7/28/2019 1988 Cadillac Seville STS review

1/3

r:-r LIKE r::mI I r n--,--T o r , 4 IGive it instruments, a facelift and better build qualityand Cadillads Seville S T S could rank with the best

B y Kevin A.Wilsonhey sure don't make Cadil-lacs like they used to, dothey?" We heard QIoverand over in the cwrsc ofI wo weeks with a SevilleSTS. Dcpcndent on your time frame f ref-erence. this is either good or bad news.For those whose ideas about Cadillacswere formed b e f m h t 972. that phraseis uttered with scorn. Like the guy whocould b m l y conceal his disgust when thiscar parked next to his Chevy Monte Carlo ofa vintage predating the back-formation ofthe verb "to downsize." Asked for his im-pressions, he let loose a stream of invective.To wit: llx SeviUe is loo small. Sure it'sgot a VB, but at undcr MO cid, what's itdoing in a Cadillac? It's too blandly styled-"it looks l i e a Buick." It's front-drive."Ain't hardly inny chrome ohnit." It has nowire wheels, n o j m for crying out loud!For the younger or shorler-of-memoryamong us the story is different. For those

who d l ernaps 15 model years' w d fmushy-riding, ill-handling, c b - nd ve-lour-lined boudoirs on wheels (in short ae h e d x= of style covering a paucity ofsubstance), the STS can be seen as a signpostpointing the way on Cadillac's comebacktrail. What we have here is substance dis-grused by aaditional style.b w n t e r s with folks who don't expect aCadillac you can actually drive rather thansimply sit in, generally ran like this:"Boy, they sure don't make Cadillacs

like thev used to ... that'sLinda i c e . Good-lookingpaint. Th e wood's realisn'l it? And the leather.too? Go t the 4.5-liler?How's it handle? What'sit cost?"The interest was real--until, at least, it becameclear there was no suchanimal as a five-speedSTS with real instru- Iments. no r on e built toimwrt qualily smndards..b& S& project with Cars & Con-cepts designed to heighten the Seville's en-thusiast appeal--is not so much good newsin and of itself. T m many things about itare not at all world-class, and a Cadillac ofany stripe should be a leading contenderfor that accolade.But its tine platform, well-tuned suspen-sion, interior trimmings and good if notterrific powerplant suggest that Cadillac iscloser to understanding what it takes to c a plure modern enthusiasts' hearts than we'vepreviously had reason to believe.In fact. if the Scville STS cost 55.000 to$10.000 less it would be a fine alternative tothe likes of a Sterling. Saab 9000.5 or Vulvo740 Turbo. Purely American in style. andthus different from all those, but fully com-petitive. But based at $33,R5O beforcsunroof or Delco-Bose topgrade stereo (orabout $15.000 over a plain old Seville), itseeks buyers who could also afford a BMW325ix. Mexcdes-Benz 190-2.6, Audi TurboQum . Saab 9000Turbo M Volvo 760. Sowhat does the STS offer enthusiasts to lurethem from those cars?It ain't stvlina. The STS looks about as

AUTOWEEK JUNE 13. 1988

7/28/2019 1988 Cadillac Seville STS review

2/3

dm,sLhtr,Mdtlluatofcbmm(ayou~ t I l I t c i n o m e i s l l l l s b s o ~ l l s e a s i t ymaCd i l l . c )mdAnau t c~g i v c i t aehm, pmpoatful I d . Prom (be A-piltrIoRud t's a good &-day CdiUrbaL.Pmmtbaebsfk*'sgalaicB-OC.ThcS e v i l bhoa t o od i s o ew t h i 8 ~mdamac thwugb rewortlag is due in '89. Am I K 4 I - M investmnt, w w e sppul is supposed to be to treditionalists=impona ide kF & f or ka Um m dwood.nd wich the exaptioa of lea* aomc~ - ~ p l r r ( i c o n d . s h m d ~ .Qsritwell.Most,lloc.11,oftbeimpomdoa a e a a j o b o f ~ ~ ~ ~few&qm).wiharilh.apsc*Itymme srs's piak. bc *mber, motlgbplurie-coated fo r protcetion as is muchmodan automotive Lnhcr sad tbcdmrrnsteprrmmodfromit smostappmhgwpecm. is nicdy rmderrdwihm, md-some top~tiIching.Ths multirdj~tab1egents are comforuble, but don't offer~ r i d c ~ . T b c c x t c M k d ~pdlabmchofsbmgebinsiathcbackdoltehrdm-=-likelli t ,bmmtmacsdDhmac l l i rm luwbraftftba*.A ~ W P B I ( J U N E 3,1988. .

It's (be dadbod, smldd Snillegear,t h * I c p d Ow n t b e d d e h a t .W b n f s ~inglycalkd. - h c c d m o f adigital SpadometQ md oBorsdcrs (totalmdh'ip)mdadigitalrrdootingUmsfufud. Ibn's it. Oh,,yes, mae ' a a digitalt r h d o v n i n ( b e R m r l n t o r r r m i o a ~jvrtrh.adof(beeonrdbmmntaisbiRerwbcn it's ureless.l b i r i s l l o c a d r i v d s d g h b o r d . A b ,bccwse (be Seviilc STS rmld be a p*Pmdrkus's car. D y l m d d y , it.8 m- m

dnw*Lnlionfranbumycrbga*cxpamcireaaklpcrform.Itb.sagmdridcAandling mix, decent s t m h g fed,&ylilcaimdssriousbnLPldlhm.~ i s W e ~ q L i D B l ,m d P r i m n k U p ~ l l l l P l l i r o l l b f athe independent reat. .Id bigger s.SIeO T + 4 l i l c a . n I i S ~ a l l u s l y ~Smoom ride md pod hading. Tbc onlyquibkbhmuaivethcnoi&owhmpcA u l a e ' s L a p ~ t h a ~ b r v t b c l p s d .Tbc 155 hp 4.5-Iitu V8 fcrda (be fmawhkb a wide, s1udy . mmch acrum oftorque.butnaquitcmdamrd.InkktenstofIrlmmmm. lcqmity, (be Osn-enl's "computer-controlled elceaonicm r q u e l n m g w m " ~ ( b e ~ s~24Olb f i r lmta (beamsLradyka slight lag in raspma at lowspeeds. A better solrlrioh is coming, webat four-whklQiw fa a 199hSevlOs.We ue wm concerned about qualityf l a m i n ~ ~ w c s s m p l c d . ~ 6 td f U l i s b w a c ~ y g o o d , ~ w n amajor-league misfit bctween hood and~ m k i c f t s i d c . A d t k a t t t u 8 ~( b e ~ * b c l t ( l u t w oc l l d n ' t & ( ap a u r b s e t o p n k C d i l l r ' s t n o ~b e l t s m m b r L L c s y S m 4 a r ~ ~

29

7/28/2019 1988 Cadillac Seville STS review

3/3

scopes. the climate conml is among thebest. lhc lighting, power accessories andstera, top rank. But hem, tcn, mc impomexcel. The Seville needs a logical centrallaking system (you have lo push a bunont w i c e t o ge t the rea r doo r s l o un-lock ... most imports have k n c r systems)and height adjusters for the shoulder beltsfront and rear.So the STS chassis and engine appeal tothe scrim driver. but style and accoutn-ments arc still aimed at Cadillac's aging"traditional" market, including many Au-tomotive Know-Nochigs who wouldn't pull

0.5 g in a comer if their lives depended onit. Those who like lhc Seville's styk won'tappreciate the dynamics, and vice versa.'IhPt this car works on the mad so well isa sign of progress. If Cadillac continuesalong t h i ~ - ~ a l he may someday find itadjust pmperly than OM'S lypical loop sys- panel, and some i s o l d squeaks and rat- making a car that is not only allCadillac.terns). And power seat coatrols w i d ack- tles. Not at all worldslass. but one enthusiast drivers will appreciatewads so Ulat pushing the bumn for "up" Let 's look to Cadillac's traditional Whether that's a case of making a CadiUxmoved the seat down, sloppy-looking Irunk stnngth, comfon and convenience features. "like they uwd to" depends entirely onc a r p , a vih l i on buw in the instrument Th e steering column both tilts and tele- what ihsc mcans ta you.

#yJ. & .*"a,

30 AUTOWEEK JUNE 13. 1988