2005 cadillac Devillie ?

[Tractorat]

I can get a good deal on a 2005 Cad Deville for my wife to drive (only 20k miles, $8500).

Does anybody have any experience with this car ? Reliability ? mpg ? etc ?



An old lady came down to Seattle from Ketchikan Ak and traded it in on a new Mercedes. (my son in law is a tech at the dealer). So, all of the miles are very short trips. It has the big northstart V8 engine, but it runs on regular.



Thanks for your help

TRat

 

[jgillott]

A couple of things come to mind right off. First, that $8500 seems very low for that car. Around here they are going for mid to high teens with those miles. That is an excellent deal if the car has a clean title etc.



My uncle and aunt (who are in their 80's not that I am saying that the car is an old person's car..... LOL) have had quite a few Cadillacs in a row now. They usually buy them 2-3 years old and drive them until they have 100K on them and then trade on another. They have had very good luck with them.

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks, yes its hugely low for that car, especially with only 20k on it. I can get it for what the Mercedes place got the highest bid to wholesale it for. I think they dinged the owner because of a couple of scuffs on the bumper, and the fact the its such a big car.



But, for that price, Im taking a hard look. You are right though, I find it very hard to see myself in that car. It says 26mpg epa, and I can usually get a couple miles better than epa.



TRat

 

[jgillott]

I agree with you, at that price, it is definately worth considering. Cadillac has built some very nice vehicles lately. Especially, the last 10 years or so.

 

[LBARTLETT]

you'll be happy with the mileage, comfort & safety, get rid of it before 100k when it will need struts, the price will take your breath away

 

[jtrent]

Before you jump off the deep end, check under the car for oil pan and or midcase leaks. That is a cause for expensive repairs if you want to fix the leak. Also, the oil usage allowed by GM is one quart per 1200 miles. They take 7. 5 per oil change. Some use oil and some don't. I work in a Caddy dealership as the lube tech and have seen all of the above. Agree on great ride and drive on these vehicles they just don't hold value well. Sounds like a good deal on face.



Jesse

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks for the replies. Its a nice car, especially for the price. But I decided to pass. I just couldn't get past the fact that I can't see myself in such a car. The deal killer is that it has a digital dashboard. They are pretty cool. But, when they break (and they do), they are really expensive to fix



Guess I'll keep looking.



TRat

 

[Grizzly]

I'd be a little cautious about any Cadillac. I'm looking at the April issue of Consumer Report. which is the Annual Auto Issue. They are better than they were in the 80's and 90's, however Cadillac has never been know for Reliability, Satisfaction and Owner Cost. They also never seem to hold their value.



I just looked up the Kelley Blue Book value, which is $13,900. I'd be a little suspicious of why they're selling it that low.

 

[Tractorat]

Grizzly,

Thanks for the reply. I decided to pass on it. The reason it is so cheap is because it was traded in on a new Mercedes. My son-in-law is a master tech at the dealership. When they get a trade in that isn't a Mercedes, they wholesale it out to another dealer (they sell Mercedes, not GM). The employees and their families can buy these cars at what they allowed for trade in on the car. Being a big car, and having a couple of minor scuffs on the bumper brought the trade in value down. The best bid they got for wholesale was $8k.



But, if I was 80 years old, I might have gone for it.





TRat

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly,

Thanks for the reply. I decided to pass on it. The reason it is so cheap is because it was traded in on a new Mercedes. My son-in-law is a master tech at the dealership. When they get a trade in that isn't a Mercedes, they wholesale it out to another dealer (they sell Mercedes, not GM). The employees and their families can buy these cars at what they allowed for trade in on the car. Being a big car, and having a couple of minor scuffs on the bumper brought the trade in value down. The best bid they got for wholesale was $8k.



But, if I was 80 years old, I might have gone for it.





TRat

Yeah, it's definitely an old man car. Plus the reliability has been very poor in the past.



Speaking of old man's car, I purchased an 03 Toyota Avalon new. There's no question, it looks like an old man's car, but it is very reliable. I just spent my first dollar on maintenance on it two weeks ago. I had to replace the original battery. I still have the original tires and wiper blades. I do my own oil changes.