1989 Cadillac Allante Reviews

Radio Speakers all had to be rebuilt (Cadillac allante club very helpful)

Idle control motor went bad and car stalled (90.00 dealer part)

Several convertible top issues (club)

Window stuck in down position (dealer still had parts)

Now have oil leak I think my pan is bad.

This is the most fun you can have without spending a whole lot of cash. the local chapters out there will help you keep this baby alive.

It does need some TLC, but it is a very rewarding ride.

1-All cars are dangerous

2-Best car GM ever made... bar none

3-Like all Italians.. you must be cognizant of

their great heritage and contributions they

made for all of us to enjoy which includes this

great automobile.

4-All great things have good and bad like all my

friends..

5-I belong to several clubs for car nuts like me.

Signed

A professional engineer who owned 28 American cars

and this is the best I ever had.

The car exhibits all the characteristics of a fine opera.

ABS Brakes rebuilt $450

A/C condenser (under warranty)

A/C check $45

windows, locks, radio, transmission, radiator, manifold all were fixed or replaced under warranty several times.

I enjoy driving this car so much. My other is the 2002 Corvette Z06 which is the faster car for under $40,000. I still gets looks and smiles from people when I drive my Allante. Recently I drove the car in the Woodward Dream Cruise and was the only Allante that I could see out of 2 million people. The car is recognized by many people as a fun car to drive and own. The car is very quirky and requires knowledge or a skilled mechanic to keep it running properly. It has been a quality car that I have been able to drive for about $135/month. What other car can you have so much fun for so little. Buy one if you can find a well maintained one.

Rebuilt Window Motors $200

New window switches $300

rebuilt ABS Brake Accumulator $400

Replaced all Struts $900

Bose Radio needs new amps in all speakers $?

New catalytic converter $300

New Radiator

New Starter

2 alternators

New thermostat

Needs new windshield $500 ($1,500 OEM)

Electrical Problems.

Passionate, but this Italian Hottie Needs Constant Attention.

Pros: Classic timeless design, very comfortable and limited production, nice handling for front wheel drive

Cons: terrible "only car",discontinued parts, untrained dealer techs, repair costs=$$$$$

The Bottom Line: The Allante is like a pretty woman. The better you take care of her, the more fun it is to handle the curves.

Recommended: Yes.

Italian style with Detroit ala carte, this semi exotic is a lot of fun when it runs. Like a lot of Italian cars, it looks great, but often doesn't hold up in the reliability department. Even low mileage Allantes are tormented with ABS brake, electrical, and convertible top problems. Considering the cost of the car, one would expect a power top and heated seats. On the up side, people are now making a hefty profit by buying "Parts Cars" to provide for declining parts availability. I saw a wealthy celebrity whimper over repair costs. New shocks/struts $975, windshield $500, and eventually you'll probably need ABS brakes $2000. Dealers no longer train techs to repair Allantes, so work is often hit & miss. Allante owners are a very tight group, happy to share info in various web sites. In fact, I found this web site when I was searching the Internet for parts for my "89". Ultimately, this is a nice "2nd" car. In most cases, I think it would be a major mistake to have this car be your one and only. The problem is, this lady has a wandering eye for mechanics and auto parts stores.

Take it from someone in the business, buying this car as an investment is a total joke. Buy it because it's a nice Pinninfarina design, for fun to drive, anything, but an investment... unless it's in perfect low mileage condition and you plan to store it for 20 years.