Cadillac XLR

Price Paid:  $72000.00 from Budd Lake NJ

Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Cadillac XLR

Summary:
This car is very attractive with many nice features. The XLR is an electrical nightmare. 20% of the 5000 miles are from driving back and forth to the dealer to fix it. I have found out from attorneys that electrical and braking problems are common with this car. If you have one on order I would HIGHLY suggest you cancel the order. With that said, I actually like this car but General Motors needs to perfect it more because it is very touchy and, I believe, dangerous. My wife and I both had the Stabili-trac take over control of the vehicle ... mine while I was doing 70 MPH it "locked up" the brakes on the left side of the car. I was very fortunate not to crash the car. Other electrical glitches were: turning off the climate control on it's own, power window problems, key fob errors, cool seat malfunctions (actually they never fixed this yet), Navigation problems with function, car lockouts, trunk limiter switch (allows the top to come into the trunk) failures, and many sensors replaced.

Strengths:
car looks good and sounds good. The roof feature is nice.

Weaknesses:
This car should be longer and slightly wider. The interior is a little tight (I am 6 feet 180 lbs) The car needs a small back seat area for your briefcase or overnight bag. The trunk isn't too bad except when the roof is in it as would be expected.

Similar Products Used:
We tested the Lexus and thought it might be built better but it's ugly like a turtle. Reminds me of an old Porsche.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.62 of 5, 58.00 votes

Price Paid:  $76200.00 from eBay

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 XLR

Summary:
What a neat ride. The car is everything I could ask for. From its unique styling (a definite head turner) to the impeccable ride to the ample power, I am satisfied completely. One item that's not talked about much is the climate control. If you live in a hot location (Phoenix for me) you'll appreciate the 104F to 70F in about 5 minutes. I have only activated the AC in the seats once to experience the shear novelty. When on it feels like you spilled a soda in the lap. I have been in environments that went from 40 degrees to over 100 and never realized it as the cabin stayed at a consistent 76F the whole time. The ride is sporty with a nice firm consistent steering wheel. I simply cannot express in words the sensation of the driving experience going from a snowy hiway 95 to a clear interstate 40. Other than the purposely engineered-in road noise the car is like driving a simulator with 3D graphics passing by. If one were to buy one of these limited edition Caddy's make sure to drive it and not make it a trailer queen!

Strengths:
· Eye catching design * Well balanced between muscle car/cruiser/luxury car/sports car * computer controlled suspension keeps car from loosing control under extreme conditions. I've only seen it once traveling 95MPH. around a 55MPH curve. I didn't feel anything just a notice on the dash informing me "tight curve" * Sound system well balanced. * Lots of techno geek frills too numerous to mention yet anyone can get in and drive without complication.

Weaknesses:
* Squeaky brakes * wife complains the seat is uncomfortable after 4 hour drive * hard to keep 18" aluminum wheels clean * would probably look better with wider tires