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1985 Cadillac DeVille Sedan 4.1-Liter V8 from North America

Year of manufacture1985
First year of ownership2001
Engine and transmission 4.1-Liter V8 Automatic
Performance marks 8 / 10
Reliability marks 8 / 10
Comfort marks 10 / 10
Dealer Service marks 10 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper) 2 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)
7.6 / 10
Distance when acquired79850 miles

Summary:

A high performance, but high maintenance vehicle

Faults:

So far nothing has really gone wrong with the vehicle. Of course, there have been a few minor things that have to be routinely replaced that have gone wrong. The car is in first-class, dealer-ready shape for having over 100K put on it in less than 1 year.

General Comments:

This car is the first of this model to have the front-wheel-drive setup and so far it's been problem free. I thought that this would be a problem, but so far so good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th June, 2002

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1985 Cadillac DeVille Sedan Deville HT4100 V8 from North America

Year of manufacture1985
First year of ownership1999
Most recent year of ownership2000
Engine and transmission HT4100 V8 Automatic
Performance marks 2 / 10
Reliability marks 0 / 10
Comfort marks 10 / 10
Dealer Service marks 10 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper) 1 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)
4.6 / 10
Distance when acquired51000 miles
Most recent distance80000 miles
Previous carFord Escort

Summary:

A nightmare

Faults:

When I got the car it ran pretty nice for a 1985 Cadillac. Within one week I blew the motor. After I put a rebuilt motor in the car that one blew within 500 miles. The third motor lasted however nothing else did. The cooling system was shot and no mechanic could figure out what went wrong. The transmission began to slip and the rear air shocks blew out making the rear of the car sag. This car is a HEADACHE and a NIGHTMARE.

General Comments:

Never buy a 1980's Cadillac. Especially stay away from the HT4100 motor. This is a garbage motor and I cannot believed Cadillac survived the 80's with this motor. Other than the fact that I hated this car more than anything I also loved it. The ride was so smooth, the audio was great, the car looked beautiful. It is such a shame that the car was garbage because I really loved how it drove and looked.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2002

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30th Jun 2002, 13:06

I feel your pain, brother. My '82 Coupe deVille blew up with 86k miles on the clock -- even though I took great care of it! It's a cruel irony that some of the most beautiful Cadillacs ever produced ('81-'85 deVilles, Fleetwoods, and Eldorados, as well as Sevilles) had the single worst engine Cadillac ever produced.

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1985 Cadillac DeVille Sedan HT4100 V8 from North America

Year of manufacture1985
First year of ownership1988
Most recent year of ownership1999
Engine and transmission HT4100 V8 Automatic
Performance marks 3 / 10
Reliability marks 3 / 10
Comfort marks 10 / 10
Dealer Service marks 5 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper) 3 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)
4.8 / 10
Distance when acquired20000 miles
Most recent distance80000 miles

Summary:

A luxurious headache

Faults:

The tape deck stopped working around 20,000 miles.

The electronic system (window switches, door locks) started to go at 30,000 miles.

The engine blew at 40,000 miles, had that replaced and the new engine started to go at 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

The HT4100 cannot support the weight of this car, therefore acceleration is sluggish.

The interior is extremely comfortable and luxurious and the ride is the best I have encountered.

The Sedan deVille is one of the niciest cars available and is a pleasure to drive (minus performance of course). Do not however buy this year of this car. The 1988 deVille ditches the HT4100 for another engine, and from what I hear is a much more reliable car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th January, 2002

Comment on this review

11th Nov 2003, 13:29

I too had trouble with the ht4100 engine in my 1985 Sedan Deville. It went bad at 100k miles and I had it replaced since I don't like the looks of the 1990's Devilles. Sadly I sold my beloved 1985 Sedan Deville and kept my equally loved 1988 Coupe Deville when I moved and tenants were only allowed one car. I would give anything to have that car back in my driveway again and wish I sacrificed the nice apartment complex to keep my beloved "Black Chariot"

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7th Dec 2003, 23:35

My first Cadillac Deville was a 1998 that I purchased in June of 2001. I liked the car so much and needed a second car, so I purchased a 1985 Cadillac Sedan Deville shortly after I bought the '98. When I first owned the '85, it was a great second car. I mean the car went anywhere I wanted it to go. Sadly my '98 Deville got stolen in the summer of 2002, and my '85 just flat out gave up on me (it being shared between the wife and I did not help matters much either} it had 100,000 miles on it when I purchased the '85 with only 20,000 on the new 4100 engine. 10,000 miles later, the radiator went bad and started leaking water and coolant into my smog pump, then leaked into the oil, which caused the engine to blow. I ended up getting rid of the 85. I now have a 2002 Cadillac Deville that I love.

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Average review marks: 5.7 / 10, based on 5 reviews