I'll take my Caddies anyday over the Lexus as even the parts are much cheaper to begin with and unless you have experience driving the Caddy brand dailey for years then maybe you should say No more as you are just blowing smoke. Just how much have you had to drink or smoke to come up with that answer as You must feel no-body else can ever be right unless you say so. I have had 4 Caddies in the last 25 years or so and do know how reliable they really are. Still own 3 of them and my oldest still has the original starter and alt in it after owning it since 1985. Have you had your Lexus that long?
Well, where to start?
Years ago, my father purchased a 1993 STS for my mom as a daily driver. He had owned a Fleetwood and Sedan Deville previously, which were certainly decent and respectable cars for their time. The STS was a big car for Cadillac, and the Northstar had great power and made wonderful sounds. It had a few very minor issues (that fancy brake light likes to burn out) that were dealt with at the dealer and ran trouble free with regular fluid changes. After a good experience with that car, we replaced it with the 1998 STS, first year of the newer generation. The thing was in for service all the time. It was one of the oil-burning Northstar cars with the problematic piston rings at a time before the problem was well-known.
"NORTHSTAR V8 (4.6L) OIL CONSUMPTION
The information in the article applies only to the 1996-1999 Cadillac DeVille, Eldorado and Seville.
One of the major reasons for oil consumption is combustion deposits that build up on the pistons and rings and cause them to stick in the piston. Stuck rings cannot effectively wipe the oil off the cylinder walls, and the oil will burn in the combustion process.
To deal with an oil consumption condition, begin by following the guidelines in bulletin 01-06-01-011:
- verify general oil consumption concern
- repair oil leaks
- verify that no specific cylinder(s) is burning oil as defined by
oil on the back side of the intake valves or oil on the spark plug.
Then, if necessary perform a new ring-cleaning procedure. The bulletin for this procedure is expected in February. Technical Assistance has a faxable version of the cleaning procedure that can
be sent out until the bulletin is available."
Source: caddyinfo.com
The problem was misunderstood and misdiagnosed many times by GM technicians, often performing frivlous service on the car. To make matters worse, the staff at the dealership was difficult to deal with, once even calling us in to pick up the car when in fact the work was not performed and the car was not ready. Eventually the piston rings were replaced under warranty. The car still used a bit of oil, but the problem was slightly better. A friend owned a 2003 Deville which was very problematic as well. Now what does this have to do with anything? For $7- 10k the STS and Deville offer a lot of value on the used market. Luxury, a 4.6 DOHC V8, and some decent styling, but when there are serious problems with something as fundamental as the engine that are known to exist by GM,
why gamble on a used Cadillac?After this ordeal we replaced it with a 2002 Infiniti Q45 which now has 120,000km and has been absolutely flawless. Nothing but regular maintenance. There have been no problems whatsoever. These can now be found for around $10k on the used market.
Me, I drive a Lexus SC400 which I have owned since February 2007, now at 160,000km The only non-maintenance item that I have needed to replace was the alternator, which was inexpensively replaced. Lexus OEM parts are expensive because you get what you pay for. These cars are impeccably assembled with high-quality parts; any maybe you need to drive one and realise that. Inspect the panel gaps, materials used, rubber seals, interior fits, and durability of materials and it's all top-notch. Lexus never appealed to me until I bought my SC and relaised it, I always thought they were the "blah" luxury brand and it couldn't be further from the truth. For $7-10k a pristine SC400 or LS400 is a far better buy than a comparable Cadillac. For this kind of money I have no idea why Buicks, Cadillacs, or other FWD GM's come to mind.
