1997 Cadillac Seville SLS review from North America

1997 Cadillac Seville SLS.

I traded in a perfectly good (wonderful actually) Toyota Avalon to buy the Seville when with 27,000 miles on the odometer and it was 5 years old.

12 month later almost to the day, I added 13,000 of almost total highway driving and I changed the oil every three thousand miles.

- the car required a replaced mid-plate section of the Northstar engine which is supposed to go for 100,000 miles before service. Who would design an engine block with three sections unless someone wanted to increase the possibility of oil leaks.

- the repair cost estimated originally at $2,700 cost some $1,900 after Cadillac agreed without much prompting to supply the part at wholesale cost. (Not counting the week or so of car rental cost.) Why would a manufacturer offer such largess?

- less than 30 days and 1,200 miles later, (Not counting another week or so of car rental cost.) the rattle, shake, rock and roll of the car resulted (I think) the battery to have a hole which spilled out acid over the wiring harness which prevented the car to start.

- more than $600 later and less than 1,000 later the car had a blown head gasket. Again Cadillac agreed to reduce the dealer estimated cost of $7,000 for an engine replacement to just $900. (Not counting yet another week and half of car rental cost.) Now why would a car manufacturer do this, I wonder?

As indicated in other reviews:

- one does have to be a tiny to get in and out of the back seat.

- the automatic seat adjustment did try to kill my wife at least a dozen times, pushing her into the steering wheels and was stopped only after she opened the door.

- owner's manual and the gasoline spout clearly indicate using premium gas (which I did) but the dealer was emphatic that I start using regular gas only. Did the extra octane blow the supposed great Northstar engine apart? I wonder?

- it is a good looking car, gives an excellent ride form its excellent power from the 8 cylinder engine, but overall the best use for the car is in the driveway.

I for one, won't buy another Seville nor Cadillac.