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How old are you?

  • 40 or younger

    Votes: 96 37.9%
  • 41-60

    Votes: 99 39.1%
  • 61 or older

    Votes: 58 22.9%
24K views 140 replies 81 participants last post by  ralph1960 
#1 ·
I have only been on this board for a short while. But given the stereotype of DTS owners and the topics of discussion, I gather that despite the youth-bias of the internet, the average age here is a little on the high end. Anyone care to fess up? (Vote above.)

I'm just curious.
 
#2 ·
Being a Cadillac owner, and having also spent time in the trenches of new car sales with a Buick franchise some years ago, your assessment will undoubtedly be accurate. Both brands appeal to a more mature audience. It is simply the demographics for these vehicles. What will throw off your poll results though is what you have already observed. While I, at 52, like to monitor this forum, my 85 year old neighbors down the street, who also drive new DTS's are probably relaxing on the golf course, instead of reading this forum....and I wish I was with them, instead of sitting here in my office staring out the window.
 
#3 ·
I am 61. I have ALWAYS been drawn to luxury cars, even when I was age 21. My cars have included 2 Cadillacs - a deVille and a Sixty Special, 3 Lincolns, a Mark 7 and a Mark 8 and a Town Car, 1 Buick, an Electra 225 Custom and 10 (yes, ten) Imperials. 2 Crowns, and 8 LeBarons.

That's 16 of the 20 cars I owned, in 40 years. All were bought new. The other 4 were 3 Mustangs and a Gran Prix GTP Special Edition.
 
#6 ·
Im 27, my dad had an 88 caddy deville which i rebuilt, and ummm i just never thought any car is a car if its not a cadillac. ok a few but you have to admit in terms of luxury you get the greatest bang for your buck on a caddy. I rebuilt my dad's 88 (unfortunately with a 89' engine - not so smooth of a move 50kmiles so far with it) but I just picked up an 07 DTS. CTS are making an impact on your 40 and younger crowd, but a DTS spells cadillac more than the CTS and the STS. If you do your homework you can find great deals on pre-certified caddy's with low mileage which come out cheaper than a honda accord - so why wouldnt you get a caddy at that point - afraid of luxury?
 
#7 ·
I am 30 years young. My first car when I was 14 was a 1982 Seville...ok the 4.1 didn't last long, but I did have it for a short time. Currently own four Caddys...91 Fleetwood, 91 Sixty Special (for sale w/ under 19k on it), 93 Deville and a newly added 06 DTS. The 4.1 sucked...the 4.9's rock...and I'm warming up to the newer Northstars. Just can't get a nicer ride for the cash.
 
#10 ·
Is your 93 deVile a Coupe ?? Tell me about the 60 Special....
Hi Sandy! Sorry to inform you that the 93 is only a Sedan...a basic one at that...leather...yep, thats about it for options...pretty standard.

As for the 60...you already know her...she's the Cotillion over Ruby with under 19k on her. I am hoping to find a buyer for her that will take care of her and not use her as a daily driver. She was built exactly as I would have ordered other than missing the cold weather package...has everything else...ok, maybe I'd have ordered the Bose CD instead of Bose cassette...but actually in 91 I may have still wanted the cassette. Anyway, I need to sell her...at least that is my thought as of today...I could change my mind tomorrow. I want to sell her and yet I want to buy the 91 and 93 Fleet Coupes that have been posted over the last few days!!...whats wrong with me??? I think you and I are similar creatures Sandy!
 
#11 ·
Im 20, my first car when i was 17 was a 1994 Eldorado,

After owning that car just untill october of this year, i decided i would never own another brand of car besides Cadillac. I loved the luxury of the inside and the absolute comfort. I miss the 5.7L Northstar engine also! My new ride is a 2004 CTS:
which ive had my eye one since ive owned my first caddy. After several problems and much to many miles and accidents (non my fault) i decided it was time for a new vehicle. I traded the Eldorado in for a grand and put it toward my CTS. Cadillac is unbeatable in my book, no other car can come close. Cadillac For Life!
 
#12 ·
Like i said i am big cars all the way.My wife had a Lincoln Townie prior to her new car.You think you see Gray heads in a Caddy showroom a Lincoln showroom is like Sun city Arizona. I think Caddy should leave DTS big they have done well with the CTS and other cars to get people under 50 into showrooms.
 
#20 ·
I think Cadillac should leave the DTS big also---if it was big in the first place.It may "seem" big today as all luxury cars have been shrunk down compared to the giants of the past. The DTS/DHS is smaller inside and out compared to the previous generation Devilles.
I drove my aunts 2003 DHS yesterday---this generation Deville's interior room seats just 4 adults compared to the previous generations Devilles which seat 6 adults.
I own a mint condition 1995 Sedan Deville.After driving the '03 DHS, i immediately noticed the smaller interior space.I hope the next generation Luxury model Cadillac creates has more body length and can seat 6 adults again.
Even my generation Deville is a shrunk down version compared to the biggest Devilles Cadillac ever made-----but it looks big today as the others have been shrunk down even more.
 
#13 ·
I'm 28 years old & I ride a 2006 DTS. True, older generations are more inclined to drive vehicles such as the DTS than younger generations, but I think it all boils down to the character & personality of the person - not thier age. Not everyone can pull off being a Cadillac owner. I was the first person in my group of friends to buy a Cadi. I've sold cars for 3 years now, and after I sold mine to myself, I then sold Cadi's to 3 of my friends who are all in the same age group. As far as I go, I've always been into B-I-G cars. The first car I ever owned was a 1983 Lincoln Continental Mark VI, then a 1993 Buick Regal Custom & now my Cadi named Lita. Now that I have her, I know that I'll never drive another brand of car...:jedi:
 
#14 ·
I'm 18. At the auto show this year all my friends were making fun of me because they all flocked to the new CTS and I couldn't be pulled away from the DTS. I would much rather have an "old people car" than something new a sporty. I love the big, cushy feeling of my 88 Fleetwood.
 
#15 ·
We got our first Caddy 4 years ago, a 2000 Deville. I've always wanted one, my father was an Olds & Caddy mechanic for 45 years. Seems odd that we bought the 2000 at the Dodge dealer where the wife works. Just traded that one in for a 2006 black on black DTS. I've always driven an Olds, but FINALLY got the Caddy fever for good. At 53 I get stares from everybody cause my usuall outfit is jeans and a tee shirt.
 
#16 ·
I stumbled in here and thought i'd post. i just purchased a 2000 deville. if i had the funds to purchase a 2006 DTS believe me i would. I'm 32 and have loved cadillacs since i was a kid. I was into the fast imports as a twenty year old but found myself always wanted luxury and the only thing that came to mind was a Cadillac DeVille. I looked and looked for a decent priced DTS but could never talk the wife out of $24,000 lol. so i figured i'd start off cheaper with a $5000 DeVille. hopefully this will help her realize that i need a newer one! :thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
I stumbled in here and thought i'd post. i just purchased a 2000 deville. if i had the funds to purchase a 2006 DTS believe me i would. ......... hopefully this will help her realize that i need a newer one! :thumbsup:

Hey Curby,

Hang in there. You will get it.
They are GREAT cars. I love mine.
Performance Sedan
White Lightning with Shale interior.
Sunroof and Nav system. All options except Tuscany.

Texas Jim
 
#18 ·
I am 64, have owned 3 Corvettes and my first Cadillac was the best thing Cadillac ever built in my opinion. That was a 1997 Eldorado ETC. When it was time to trade it was obvious that the Eldo was on the way out as they weren't incorporationg any new technology into it. I have tolerated Deville DTS sedans and DTS performance level sedans ever since. I did have one SRX but hated the poor quality and was really pissed when they applied a 4 WD code fix that really chopped the 0-60 time on my V8 2WD and they couldn't back it off. Always understand any patches they want to apply to your vehicle as many are nothing more than work arounds and since there are no published vehicle performance standards anything Cadillac or any manufacturer designs is "normal operation".

Contrary to the initial premise, the Internet is not always the property of the young. I have been involved in computing and I/T since 1964 (back when you actually had to know how they worked) and ARPANET was just a dream. I have 6 systems running in my house and sometimes even manage to get one of my DVRs to do what I want it to do.
 
#30 ·
Texas Jim - it is hard to "tune" a normally aspirated engine for more power. If you can imagine, GM already has rows of dynos, fleets of vehicles, and armies of people whose only job is to tune the engine for maximum power and fuel efficiency. I doubt two guys in a garage can extract something those GM engineers haven't already figured out - even the claimed power increases by some of these tuners is well within the margin of error or engine-to-engine variation.

What usually happens is that tuners advance the spark a little more and dial back the knock sensitivity. Sometimes, they lean the mixture some. This is all to the detriment of reliability, of course, (usually, catalyst reliability) and all for a tiny amount of power that is barely perceptable. Alternatively, some tune to optimize for high-octane fuel over regular fuel, but our Northstars already handle that spectrum extremely well.

Bottom line: engine ECU tunes on Northstars, alone, are not likely to net anything perceptable.

On the other hand, I'd pay a lot for a different suspension tune (slightly stiffer springs and damping close to the Performance sedan on a curvy road) and a slightly throatier exhaust.
 
#33 ·
My first car at the age of 16 was a 1994 deville concours, it was champaign and had about 57k on it when i bought it. i had for 3 years then traded it in for a 2000 DTS white diamond with 55k and I currently have the car and has almost 142k on it, thats how much I love driving the DTS. Just recently I purchased a 2008 DTS white diamond LUX II package with 2k on it, car drives like butter, love it, by the way I am 22 years of age.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I am 70.
Just got my DTS on the last day of September.
Traded in a 2008 CTS with the DI 304HP engine and all options except AWD.
It was a great car....but it had a problem.
With a minimum of 3 gallons of gas in it. it "ran out of gas" in some hills in Pennsylvania.
GM either would not, or could not, fix it.
They even told me it could happen again.
Not me. Whether it's a cadillac or a nissan I require a car to be reliable.
I don't drive cars that could well leave me stranded in the mountains at night.

So I traded it.
The dealer was very generous and my car, with 11000 mile on it went to the auction in Tampa.

I love this car.
So far I have put thin whitewallls on it, chrome window trim pieces, SS wheel arches, chrome door handles, and tinted it with Formula one ceramic 35% all the way around.
 
#37 ·
I am 54, and have ALWAYS favored American Luxury Cars! The primary reasons were, the smooth ride,luxurious appointments,quietness,convenience options and advanced sound systems, and prestige! My first car that I bought with my own money was a Mercury Grand Marquis (at 18 years old!), but my favorite cars (until I bought my 2006 DTS) were a '78 (403 engine!), and '79 Olds Ninety Eight Regency bought at 23 and 24 yrs. old! The Poor Man's Caddy, is what we used to call the Electra 225 (Duece and a Quarter) and Olds 98 Regency models! I have always admired and respected cars that rode smoothly, and quietly, with room to stretch out, and plenty of cool and convenient options! When my Uncle came over with an Olds 98, and it had mirrors that folded down for back-seat riders, and foot-rests, with power windows/locks/and remote control outside Mirrors, it was all over for me! At the time, even though I didn't have my license yet, I knew that I would have one one day! When I turned 18, I started working for Chrysler, but we loved GM's luxury cars the most! I didn't think that I could afford a Cadillac, and it had so much prestige then, that it breaks my heart to see what has happened to the brand! I bought a 1981 Coupe Deville from my Dad, and KNEW that I had to have a newer Caddy of my own! You don't have to be OLD to prefer smoothness over a stiff,European, ride-quality to avoid a little body-lean on occasional curves and twisties! I ride on flat streets and freeways, most of the time! The import-biased Car Magazines, have misled the public into thinking that, going around a curves at the highest speed possible (wasting gas and wearing out your tires prematurely) doesn't even make sense! Nobody can tell ME what to like about my vehicle, that is based on MY preferences! Please GM, keep a V-8 in the DTS/STS replacement, and make it a REAL CADDY,but a modern one that doesn't wallow, yet is smooth,stylish and powerful! I LOVE MY Northstar V-8! Luxury cars need smooth,luxurious delivery of power, not sports-car type acceleration! My DTS has character, and a soul, a Lexus is an over-priced appliance, that gets praised for some of the same attributes that the DTS has! I don't feel ANY INFERIORITY, when I pull up to a Benz'/Lexus/BMW or anything else;the DTS does everything that I want a Luxury car to do!
 
#38 ·
Well said DTS Ike,

I too, never feel inferior to anyone when I am driving my DTS.
It is a great car. It is a Cadillac.

The DTS Performance Sedan, is the best long distance touring car I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot of good cars in my 64 years.

I recently had it Professionally Tuned, and now it is even better. :) :)
Better transmission shifting, better fuel mileage, more power and it RUNS better than it did.

A win all the way around.

Texas Jim
 
#39 · (Edited)
HEY TEXAS JIM, AND FELLOW DTS-LOVERS! I'M WONDERING, JUST WHAT DOES PERFORMANCE TUNING INVOLVE, AND WHO DOES IT? WOW! THAT SOUNDS REALLY COOL! You get more horsepower AND better milage? Does this give you a smoother idle, or does it run smoother at speed? So your car is faster,or quieter,or what? Sorry, I had my Caps lock on! IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING TO SAVE THESE GREAT CARS! WHAT GM HAS DONE TO THE BRAND RECENTLY, AND THE CTS, SPECIFICALLY, SHOWS WHAT GM CAN DO, WHEN IT MAKES UP ITS MIND AND IS FOCUSED. I AM A LITTLE EMBARrASSED, SINCE I WORK AT CHRYSLER (THEY TOOK THE DAMN HEMI'S TO MEXICO-I'M FOR Big Three/American-made!), but I have a 1999 300M, and neither it nor the 300C is equal the to a full-size Caddy! Somebody needs to mention that, the DTS is 207 in. long, and nearly matches cars 8 to 10 inches shorter in acceleration,braking, and handling while giving you room,comfort,smoothness,and luxury that they cannot touch:at $20,000 LESS!
 
#40 ·
HEY TEXAS JIM, AND FELLOW DTS-LOVERS! I'M WONDERING, JUST WHAT DOES PERFORMANCE TUNING INVOLVE, AND WHO DOES IT? WOW! THAT SOUNDS REALLY COOL! You get more horsepower AND better milage? Does this give you a smoother idle, or does it run smoother at speed? So your car is faster,or quieter,or what?

I have a 1999 300M, and neither it nor the 300C is equal the to a full-size Caddy! Somebody needs to mention that, the DTS is 207 in. long, and nearly matches cars 8 to 10 inches shorter in acceleration,braking, and handling while giving you room,comfort,smoothness,and luxury that they cannot touch:at $20,000 LESS!

I will try to answer all of your questions that I can.

First I will say.. I loved my DTS Performance Sedan before I had it tuned. I love it even MORE now. :)

The car is no quieter or smoother now when driving it.
All the tuning was on the engine and transmission.
It did NOT effect the smooth idle or how smooth the car runs.
The car idles so smooth that if you have the radio on...you need to look at the tach to see if it is running. :)

The Tuning took about an hour and a half and involved the guy plugging his laptop with the tuning software into the OBD port of the Cadillac and then riding with me and making changes to the cars computers as I drove the car.

We drove down the freeway for three or four miles for him to get a baseline on where to start.

Then for the next hour and a half...

He changed the advance curve and the maximum advance of the timing..
He did a lot of adjusting to the fuel tables...
He raised the transmission line pressure for better shifts...
He removed 75% of the torque management...
He raised the shift points from 6600 to 6800 RPM...
He raised the speed at which it would DOWNSHIFT back to a lower gear...
He raised the speed limiter from 123 mph to 150 mph.

In summary, the car is just as smooth and quite as it ever was but now it RUNS BETTER and is even MORE fun to drive. :)
And as an added benefit, on the trip I just made from Texas to Florida and back, it got around 2 mpg BETTER than usual.

I took it to the local 1/8th mile drag strip the other day and ran a best time of 10.01. I think it would have got into the 9's if it didn't have so much wheelspin and wheelhop coming off the line.

As to your comment about the handling... if you haven't driven a Performance Sedan...if you get a chance...DRIVE ONE.

With the Magnetic Ride Suspension, bigger wheels and tires and Four Channel StabiliTrac...it is pretty amazing what a big ole car, that weighs well over two tons can do. :) :)

There is a world of difference between them and the other DTS's if you like to drive...(how should I say this)...BRISKLY...and now that I have this one tuned even better than stock... It is GREAT. I love it. :) :) :) :)

Texas Jim
 
#43 ·
That was before the tune.
I have already spoken to Bruce... we are going to do it again..as soon as our schedules coincide. It will be interesting to see how it does now.

The big problem I have NOW is wheelhop and wheelspin. I have to learn how to control that.

Texas Jim
 
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