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caddy after 100,000 mi.

irsirs Member Posts: 2
edited April 2014 in Cadillac
i'm currently looking at a few 01-03 devilles, however, most of them are in the 125-130k mile range.

my last car was an audi, so in terms of maintenance and repair i'm looking for something a little less demanding.

i know theres a point in every automobile's life where it becomes more of a problem than a luxury, so i was just wondering whether or not a deville with this many miles would even be worth getting into. should i spend a little extra for an 70-80k mi. one, or are they as reliable at 80k as they would be at 130?

it should be noted, i'm not looking to own this car for a decade, but if i can squeeze a good 2 or 3 years out of it, i'll be more than satisfied.

Comments

  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    The real question here is how much money are you willing to spend.

    Basic Cadillac DTS (Deville) just off a 2 year lease or 18 months as a rental can be found all over the place, with 18-25,000 miles, couple of years warranty, for about $25,000. Or less.
  • swwjr05swwjr05 Member Posts: 9
    I bought my '97 Deville in 2002 with 85,000 mi for $6k. Now it has 145,000 mi. Here's a list of maint work done since I've had it.

    * Tires $500.00

    * Brakes - Pads and turned rotors - rotors got a little warped because tire store didn't tighten lug nuts properly. $75.00 (did work myself)

    * A/C compressor and Serpintine belt $1200.00

    * Motor mounts and Transmission mounts $350.00

    * Rear Shocks $400.00

    * Water Pump $250.00

    * Alternator $130.00

    Still going strong. Over all a very reliable and comfortable ride. Well worth the total cost of $8905.00
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    I paid $1800 more for a Riv with about same miles but a year newer. I had to do tires, brakes, and rear shocks. No A/C or serpentine belt, No motor mounts, No water pump or alternator.

    I put $75 Goodyear Viva 2's on it.
    I put a MAF ($127) sensor in it, and the starter motor quit at 168k. Coincidence that a new one was $168. A 5 minute and a 25 minute job.

    However, the trans lost 4th gear at 163k mi and 20 months later I have 172k on it and I get 1 mpg less than a DTS does. The little door in the duct for the driver's a/c is stuck shut so I have to aim the pass vents to driver's side to get a/c.

    I have about $8800 total into it over 6 years and would be lucky to get $1800 trade-in. I put 84k miles on it for $7k or 12000 miles per $k. About $100 a month.

    The good sides:
    still have extremely comfy seats with heat and power everything
    Still has great ride, brakes, and handling
    Still has 7.0 second 0-60 acceleration
    Still quiet inside and rust free
    Still starts instantly and has a/c, cd, sunroof, and has never been hit.

    The bad side:
    Not useful for long trips without OD.
    22 mpg not that good for long trips either.

    Been eyeing De Villes and finally drove one yesterday. The saleman told me they get 27 mpg average but the '03 I drove was revving nearly as high in 4th gear as my Riv without 4th gear was revving in 3rd. Maybe 200 RPM difference at 65 mph. Today I saw a photo of the trip computer on one saying 23.1 average MPG. I could believe that. Problem is that the used ones I look at are all chipped and dinged up. Little scuffs on all bumper corners, high speed buff haze all over, and bleached out interior plastic from skin acids and sun. I will only put 5-10k miles a year on it so I want one that I will have maybe 5-8 years. It needs to have been treated better than what I've seen so far.
  • swwjr05swwjr05 Member Posts: 9
    My '97 Deville gets about 26mpg on the highway ... 21 in town. Most of the time the average shows around 23. I have the towing package. When I pull the boat, an 18' bass boat, it only gets about 16 mpg.
This discussion has been closed.