The famed Spanish city of Seville carries a prominent motto proudly thrust upon it by its inhabitants. “NO8DO”; a play on words that essentially translates to “The City has not abandoned me.” A folklore reference to the city’s unfailing support of King Alphonse X in a 13th Century war with his son, Don Sancho.
Yearly Archives: 2011
Tale of two Sevilles, a generational Comparison
Folklore then, which would seem quite fitting in our very first luxury car (or any car) comparo at JESDA.com. Particularly when you consider that the newer vehicle in this comparison, which carries the name-sake of this very continental city, is six entire model years and one whole generation newer than the one which pre-dates it. Thus it could quite accurately be described as the older car’s descendant or even downright off-spring given the strikingly similar profiles both vehicles carry (an obvious effort by the General to not mess with success).
However, appearances aside, there are a great many differences between this “father and son” duo that might even lead one to believe that the “older is wiser” mantra may not be entirely off the mark. Find out who wins this epic battle after the jump.The 1992 Cadillac Seville was an important and groundbreaking automobile for GM and especially for the then ailing Cadillac division. It had to be. The General had been seeing a steady decline in the sales of its flagship Caddy ever since bean counters and economists converted what was once a large, graceful statement of American exuberance into nothing more than what appeared to be a stylized attempt at a mid-size Buick knockoff. This was the first time that Cadillac found itself in a struggle to return to the lofty “Standard of the World” status it had so recklessly abandoned throughout the 1980s.
Whether or not this car vaulted Cadillac back to its former throne is certainly up for debate, but you’d have been hard-pressed to find a single automotive publication in 1992 that wasn’t bowled over by the all-new Seville’s seemingly endless bag of goodies. The sheetmetal was long, sleek and almost European in its execution (not surprising considering GM had fully intended to market this car there), the all-new interior was plush, airy and full of every technological convenience one could have possibly fathomed (and a few you probably didn’t). Chrome, which was typically festooned on every surface the naked eye could possibly see, was all but thrown asunder and replaced by a muted yet rich combination of warm hues, luxurious Zebrano wood trim and color-keyed action buttons.Instrumentation was yet another of the Seville’s strongest points.
A sweeping dash housed a binnacle that contained the traditional analog speedo, tach, oil pressure and battery gauges. In addition to these however; there was also a bright green multi-segment vacuum FL display that ran along the bottom which displayed everything from coolant temperature (in precise 1 degree increments), to a nifty “Oil Change Index”, a predecessor of the oil life monitor which later became common-place in most GM vehicles across the range. To the left of this binnacle the driver would find an easily accessible set of controls for a small fully functional trip-computer display, while a similar display mirrored on the right, contained a full compliment of climate control features. One of the earliest keyless-entry systems was also available on the Seville, along with a Delco-Bose “Gold” Hi-Fi audio system with both Cassette and Compact Disc players built-in to the headunit for convenience.
Power in the first year came by way of the then commonplace Cadillac specific 4.9L OHV V8, which actually had its roots in the foible once known as the HT-4100, subsequently reworked through two generations to the point that it had become a reliable workhorse capable of a stout 200HP and an equally serious bag of torque. This engine was enough to move the Seville with authority, but in an effort to give the Europeans a genuine dose of their own medicine, was quickly replaced in 1993 with Cadillac’s newest engine innovation of the time; the all-aluminum Northstar 4.6L DOHC V8 pushing nearly 300 ponies. The luxury-tuned SLS variant later received a more docile version of this engine making 275HP.
Seville had truly become a magnificent automobile. So magnificent in-fact, that the basic aesthetics of the ’92 car continued through an entirely new generation nearly 6 years later when the final 1997 models rolled off the line. Would this new contender remain the torch-bearer in a time where competition across the board had only further stiffened since the introduction of the ’92?
The 1998 Cadillac Seville was introduced to nearly as much fanfare (and similar expectations) as its predecessor, and with good reason. The previous generation had been nearly an overnight success for Cadillac, quickly becoming a favorite of both automotive enthusiasts and the motoring press alike. Wisely, Cadillac engineers chose an approach to the new car that involved merely improving what had already proven to be such a successful formula before.
Still powered by the now-ubiquitous Northstar powerplant, the Seville remained available in two distinct flavors with two different power levels. The STS remained at 300HP, while the SLS also continued with its 275HP rating. Suspension tuning was revised for each model, and the electronic shock absorbers now sported Cadillac’s trick CVRSS, or Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension technology. CVRSS was able to monitor road surface changes with surprising speed and accuracy, and adjust damping rates to compensate accordingly. It’s a package that delivers a taut yet compliant ride, that never gets too stiff; or too wallowy. Connected to all this suspension wizardry are 4 Wheel Anti-Lock brakes now controlled by a further improved generation of GM’s strikingly effective StabiliTrak stability and traction control system.
Up front, the headlights have been replaced with crystal-lens halogen projector low beams and improved separate high-beam units. The traditional Seville rear-end remains, with a bright full-length LED CHMSL (Center High Mounted Stop Lamp) unit adorning the area above the now slightly larger brake, parking, and signal light assemblies.
Inside, the changes are more dramatic. All-new seating now affords the option of massage for the front seat passengers, and seat heating for all 4 outboard seating positions front AND rear. STS is upgraded to perforated seats and door panels. The dash is now all-new as well, yet retains the same overall layout that made the previous car such a crowd-pleaser. In place of the standard analog gauges in the old car, there are now a set of larger, brighter and downright stunning electroluminescent units that exert a cool white glow over the driver. This reduces fatigue and increases the over-all legibility of the gauges when coupled with the new deep-red indicator needles. The same text display remains underneath the gauge area, however it now serves double duty as a trip computer as well, and the coolant temperature is now read via a traditional gauge and needle in the left-most position of the gauge cluster. Climate controls have also been moved to a more traditional location just below the audio system and dual-zone adjustments are standard in both SLS and STS trims.
Perhaps one of the most impressive and note-worthy updates to the ’98 model is the audibly delicious Bose “4.0” hi-fi system, optional in the SLS and standard in the STS. With a full 425W of power on tap, and an 11 inch Subwoofer unit sitting atop the rear-deck, the Cadillac becomes more concert-hall than automotive conveyance. It’s one of the few systems I’ve ever sampled that is so thoughtfully designed, that even an aftermarket sound snob would have difficulty trashing it for a set of “bump the trunk” subs and door components. The headunit now contains a variety of DSP (digital signal processing) settings that unlike most systems so labeled, actually lend a usable improvement to the listening material if you so desire. This entire setup also utilizes a brand-new speaker technology that essentially “flattens” the entire driver into a wafer of the space that a traditional “basket” style speaker would. This allows for a greater flexibility of component placement and improved overall soundstage as a result. To-date, this system is not available in any other Cadillac or GM product and really shows off the technical prowess that has been endowed over the Seville.
It all dovetails into a package that is well-worthy of the flagship status the Seville has garnered in the Cadillac line-up over the years, but does this make it better than its predecessor? The answer to that question depends entirely on when it’s being asked.
Had we been approached 10 years ago with this scenario, we would have given you a questionable look and declared the ’98 car the hands down winner in every meaningful way. One quick jaunt down your favorite stretch of domestic Autobahn quickly proves that the suspension and powertrain refinements in the new car result in an incredibly Euro-inspired driving feel, while the interior coddles with all the luxuries of the day. The ’92 on the other hand is more of a throwback to the original Caddy heritage with its somewhat less controlled handling and obvious difference in power (although it still manages to outshine anything Cadillac had ever produced up to that point). However, at Haddaway Cars our focus lies as much in the functional use of a vehicle on the used market, as it does in the novelty of any of the latest and greatest. After all, most of us purchase our favorite automobiles many years after we initially fell in love with them due to the cost constraints, or the unwanted depreciation hit associated with buying a brand-new car. Thus, when viewed 10 and 15 years on, things change drastically.
Both of our test examples are well-worn used cars that have accumulated well in excess of 100,000 miles (120 on the ’98 and 150 on the ’92 to be exact) under adequate, but not the most perfect of care. When adjusted for mileage and overall maintenance however, both cars are on a pretty even playing field, and when it comes down to brass tacks; the ’92 simply blows the ’98 away in longevity, build quality, maintenance and repair costs, and ease of do-it-yourself ability.
Much of this lies in the way that both of these cars are motivated. Beginning in 1993, all STS cars began receiving the much vaunted Northstar engine as standard equipment. While this was more than a modest improvement in power, many owners discovered after as little as a few years and 30-50k miles in some cases, that their engines had been rendered useless due to a now well-known issue that results in the headbolts pulling from the block and coolant entering the engine’s cylinders. This can be deadly to an engine and can lead to severe overheating and irrepairable engine damage if the owner is not able to shut the car down quickly enough.
If you do happen to walk away from the problem without damaging the block, the repair can easily run northwards of $2500.00 for all the parts and labor necessary to perform the excision and replacement of bolts with proper inserts, and there is no absolute guarantee you won’t experience the problem again, especially if the procedure isn’t performed with the precision of a heart-surgeon. When you take into account that these cars in good condition typically bring anywhere from $2500 to $7000 depending on year (from ’93 to ’99, though the problem was not completely solved in the 2000 to 2004 models), a $3000 repair expense is quite hard to swallow.
Finding a pristine car with dealer records is no guarantee you won’t have the problem, though on-schedule coolant changes do improve the odds somewhat. I’ve had this occur on at least 2 of 5 ’98 to 2001 Sevilles I’ve owned myself, and the ’98 which is the subject of this review, had already had the “timesert” procedure done to the motor before I purchased it, according to the prior owner (one of the maintenance items that actually made this a preferred candidate).
That fault alone is enough to make the ’92 models especially desirable, as they were the last STSs to use the venerable 4.9L V8 that has no real known faults, or at least none with the volatility of the head-bolt problem on the Northstar. Yet even if you never experience the head-bolt issue, the Northstar is still known for a myriad of other problems, including oil and vacuum leaks and the like. If that were not enough, many mechanics don’t even like to work on them. The result is a very good engine, with a ton of maintenance baggage.
Things don’t particularly improve as one moves to the electronic systems either. Our ’98 model arrived to us chock full of benign, yet annoying error messages on it’s information display that included a bad wheel speed sensor for StabiliTrak, a broken washer reservoir resulting in a low washer fluid message, and a busted pump for the rear load-leveling suspension that resulted in a message of its own. The ’92 on the other hand doesn’t have any fancy suspension wizardry (yet rides just fine) and lacks even basic traction control. As a result, its utter simplicity yields a near Corsica like ownership experience with all the amenities of a world-class luxury cruiser.The ’98 car also suffered from a indecisive fuel gauge needle (yet again, another common problem) that would often leave us relying solely on the “Fuel Used” gallon meter to determine how much gas actually remained in the tank. This can be quite un-nerving if you didn’t happen to take a mental note of how many gallons, or how many dollars worth of fuel you actually pumped (and the corresponding price at the time).
Unfortunately, the otherwise gorgeous interior of the newer car and its fit and finish leave alot to be desired too. Another common fault is present and accounted for in our ’98 Seville’s trunk that is conspicuously missing from the ’92. Water seems to leak in from various places in the trunk that eventually makes it way underneath the carpeted mat and into the spare-tire well. Over time, this water can result in a rusty situation that the owner (or next owner) may not be aware of until it its too late.
In the passenger compartment, lifting dashpads and rattling panels are the name of the game, along with broken armrest compartment latches and how ’bout those ground-breaking speakers we talked about earlier? Yea, they’re usually out for the count too. This can easily be blamed on mis-use or abuse, but the speakers in the ’92, while not nearly as pleasant to listen to, were in perfect condition (failures on the older cars are usually a result of the amp itself dying rather than a blown cone).
In order for it not to appear as if I have a death-wish for the poor car (and shortly after the initial review was written I actually did have an accident), I’ll stop there and refrain from delving further into other systems such as A/C, wheel balancing issues and the like. Does all this mean I love the newer generation any less? Not really, these problems CAN be overcome and you still have an amazing luxury sedan (quite possibly one of my favorite autos of all time), however issue after issue begins to grate on you after while and why deal with them when the ’92 car looks nearly as timeless as the ’98 with substantially less headaches and lower initial cost even for a prime example. Sure it may not be as technologically impressive, but most of what was new-fangled in 1998 isn’t so much anymore anyway.
If you fancy yourself any level of home DIY-er that doesn’t like relying on a specialty mechanic or worse; the dealer, for every problem that comes up, the 1992 Seville STS should be a STRONG contender on your older luxury car list. It would seem after all then, that older just might indeed, be wiser.
Video and Review: 2001 Volvo S60 T5 and Atlanta Road Trip
In August of 2010, I bought this 2001 Volvo S60 T5 manual in Atlanta. I paid $5300 with 116,000 miles. It was a one-owner car that spent its entire life in Georgia. I originally intended to pick up a Lincoln LS when I went down there, but there was a twist to the story.
Fast Tube by Casper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZMWgS0UORs
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Photos:
I originally intended to buy a 2001 Lincoln LS with 130k, manual transmission, V6, and Alpine stereo. ’01 also introduced AdvanceTrac. The asking price was $4999.
Ian’s Lexus was in the shop, so I drove my brother’s Prelude.
I woke up and checked my email, and my offer on a Lincoln LS was accepted.
The dog (this was his first road trip) wasn’t too pleased with squeezing into the back and trying to sleep, but he had no choice.
I pretty much had to shove him in there. Getting him to voluntarily jump in the back was almost impossible.
“This sucks.”
Saw this awesome vanity plate on a G8.
Found a small town in Illinois with a Wendys. Their mall was pretty quiet and had a subway attached to it which I thought was unusual. Usually you see a Cheesecake Factory.
Yes, thats a Jr Bacon.
Newton found a spot to pinch a loaf at a rest area.
Found a cupholder back there.
The driving position is strange, like sticking your arms and legs straight out and staring down, but once you get used to it its reasonably comfortable over long distances. Its a tight fit, but still feels wider and more breathable than the Corolla.
I got to this gas station in west Nashville. As soon as I pulled up I was eager to leave. While filling, a big white guy with a Carolina accent walked up to me and asked me for gas money. He pointed at a black 2006+ Cadillac DTS and said, “I work for a security company and I just lot my wallet. Can you help me out? I drive that $53,000 Cadillac over there I can show you my business card.” I said, “Uhh, sorry man.” He replied, “Thanks anyway” and jumped in his Cadillac and drove off. The LAST thing I wanted to do in that neighborhood was whip out my wallet stuffed with fifties and hundreds.
Now, let’s see… you’re in a strange town with no ID and no money. Why the hell would you think getting $1 from a stranger would get you home? If I were him, assuming he wasn’t pulling a scam, I’d have found a place to park, slept overnight, and called my bank, my coworkers, my friends, or my family in the morning to arrange a Western Union transfer. The last thing I would do is BEG in a crappy neighborhood.
Standard portable sustenance.
Checked into a Motel 6 in Roswell GA. It was quite terrible. Roswell was an attractive upscale suburb with winding boulevards and high end strip malls.
$44 per night.
Pretty darn good gas station food from Racetrac.
This looks like it dates back to the Reagan era.
A mysterious open space. I think a prostitute was killed here so they threw away the blood-stained couch.
At least the bathroom was clean.
A Cuban and some funyuns. Newton apparently hates funyuns.
I slept quite poorly. The room was located near the mechanical/boiler room of the hotel, so the AC was unable to keep up. It was blowing cold, but the room baked. Ian decided to crawl under the desk next to the AC and sleep on the floor while the dog panted all night.
The drive to the dealer (Atlanta Best/Car Online) was stressful. Atlanta is a bizarre mix of all people from all places, NONE OF WHOM CAN DRIVE. On the highway its great. People fly down I-75 at high speeds, but in town they’re like New Yorkers. This lady in a green Jaguar S-type pulled out of her left turn lane right in front of me, forcing me to slam my brakes. I gave her a honk, then 20 FEET LATER she stopped again and tried to squeeze back into the left turn lane she just abandoned! I finally squeezed by, put down my window, and yelled “F***ING C***”. Normally I’d just honk and move on, but I was cranky and tired.
Here’s the Lincoln. The interior was okay. Nothing was torn but there were some carpet stains, a missing vent on the corner of the dash, dirt and ash in the front ash tray (though the car did not smell like smoke), and the shift boot was detached from the center console underneath, so it flopped around.
The sales guy told me the long plastic center console piece surrounding the shifter was cracked, so he grabbed one from another LS but didnt have time to glue the shift boot in place.
That didn’t bother me, but the body…
He did tell me that the bumper needed a repaint, but I didnt realize how bad it was.
The two LSs on the lot were missing this piece of the lower grille.
It needed a new set of tires too.
It was previously owned by the city of New Orleans. There was, fortunately, no evidence of flooding from Katrina or a bad title history.
Ugh.
I wasn’t crazy about the spoiler. More damaged paint and deep scratches.
One thing after another.
Sheesh.
Gross.
Despite my disappointment with the physical condition, I test drove the Lincoln anyway.
Ford did an amazing job with the DEW98 platform. Steering was linear and quick and the ride was the perfect compromise between comfort and firmness. The shifts were a bit notchy but throws were short, and the clutch had a nice chunky bite. Brakes were strong and easy to modulate. The duratec V6 had plenty of pull for tooling around town but lacked in passing power on the highway. It was a pretty extensive test drive — I put $15 of gas in the tank and went over railroad tracks, through local streets, and flew up and down the highway. When we got back, I had a grin on my face and managed to enjoy myself. I didnt see any leaks or smell anything funny, and since I have a body and paint guy who does good work for cheap, I figured why the hell not.
In addition to the tires being low on rubber, the air bag light was on and the cruise didn’t work. Fortunately, I did a lot of research the night before and learned that the clock spring was the cause of both of those problems, a reasonably cheap fix. I used that as a bargaining tool to get the price down to $4400 out the door. I told him, “I cant register and insure a car with a faulty airbag. What if I have to replace the whole unit? What if there was an accident? I’m taking a big risk here.” He replied, ‘I dont have a lot of room in that car.’ I said, “Just give me another $200 off and we’ll have a deal.” I then put my hand out and gestured for him to shake. We then agreed to $100 off my original offer of $4500 for $4400 out the door and shook on it. The car was beat, but it was strong, and it was nothing a few hundred dollars in cosmetic work couldn’t handle. A mint LS V6 manual sells for $5500-$6300, so $4400 for an ugly one that I can spit-shine is reasonable.
I went inside and sat down, then asked the girl doing my paperwork if Ian and my dog could come in and cool off. She said sure, so I went out and called him in. As he was walking in, another salesman said “YOU CANT BRING THAT IN HERE NO PETS.” The girl and my salesman yelled back across the sales floor, “No its okay its okay! Come in come in!” but this jackass responded, “I DONT WANT PEE ALL OVER THE RUGS YOU CANT COME IN.” Well, the sales floor was dirty and the floors were wood. There were only a couple tiny rugs and they were already filthy. Ian said, “Fine, we’re not buying the car.” We went in, sat down, and I was pretty pissed. Both my salesman and the cashier were like, “Im so sorry that guy’s an a**hole. I dont know what his problem is.” I said, “You know, I’m from the midwest, we don’t treat people like that.” I sat there fuming quietly and asked her to hand back my envelope full of cash. I told the guy I wanted to go look at a Volvo that was nearby. He reminded me that my $300 deposit was non-refundable, but I told him I didn’t care.
I got to a shell station and two cute girls were trying to pull the same BS that the guy in the black Cadillac did in Nashville the night before. They waved and asked us to roll down the window, then in a sweet southern voice asked for money to get to the MARTA (transit) station because they supposedly lost their credit cards. Ian was polite to her, but after the s*** I endured over this trip the last thing I wanted to do was be nice to anyone. She lucked out by approaching the passenger window, because I’d have told her to stop being an irresponsible cumbucket and stop begging in the street.
45 minutes later my salesman at Car Online (what a stupid name for a dealership) called me to apologize again. He said he talked to the owner and the owner was sorry about what the other salesman said. Well, I’d have preferred a call from the owner directly, but whatever. He said the guy apparently had problems at home. I told him I appreciated the followup but I was already going to see the Volvo, and if I didn’t like it I’d maybe call him back. He also offered to give back my deposit to show some contrition for what happened. I think what surprised that dealership was how little I cared about $300 (what they probably thought would be their hook), proof that I was genuinely pissed and wasn’t messing around.
Car Online is also known as Atlanta Best, so if you see either name, avoid it.
Went further out in the suburbs, away from all the morons who can’t drive, the beggars, and the sleazy idiots, and found a very nice dealership with a great selection of mostly European cars. They even had a Maserati Spyder for $40k.
This Volvo, to my surprise, was beautiful. I didnt think I’d like it because I hate the 80s/90s-style black plastic all around the car, but because the paint was a dark green/blue/gray, it all blended in nicely.
Its a T5 with a 5-cylinder turbo and 5-speed manual. 116k, asking price $5999.
Sharp 17″ wheels.
One cosmetic flaw — this scrape and ding on the driver side. One tire was flat, so they took the car to a tire shop and put a new one on for me. Unfortunately, the other three tires are due for replacement.
This pop-up nav unit is clever. The controls take some getting used to — there’s a Nintendo-style directional pad on the back of the steering wheel.
Since they didn’t take credit cards, I drove to a Wal-Mart nearby and picked up a $1000 money order to supplement my cash.
The owner and the salesman were both very friendly people. The guy who owned the place (called Sean Auto Sales) was from Iran. They both owned dogs and offered Newton some water and a treat.
There’s the cash and the keys. We did the paperwork, I thanked him for the excellent deal his kindness and was on my way. Whats funny is that when I shared with him my horror story during the test drive, he said, “Let me guess, was the dealer called Atlanta Best?” I LOL’d.
We went back and forth for a while as I tried to get him down to $5,000. He got down to $5700 with the warranty, then $5500 without. I asked for $5300, then pushed for $5250. He said, “Well, $50 isn’t going to make you or me rich.” He had a point. We shook hands on $5300 out the door, a price we were both satisfied with.
Parked at Motel 6 in Norcross (MUCH nicer than the last location).
Three cupholders — one in the dash and two in the center console below.
Happy to be out of the Prelude.
Volvo calls this the “SPACEBALL” shifter, an optional feature. This is the coolest damn thing I’ve ever seen.
A diagram.
$39.99 Motel 6 in Norcross, much cleaner with functional AC.
Uhh, you share, dog.
It started raining and I quickly discovered that my wipers were shot, rubber flapping around like a limp d!ck. Stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up some Michelin Radius wipers which work BEAUTIFULLY.
Went to Fat Matt’s for ribs. Live blues music, great service, AWESOME RIBS. The location is interesting, surrounded on all sides by strip clubs. Factoid: Fat Matt’s was mentioned in the movie “Up In The Air”
I ordered a full rack with sweet potato pie, potato salad, and beans.
This whole parking thing is foreign to me.
Went to Walgreens to pick up some CDs. I didn’t know until reading the manual that I had a 4-disc changer.
Got back to the hotel with a full stomach and read through my owners manual. Volvo owners tend to be paranoid about safety, which apparently includes nuclear disasters.
OH REALLY? GREAT ADVICE.
For some reason, the owners manual had dealer info for the UK.
This business card from West Yorkshire was in there, inexplicably. Did this car spend some of its life in the United Kingdom?
List of UK dealers.
The floor mats (which came in the trunk) have large pegs for mounting. Toyota should take note.
Neat little vents in the B-pillar for back seat passengers. Unfortunately, something in this area of the car was rattling and I couldnt figure out what it was.
Roomy.
Met up with Austin (ga_etc on Caddy forum) in Dalton GA. He arrived in his aunt’s horrible rental car, a Yaris.
I MISS SCHLOTZSKY’S
Ugh, center gauge pod.
I dont understand how a car almost as TALL as me can have so little head room! I sat in the back and my head was touching the roof — I’m 5’9″
Cool feature — When the car detects odors or pollutants in the air, it automatically switches to recirculate. I didnt pay attention to the button, but I didnt smell anything foul on my drive home so it must have worked.
Leaving Chattanooga, climbing some hills.
Dog looked thirsty. Got him some water.
Unfortunately, the car only came with the nav CD for the southeast, so I used my phone to find things. I also have no idea where the nav CD drive is installed. I didn’t even know what model year the car was when I bought it. I took it for a brief spin, felt the turbo throw me back in my seat, and said “OKAY IM SOLD.” For such an impulsive decision, it sure is practical.
Stopped at the Wal-Mart in Smyrna TN just across from the big Nissan complex.
Stocked up on dog treats and music. Unfortunately, the CDs in this 2-disc set were poorly manufactured. Tracks 2-5 skipped badly. >:(
Stopped at a gas station in Illinois.
“I can has sandwich?”
‘NO DOG, YOU CANT. Okay, a little bit.’
Yes, I seriously got 30mpg on the trip doing 70mph.
I topped off in Dalton GA and didnt refill until I got home, and even then I still had a quarter tank remaining.
Went for a car wash after getting some gas but the wash bay was closed. The clerk said he couldnt give me a refund without his manager there to override the system and do it. Im not sure why the hell the gas pump sold me a car wash if the f***ing car wash wasnt open. He decided to open the wash for me anyway and I thanked him for it.
Dog started shaking in fear. He hates rain.
Nasty goo left from where the Sirius satellite antenna was. I’ll have to remove this tomorrow.
It was superbly comfortable, quiet, and efficient on the drive home. The dolby pro logic sound system is incredible. I still miss the Lincoln (maybe not that particular one), but I’m very pleased with what I got. What’s also nice is that the guy who works on my Saab, Kurt at Absolute Swedish, can work on my Volvo since he does only Swedish vehicles. He’s reliable and cheap and does pickup and dropoff service at no charge.
As for the Prelude I drove to Atlanta, its one hell of a car. I’ll write up a separate review of that later.
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Ride: 8/10
Style: 8/10
Powertrain: 9/10
Braking: 7/10
Steering/Handling: 7.5/10
Audio/Accessories: 10/10
Interior: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10
Quality/Reliability: 8/10
Overall Value: 10/10
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Things to look out for:
If you get an automatic, avoid 2000-2003.
DSTC errors in some models can be fixed for some years by sending the module to an aftermarket repair company like Modulemaster. See Swedespeed and Volvoforums for more details.
If you work on anything electrical yourself, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL FIRST on how to properly disconnect the battery and disengage the computer system. This car uses a MOST bus system seen in a lot of European cars.
The ETM or Electronic Throttle Module has been given an extended ten year warranty Volvo. Your dealer will fix it for free. Mine failed and forced me to limp home and the vehicle would not start the next morning, requiring me to call Sprint Roadside for a tow to the dealer.
Enjoy the ride. 🙂
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Follow-up:
Because of problems with my left knee, I had a hard time using the somewhat heavy clutch, so I sold the vehicle for $5200.
I ran into some trouble replacing the blower resistor because I failed to remove the battery first and shorted out the blower motor. In addition, by removing the climate control unit I managed to disable the air bag. A visit to Weiss Brentwood Volvo cost me over $700 with parts and labor (the blower is buried underneath the dash). They reset the error for free and replaced by ETM for free (recall), and took care of a tire rubbing issue, also at no cost. It was, by far, the best dealership service I’ve ever experienced.
Video: Tribute to Saab Convertibles – “Mr Blue Sky”
I spent an early morning back in September of 2010 editing and assembling this video tribute to Saab convertibles with the musical accompaniment of ELO’s “Mr Blue Sky”. Clips from Saab USA, Motorweek. and music videos were pieced together in a silly project that took me about five hours.
Unfortunately, an hour after I uploaded this video, ELO’s cellist died in a van accident.
Fast Tube by Casper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkxVvs05_-k
Germans on Display – Kemp Auto Museum
Originally written September 2009:
Chesterfield Missouri is home to the Kemp Auto Museum, a collection of mostly German and a few British cars owned by Fred Kemp, a local architect. Entry was $5 per person.
I had some difficulty taking pictures in low light, but some of them turned out well enough to share.
There was a truck show outside:
UNIMOG!
Timeline
Karmann Ghia
The coachbuilder that assembled the Crossfire.
73 Rolls
Porsche
Lots of decorative styling bits, far ahead of its time
I see keys!
The very LAST XJ220 ever built by Jaguar. This makes it the newest one.
After over a decade of recent decline, I forgot how much MB pushed the envelope and advanced the automobile.
Beautiful W124 in the parking lot.
The Chrysler Crossfire Misadventure
From several annoying mechanical and electrical issues to the angry picket sign I waved in front of the Chrysler dealer that mistreated me, my experience with this car was as doomed as DaimlerChrysler’s merger.
You could call the styling cartoonish, and you would be right. Its also childishly satisfying, like a bright yellow Hummer. I favor the looks.
A couple years ago a friend offered me his 2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT6. Powered by Mercedes-AMG and draped in a flamboyant aero blue, I had my reservations. The ride was harsh and the interior was tight for a girthy 250lb man. The supercharger’s intercooler pump was flaky and the power locks didn’t work, among other problems.
Of course, I changed my mind when I mashed the throttle and catapulted the blue beast across an intersection in Tampa. With reservations, and because of the low mileage, I adopted the car for a low price.
How low? He paid $16k for a car with less than 20,000 miles. MSRP was $45,000, so imagine the last owner’s depreciation loss.
I wrote about this car a couple years ago, so I’ll reformat what I wrote earlier and paste it below.
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Originally written November 2008:
I went down to Tampa for a minivacation. Did the usual eating, driving, drinking, and more eating. Helped a friend move. Anyway, while I was there, I took his little Crossfire for a spin.
27,000 low miles and a spotless body. The cheap plastic on the center console is covered in nicks and scratches, however.
The Infinity-branded head unit looks like a K-Mart special, but it sounds decent enough and works with RDS. Bass is there, pounding away mercilessly behind the front seats, and treble is present but muffled. Unfortunately, there’s no available auxiliary input, so all you have are single CDs and AM/FM. Seems lacking for a $45k premium sports car. It would be difficult to find an aftermarket head unit that matches the rest of the bright center console.
Visibility from any direction but the front is terrible. You can’t see other cars, and other cars can’t really see you. The dashboard material is some kind of awful. It feels like the sole of a cheap pair of beach sandals.
The door panels, conversely, feel nice but look cheap. The door pull and handles are REAL metal, not painted plastic, and the section surrounding the upper handle is real padded leather. The design is plain, but it works. A friend of mine later described the interior as “Dodgey”.
The seats aren’t typical sports car firm, but they are sports car supportive.
There’s room for only one dead hooker in the trunk, but even a chubby one would fit. I actually managed to shoehorn two large copy machines into the hatch and front seat.
Chrysler probably anticipated selling these cars to older drivers (a profile issued to dealers revealed that Chrysler expected a Crossfire buyer to be a 50 or older male earning $100,000 or more per year). Ingress and egress are actually quite easy, and seats are wide and supportive. I can’t tell if I’d enjoy them over a long distance, but I felt no discomfort. Still, it was narrow inside and the low roof made it seem tighter than it was.
So, let’s talk about raw impressions. After stopping for oysters at Landry’s, he handed me the keys.
THIS CAR SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I’m still a bit jittery after the last little car accident I had, and my distrust of other drivers is at an all-time high. In the Crossfire, you can’t see back, can’t see to the side, and worst of all no one can see YOU. It might be below the mirrors of vans and SUVs.
Driving through Tampa during rush hour, among the transplanted guido retards who ran south from New Jersey to escape the winter, is a hair-raising experience. People always joke about the elderly population in Florida, but I hardly notice them. Its the folks from up north who muck up the works.
Fears aside, the ride quality is shockingly decent on the highway, at least compared to what I expected. With 45-inch wheels spanning a two-inch wheelbase (I’m exaggerating, obviously), I was worried about having to see the chiropractor, but I was wrong. Except for city driving — potholes, blemishes, and expansion joints — the ride was fairly smooth. It was never supple, but it wasn’t jittery either. Mercedes-Benz left the big bumps in while smoothing out the tiny ones.
[A few months later, drove this car through downtown Chicago, and it was quite miserable.]
That brings me to another issue, the Mercedes influence. This is, for all intents and purposes, an SLK 32 AMG. The interior, except for the silver plastic, is directly out of the SLK. The switches are from the SLK. The turn stalks are from the SLK. The engine and transmission are too. The difference is that it was assembled by a coachbuilder in Germany (Karmann) who attached a Chrysler-designed hatchback shell.
The Mercedes influence unfortunately introduces some flaws. The vacuum locks are faulty, water leaked into the cargo area and shorted out the vacuum pump, the trunk doesn’t lock, and the cruise control stalk is right next to the turn stalk. This means that half the time, when attempting to use the signal, you end up hitting ACCEL. Speeding up when trying to slow down and turn is unnerving. People on the Crossfire forum have reported rust in the doors due to a flawed door seal design that retains water.
The SRT6 doesn’t have the handling slop that Top Gear complained about with the base Crossfire. Cornering is firm, but communication from the steering and suspension are seriously lacking.
And just because the SRT6 manages to avoid body roll doesn’t necessarily mean it handles well. There’s more to good handling than a lack of body roll. The Mazda Miata, which has an MSRP of just over $22k, puts you in the dead center of gravity. The Miata’s perfect balance from bumper to bumper means that you, the driver, are the pivot around which the Miata rotates. It’s a satisfying feeling, one that you may never experience in a Crossfire.
Crossfire has to achieve its driving enjoyment with daft brute force and big, fat, wide tires. And indeed, there’s enough grip and torque to counter the earth’s rotation, but none of it feels natural, delicate, or interesting. Typical AMG brute over brains.
I do -like- the car, despite its majors flaws. I might even kind of love it. There’s charm in its child-like stupidity. Everything from the gimmicky body to the supercharged 330hp engine say “LETS ROB A BANK AND GO TO A TITTY BAR! AND I WANT ICE CREAM!”
When I stomped on the throttle, the supercharger whined aggressively, the exhaust roared like an angry midget, and I chuckled like I was six years old, playing tag outside with my pals.
Powertrain: 5/5 The transmission behaves oddly, but not enough to interrupt the fun. Apparently this is by design. 0-60 in under 5 seconds.
Audio/Electronics: 4/5 The Infinity audio is reasonable. Not perfect, but pleasant. There aren’t really any other luxuries to mention. Stuff works.
Steering/Suspension/Handling: 3/5 Rides hard in the city but cruises like a sedan on the highway. Steers quickly enough but lacks feedback, which makes it hard for the driver to feel in control. Handling? Imagine a big fat guy roped to a pole, spinning in circles like a tetherball. How’s that for an analogy?
Overall: 4/5 It was terribly overpriced when new, but poor resale makes it a tremendous bargain. A low-mileage SRT6 and a low-mileage Miata might be nearly the same price… something to seriously consider.
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The honeymoon quickly ended.
Originally written February 2009:
I brought the Crossfire in for an intermittent supercharger, differential noise, and door locks that didn’t work at Royal Gate Chrysler in Ellisville MO. I found the notes on the writeup amusing:
—
PROBLEM: “CUST STATES CORRODED HARNESS, WATER INTRUSION IN LOCK MODULE, ACCORDING TO PREVIOUS DEALER”
SOLUTION: “LOCK MODULE SUBMERGED IN ICE”
Diagnostic fee: $55 (originally $85 before I got pissed)
— That’s right, I got charged $55 for them to tell me what I told them, that the wire harness was corroded and the lock module was subjected to water.
In addition, it took them ten minutes to get my car out. I stood outside where they said it would come around. It started raining. I kept asking around and complained. I even asked a service writer, “Did you guys get lost?” She assured me that it was in the back and would take time.
FINALLY they brought it around. The kid told me it was parked behind a car that was dead, so they had to push the dead car out of the way. I -told- them I was picking it up Monday afternoon! On top of that, they claimed to not be able to hear the diff whine or the engine ticking, and Greg the service writer got whiny when I questioned his diagnosis and asked for his technician’s Crossfire certifications.
His exact words: “What, you don’t believe me?”
[I thought to myself, “No, I don’t believe you.”]
List of problems at 30,000 miles:
Broken power locks
Corroded wire harness
Engine ticking
Cargo area water intrusion
Faulty supercharger intercooler pump
Oil leak Broken heated seats
Differential whine
Pathetic. I had a good time driving the Crossfire home, at least.
—-
The service writer found my complaint online somehow, weeks later, and replied with the following:
If you would only tell the true story it would be amazing. How about you bring in a crossfire to a dealership (having bought it at some second hand place) You buy it from a place knowing the problems that it has (it is listed on your paperwork) and don’t have them fix it????????????? the car is out of it’s basic warranty so you have some half a** aftermarket extended warranty through them. Of course their not going to cover it because it is listed on the paperwork that you bought it with those problems. So, who is the retard???? As for the remainder of the story you can tell it however makes you feel better. You did not make a scene and blah blah blah. Also who post comments about their chrysler crossfire on a site for Nissan, Infinit….Duh. Oh, lets not forget that the person who brings the car in for repairs—-none of the paperwork matches for the owner of the car. Your title of your article should have been “my own incompetence”
—-
Well, that was quite colorful, so I posted this reply:
Hey genius.
Congratulations on bumping an old discussion and reminding people about how horribly incompetent, petty, and unprofessional you are. And thanks for helping me discover how friendly and well trained the staff are at Reuther Jeep Chrysler in Creve Coeur.
[Editor’s Note: After the incident I never returned to Royal Gate again and established a relationship with Reuther Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep, an oustanding service facility that no longer has a Chrysler franchise. I continue to bring all of my cars there since the continue to function as a service facility for all makes and models.]
I also made sure to post this on local sports car forums, Chrysler forums, and Cadillac forums (I’ve had a lot of cars, what can I say?). Amusingly, it was the guys on the Chrysler forum who confirmed what a bunch of incompetent idiots you were. Your dealership has a track record of stupidity.
By the way, the intercooler pump is NOT working JUST LIKE I TOLD YOU. Your technician needs to be retrained. You tried to scam the warranty company out of a $7000 supercharger when all the car needed was a $300 water pump.
Second, you didn’t wash or vacuum the car and you returned it DISASSEMBLED.
As a reminder, here’s what the car looked like when I picked it up:
I prepared a letter to send to your superiors as well as your regional Zone office, but this is far more satisfying.
I let go of this issue and decided to move on and have the car serviced elsewhere until you reminded me. Thanks for the reminder, pal. I’ll be sure to tell more people.
—-
Ian, my friend and the registered owner of the car, replied as well:
You truly are as dumb as you sound on the phone. First you couldn’t get the ownership of the car straight after it was clearly CLEARLY spelled out when the car was dropped off to the rest of your incompetent staff (what, no one has ever driven in to that sorry excuse for a dealership driving someone else’s car?). THEN, when the problem was ACCURATELY and COMPLETELY described to you, you charged a diagnostic fee merely to repeat what had already been disclosed AND managed to foul up the Warranty claim to the point the work could not be done.
The details of your post further exacerbate the severity of your illiteracy. You mention that the seller included paperwork documenting what had happened to the door lock module? This is completely false, the documentation that was with the car was from a semi-censcient part of your network called JERRY ULM DODGE/CHRYSLER/JEEP in Tampa, FL. The KNOWLEDGEABLE service staff there CLEARLY transcribed the problem so that I’d have a record if I had to move or gave the car to a friend or family member. They were also more than happy to file the claim for me in a PROPER manner so as to not get the claim tossed out immediately. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. I know it is a difficult concept to grasp, but reading comprehension does wonders for individuals in your line of work.
Also, FYI dumbass, the warranty company which you so ignorantly call “half-assed” is a NATIONWIDE WARRANTY BACKED BY GM and provided by the LOAN company, not the selling dealership.
Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz techs can EASILY work on this car, negating the need for your half-baked excuse for a dealership to exist once you’re gone.
—
Greg the service writer, or whomever it was at the dealership who posted that message, never replied again, but I took some action.
—
My letter to city of Ellisville MO:
From: Jesda
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 1:18 PM
Subject: Sign permit for sidewalk
Ada:
I recently had a negative experience at Royal Gate Chrysler. I would like to stand on the sidewalk in front of their building and hold up a sign expressing my dissatisfaction.
I don’t know if this requires a permit or what the regulations are, or if your department even handles these things, but I figured I would ask you first. Do I need a permit to do this, and if so who do I contact or how do I obtain one?
Thank you!
-Jesda Gulati
—
Jesda-
After discussing your inquiry with the City’s legal counsel, I would like to clarify that you have a right to picket and no City approvals are required. I hope this information is helpful.
Ada Hood, AICP
Director of Planning and Community Development
City of Ellisville
—
I went to Sign-A-Rama in Ballwin MO and paid $18 for a large printed sign. I stopped at Home Depot and picked up a wooden stake and some nails (to hold up the sign, not to kill vampires.
I bought an eight-foot pole to mount the sign so I wouldn’t have to hold it up.
Early this morning I loaded it up in the Crossfire along with a print-out of the email from the city of Ellisville authorizing me to picket and a two-page explanation of my complaint.
Stopped at Office Depot to pick up a file folder to hold my papers.
Parked across the street.
Stood on the sidewalk in front of the dealership at 9:00a, a very busy rush hour.
About ten minutes later two managers came outside to greet me. It was rush hour, so even after just ten minutes several cars had already driven by. A woman in a Town and Country leaving the dealership asked me about what happened and I told her.
The two guys offered to have me come inside and discuss the issue, so I followed them in.
The older guy on the right is Curtis Pratt, the service director. I can’t remember the name of the other guy, but both of them were friendly and professional. I handed each of them a copy of my complaint. They clarified things for me, and I did for them. I made it clear that the main reason I was out there was because Greg got online and bumped the thread with his poorly written response.
We talked about the limited amount of training DaimlerChrysler gave its dealer techs, and that the training program ended years ago. We both agreed that the Daimler merger and unmerger was difficult for everyone.
Curtis very politely apologized for what happened and I thanked him and accepted his apology. He assured me that he would have a serious talk with Greg about the incident, and I told them both that I appreciated them taking the time to kindly sort out the issue. I said I’d go online to the forums and clubs I posted on and note that I did receive an apology.
So, I’m happy! It was 40F outside so I’m glad they came outside quickly. Its highly unlikely that I’ll ever go back there for service and parts, but I’ll stop pursuing this with Royal Gate.
—
Later on, I fixed the intercooler pump myself thanks to the help of the knowledgeable and friendly people at http://www.crossfireforum.org/forum/index.php
The part, shared with the Ford Lightning, was $85 from ebay. I just had to swap a couple pieces off the old pump to get it to fit. Inside, the magnet was cracked, most likely from sitting and rotting away unsold for so long on a container ship. My neck hurt for weeks after fixing it outside in the cold.
The morning after, I was excited to play with the now consistently functioning supercharger, but I earned myself a speeding ticket and ended up stuck in the mud in the shoulder where I was pulled over. The police officer said, “Well, sorry!” and took off. Adding up towing fees, lawyers, and fines, I ended up spending $500 that day.
This car was bad luck from day one, but it was quite an adventure.
