Cadillac Eldorado

Price Paid:  $45000.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 ETC

Summary:
I had wanted a Cadillac Elodorado for several years, but was wary of purchasing a used one due to the potential cost and frequency of repairs. However, thanks to a good job promotion and 0% financing, I jumped off the fence at my 40th birthday and bought one of the last new Eldorados for sale in the Washington DC area. I have since accumulated 22,000 miles with no failures. The only issues I've had are (1) that even slight wheel imbalance or asymmetry spoils what would be a glassy highway demeanor, and (2) the brake rotors needed turning at 18,000 miles--but then, I'm very atuned to such things. Oil consumption is nil; I use Mobil-1 synthetic, always wait for the idle RPM to settle after starting, and baby the car the first few miles as it warms up. In summary, although I am eating a lot of depreciation, I'm thoroughly enjoying my Eldorado and hope that Cadillac reintroduces the model as a cross between this version (size, comfort, presence) and the new CTS-V (world-class performance and handling). Now THAT would be an Eldorado to lust for!

Strengths:
"American" styling, especially the tail; refinement and thrust of the Northstar; smooth ride on most surfaces; surprising agility--like another reviewer here, I've dispatched a few "Fast & Furiuos" wannabees and, last weekend, left the obnoxious driver of a BMW Z-3 in the dust on a winding country road (I autocrossed for several years and have some track experience...don't judge a driver by his/her car! :)

Weaknesses:
The CVRSS system/suspension tuning is a bit weird, with more head toss than I would expect (the ESC is much smoother than the ETC, however); torque steer at full throttle is a bit undignified; the brakes are sub-par, even for what is essentially an early 90's design: anyone have experience with upgrades, e.g., cross-drilled rotors/stronger calipers?

Similar Products Used:
Previous cars: 1974 Licoln Town Car; 1979 Ford Fiesta; 1979 VW Scirroco; 1980 International Scout-II; 1984 VW GTI; 1990 Taurus SHO; 1995 Dodge Sebring; 1996 Plymouth Voyager; 2000 Camaro Z-28 convertible...I just like cars! Similar cars driven: 1974 Ford Elite; 1979 Eldorado; 1999 Toyota Avalon; 2002 Infinity J30; 2002/3 Lincoln LS and Town Car; 2004 Buick LaSabre.