Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 Seek and Ye shall find. Part Two.

Good advice.

Does this look like a Cadillac, or what?

I think that it does, even down to the tiny fins formed by the tail lights. 

This is the last of the FWD sedans, the XTS. It replaced the DTS. The DTS replaced the final DeVille series. With the end of the DTS, Cadillac finally said goodbye to the NorthStar engine. This engine was much maligned, but when it debuted in the early '90's, it started a whole new era for American luxury cars. 

I had a '94 Seville STS, only three years old at the time. It was beautiful, and it ran like a scalded dog. That Seville was a beauty, the design was clean and aggressive, and it was completely American. It was my then current dream car and I got to own it. For some reason, the fact that it was FWD became a real problem with the buff books, as the German cars were all RWD. FWD which had once been the hot set up, now it became passe. Relegated to econo boxes! 

This is the last movie in which Stallone 
still looked like Stallone. If it's good enough for Sly...

Well, I can tell you that it handled just fine on any highway you could choose. Yes, it did not feel like a RWD car when you really hung it out, but it could still go around curves pretty well. Have you ever seen the Stallone movie "Get Carter?" Ol' Sly is driving a black Cadillac STS and gets into a chase with an old Jaguar XJ6. That Seville hangs the rear out in an amazing manner.

This STS is the next model after mine.

I actually thought that the 2000-2005 Deville looked pretty good. It now shared the same platform as the Seville. It was now only 207.6 inches in length. This model shed almost all of the traditional DeVille styling details except the egg crate grille. The square headlamps, slanted roof line, and square tail lamps gave it a kind of anonymous vibe, but I thought it looked like a big Seville. Kinda.

It certainly looks better in black.

I suppose that it was too anonymous, because the DTS that replaced it displayed all the heritage Cadillac design cues, but without the Deville name. All under the banner of Art and Science. While still a large car, it was also a more manageable 207.6 inches in length.

The DTS had an egg crate grille, stacked head lamps, and thin vertical tail lamps, all traditional cues. I must admit that it looked like a proper Cadillac.

The big Cadillac got a platform change to produce the 2013 XTS, still FWD with a 300 hp. V6. It was produced until 2109 with one face lift. This  model was slightly smaller with a length of 201 inches.

The XTS shared the division's new look, based on the successful Escalade. I will admit that newer Cadillacs are quite attractive, and they are immediately recognizable as a Cadillac. 

There's a lot to like with the XTS. The styling is more contemporary. The interiors are quite nice.  A normal non turbo V6 is available. The earliest models are already ten years old. Depreciation has brought the prices down. The last models were made in 2019 so lots of used examples in good condition, with low miles, are available. They fulfill all my new "Vintage Lite"criteria.

As I stated earlier  I don't have a  problem with FWD.

The interiors are a big step up from the 2000 models. The dash looks modern and cool, there is a nice use of wood, and the switch gear, which was always a let down in the 2000+ models, looks much better. 

This is a nice interior, and nice interiors
 are an important thing to me.

Cadillac also seems to know a thing or two about wood.

I will admit that Cadillac's new line of SUVs and cross overs are also looking pretty good.

Cadillac CTS, late model with a lot to recommend it
and plenty to choose from

Another possible candidate is the face lifted 2012+ CTS. The new more curved front end styling really conveys the traditional road locomotive vibe. The interior was upgraded extensively. These are RWD V6 models but they also have 300 hp. which is plenty. They are considered to be pretty good handlers while maintaining an acceptable ride. These are still in production so there are plenty to choose from.  I was checking one out, while on my Cadillac Quest, and found the interior a bit snug, but acceptable, even in the back seat. The quality and appearance of the interior was also quite acceptable and many color options were offered, so I wouldn't have to settle for a black interior.  A low mileage pampered example would be the preferred choice. Imagine buying a used car just to drive it, with the expectation of years of trouble free service. Makes me feel like a regular car buyer. 

Of course I'm as likely to buy a brand new Cadillac as I am to buy a new Navigator. But that isn't the point. The fun is finding a car that you would like to have bought new, at a greatly depreciated price. I've even been checking out the XLR, the Cadillac Corvette, 

So I suppose that there is hope for an old Cadillac lover like me.There is going to be a steady availability of good used cars becoming available and at better prices as the years progress. 

It all depends where my attention is focused. 

Does this mean that I'm starting to lose interest in Vintage cars? Kinda-Maybe. I liked vintage cars not just because they were vintage, I liked them because they were desirable to me and affordable. This is the important criteria, true vintage cars have really been losing the affordability battle.