The Great Cadillac Seville Poll

[cawimmer430]

Generation 1 (1975–1979)




Generation 2 (1980–1985)




Generation 3 (1986–1991)




Generation 4 (1992–1997)




Generation 5 (1998–2004)

[cawimmer430]

For me it's generation 1 hands down - followed by generation 2 (The Bustle Back).

THAT is car design, people. THAT IS CAR DESIGN. 

[FoMoJo]

For me it's generation 1 hands down - followed by generation 2 (The Bustle Back).

THAT is car design, people. THAT IS CAR DESIGN. 

Yes, it looked great on Bentleys.  On Cadillac, it was ghastly.

[2o6]

Stylistically, I love generation 3, it's really European looking.



Gen 2 is not pretty at all, but I think the designers did reference it when they came up with the CTS coupe.

[FoMoJo]

Stylistically, I love generation 3, it's really European looking.

I guess we're just on the opposite ends of styling appreciation...not that there's anything wrong with that...but, imo, it's the worst of a bad lot.  The rear looks like an afterthought.

[MX793]

Stylistically, I love generation 3, it's really European looking.



Gen 2 is not pretty at all, but I think the designers did reference it when they came up with the CTS coupe.

Gen 3 is European looking?  It looks like every other GM midsize car from the mid to late 80s.  Blank out the front fascia and I couldn't tell you if I was looking at a Seville, an Olds 98, or a Buick Electra.

[JWC]

I always liked the slope-back Seville.

[cawimmer430]

Yes, it looked great on Bentleys.  On Cadillac, it was ghastly.

I'm a sucker for '70s car design. 

[cawimmer430]

I always liked the slope-back Seville.

They look spectacular. There's one in Munich. I just need to meet the owner!

[Rupert]

I think a last-gen black DeVille (probably with the right suspension mods) could make a really cool touring car. Power, comfort, gadgets, and I think it's probably the best looking American car of its day.

edit: And when I say DeVille, I mean Eldorado. 

[cawimmer430]

Somebody vote for the Bustle Back!!! Show it some much-deserved love! 

[JWC]

There.  Having worked for Caddy during those later periods, I have a dislike for them.

[Soup DeVille]

I'll vote for the bustle back. The first gen was a gussied up Nova. The later ones were better cars, but all of them fell short of the Europeans they were supposed to be competing with by a good margin.

The second generation cars were at least trying to be distinctive.

[Laconian]

There.  Having worked for Caddy during those later periods, I have a dislike for them.

You did?

What caused you to dislike them?

Were these cars bad back in their day, or were they just bad in hindsight?

[Madman]

I once drove a Gen 3 1991 model.  White with whorehouse red interior.  It felt like an utter bag of nails and was a complete pig to drive.  I think the only people who bought these were the ones who just had to have a Cadillac but couldn't afford a DeVille.

[JWC]

You did?

What caused you to dislike them?

Were these cars bad back in their day, or were they just bad in hindsight?

Dealerships....the people working for GM probably thought all of them were great. But, for those of us in the trenches, even some of the most loved fanmobiles were crap.  But, as to dealerships, I've worked for:

Pontiac
Cadillac
Ford
Toyota
Mercedes
Oldsmobile
Honda
Nissan
Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge
Subaru
Daihatsu
GMC
Isuzu

I've won customer service awards and I've even had a paragraph or two published in Toyota's magazine. Fuckers paid me with a mug. Cheap bastards. I was assigned to roadside service for awhile with one of the Mercedes dealerships.

[3.0L V6]

Gen 5. Yes, I know it looks like a bland GM-anonymous sedan, but it goes half-decent and is reasonably comfortable. The other generations have dated badly, in my opinion.

[Madman]

Clarkson opines on the fifth generation Seville in the late 1990s.

Jeremy 'C' 1998 road test of the Cadillac Seville STS

[cawimmer430]

I'll vote for the bustle back.

Bless your heart. 

The first gen was a gussied up Nova.

Even so, you can't hide the fact that it was a very beautiful, elegant and pretty-looking car. 

[Laconian]

Cars built from crummy hardware are as interesting to me as clay model design concepts. The whole package has to be right for a car to be worthy of lust.

[giant_mtb]

Stylistically, I'm drawn to the third generation for some reason. But if I was choosing a car for myself to drive...fifth generation.

[cawimmer430]

Clarkson opines on the fifth generation Seville in the late 1990s.

Jeremy 'C' 1998 road test of the Cadillac Seville STS

A transversely-mounted V8 with 300-hp and gobs of torque. Must have suffered from some massive torque steer. Right?

[Raza]

Gen 5 for sure, it's not even a contest.

[FoMoJo]

Gen 5 for sure, it's not even a contest.

None is a good answer too.

[3.0L V6]

None is a good answer too.

Eh, it's not a bad car. Not worth what people paid for it or really worthy of the badge, but if you're making me choose, that's the one I'd pick.

[3.0L V6]

A transversely-mounted V8 with 300-hp and gobs of torque. Must have suffered from some massive torque steer. Right?

The Gen 4 suffered worse from it than the Gen 5 version.

[Soup DeVille]

A transversely-mounted V8 with 300-hp and gobs of torque. Must have suffered from some massive torque steer. Right?

It's not that bad really; what you get is next to zero steering feel though.

[cawimmer430]

The Gen 4 suffered worse from it than the Gen 5 version.

It's not that bad really; what you get is next to zero steering feel though.

Were the 4th and 5th generation Seville's marketed as sport sedans?

[Madman]

Were the 4th and 5th generation Seville's marketed as sport sedans?

Depends on the trim level.  Cadillac wanted you to think the Seville STS was a sports sedan.  On the other hand, the Seville SLS was aimed at Cadillac's traditional grey-haired clientele who wanted a sofa on wheels but couldn't quite make the financial stretch to a DeVille.

[cawimmer430]

Depends on the trim level.  Cadillac wanted you to think the Seville STS was a sports sedan.

300-hp FWD nose-heavy V8 just seems like a bad idea for a "sports sedan". 

On the other hand, the Seville SLS was aimed at Cadillac's traditional grey-haired clientele who wanted a sofa on wheels but couldn't quite make the financial stretch to a DeVille.