2002 Cadillac DeVille - Consumer Guide Automotive

2002 Cadillac DeVille
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MSRP:
$42,950 - 47,880

Invoice:
$39,299 - 43,810

Class:
Premium Large Car

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2002 Cadillac DeVille
Expert Rating Summary

Category	Base Rating (See All Ratings)	Premium Large Car Average Rating

Acceleration	7	6.5

Fuel Economy	3	4.2

Ride Quality	9	8

Steering/Handling/Braking	6	6.6

Quietness	8	7.5

Controls	6	5.3

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)	8	7.8

Room/Comfort (rear)	9	7

Cargo Room	6	4.9

Value within Class	7	4.6

Total Score:	69	62.4

Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category

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2002 Cadillac DeVille Review

A new navigation system that plays DVD movies is the marquee addition to Cadillac's largest car for 2002. Base and DHS DeVilles have a bench front seat, the sportier DTS model has buckets. The V8 makes 300 hp in the DTS, 275 in the others. All have a 4-speed automatic transmission, traction control, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, front head-and-torso side airbags, load-leveling suspension, and General Motors' OnStar assistance system. Rear side airbags and a rear-obstacle-warning system are optional. An antiskid system is standard on DTS, optional elsewhere. Infrared Night Vision is optional on DHS and DTS. The optional navigation system now incorporates voice recognition and DVD mapping; it can play entertainment DVDs over the 6.5-inch dashboard screen with the transmission in Park. Also for '02: Leather upholstery is standard instead of optional on the base model, and a tire-pressure monitor is standard on DHS and DTS. Added during the model year was an optional satellite radio that plays commercial-free programs for a $9.98 monthly fee.

Competition

This diverse segment offers the widest price range and obviously our Best Buys are somewhere in between. We think that the Acura RL is a steal at $44,000 fully equipped. Though it is a front-drive V6 in a field of V8 rear-drive models, it has a great ride, plenty of power, and is quite luxurious. The refined Lexus LS 430 can't be beat for comfort and features at just under $55,000. Mercedes-Benz E-Class, though a bit long in the tooth, also continues to impress with its impeccable road manners and luxurious comfort.

If you are looking for something a bit more sporting, we Recommend the BMW 5-Series. If your taste ranges more toward the luxury end, then take a look at the roomy Cadillac DeVille or Lexus GS 300.

News

The redesigned 2000 DeVilles did good business in their first season, calendar-year sales rising 16 percent from '99 to nearly 106,000. But the bloom faded in 2001, as orders for the first nine months dropped 16.2 percent from the year-earlier period.

DeVille's next redesign comes with model-year 2005. Still to be determined is whether it will stay front-wheel drive or move to the rear-drive Sigma platform that supports Cadillac's new entry-level CTS sedan and is also destined for the next-generation 2004 Seville. Some observers insist DeVille will retain front drive for reasons of better interior space efficiency and more secure winter-weather handling, factors seemed important to the model's more elderly buyer group. But no one knows for sure, as this is one of several General Motors programs still in flux.

2002 Cadillac DeVille Road Test >

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