Cadillac Seville (1998 - 2002)
Theres no doubt its a good car, but then so is a Nissan QX or a Toyota Camry and would you really want to be seen stepping out of one of these at the golf club? Image talks and a used Cadillac Seville may well prove what many suspected talk is cheap.
The interior of the Seville has come a long way from American luxury saloons most of us remember. There arent any column shifters, rawhide seats or Routemaster-steering wheels. No, you wont feel like Boss Hogg or an extra from Shaft. Theres still some pretty dubious fake wood, but on the whole, it looks remarkably like a Lexus or a big Nissan/Hyundai.
Can it really steal sales from the established players? The StabiliTrak drive dynamics system, tweaked since the Seville first arrived here, might just help. This is an active handling system intended, with traction control, to harness the 305bhp of the 4.6-litre Northstar V8 - the only engine on offer and now fitted with redesigned cylinder heads developed mainly to meet ever-tougher emissions regulations in both the USA and Europe. For the money you’d expect driver aids like this. BMW and Mercedes already offer stability systems that in extreme situations throttle the car back whilst simultaneously applying the brakes, hopefully helping the driver regain control when things get tricky.
As you’d expect from a car pitched in size and price against Jaguar’s XJ8 Sovereign 4.0, BMW’s 540i and Mercedes’ E430, the Cadillac comes impressively equipped. The Bose 4.0 stereo system is billed as the world’s most advanced - and sounds it. There’s also dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated seats front and rear (!) plus an electrically adjustable steering wheel. The adaptive seating system inflates and deflates a series of ten air cushions to give a precisely tailored seat fit. Some of the detailing is quite interesting too. Like steering wheel controls not only for the stereo but also for the air conditioning (why has no one thought of that before?) Of more dubious value is the digital compass built into the rear view mirror.
Cadillac Automotive Grilles quality dash kits.

