2000 Cadillac DeVille

So there we are. We just bought a new (to us) Cadillac DeVille in a proclaimed "excellent" condition from a dealer. Of course, we had to sign this apparently innocent "NO WARRANTY" waiver. One might think: "Now what in the world is that..." Well, the mileage is consistent with its age, about 80,000 miles. The price is around $11,000. But hey! How come the price is so low? Oh, you did not know? Well than listen up.
Cadillac came up with a completely restored DeVille for 2000. Indeed a great improvement from a wallowing gas swilling older versions. The car was overall closer to the luxurious sedans from Europe and Japan. Well closer, yet far away from it.
When you first sit in the Cadillac, you will notice its monstrosity. It is more spacious than a top of the line of Mercedes, the S-class. I must flatter the suspension, I have driven all Audi A8, BMW7, Mercedes S, Lexus LS430. Cadillac has the most bump-wallowing style like a boat flowing over swells. The price of DeVille is significantly lower than of the others ($45,000 compared to the lowest price of Audi at $65,000)
However, that is all I can praise. The exterior, however pretty (depends on the individual's taste) it might look, the relatively lower cost manufacture starts to show. The grille in the front of the car tends to fade away and change colors. If you have even a minor scratch on the body, this will spark immediate rusting. The car's chassis suffers from rusting greatly.
For the interior, the most unfortunate feature GMC gave Deville was a very cheap looking dash board. The center console is made of plastic, which does not fit tightly and flimsy buttons are embedded in this plastic. The car's interior overall can not be compared to such vehicles as Lexus or Mercedes by any means.
The engine produces fair power and get about 22miles per gallon (mpg). The transmission has only 4 gears and the acceleration, especially at particular speeds in between gears, suffer greatly.
But the most important factor in deciding whether to get a nice shining DeVille from a old lady is whether you are ready to pay more or not - for inevitable service. DeVilles are notorious for air pressure pump defects (for rear air suspension), problems with transmission, hubs, shocks, inter-coolers... the list is long. And the price of labor at Cadillac is just about as high as Mercedes. Fair enough, right? Beware, a seemingly innocent silent noise from the back of the car (air pump) and a very rare gear slipping out (common trans problem) will cost you another $4,000. You are now looking at $15,000.
Overall, DeVille is a great patriotic car for a good price. But every price is set by the market - and the market economy doesn't lie. The more you pay, the more you get. From a DeVille expect a great ride, with above average luxury at high cost of maintenance.

So there we are. We just bought a new (to us) Cadillac DeVille in a proclaimed "excellent" condition from a dealer. Of course, we had to sign this apparently innocent "NO WARRANTY" waiver. One might think: "Now what in the world is that..." Well, the mileage is consistent with its age, about 80,000 miles. The price is around $11,000. But hey! How come the price is so low? Oh, you did not know? Well than listen up.
Cadillac came up with a completely restored DeVille for 2000. Indeed a great improvement from a wallowing gas swilling older versions. The car was overall closer to the luxurious sedans from Europe and Japan. Well closer, yet far away from it.
When you first sit in the Cadillac, you will notice its monstrosity. It is more spacious than a top of the line of Mercedes, the S-class. I must flatter the suspension, I have driven all Audi A8, BMW7, Mercedes S, Lexus LS430. Cadillac has the most bump-wallowing style like a boat flowing over swells. The price of DeVille is significantly lower than of the others ($45,000 compared to the lowest price of Audi at $65,000)
However, that is all I can praise. The exterior, however pretty (depends on the individual's taste) it might look, the relatively lower cost manufacture starts to show. The grille in the front of the car tends to fade away and change colors. If you have even a minor scratch on the body, this will spark immediate rusting. The car's chassis suffers from rusting greatly.
For the interior, the most unfortunate feature GMC gave Deville was a very cheap looking dash board. The center console is made of plastic, which does not fit tightly and flimsy buttons are embedded in this plastic. The car's interior overall can not be compared to such vehicles as Lexus or Mercedes by any means.
The engine produces fair power and get about 22miles per gallon (mpg). The transmission has only 4 gears and the acceleration, especially at particular speeds in between gears, suffer greatly.
But the most important factor in deciding whether to get a nice shining DeVille from a old lady is whether you are ready to pay more or not - for inevitable service. DeVilles are notorious for air pressure pump defects (for rear air suspension), problems with transmission, hubs, shocks, inter-coolers... the list is long. And the price of labor at Cadillac is just about as high as Mercedes. Fair enough, right? Beware, a seemingly innocent silent noise from the back of the car (air pump) and a very rare gear slipping out (common trans problem) will cost you another $4,000. You are now looking at $15,000.
Overall, DeVille is a great patriotic car for a good price. But every price is set by the market - and the market economy doesn't lie. The more you pay, the more you get. From a DeVille expect a great ride, with above average luxury at high cost of maintenance.