XLR Purchase

[TurboDan]

Here she is:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=313962133&dealer_id=66016645&car_year=2005

My girlfriend has wanted an XLR for a while and found this one last night. I'm gonna take a drive down with her and test it out, maybe she'll buy it, next weekend. She comes from a big Caddy family - they have a DeVille, SRX and an Allante now.

Opinions? Have at it...

[cawimmer430]

Buy it for her and then have someone professionally photograph the XLR and Allante together (and the DeVille if it is a coupe!).  

Looking good. Interesting color. I seem to recall that most were either sold in silver or red.

[CALL_911]

There's something that's very "old" about the XLR. Don't get me wrong, it still looks pretty good, just very dated.

[Cookie Monster]

There's something that's very "old" about the XLR. Don't get me wrong, it still looks pretty good, just very dated.

+1

The interior, especially, looks very dated. Much more so than a comparable year SL.

Still, I would probably take an XLR over an SL just due to exclusivity.

[Lebowski]

I'm not a big fan of the XLR.

Based on the C6, only worse, and more expensive.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I'm not a big fan of the XLR.

Based on the C6, only worse, and more expensive.

You beat me to it! IMO The styling hasn't aged as gracefully as the C6. Side note: Why didn't GM use the Caddy steering wheel in the C6 instead of the Cobalt wheel? 

[Laconian]

Styling is still good for jet-black IMO. The creases and angles just look dated on other colors.

[Galaxy]

There is a certain uniqueness about the XLR. How many did they end up selling? 

[Cookie Monster]

There is a certain uniqueness about the XLR. How many did they end up selling? 

15k

[sportyaccordy]

Good idea, so-so execution. GM should have pulled out all the stops. Aside from its current crop of cars, when was the last time GM got an interior 100% right?

[Laconian]

I remember thinking that the interior was pretty nice at the time...

[ifcar]

I remember thinking that the interior was pretty nice at the time...

Not for the $70,000+ Cadillac was charging for those things, in 2004 at that.

[Madman]

+1

The interior, especially, looks very dated. Much more so than a comparable year SL.

Still, I would probably take an XLR over an SL just due to exclusivity.

Exclusivity be damned.  Only a very brave (or foolish) person would take an XLR over a Merc SL.  You have to pity the original buyer of this car.  I estimate he/she lost somewhere around $45K-$50K in depreciation alone.  Over the course of seven years, that's like setting fire to a $20.00 bill every day.


Similar money will get you this:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=311256200&dealer_id=396745&car_year=2005&model=SL_CLASSCLASS_SERIES&pager.offset=50&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&search_type=used&distance=500&min_price=23000&rdm=1327204978765&marketZipError=false&sownerid=51876305&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2013&showZipError=y&dma=NASHVILLE&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&first_record=51&isFlashPlugin=true&default_sort=priceDESC&address=37221&sort_type=priceDESC&max_price=27000&make=MB&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=597&standard=false


Or this:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=312711813&dealer_id=66881675&car_year=2004&model=SL_CLASSCLASS_SERIES&pager.offset=50&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&search_type=used&distance=500&min_price=23000&rdm=1327204978765&marketZipError=false&sownerid=51876305&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2013&showZipError=y&dma=NASHVILLE&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&first_record=51&isFlashPlugin=true&default_sort=priceDESC&address=37221&sort_type=priceDESC&max_price=27000&make=MB&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=469&standard=false

[93JC]

Why would you pity the owner of an XLR any more than the owner of a Mercedes-Benz SL? You just showed us that the SL depreciates as badly.

[Raza]

Dirt cheap.  I never liked those wheels though. 

[Madman]

Why would you pity the owner of an XLR any more than the owner of a Mercedes-Benz SL? You just showed us that the SL depreciates as badly.

Oh, I pity both.  It's just that the person who bought the SL got the better car even though they burned a lot of money too.  This perfectly illustrates why buying new is a suckers game.

[SVT666]

Somebody has to or there wouldn't be any used new cars for the rest of us.

[Laconian]

In my region, SLs are way more popular than XLRs. I guess it's obvious that the SL has more demand, so it follows that it might carry more panache, but in my book the XLR is a more unique and attention-grabbing vehicle.

[Vinsanity]

I've toyed with the idea of an XLR as a second car a few years down the road. It's like a love child between a C6 and an SL, but to be honest, I'd rather have either a C6 (6MT convertible) or an SL over an XLR, given similar price points. But I guess I can understand wanting one of you're a big Caddy fan.

[GoCougs]

A lot to pay for a moderate-mileage domestic that is well out of warranty. The Northstar is not a long-lived engine unfortunately...

[Laconian]

I've heard that too.

[Madman]

I've heard that too.

So have I.  Funny thing is, despite the Northstar's ticking time bomb reputation, a coworker of mine has a mega-mile Seville SLS and his Northstar has been a paragon of reliability.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I had a couple in the store the other day with a nice shiny black Z convertible. Apparently they wanted a XLR but their indie mechanic talked them out of it. After a decade of problems the northstar is still as big of a turd as it ever was.

[GoCougs]

When it debuted in 1990 the Northstar was a world class engine (on paper) beating ze Germans in power and efficiency, let alone towering over the rest of Detroit. Time would show though that it was only good for ~100K miles and repairs were mega expensive (the starter was in the "V" of the block under the intake manifold). It's a crime GM hardly sunk a dime into it in the ~20 years it was in production, let alone replace it.

[Raza]

A lot to pay for a moderate-mileage domestic that is well out of warranty. The Northstar is not a long-lived engine unfortunately...

I don't know about the Northstar, but a same year Corvette, which started at like 20-30K less, costs the same. 

[Tave]

I love the XLR. Go for it.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I don't know about the Northstar, but a same year Corvette, which started at like 20-30K less, costs the same. 

Sure does.....

[TurboDan]

I don't know about the Northstar, but a same year Corvette, which started at like 20-30K less, costs the same. 

Eh, she's not really looking for a sports car (like a 'Vette) as much as a "sporty" convertible to drive around in on sunny days. She has an SUV already for bad weather that she'll keep. Also, not go all H&H on you, but she's just a big time Caddy fan and has loved the car since it first came out. If it was me, I'd buy any of the SL models posted, but that's just because I'm way more of a German car fan.

I'm not overly concerned about the Northstar. It'll take her probably 6-7 years to even make it to 100K. She works a few blocks away from where she lives and the only other place she drives is to the beach near me on the weekend, about 40 minutes away.

[2o6]

SLK sounds right up your alley. Seems like you can get a newer SLK for the price of an XLR, but don't quote me on it.

[TurboDan]

So have I.  Funny thing is, despite the Northstar's ticking time bomb reputation, a coworker of mine has a mega-mile Seville SLS and his Northstar has been a paragon of reliability.

Yeah, actually I know someone who just sold a Seville with over 180K on the original engine. A couple issues here or there over the years but he said it was a pretty reliable car.