Review: 1999 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 04:41 PM

I've always like the 1992-02 Eldorados. Beautifiul cars, specially the 96-02 ETC's. I found a '99 Eldorado Touring Coupe for sale in my area, at a dealer I was familar with, so I decided to go check it out today!

Exterior Design: 9/10.
The Eldorado is a very handsome car in my opinion. Strong, yet elegant lines, very masculine and somewhat aggressive and athletic, although the Mark VIII is much more aggressive and athletic looking, especially the 93-96 models..

Interior Design: 9/10.
Beautifiul interior. Great dashboard design, nice looking and comfortable seats, and I love the real Zebrano Wood Trim..it all feels and looks like something you'd pay $45,000 for. The "nuance" leather is especially good for something from GM. It's a vast improvement over the leather used in Cadillacs like mine.. Otherwise, all the materials feel nice to the touch and have aged well. I didn't sit in the backseat, but I'm sure it had a decent amount of room. Compared to my '92 deVille, there isn't as much room inside. The beltline is higher, which means you don't have as much glass to look out of, and you feel like you're sitting "in" the car more, it could make one feel claustrophobic too. I'm only 5'6", so fore and aft visibility was horrible for me. I can't tell where the hood ends unless I put my seat all the way up, which means my head is really close to the roof. Thankfully, there was a rear spoiler, which made it MUCH easier to back this out of a parking spot.

Seating: 8/10.
Like I said earlier, I didn't sit in the rears, but the fronts were pretty damn good. It had pretty good ass support, but was still pretty cushy. As for the backrests, they were firmer than the bottom, but still pretty comfortable. And the seat heaters worked excellent! I turned them on right as I started the car, and within 3 minutes they were hot!

Engine: 6/10.
To be perfectly honest, the 300hp L37 Northstar didn't meet my expectations, I was expecting more in the way of top end power. I nailed it at 60 and it didn't feel all that much quicker than my 4.9, not to say that the L37 isn't fast, it is, but it's not the god like motor that some make it out to be, I honestly think the '98 deVille I drove a while back was faster when I'd nail it from 60MPH. That one jumped from 60-80, this one took about 2-3 seconds to get from 60-70..not impressed. I nailed it from a stop, and it was able to spin the tires at about 35 mph, which I thought was cool, but the only way to get to that power is by winding it all the way out, which isn't my cup of tea. I like lots of accessible, low end power. So obviously, if I was to ever get a Northstar Cadillac, it would be a LD8 275hp version. I really liked that motor in the '95 Eldorado I drove, it seemed like it had ~50 more horsepower than the LD8 motor.

Transmission: 9/10.
Like all of the 4T GM trannys, this one is smooth shifting, yet firm when it has to be, and it never has to hunt around for the right gear, and it wastes no time getting to that gear.

Steering: 7/10.
Not significantly tighter than the steering on my '92 deVille, nor did it have much more road feel. I expected more feedback in Cadillac's sport coupe. It made me feel unnerving going down an entrance ramp with lots of acceleration, kind of like the car was gonna slide off the road and roll over into the ditch, which brings me to my next point..

Suspension: 7.5/10.
This car is tuned too soft for aggressive driving purposes. If you get in it hard going down a curvy road, the car starts to float slightly which is really, really unnerving. Now granted, it doesn't float as bad as '92 Brougham, but it's no "canyon carver". But if you drive it more normally, it's fine. It's got an awesome ride for a sport coupe though, as good as my '92 deVille, if not smoother on the interstate. It would make for an awesome road trip car.

Radio: 9/10
Brilliant Bose stereo, great crisp sounds and all the amenities you'd ever need. I didn't listen to it very much though..

Electronic Goodies: 9/10
It's got everything I like in a car. Trip computer, full instrumentation, power everything, heated seats, etc etc. A winner!

Overall, 83/100.
I'd like to own an Eldorado, just one with the 275hp Northstar. And maybe I would like a 93-97 Seville more, but I don't like how the SLS, the only one with the 275hp Northstar, has the hood ornament. I don't like hood ornaments on those Sevilles...

Intro Movie:
http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...oMovie-ETC.flv

0-55 run:
http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...55run99ETC.flv

Review, in traffic jam:
http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...cjamreview.flv

CadillacSTS2003 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 04:48 PM

damn
thats how much i payed for my 97 ETC with 20K less on the clock 2 years ago
does have the monochromatic which i love
my 2nd fav Eldo rims (my fav are the collectors series rims)
crimson pearl my FAV color

but was she a Z?

i drove a 99 and a 00 and both were alot laggin by compairson to 93-97 Eldos for some reason especailly the 00+ those ones were much slower

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #3 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 04:52 PM

This car was optioned very nicely.

It had the optional sunroof and safety security package, which included the electronic compass mirror and three channel garage door opener, and the aftermarket spoiler, which I really like. Crimson is my favorite color on these Eldorados, and it is a gorgeous color, and I loved the cappuccino cream leather interior.

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #4 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 04:57 PM

Some more pics...

If I do get an Eldorado, it will be a '93-'97 Eldorado, not an ETC, and most likely a '93-95. From progressive.com, insurance for me on a '98 Eldorado is $4600 a year, on a '93 Eldorado, it's like $2100. Now granted, the interior isn't as nice on the 93-95's, but when you're saving $2500 a year on insurance, the interior can be purple for all I care!

Between that '95 Eldorado, and this '99 ETC, both were the same colors and approx the same mileage, I'll take the '95 anyday, just because the LD8 has much more usable power..

And I'm not sure if that '99 was a Z rated model, I didn't check. The Z rating isn't a big deal to me.

JRau · #5 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 05:02 PM

Pretty car, love the moonroof! Nice review.

JRau in central Iowa

CadillacSTS2003 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 05:05 PM

i like the older interiors more actually
i wanted a 02 ECS (collectors series) but no way i could afford it
then a 95 ETC or STS obd1 yet had the 300 hp as apposed to the 295 hp had a perfect fit for a dbl din screen hu
then a 97 ETC or STS obd2 is its only drawback along with weird radio design makes dbl din very difficult

96 is a flip flop year and it doesnt have stabilitrack along with smaller rear brakes from 97 so 96 wasnt a nice year by compairison

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #7 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 05:07 PM

God I sound like Mr Mackee in the last movie!

mmmmmmmmmmmk

CadillacSTS2003 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 06:11 PM

lol
all imho

CadillacGurl · #9 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 06:30 PM

Haha in the first movie you weren't wearing your seatbelt

But then again I'm being a smart ass coz you weren't moving.

The ETC looks nice I can understand why Jay likes the wood grain inside, looks very elegant. I dunno about the spoiler though, but it can grow on me. Crimson red looks nice but I'm more a black caddy girl. Other than that, its a good find!

PS: You gotta brush up on your movie skills bro.

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #10 (**permalink**) 11-06-06, 07:34 PM

Can this be moved back to the lounge? I never meant it as a review like I wrote up on my deVille. I meant it as sort of a quick "test drive" road test, like I did with the '98 Concours, 77 Town Car, 84 deVille, and many more. Those are all still in the lounge..