Cadillac Catera - More like Dog-tera

Cadillac apparently thought that the best way to fight back against German and Japanese premium compact sedans i.e. the BMW 328i and Acura CL , was to build its own.. While not nearly as refined as the 328i, the 1998 Catera does have its positive attributes and shouldn’t disappoint those looking for a inexpensive sedan on the used car market.
With features such as leather seats and air conditioning, this Cadillac is no poor relation, and should not in any way be confused with another flop, i.e. the Cadillac Cimmaron. However, the Catera does have its share of major faults.

Fire up the quad-cam German designed V6, producing 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque, and this small 3.0 liter 6 almost sounds as if it belongs in, say, a Chevy Lumina; certainly not a $30,000 luxury car. Step on the throttle and you get the same impressions. While the Catera is no slow poke (0-60 MPH times of around 8 seconds), this car still would have been much more desirable if it had about 50 more horses on tap. Switching to performance mode via the 4-speed automatic utilizes all the power on tap to keep most drivers happy, however I felt the Catera’s 3.0 lacked big time in the power department after 3rd gear.

On the highway the Catera shows even more underpinnings. When driving 70-80 MPH wind noise can be heard in the cabin at levels beyond any luxury car I have ever driven. The Catera also doesn’t do the best job on road imperfections, making the overall feel of the Catera no more refined than, say, an offering from Saturn or Chevy.

Handling is probably the Catera’s strongest asset. Back in the 㥢s Cadillac claimed the Catera was “The Caddy that zigs.” This was a bold claim and for the first time Cadillac did prove that it could build a car that could handle almost as well as the BMW 3 series. The Catera wasn’t the best handler in its class, though it was quite fun to drive on twisty roads.

Interior Accommodation:

The interior of the 1998 Catera is luxurious yet cheap at the same time. Luxurious considering how much embellishments the Catera offers, and cheap because of the shoddy materials that Cadillac has used. The cabin of the car retains a European flavor but there is no confusing it with a true European thoroughbred. The seats are adequately supportive offering good upper body bolstering, though the lower bolsters are too flat for aggressive driving. Onstar is only optional which uses GPS (global positioning system) via satellite technology and the cellular network to link the driver and the car with an Onstar advisor. Don't expect to find much wood in this car, there is some if you look real hard, however. You would think with a 3,800lb curb weight this small car would be made of wood, well it's not. On the contrary, there is more cheap plastic toss around the cabin than anything else and probably more than any other car in this class.


Exterior Innovation:

The exterior is more than plain; it's almost cheap looking. From a short distance and from different angles, I have confused this car with Honda Accords and even a Dodge Startus’. The small front grille & headlights come to an angle is a cheap fashion and there is hardly anything about this car that says "class." In later models the Catera was updated with different styling cues, although this was not its saving grace, as it ended production soon after the 2001 model year and paved way for the much better offering from Cadillac; the CTS.


Pricing/Conclusion :

The Cadillac Catera brings a hint of European style driving to American buyers at a good used price. This car, when new, ran for around $32,000, a used 1998 can be found from 8,000-10,000 dollars thanks to the Catera’s horrible resale value.

Reliability has been a big issue for the Catera. Talking to owners, I have never received a positive comment about their cars when it comes to reliability.

Overall:

Avoid this one.

Other Cars To Consider In Random Order:

1. Cadillac CTS

2. Lincoln LS

3. BMW 325i

5. Lexus IS 300

6. BMW 5 series

7. Volvo S60, S60R, and S40

8. Acura TSX

9. Saab 9000

10. Mercedes C class cars

-Happy car shopping!