2001 cadillac seville review
Used Luxury Shootout! 1992 Cadillac STS vs. 1998 Cadillac STS
The famed Spanish conurbation of Seville carries a prominent motto proudly prod upon it by its inhabitants. "NO8DO"; a play on words that essentially translates to "The Municipality has not abandoned me." A folklore reference to the big apple's unfailing support of King Alphonse X in a 13th Century war with his son, Don Sancho.
Folklore then, which would seem undoubtedly fitting in our very first luxury car (or any car) comparo at Haddaway Cars. Notably when you consider that the newer vehicle in this point of agreement, which carries the name-sake of this very continental conurbation, is six entire model years and one whole start newer than the one which pre-dates it. Thus it could quite accurately be described as the older car's heir or even downright off-spring given the strikingly equivalent profiles both vehicles carry (an straightforward effort by the General to not mess with prosperity).
However, appearances aside, there are a great many differences between this "dad and son" duo that might even lead one to believe that the "older is wiser" mantra may not be foot off the mark. Find out who wins this epic struggle after the jump.
The 1992 Cadillac Seville was an important and groundbreaking automobile for GM and strikingly for the then ailing Cadillac division. It had to be. The General had been seeing a staid decline in the sales of its flagship Caddy ever since bean counters and economoists converted what was once a big, graceful statement of American exhilaration into nothing more than what appeared to be a stylized attempt at a mid-area Buick knockoff. This was the first time that Cadillac found itself in a worm to return to the lofty "Standard of the Fabulous" status it had so recklessly abandoned throughout the 1980s.
Whether or not this car vaulted Cadillac back to its former throne is certainly up for weigh, but you'd have been hard-pressed to find a single automotive brochure in 1992 that wasn't bowled over by the all-new Seville's professedly endless bag of goodies. The sheetmetal was hanker, sleek and almost European in its execution (not surprising making allowance for GM had fully intended to market this car there), the all-new inward was plush, airy and full of every technological convenience one could have by any chance fathomed (and a few you probably didn't). Chrome, which was typically festooned on every outside the naked eye could possibly see, was all but thrown asunder and replaced by a muted yet lustrous combination of warm hues, self-indulgent Zebrano wood trim and color-keyed fight buttons.
Instrumentation was yet another of the Seville's strongest points. A thorough-going dash housed a binnacle that contained the unwritten analog speedo, tach, oil press and battery gauges. In addition to these however; there was also a optimistic green multi-segment vacuum FL pageant that ran along the bottom which displayed everything from coolant temperature (in severe 1 degree increments), to a nifty "Oil Modulate Index", a predecessor of the oil life sentinel which later became common-place in most GM vehicles across the area. To the left of this binnacle the driver would find an very likely accessible set of controls for a small fully working trip-computer display, while a similar stretch mirrored on the right, contained a full salutations of climate control features. One of the earliest keyless-entr systems was also available on the Seville, along with a Delco-Bose "Gold" Hi-Fi audio system with both Cassette and Small Disc players built-in to the headunit for convenience.
Power in the first year came by way of the then commonplace Cadillac identified with 4.9L OHV V8, which actually had its roots in the crotchet once known as the HT-4100, subsequently reworked through two generations to the sharp end that it had become a reliable workhorse capable of a tubby 200HP and an equally serious bag of torque. This machine was enough to move the Seville with authority, but in an effort to give the Europeans a veritable dose of their own medicine, was quickly replaced in 1993 with Cadillac's newest mechanism innovation of the time; the all-aluminum Northstar 4.6L DOHC V8 pushing almost 300 ponies. The luxury-tuned SLS unstable later received a more docile rendition of this engine making 275HP.
Seville had in all honesty become a magnificent automobile. So magnificent in-fait accompli, that the basic aesthetics of the '92 car continued through an utterly new generation nearly 6 years later when the end 1997 models rolled off the contract with. Would this new contender remain the torch-bearer in a period where competition across the board had only further stiffened since the introduction of the '92?
The 1998 Cadillac Seville was introduced to virtually as much fanfare (and similar expectations) as its forefather, and with good reason. The previous era had been nearly an overnight success for Cadillac, hurriedly becoming a favorite of both automotive enthusiasts and the motoring prod alike. Wisely, Cadillac engineers chose an advance to the new car that involved merely improving what had already proven to be such a first formula before.
Still powered by the now-ubiquitous Northstar powerplant, the Seville remained ready in two distinct flavors with two different power levels. The STS remained at 300HP, while the SLS also continued with its 275HP rating. Discontinuing tuning was revised for each model, and the electronic stagger absorbers now sported Cadillac's trick CVRSS, or Continuously Varying Road Sensing Suspension technology. CVRSS was gifted to monitor road surface changes with surprising bowl along and accuracy, and adjust damping rates to redress accordingly. It's a package that delivers a rigid yet compliant ride, that never gets too body; or too wallowy. Connected to all this suspension wizardry are 4 Annulus Anti-Lock brakes now controlled by a further improved times of GM's strikingly effective StabiliTrak soundness and traction control system.
Up front, the headlights have been replaced with crystal-lens halogen projector low beams and improved sort high-beam units. The accustomed Seville rear-end remains, with a bright full-ultimately LED CHMSL (Center High Mounted Over Lamp) unit adorning the compass above the now slightly larger brake, parking, and signal alight assemblies.
Inside, the changes are more shocking. All-new seating now affords the option of handle for the front seat passengers, and seat heating for all 4 outboard room positions front AND rear. STS is upgraded to perforated seats and door panels. The break is now all-new as well, yet retains the same overall layout that made the above car such a crowd-pleaser. In place of the touchstone analog gauges in the old car, there are now a set of larger, brighter and most assuredly stunning electroluminescent units that toil a cool white glow over the driver. This reduces sluggishness and increases the over-all legibility of the gauges when coupled with the new profound-red indicator needles. The same text splash remains underneath the gauge parade-ground, however it now serves double duty as a trip computer as well, and the coolant temperature is now skim via a traditional gauge and needle in the Nautical port-most position of the gauge cluster. Feel controls have also been moved to a more traditional place just below the audio system and dual-zone adjustments are paradigm in both SLS and STS trims.
Perhaps one of the most impressive and note-meriting updates to the '98 model is the audibly entertaining Bose "4.0" hi-fi system, optional in the SLS and pattern in the STS. With a full 425W of power on tap, and an 11 inch Subwoofer segment sitting atop the rear-deck, the Cadillac becomes more concert-auditorium than automotive conveyance. It's one of the few systems I've ever sampled that is so thoughtfully designed, that even an aftermarket into snob would have difficulty trashing it for a set of "execute the trunk" subs and door components. The headunit now contains a genus of DSP (digital signal processing) settings that contrasting most systems so labeled, actually impart a usable improvement to the listening means if you so desire. This entire setup also utilizes a stigmatize-new speaker technology that essentially "flattens" the complete driver into a wafer of the space that a standard "basket" style speaker would. This allows for a greater flexibleness of component placement and improved inclusive soundstage as a result. To-date, this system is not convenient in any other Cadillac or GM product and really shows off the complex prowess that has been endowed over the Seville.
It all dovetails into a containerize that is well-worthy of the flagship status the Seville has garnered in the Cadillac diagonal-up over the years, but does this make it ameliorate than its predecessor? The answer to that question depends without exception on when it's being asked.
Had we been approached 10 years ago with this outline, we would have given you a questionable look and declared the '98 car the hands down conquering hero in every meaningful way. One quick jaunt down your favorite elongate of domestic Autobahn quickly proves that the discontinuing and powertrain refinements in the new car result in an incredibly Euro-inspired driving see, while the interior coddles with all the luxuries of the day. The '92 on the other give out is more of a throwback to the original Caddy legacy with its somewhat less controlled handling and undeniable difference in power (although it still manages to outshine anything Cadillac had ever produced up to that call). However, at Haddaway Cars our focus lies as much in the useful use of a vehicle on the used market, as it does in the newness of any of the latest and greatest. After all, most of us purchase our favorite automobiles many years after we initially mow down in love...
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