gold vault of experience that ALL should utilize when seeking knowledge. My overall experience with every Seville driven so far has been positive. Comfortable and supportive for my painful lower back with or without the Adaptive Seat Option. Powerful at all speeds in either the STS@300hp or SLS@275hp. Excellent braking with 4 wheel ABS disc brakes standard. Excellent sound from both the stock AC/Delco or Bose sound systems. I personally prefer the Bose programmed for the Front Seat. Excellent fuel economy in the 4 SLSs' I drove on the highway at 70mph with cruise. DIC showed 30.4 to 32mpg. The STSs' averaged 25.6 hwy. Safety was everywhere I looked in design, crumple zones, airbags, steel side rails on the doors, etc... Security was second to none with the PASS III Features making this car a low risk with my insurance. Paint job has been excellent no matter how many miles or how much abuse. The Cadillac paint job has to be the best of any GM product I have ever owned. My overall negative observations with 10 out of the 17 Sevilles driven was a front end vibration that began at about 65mph and continued up to the highest speed I experienced. Some of the cars had brand new tires, computer balances, alignments, and still vibrated at or above 65mph. This forum offers a lot more info on that common problem. Wet trunks in the spare tire area were another problem I found on half of the cars driven. Once again this problem is covered in this forum. Cadillac supposedly fixed the leaking trunk issue back in 2001 or 2002 but I can confirm some still leak. The wind noise from the A-Pillar area on half of the cars was noticeable. That's it. The OBDII feature allows me to look at all of the historical and present Fault Codes for the car and helps immensely with repairs when needed. As long as the owners had taken care of their Sevilles I found the cars to be luxurious, solid, safe, dependable, economical, and a sheer blast to drive...VERY POWERFUL!!! Fortunately for people like me the depreciation on these cars has been horrific. A bank exec ordered the car I am buying. He knew exactly what he wanted and paid $52,400 in Dec '01. He took care of his car and decided to sell when the car approached the magic 100K mile mark. I am paying $8,500 for the car and am willing the pay the price to complete the 100K service myself. Even though intenet shopping has its' pitfalls and risks I believe that with patience, persistence, Carfax, Cadillac Customer Service, and professional 2nd opinions and inspections, you can find your perfect Seville at the price you are willing to pay. IF you can find one still covered under the CPO 100K Warranty I recommend seriously considering that route. I have my own wrenches and plan on doing all of my own maintenance at home. Good Luck, JP
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