HOT..."half-price" Cadillac STS

[drti]

CADILLAC STS, AURORA, LESABRE, PARK AVENUE & BONNEVILLE are built assemble from the same plan, they have the same platform - well, almost- . many parts share, some even have the same engine.

 

[straubs]

<< Honda S2000 is not any thing else but a Honda yes they american sports can go fast in a straight line but through in a curve the SUCK this is the S***
With a 240 hp engine that screams rapidly up to a 9000 rpm redline and 50/50 weight distribution, the S2000 is an invitation to get friendly with traffic court judges. The choice of fat 16" Bridgestone S-02 tires is an excellent one since they stick like rubber cement to all types of pavement yet offer good wear and excellent foul weather handling.

Even on the most challenging and rippling roads, there was almost no twist or shake in the structure. Although open, the body is highly rigid and complies with Honda's strict front and semi-side impact crash test specifications which exceed all current legal regulations. This is due to an X-configuration frame that departs from the norm in being situated at midriff height at the top of the center console rather than at the lowest level of the structure. Thus the strongest part is in the center of the body/chassis and ties to the top of the suspension mounts without bends and curves. Not only is it stiff but weight conscious.

At 2809 pounds, the S2000 is lighter than almost any car on the market and that aids the performance. This is especially remarkable since the S2000 is not a performance stripper, including all the power convenience items like electric top and air conditioning. The older sports cars we all hold as reference examples were lacking over 3000 lbs. in safety, emission and convenience items that are expected or required on modern cars. >>




Those of you that like the S2000 need to learn about something called TORQUE. The S2000 has virtually none. You want to get 240hp and sub 5 sec 0-60 times? You have to drop the clutch at that screaming 9000 RPM to do it! Do you have any idea what this is like for the life of the clutch? If you've ever even driven a manual, or do currently, try dropping the clutch at the redline and imaging that at 9000 RPM. Motor Trend said that if you "drive it like you hate it" you can get that sub 5 sec 0-60. And you know what? They did a test WITHOUT dropping the clutch at the redline and the 0-60 time was like 9 seconds. That's slower than your mom's 4-door sedan.

Some perfomance car! You just have to beat the sh*t out of to get any... doh! I can think of a lot better things to do with 30k than beat the snot out of it.

 

[HKS]

Alright, just to finally clear up the landrover thing... Freelander is NOT a Ford, since it was designed in 1997 by BMW's team.


http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Cara...1/February/200102_preview_2002_freelander.xml

 

[SLEEPER5555]

<< Those of you that like the S2000 need to learn about something called TORQUE. The S2000 has virtually none. You want to get 240hp and sub 5 sec 0-60 times? You have to drop the clutch at that screaming 9000 RPM to do it! Do you have any idea what this is like for the life of the clutch? If you've ever even driven a manual, or do currently, try dropping the clutch at the redline and imaging that at 9000 RPM. Motor Trend said that if you "drive it like you hate it" you can get that sub 5 sec 0-60. And you know what? They did a test WITHOUT dropping the clutch at the redline and the 0-60 time was like 9 seconds. That's slower than your mom's 4-door sedan.

Some perfomance car! You just have to beat the sh*t out of to get any... doh! I can think of a lot better things to do with 30k than beat the snot out of it. >>



I know i said i was done cause this was way off topic but i gota make this last post then i am done ! But yes the S2000 has no torque I am not sure if it is really that slow (9 seconds) If so a dodge neon will beat it (neon sport 7.x) Alot of people do not understand that 240 hp is impressive from a 2.4 litre but only if it produced real torque! Dodge has a new engine next year V8 hemi 345ci 5.7l and it produces 345hp but it also has some real torque because it is a V8 with some real size to it (initally to be used for trucks but there is some word that it may be used in cars, including the 300N) Anyway my point of this post was to say that I have a friend who has a S2000 and the engine blew at only 10,000 miles (luckily honda is replacing it for free) but this has been a major pain for him and he has regretted buying the car. ok now lets stop this off topic!

 

[straubs]

Ok, so this is really off topic, but I managed to find the exact quote from www.MotorTrend.com instead of looking through my mags.

"It only took the S2000 5.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, and it did the quarter mile in 14.2 at 98.1."

"The S2000 numbers came after launching at 8000 rpm (producing little tire spin) and shifting at 8300. On one run, we launched and hifted at 5500; the 0-60 time rose to more than 11 seconds. Herein lies the car's biggest problem: Most people will never drive in the best rpm range (7000 to 8500), shifting too early. Our advice is to treat the S2000 like you hate it and you'll get the most out of it. "


11 seconds! My V6 redlines at 5500. That's a helluva speed to rev up to at every stop light in order to go faster than your average minivan!
Some sports car...

 

[Vette73]

Sorry but for the same money I will take a Conv. Z28. But this is the last year of the F-Bodies, of course will make it a better classic car later.

 

[soltrain]

kinda random, but i just have to say it

GO GET A SUPRA!

I want a supra so bad.... for about $30k you could easily get a used one, get a post 93 for the nice new curved body look.
mmmm...twin turbo....

 

[RobsTV]

<< no caddy is a chevy, >>



(Following taken from link below)
Cadillac has never really recovered from the Cimarron fiasco, and still thinks that badge engineering
will work with cars like the Catera (a rebadged Opel) and the Escalade (a re-priced GMC Tahoe Denali).

"Cimarron, a pimped out Cavalier available at your local dealership..."

VOTED 8th worst car of the century at CarTalk.com.

If you think Caddys are a car of there own, not even close.

Caddy needed a replacement joke when they stopped using 350 Oldsmobile gas engines that were
converted into diesels. At least they do enable a lot of people to make a good living. In the late '80's
I would buy up the caddy diesels, swap in an old's 350 $50 gas engine, and resell for a tidy profit.
My buddy went on to be head caddy mechanic, and makes most of his money replacing crankshaft
bearings and camshafts in milkshake motors. Don't forget the famous 4100 that would rust out from
the inside, along the back of engine, rendering it a paper weight.

 

[jrichrds]

<< I feel part sharing is one thing but selling a toyota (edit i meant to say camry sorry) as a lexus es300 and adding $10,000.00 to the price is just wrong as are the idiots who pay it! >>



Stop repeating the same, old tired comments from 10 years ago and step into the current times. The '02 ES has moved much more upscale vs. the Camry. While I prefer the front-end styling of the Camry better, the interior of the ES is much more luxurious than the Camry. It's quieter, the leather quality is far superior (in line with the LS430), all internal materials are superior, the audio system (in both standard and upgraded) is superior, and there are numerous performance and luxury features on the ES (both standard and optional) that aren't found on the Camry line. I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that. The ES is now considered to be a "baby LS" in terms of luxury.

I have relatives who own both, and I've sat in and driven both. You'd have to do the same to know the difference. It's obvious most of the inane comments are made without any first-hand knowledge of the new models.

For those in southern California who can put a price tag on self-image, the ES is the preferred choice. This is exacerbated by the fact that the Camry is one of the most boring family cars available (which doesn't make it a bad car by any means.)

While the Camry will likely continue to hold that #1 spot in the car sales ranking, the ES is easily leading the luxury segment in sales.

The ES was able to move further upscale in luxury thanks to the intro of the IS a couple years ago. Now, all that it needs is a power boost, which will be seen a few years down the road.

The '02 Camry is a great car too, much better than the previous generations. And the addition of the SE model makes it a tad less boring.

 

[JamesSki]

If you think Caddys are a car of there own, not even close

ok rob, so what chevys are the Sevilles and Devilles " upgrades" of?
Dont confuse 80's engineering with todays. These new Cadillacs are flat out great cars. To quote an edmunds.com article ( from memory, so probably not exact but it holds the point)....

" The Cadillac Northstar / Transmission combo is not only the best available in the U.S., its world class and is as good as anything out there"

Quite a different quote then your cimarron one....but then again its almost 20 years (?) later................

 

[GnatGoSplat]

There are no Chevy's sharing the Cadillac platform, but Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and Opel do.
Seville/Eldorado is an E-body and Deville is a K-body (longer wheelbase E-body).

 

[targg]

Like that saying, if it looks too good to be true...

A clean used car with < 10k miles on it, 99.9% of the time was badly damaged or stolen and messed up. A brand dealer would always, always, always retain a low mileage car in good to excellent condition. I would bet that the vast majority of these vehicles with the low miles, if well inspected, would show that they've had a fire, crash or vandalism and been repaired. Not a bad thing if they did a good job. Hint: most of these refurbers dont do a good job, just good enough to make it look good. I guess you'd have to ask yourself "Exactly how many people would buy a $50-60k car, drive it 3k or 8k miles, then trade it or sell it for $20k or $30k, with room for this dealer to add 2-3k for his profit and have it be a like-new vehicle?". Answer: Zero

The cars with higher mileage, particularly the ones noting "just came off lease" are a similar story. They came off lease alright, except the owner returned the car in awful condition. Think a bunch of dents, major carpet staining, dog jumping around on the seats for 3 years, changed the oil every 20,000 miles, used it as a four-wheel-drive except its a honda car, etc. You get the idea. The dealership who leased the car will then invoke the fine print clauses half the car leasers dont read and charge him a bazillion dollars in reconditioning fees. They then put that money in their pocket and drop the car on a wholesale refurbisher (like this company might be...if someone knows them and they're just the sales conduit, well...). The refurber fixes it up (bondo, some new carpet and seats, a few oil changes with some fastflush in them and a big can of gunk to keep the valves from rattling until after YOU change the oil, spray some tarry undercoating over the scraped undercarriage parts, etc).

Of course, nothing is assured when buying a used car. You're still better off buying one private sale, at least the average joe doesnt know how to fool a competent mechanic/appraiser. For a few hundred or thousand dollars, a pro can make a piece of crap you wouldnt sit in, let alone drive, look like a brand new car. Until you change the oil. Or that first really warm day comes up and you start wondering "whats that smell?" or you take it to the dealer for a repair to a warranty item and he says "sorry charlie, this car has been smashed up and the transmission problem you're having is a result of that...".

Didnt want to rain on the parade, just wanted people to keep their heads up.

 

[S13SilviaK]

Targg -

Where did you get all this from? That is the longest running bunch of B.S. I've ever seen. THe most likely reason they ar eable to get rid of these cars, and why the Caddy dealers don't want them is quite simple, Caddies don't sell...they aren't a top selling car and the last thing a dealer wants is to try and figure out how to sell a used/leased caddy. The refurbisher/wholesaler you want to bash is obviously well known for selling used Caddy's therefore people in the market for a used Caddy will come to them looking for a good deal. The dealer get's rid of unwanted inventory and the wholesaler continues to stay in the used car business.

On top of that a car that has less than 10k on the odo. was most likely a early lease return or a repo. Especially with the current stock market problems and the economy I can definately see a bunch of senior citizens having to turn in there brand new caddy's for an older model just to be able to afford the payments. Also, the clientel who buys a caddy doesn't drive very much or often, a friedn of my fathers just recently got rid of here '86 Olds that had only 22k original miles. She used the car 3 times a week to drive less than 8 miles roundtrip.

So before you start spouting off a bunch of B.S. you'd better have some solid proof to back it up.

 

[Jwyatt]

While acura's are on the subject. My ex bose bout a new acura. not sure what the model was, but its the one that looks like an accord. Well a girl bout an accord about 2 weeks later. My boss was sighted on several occasions trying to get into her car. they were the exact same color and same color interior. I rode him like a broke mule about the acura/honda thing. That might be part of the reason i dont work there anymore

 

[gtd2000]

<< For a few hundred or thousand dollars, a pro can make a piece of crap you wouldnt sit in, let alone drive, look like a brand new car. >>



I did that many years ago with a Hyundai Pony (Excel in the USA) I bought a 6 year old (1986) model for GBP240 (US$340) which was owned by a farmers son. I think he used it to move farm animals and the like around in it!

Anyway I ripped the complete interior out including the carpets etc and used a pressure washer on them. 24 hrs later when everything was dry again it was all re-installed. It looked and smelled like new - well maybe not new but very fresh Bought a couple of items from the local breakers yard and the car was in very good shape. I think my total investment including purchase price was around US$500.

Used the car for 30,000 miles and then sold it for GBP800 (US$1120) - it was totally reliable too! The guy that bought it (for his son) was over the moon with the condition of it etc

 

[SLEEPER5555]

<< While acura's are on the subject. My ex bose bout a new acura. not sure what the model was, but its the one that looks like an accord. Well a girl bout an accord about 2 weeks later. My boss was sighted on several occasions trying to get into her car. they were the exact same color and same color interior. I rode him like a broke mule about the acura/honda thing. That might be part of the reason i dont work there anymore >>



LOL

 

[SLEEPER5555]

<<

<< For a few hundred or thousand dollars, a pro can make a piece of crap you wouldnt sit in, let alone drive, look like a brand new car. >>



I did that many years ago with a Hyundai Pony (Excel in the USA) I bought a 6 year old (1986) model for GBP240 (US$340) which was owned by a farmers son. I think he used it to move farm animals and the like around in it!

Anyway I ripped the complete interior out including the carpets etc and used a pressure washer on them. 24 hrs later when everything was dry again it was all re-installed. It looked and smelled like new - well maybe not new but very fresh Bought a couple of items from the local breakers yard and the car was in very good shape. I think my total investment including purchase price was around US$500.

Used the car for 30,000 miles and then sold it for GBP800 (US$1120) - it was totally reliable too! The guy that bought it (for his son) was over the moon with the condition of it etc >>



That is great! I hear these types of stories all the time and I must say, I would like to do this also, maybe my next car will be a used car i can sink a few into and drive it into the ground than sell for what i paid for it or more!

 

[gtd2000]

There are still many bargains to be found - but personally I find the prices of used "Imported" cars in the USA to be quite ridiculous.
You pay the same price for a used Korean car as you would for a used Japanese car back home over here.

I looked at many very "dishonest" cars before finding my Nissan 240SX SE which would appear to be an "honest" car. Of course it's never going to be a "bargain" I just got a decent car in good shape for the regular price. I'll not be making anything on this one I am sure

I think here in the USA you really need to goto car auctions to get a real deal - garages are full of overpriced poorly repaired stock from what I have seen. And of course most of it just comes straight from the auction anyway...

I prefer buying privately though.

 

[MowSow]

Where is the hot deal !? who would pay any money for a piece of crap caddy !?
every year you will loose $10K of your money in depreciation. Not to mention the many trips you have to make to the dealer to fix the endless problems you will have with the cheap technology they use on these cars.
You want a luxury car stick with Lexus, Infinity or Acura ... you want a descent car just get a Toyota, Nissan or Honda.
You want to spend extra money, just for the prestige, get a BMW, or Benz, not that they are any better the Jap cars.
Just stay away from anything that is so cold American cars. I wish America will start making quality cars as they did in the 50s, and 60s ...everything went downhill from that time, profit over quality.

 

[Cfour]

<< Uh, can you say Acura RL? that would romp all over this any day.. price, performance, reliability. >>



Heh, the only category the acura will come close in is reliablity, because it wont touch the 300 HP Northstar...

Also, our '93 caddy has 120k on it with no major repairs (alternator on warranty, regular tune-ups). Great build quality, ride quality, and the features that are on these cars would allow me to buy a Caddy over an Acura any day..

Before you speak, get the facts straight.

Tony

 

[gtd2000]

Actually I've had a notion to buy an American V8 also. Mainly for the sound and the torque.

It is way too expensive to run a "gas guzzler" back in the UK but over here it wouldn't be nearly as bad.

Ideally, it would be a left hand drive version of Mad Max's "Interceptor"

Are US cars really built as bad as some of the stories you read about?

 

[BooneRebel]

<< Where is the hot deal !? who would pay any money for a piece of crap caddy !?
every year you will loose $10K of your money in depreciation. Not to mention the many trips you have to make to the dealer to fix the endless problems you will have with the cheap technology they use on these cars.
You want a luxury car stick with Lexus, Infinity or Acura ... you want a descent car just get a Toyota, Nissan or Honda.
You want to spend extra money, just for the prestige, get a BMW, or Benz, not that they are any better the Jap cars.
Just stay away from anything that is so cold American cars. I wish America will start making quality cars as they did in the 50s, and 60s ...everything went downhill from that time, profit over quality. >>



Let me take a wild guess here: You're not an adult, are you?


Here is the 'hot deal' for you, spelled out two different ways: 1. You have the option of paying retail $55,000 for a new STS, or purchase one that is only two years old for $27,000.00. 2. Since the average retail of a 2000 STS is $31,800, you can save over $4000 by buying the one listed here.

OK, let's compare the two vehicles most frequently discussed here, the Cadillac STS and the Acura RL. After the massive depreciation hit you take driving either vehicle off of the car lot, neither the Cadillac nor the Acura 'loose' (lose) $10K per year in value. In fact, over a two year comparison between 2000 and 1998, the Acura loses $9875 in value while the Cadillac only drops $9075. Hmmm, seems like the Acura depreciates -more- than the Cadillac, doesn't it? Your so cold (called) American car retains it's value better than the descent (decent) Acura. Time to check your facts (and your spelling!).

nadaguides

Used Car Consumer Pricing 1992 to 2001

SEVILLE-V8 - Front Wheel Drive STS
Average Retail 2000 $31,800
Average Retail 1999 $26,725
Average Retail 1998 $22,725
A difference of $9075

Acura RL-V6 - Front Wheel Drive

Average Retail 2000 $31,800
Average Retail 1999 $27,625
Average Retail 1998 $21,925
A difference of $9875

 

[steevo]

Used car prices are NOT Hot Deals..Too many variables.
Damn half the adds in a Friday edition of NY Newsday could be posted here using this threads poor logic.
Average retail prices, NADA prices, wholesale average,etc.. have no relevance to a true deal hunter anyway..It all BS.

 

[gunf1ghter]

<< You want to spend extra money, just for the prestige, get a BMW, or Benz, not that they are any better the Jap cars >>



Wow, you've never driven a BMW have you?

 

[FrankRizzo]

How much can I get on ebay for my Yugo?