The last pic I have of the 91 DeVille before it headed south
The running joke among my friends is that I go change cars like some people change their underwear, given that I have owned around 20 cars in the last 15 years. I made it easy for them when I decided to ditch the 1991 Sedan DeVille after only a year and change of ownership.
I didn’t want to dump any more money into it after spending $1500 on AC repairs only to have the evaporator go out – as well as fix a few small issues like the driver’s window not working right and the baffles in the gas tank causing stalling issues anytime the fuel level would get below 6 gallons. I loved the car, but with the ’88 Brougham needing a new transmission I felt one basket case Caddy was enough. I put the car up for sale, but dealing with FB Marketplace and Craigslist is a hassle with scammers so I ended up giving the car away to a friend of mine who needed a car and didn’t mind what was wrong with it (driving with no AC beats paying for Uber to get back and forth to work). So Christmas Eve my friend hopped a train from NC to CT and I played Santa signing over the title while showing her the foibles of the car before she left for her relatives in NJ.
At this point, a normal person would be satisfied with having the ’88 Brougham and ’07 Grand Marquis. But Facebook Marketplace kept showing me lovely examples in my area (Bridgeport CT and Long Island NY) – going so far as to drive a ’94 Sedan DeVille that was for sale, and even make an offer. I lost out on that one, but test driving it reminded me why I loved that era DeVille – it rode smooth, the noise level was whisper quiet, and the interior was so much more comfortable than my 91 with the bigger dimensions and raised seating position. I was hooked again!
This got me looking for a ’94 or ’95 DeVille in decent shape for a reasonable price – a day after Christmas I found a ’95 DeVille for sale on Craigslist out in East Meadow NY on LI with only 88k miles. I called the guy up, and set up a time to meet at his house to look at the car. Not wanting to risk losing out, I made sure I had cash on me this time.
Imitation convertible top = Long Island Luxury
I show up Saturday at noon to look at the car, and it’s as good as advertised. No serious mechanical issues, the interior is clean aside from the leather on the driver’s seat being worn, and the only electrical issue is the radio is broken. Fire it up, and no warnings on the dash to greet me. Take it for a spin and the car feels great aside from the ride being off. Look at the tires and there’s the gremlin – dry rot. We go inside to talk and he tells me about the car – it was a leased vehicle for the first two years, then his mother in law bought it and drove it 10 miles a day back and forth to her job at the local police station. When his MIL passed away, he bought the car and used it in the summer with it being covered and garaged in the winter. I offered him the cash I had in my jacket…and then a little bit more from the ATM down the street…and the car was mine!
Now why would I want a ’94 or ’95 over a newer model DeVille or DTS? One word – Northstar. I had one in my 1996 DeVille, and while it was fast (and more engine than a high schooler should have!), it also wasn’t a paragon of reliability. Oil consumption and finicky engine electronics were my main gremlins – I didn’t have any bad luck with headbolts but I didn’t keep the car past 130k miles so I’m not sure what happened after my ownership ended. But after hearing the horror stories from others, I wanted the nice reliable 4.9 – it has enough horsepower for my needs in day to day driving along the Merritt Parkway and 287.
My 1996 DeVille – note the bigger 16 inch tires vs the 15 on the 95 DeVille
This car has gotten mixed reviews on this site – but I personally love the styling of it. It really does look like a 5/8th scale Fleetwood Brougham, and the fender skirts fit better on this car than the Olds 98 of the same era. The interior is a bit plastickier than I would like, but the fake wood is much better looking than the ’91 DeVille – or even the ’88 Brougham. The digital dash is not the best, but the teardrop shape is attractive looking and functional. Standard features like four wheel disc ABS, traction control, and dual airbags make this a truly modern car – however it still has the float of Brougham days gone by.
This VFD will outlive the rest of the car
This particular example is of course festooned with an imitation convertible top, a Sacred Heart Auto League medallion, and a few Nassau County police organization stickers. The previous owner replaced the top after it started to look aged – not my favorite styling touch, but given the demographic of this car, it’s to be expected.
I’m Jewish, but given my record with cars I’ll need all the help I can get
Much has been said about this generation of DeVille – but I’m here to stick up for this car. It’s big, comfortable, quiet, powerful, and with the 4.9 V8, reliable. The styling is Cadillac, but modern – even with the less than stellar interior quality. I inherited a ’96 DeVille when my Pap died in February of 2006, and I was able to pile all of my high school buddies in the thing and still have room to stretch out. That 20 cubic foot trunk moved me to and from my college dorm without issue, and the A/C could freeze out a penguin.
“Made By General Motors Exclusively For Cadillac Motor Car”
So far, it’s been a month of (mostly) trouble free motoring – I discovered the AC compressor is shot, and the all but one of the speakers were dead. I replaced the bad factory radio rear speakers, but I’m leaving the front ones to a stereo shop with all the right tools (and patience) that I lack. We’ve had a few snowstorms here in the Northeast, and the heavy 4.9/FWD combo has made this car as good in the snow as my ’91 was.
But the Caddy did leave me stranded, and it has nothing to do with anything from the factory – the aftermarket security system failed, disabling the starter as well as the keyless entry. This happened on a business trip in Pittsburgh (near my old apartment oddly enough), and I was lucky to find a mobile mechanic on Facebook who removed the busted security system for a very reasonable price (and in about 20 minutes).
The new HD Radio with that old school woodgrain trim
Even with my automotive ADD, I still think I will have this White Whale for a long time – the inside is comfortable, the ride smooth, and it does truly have the feel of a Cadillac when I’m behind the wheel (my stepdad’s Escalade has the same feel – sadly I cannot afford one of those right now). Plus, if I put on a toupee I can pretend I’m in college again – who knew a Cadillac could also be a time machine?
Can there be too much chrome on a Caddy? I think not
You seem to live in prime Cadillac Country. OK, prime Cadillac Country of the north. Florida is the other one, but then aren’t many parts of Florida sort of Long Island South? 🙂 I live in Chevy Pickup Country so I understand. And personally, I think the carriage roof kind of works on these.
Though I am not a huge fan of these, I understand what it feels like to have “that car” that scratches a guy’s automotive itches. It was always C body Mopars for me, but whatever it is, it is that car guaranteed to make you feel at home and at rest.
It is good to read a spirited defense of this generation of Cadillac. As one who has thrown shade on these from time to time, it is good to hear the counterpoint.
Great job putting into words your reasons for liking a particular model. I don’t share your love for this generation of Caddies, but I think most of us share your feelings about some vehicle.
We had neighbors on our street with a green one of these, presumably with the 4.9, for years and years and years. They have very impressive corrosion protection: zero visible rot over the years despite Ithaca’s very heavy road salting.
At the dealership I work at, we’ve had a couple of these Devilles come in. Out of the one’s I’ve seen, only one has come in under its own power and that was a basic oil change. The rest have arrived on tow trucks and almost all of them have a “Check coolant level” warning on the dash. They were all between 97-99 in age.
You made the smart decision, and despite my misgivings and personal feelings overall, I actually do like 94-96s more than the 97-99 refresh from an aesthetic point of view. I don’t know why, maybe the thinner headlights and grille assembly along with the fender skirts make it look more cohesive than the referesh’s bigger headlights and no fender skirts. But those are my two cents.
Test drove a blinged out 97 this past summer here in Toms River NJ. Smooth, powerful 4.9 with nice cold a/c and only 88k miles to replace my 2000 Saturn SL2.Shifted hard from 1st to 2nd so I passed. Went with a 2003 Accord from a neighbor instead. My automotive ADD has me looking again even though the Honda is super nice and almost completely sorted after 6 months.
I had 2 neighbors a couple years back who each owned 95 or 96 DeVilles. They loved them and had both bought them well used from elderly first owners. Both had been specifically chosen because of the 4.9. I can see the appeal although they’re not my thing. My only peeve with these is that the dash always seems to warp around the center speaker and passenger airbag cutouts, which just looks cheap. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in Florida that doesn’t have a dash top that looks like bacon sizzling in a pan. Just ruins the effect for me.
Thanks for sharing.
While not everyone’s cup of tea, I’m glad there are still people around who love these cars.
I can see the appeal now: They are essentially factory “restomods” with classic car handling and styling but with modern safety features and amenities.
Great article, thank you. Reading this is a bit like looking in a mirror as I also own a mix of 90’s Devilles, Grand Marquis and Broughams.
I have a 97 Deville and I really like it. This generation of Deville was a substantial improvement over the previous generation in quality, fit and finish, ride and comfort. It gave the aura of a much more solid, sophisticated and expensive car than earlier models.
Interestingly, GM didn’t look to Europe as inspiration for the improvement, but continued to follow the distinctly American interpretation of luxury. This works for me but did little to broaden the Devilles appeal.
I’m glad the Cabriolet roof treatment works for you. My 89 DeVille has one which I think is comically hideous. As you say it’s an interesting period-correct accessory but doesn’t help the appearance much. However the roof made my 89 DeVille virtually unsellable so I picked it up for a song.
I like my 1995 Deville with the 4.9l
You can put the 16 inch rims on the car and they work fine. Mine had only a few issues. One thing to watch for. These like to go through hall effect sensors and ignition modules. I had to replace both mine within days of ownership. they are replaceable without having to remove the dist but you need a lot of patience
Here is mine
Oh you can also unlock the Tach, Battery gauge and coolant gauge function on the Deville cluster by imputing some info that causes it to think it is in a Saville
That generation DeVille sure looked sharp, didn’t it? Although I never liked fake convertible tops. But it looks better on this DeVille than it does on the W-body Impala owned by a neighbor.
Yes…a W-body Impala. In white. With a deep blue fake convertible top.
Um…yeah. ‘Bout as easy on the eyes as those old Northstars were on the wallet.
May you get many years of trouble-free enjoyment outta that Caddy!
I had a ’94 Seville STS from 28,000 miles to over 110,000 miles. Wow was that thing fast! It did have it’s share of problems as it approached the 90,000 mile mark, but the interior and exterior held up well. I test drove a 4.9 version before I went with my Northstar version. With 200 hp. it was plenty fast, just not a muscle car. I drove a Deville like yours as a rental a couple of times. It was just a Seville in a fat suit! Felt pretty much the same. I’m tempted by a ’92 Eldo with the 4.9. or a Lincoln Mark VII. I love the styling and much to my disappointment, they just don’t build cars like that anymore.
Not my kind of car, but different strokes for different folks.
Since you’re Jewish, I’ll say mazel tov.
In my opinion, this was about the last Cadillac to really know what it was and one of the best interpretations of what a Cadillac was since the disappearance of the fins in the early 60’s.
As has been discussed before, Cadillac went after volume in the late 60’s and 70s and the cars became increasingly indistinct from an Oldsmobile or Buick or even a Caprice. The 71-76 Sedan De Ville looked unfortunately like a Caprice and shared too much with it. Of course by the early 80’s some Cadillacs looked like Cadillacs (Sedan De Ville, Eldorado) some didn’t (Cimarron) and all the engines were slow junk. The 85 FWD Sedan De Ville was a little too stubby and the 86 Eldorado was a Deadly Sin.
This car had styling unique to Cadillac and aerodynamically smoothed over the box styling but also had a good, unique to Cadillac engine not to be found in an 88 or Park Avenue. it had vast room and comfort for 6, elegant, comfortable appointments, colour keyed interiors (not just tan or black or grey) and generally rich materials. It was unmistakeably a Cadillac and well suited for American style interstate all day cruising. Silent, smooth, spacious, and luxurious. The Continental wasn’t as refined or as good a car overall and had blobby styling, Chrysler had the LHS but it wasn’t really a competitor, and the Lexuses weren’t as roomy or comfortable or well appointed.
The next generation Deville got a lot cheaper inside and was only available in grey/tan interior. Then they called it DTS which sounds like a disease. The 92 Seville was a great combination of modern Euro-chic and traditional American luxury and then it withered on the vine. I had an Omega/Catera and it was by far the worst car I’ve ever had. Nothing except the Escalade has captured buyers imaginations and when I see the new Cadillacs and their idiotic names I’m left cold. This car may have served a dwindling market, but it did so very well.
Everytime I see one of this generation I look for the “Northstar” badge. That’s a warning sign for my wallet to stay away from it.
The 4.9 would have been my choice as well.
A medal of Saint Anthony keeps me company hanging from the rear view mirror of my Buick. The Patron Saint of Lost Causes was a favorite of my Grandmother.
Mane I had a 95 Deville cream white with a tan top just like yours buddy on 22in platinum sheilds had to use 235 30 22 tires, with no rub. It was the best car I ever had next to my 03 C200 😪 I really missed my caddy looking to buy yours if your willing to sell my email is jmunnings31@gmail.com
1995 Sedan DeVille how much is it worth at 100,000 miles