I'm looking at getting rid of my loaded 2002 Deville DTS (97K miles)and I like the looks of the STS, I'm looking to spend around 18-22 thousand.

I found two cars in my area that are nice. I would like to hear anyones input as to the pro's and con's between them and what differences I'm going to find between an STS and my current Deville besides going from a v8 to a v6. I could use the better gas mileage and I'm not that happy with the few Northstar related problems I have had, so much so that I don't think I will be back to a V8 until they make some changes. How much smaller is the STS compared to the Deville? The wife is not comfortable driving the Deville because of it's size.

Car #1 is:
2005 STS v6 35k miles red with tan leather and chrome wheels, not to many other than standard options. It is a 2 owner car with some service history. The selling dealer (not a caddy dealer) says it is covered under Cadillac certified pre-owned 100k mile warranty? I did a carfax report and under the warranty sdection it does not mention anything about any extended warranty. Asking $19,900. It's a pretty basic car but is extremely clean without as much as a ding or scratch on it.

Car #2 is:
2006 STS v6 30k miles 1 owner with excellent dealer service history. It is red with black leather, all wheel drive, sunroof, navigation and looks like zenon lights? Again I ran a carfax and it is reported to have been in an accident in 2007 but no other info about the accident other than that. Is there anyway to find out the severity of the accident? I have not looked at this car yet but it appears to be super clean. How is the AWD system? We are in the Northeast and we get snow so it would not go to waste. Good idea? Bad idea? This car should still be covered by the 4/50k mile Cadillac warranty? Asking 21,900

If I'm not going with a v8 should I be looking at the CTS as well? For the same money I could get a little more car correct?

 

I like car #2, but I would want more detail on the accident.
CTS, I love them .. but .. if you got kids, the STS will do better for you.

and that is IMHO ...

 

Stomper,

Thanks for the opinion and yes I do have one kid and one on the way. So the STS is bigger in the back seat I take it? Is there a big difference in size between an 02 Deville and the STS?

Anybody know how I can find out more about the accident the car was involved in? All I have is the VIN and the State it was registered in and where the accident happened (New Hampshire).

 

Somewhere in the do***ents you should find the previous owner .. using the internet, get the phone number and ask him/her about details.

If you cant find him/her, drop me an email with info and I'll see what can be done.

Also, you must know that IF the accident shows up in CARFAX, it was reported to the DMV, and therefore at least the cost of the accident is on record.

 

i second the sts, though im partial.........
rickyd

 

Stomper,

I looked at the car this morning and it is awesome, I think the only thing that is holding me back is the Carfax listed accident in 2007. I looked the car over real good front, back, top, and bottom and I don't see any repair work.

Without me asking or saying anything about what I was looking for the dealer said the car has never been in an accident or had paint work, I then told him how I got a carfax report and it was listed as having been in an accident. He apologized and said he had his body man look at it and he could not find any evidence so they must have done a great job at fixing it! Yea right, he probably never even looked at it never-mind have a bodyman look at it. I will use this to my advantage when and if we negotiate a price!!! I rifled through the glovebox for previous owners paperwork but didn't find anything so I asked if he had any info and not knowing if he is lying or not he said he did not.

This is what is listed for the accident through Carfax, note the New Hampshire part at the bottom. So other than this and the VIN # I got nothing

02/25/2007 New Hampshire
Police Report
Auburn, NH Accident reported, Vehicle involved in a collision


o New Hampshire Police Reports:
 Do not include an assessment of damage severity
 Are required if the estimated damage exceeds $1000
 Are released to CARFAX approximately 3 months after the accident date

 

look for paint line around edges..... you know they could have replaced ......like the bumper cover, and thats all.... that in itself could have been over $1000.00
rickyd

 

I cannot stress enough that you have car #2 inspected by a mechanic/shop that you trust, and it should only cost about $150 which you can negotiate off of the price. As a non-mechanic type, there is absolutely no way you can see a majority of accident repair on many vehicles.

If it has suspension/frame damage you may not even know it until a year down the road and your replacing tires every other day or develop nasty road vibrations. You also have to think about resale value; it's hard to determine the value with an accident history.

I honestly think that all you'll notice is a loss of some trunk space that you have in the DTS. I've heard that there really isn't a significant loss of MPG on the V8. I have a 06 V8 and it gets about the same mileage as my V6 lexus. You may see a sweet deal on a V8 model. AWD is recommended in snow country because they are front heavy cars.

IMO you should scrap both of these choices and keep looking. There are alot of 05/06's coming off lease and you can find many of them well under book value. Try to get a certified pre-owned and have a service manager look at what IS covered. Oh yeah and make the salesmen work, those are struggling for sales and still don't care about the customer!

 

Tlac:

Thanks for your advice and comparison, I actually talked to a local body shop that my family has used in the past and he said if I brought the car down he would put it on the lift and take a good look at it for me. I have never used (or needed) this shop but some family members have and they very pleased with there experience.

I'm looking at car # 2 again tomorow and see if they will let me take it for a couple hours to get it checked out. If they say no i will move on.

Thanks again.

 

If you are certain about this vehicle after it is inspected don't forget to take a long, long test drive over some rough roads. Don't forget to get the nav disc and both remotes. As long as it isn't a salvage title vehicle it will be covered under the factory warranty. You might want to get a GMPP extended warranty just for peace of mind. I think Black Cadillac http://www.gmoutlet.com/gmpp.htm has the cheapest prices around and i've heard they are completely legit. It has to be under 3yrs and 50k to be eligible. I bought my STS with over 50k, so I can't get GMPP coverage... bummer.

Good luck!