- sedan 94,796
- 5,037 below average
- 2,899 great
- Nokomis, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- 5,037 below average sedan 94,796
2001 cadillac deville review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Deville is in the details. introductionnow entering its second season with its all-new look, deville is still turning heads. Visually, it is a handsome combination of european and american, of contemporary and traditional. that comfortable duality reaches clear to the core of the deville's concept. A normal driving pace, this is a big, comfortable, and very luxurious sedan. Push it hard, though, and it starts feeling like a big sports sedan, particularly the dts model. Each vehicle has its own character and features. of the three, the standard deville fells like the traditional cadillac deville, balancing luxury and value. dhs and dts depart from cadillac's old ways. They share many features, but as their names imply, one stresses luxury while the other highlights a sportier driving experience. both the base-level car and dhs come with a full bench front seat for six-passenger capacity, while the dts has bucket front seats. Yet both offer a very supple fit and feel. walkarounddeville was redesigned completely for 2000. The styling distinguishes it from other cars, including other cadillacs. People kept asking me, 'what kind of car is that?' this is the first cadillac to be solely designed using autostudio, a computer-aided design tool. Although it looks larger and richer than before, the current deville actually measures three inches shorter and two inches narrower than the '99 model. Large front lighting clusters giving all three models a bold appearance. A grinning eggcrate grille extends between the headlights, providing an appropriate field for the cadillac wreath and crest on the dhs and dts. The standard deville leaves the grille clean and retains the more traditional upright hood ornament. in profile the deville still looks all cadillac. Large doors, massive body panels and expansive glass are broken only by a highlight trim piece along the lower section. Large, full-arch wheel wells are filled by 16-inch alloy rims and all-season tires on deville and dhs or 17-inch wheels and performance tires on dts. from the rear, the deville continues to carry the traditional cadillac ambiance, but it looks much more contemporary. This look is highlighted at night when the led taillights create a thin vertical line. The fins of yesteryear may be gone, but those twin vertical slashes still shout 'cadillac,' loud and clear. Led lights also serve a practical propose: they are easier to see and light up much faster than normal incandescent lighting, giving drivers of following cars an extra fraction of a second warning. Which is all it takes, in some cases, to prevent a collision. The rear turn signals look quite distinctive and stand out brightly when blinking. interiorfrom inside the deville, as from outside, it's hard to believe that this car is actually a little smaller than the familiar cadillacs of 1994-99. Once behind the wheel the deville feels as roomy as ever, if not more so. Dhs and dts add power lumbar massage. Independent climate controls for rear passengers offer both fan and temperature adjustments. the high-beam indicator is located next to the digital trip odometer and nearly the same blue color. This makes it difficult to see, so it's easy to leave the high beams on by mistake, blinding other drivers. the optional ultrasonic rear parking assist system is really slick and very well executed. Besides the safety benefits, it's very useful when parking the car or maneuvering in tight locations. cadillac has added important new technological features for 2001. Onstar, which is standard on all devilles, now includes personal calling, which allows drivers to initiate and receive hands-free, voice-activated phone calls without an additional cellular contract. Also standard for 2001 is onstar's personal advisor, which delivers internet-based news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, and weather reports. another new cadillac feature this year is an optional 150) tire pressure monitor, which uses sensors in the wheels to read air pressure levels in the tires. new for 2001, is the optional infotainment system, which integrates cd-rom, personal assistant, memo recorder, e-mail, cell phone, and satellite navigation functions into a bose audio entertainment system. driving impressioni first drove the deville to an al gore press conference, appropriate because i was wearing a coat and tie and the deville's suspension superbly soaked up washington's rough, potholed streets. the deville dts model's suspension filters out vibration and bumps, but it feels much firmer than cadillacs of yore. That's good because the deville doesn't float around like those older machines, which could sometimes induce nausea in rear-seat passengers. Though not as firm as a bmw 5 series, the deville's suspension settings provide a well-controlled ride. Bumps are felt, but muffled to comfortable levels. Go around a fast, sweeping turn and potholes and bumps won't upset the suspension, a benefit of the deville's highly rigid chassis. This translates into more comfort on the highway without having to sacrifice handling. Yet, the new deville does not feel like the proverbial boat once associated with big american cars. It's smooth and stable at high speeds. The steering is precise and direct, so the car always goes where intended without having to think about it. i was thinking about all this while heading out onto a rural road. I accelerated out of a sweeping turn, noticing the well-controlled steering, thinking that the deville should be able to hang onto the rear bumper of a bmw 5 series. All those thoughts evaporated when i noticed way up ahead a state trooper standing next to his car pointing a radar gun at me. I jammed on the brakes. The abs kicked in, preventing wheel lockup, so all the trooper noticed was a little nose dive as the deville quickly moved into compliance of the law. An electronic brake distribution system helps reduce stopping distances by distributing the braking force front to rear for optimum performance. In normal, everyday, around-town applications, the brake pedal feels smooth and progressive, making it easy to slow the car down smoothly. the dts has lots of power and growls under hard acceleration. The deville comes with the superb northstar v8 engine, which develops 275 horsepower in the standard deville and 300 horsepower for the dhs and dts. The northstar engine was significantly re-engineered for the 2000 model year; in fact, there are just a few parts on the 2001 version that would fit in a 1999 or earlier edition. These refinements make the deville more responsive, more fuel efficient and quieter, all without sacrificing performance. what really impressed me was the calibration of the transmission and the way it communicates with the engine. Slam the throttle to the floor, however, and the deville smartly shifts to second, the northstar engine growls to life and the car rockets ahead.
2,899 Nokomis, FLNokomis, FL at autoshopper.com