Just wanted to say thank you

[Oldgamer]

Well, to make it short and unpainful as possible I want just to say that I don't have my '94 STS.

I sold it. Possibly some remember it has transmission problem which was fixed for short time and then it returns. It was fixed again, but then I got a code "Extensive slippage..." while driving up to long hills (bridges). I couldn't take a risk again, so I sold it. This car had only 71K and otherwise was a very good experience. When I sold it my wife was crying looking out of window while car left my block, saying that "it's like a pet, who got sick and we betrayed then".

I bought a new 2007 Honda LX V-6 and can see my old STS in a new light.

I don't want to tell that Honda is a bad car, but I miss a luxury of STS. And ride. Don't take me wrong, light weight Honda with 244HP and 5 gears transmission is very responsive. It's actually more than I need. But still on a highway I don't have that feeling which is so hard to describe. STS did gave me that filling, it was like flying almost. And again, I noticed that computer in Honda keeps transmission very busy in the city. When I off accelerator transmission goes down to lower gear and I feel engine brake, not much though, but still. It never happened in Cadillac. Well, of course it's not fair to compare luxury car with "just a car". And look. Probably because so many Hondas out there they all look the same. Couple days ago I tried to open car on a parking lot and only after some time I realised it's not mine. Famous reliability? Again, car has only 152 miles on it and dealer should change weight sensor under a passenger seat.

I think I will get used to that car and it will be fine.

I will visit forum sometimes, just not so often probably.

I will keep factory service manuals just in case.

I want to say again:

Thank you all of you guys for help.

Scotty: keep a good work.

adallak: I always liked your humor, you make my day today also

[BodybyFisher]

Good luck Oldgamer, I will miss you. I liked that you got in there and rolled up your sleeves. It was frustrating I know, and I am sorry that you did not have a better experience. Hopefully someday you will buy a hobby car STS.... and of course the great members on this board will help as much as we can.

Thanks, Mike (Scotty/BodybyFisher)

[Ranger]

Tis a sad day when a member of the Cadillac family leaves, especially for a Honda, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and the choice is yours. Hope your experience is a pleasant one. We'll miss you Oldgamer. Perhaps you'll be back one day.

[blunted]

... I'm really sorry to hear about your STS, she was a beauty. I would like to say Thank YOU for everything, your always quick to help people out and I will never forget the way you went above and beyond to fix my Eldorado's tranny. I was able to drive to my job interview that next week, and i've been working here ever since doing something I love. So thanks for everything and believe me, if I were to hit the lotto tomorrow, I'd buy you another nice green STS!.. (with warranty)

Thanks again,

-Erik

[adallak]

Oldgamer,

Good luck with the new ride. It will serve you well, but you will miss your Caddy. That's for sure. Everytime I drove my GF's Accord, I could not get rid of the feeling I was driving a toy... Show up from time to time.

[Oldgamer]

Thanks, guys.

Like I said i missed my Caddy right after its gone and i have a good memories related to that car. Nothing rides like that car for sure.

For all 8 years i had it I never even opened a beauty cover. Just did small things like changing filters and other. The engine is unbelievable.

Blunted, u really make me feel bad now.

I hope you will buy more lottery tickets

Sure I will not leave that forum: at first if i have a bad mood i need some adallak readings. Second, probably i can help somebody with my two cents.

Thanks.

[Cadillac Jim]

The highway, freeway, or busy traffic feeling is one of confidence and safety. With the RSS and designed-in world class handling, ride, and brakes, you know that anything that comes up will be dealt with effortlessly, probably without catching the wife's notice. After you have a lot of hours in the Honda, you will know if it has the road competence of the Cadillac or not. I suspect that it does, but the Cadillac gives you the confidence from the first drive.

[ted tcb]

Good luck with the Accord.

I alternated between my 99 STS and 02 Accord for about a year.

When I drove the Honda for a few days, the STS seemed ponderous and excessively

heavy around town ... once I drove the STS for a few days, the Accord felt too light

and cheap around town.

Its all a matter of familiarity, I guess.

Both cars are amongst the top of their respective fields ... but they compete in different market

segments.

One nice surprise with your Accord will be solid resale value when that time comes.

Good luck ... if you're anything like me, you'll start glancing at car lots for another clean

STS within a few months.

[KHE]

Oldgamer, I wish you would have given us the opportunity to find you a clean used STS for the same money as the new Honda.

[RDWRIOR]

Oldgamer,

Somewhat echoing what Kevin said in his post (above), I'm disappointed that you chose to replace your Cadillac with a Honda. I can understand your desire to replace an older vehicle (with expensive older vehicle reliability issues) with a brand new one (with a new, full warranty). Also, I can understand how you might not be able to spend the amount of money needed to replace the '94 Seville with its brand-new Cadillac equivalent (i.e., DTS -- $43k+). But if you were in the market for a car like the Accord, what were the reasons for you to actually buy the Accord, as opposed to a similar GM, Ford, or Chrysler product?

I'm not posing the question in a combative sense -- I'm genuinely interested to know why you found the Accord a better vehicle (or value), as opposed to its "domestic" competitors.

Did you get a really special deal on the Accord? Did you consider the Honda and/or Accord brand reputations to be stronger? Did you consider (or test drive) any other vehicles before you purchased the Accord? Please help me understand your purchase decision.

I suppose that it's a moot point now, but if you had asked me for my recommendations for a new, mid-size, FWD sedan, I would have immediately suggested cross-shopping the Impala, Grand Prix, and LaCrosse. These are all very good vehicles, excellent values, especially the Impala. Furthermore, for a relatively small price premium to can get FWD V8 power in the Impala SS or Grand Prix GXP. These are cars that definitely outperform our FWD V8 Cadillacs in acceleration! If vehicle storage space wasn't a problem for me, I'd buy a GXP tomorrow, just to have as an "extra" vehicle -- I like it that much! Plus, if you had purchased a MY 2007 GM product, you would have received the new extended powertrain warranty coverage, much longer than the Honda's.

[RDWRIOR]

All,

This is a follow-up to my previous post (above). Oldgamer replied to my inquiries via PM. However, I thought that his reply, and my comments, should be shared with the rest of the members in this thread. I didn't take any of Oldgamer's statements to be "private" so I assume he does not mind me quoting him here. If I'm mistaken, then I apologize in advance.)

This is Oldgamer's PM message back to me:

Hi RDWRIOR,

Well, you wanted to know how i made my decision, so I'll try to give you the answer.

At first, I even was thinking about buying Caddy a bit newer than mine, let say 1999-2002. When I start research I found that most of them already have mileage like mine (mine was 94, I bought it in 98, 47K on a odometer and made only ~25K, so mine was relatively a new car, mileage speaking, only 71K total) or more. I don't really drive a lot as you see. Logically I don't need a big luxury car. I started looking for something like mid size family sedan. Sure, I was under influence that Honda or Toyota are very reliable cars. I am not saying that it is not true. I decided to know it myself. Honestly, I don't know much about mid size American cars. Once I rented a small car, Ford Escort (I was in Orlando, Florida) and I can't say I liked how it rides on a highway. Sure, we can't compare Caddy and something like that. I decided to buy V-6 at least. So, after bad experience with transmission (only after 71K) I thought: no, I don't want to buy a car with huge depreciation and bad reliability. Transmission should not broke after 71K. Worse, the guy who rebuild transmission did a poor job, so it didn't make even 200 miles after. He fixed again. Then, as I wrote, I notice computer message about extensive slippage. I show car to mechanic but he did nothing and warranty he gave me (12 month) was close to the end. I understood that it's time. I can't risk another $2000 for a car which cost around $3500. That experience I think mostly made my decision.

Best regards,

Mike (Oldgamer)

I guess that I would summarize Oldgamer's decision process as follows: A negative experience regarding long-term reliability of the previous vehicle focused his mind on the desire for reliability in a new car. Reliability became the most important factor in his purchase decision. Since Honda and Toyota has earned (fairly) some of the very best reputations for reliability, he basically did not consider any other brands. He did not feel that he had been "betrayed" by GM and would never consider another GM vehicle, it was just that he perceived the Honda to have the least likelihood of quality problems. (Oldgamer, if my interpretation is inaccurate, please feel free to reply here with additional comments.)

Assuming that my interpretation is correct, I would say that the decision rationale is logical, even if I disagree with it, and am disappointed in the outcome. I also suppose that this is typical of a lot of American car buyers, and is another example of the lingering effects of the significant vehicle quality disparities that once existed between the import brands and the domestic Big Three brands. Those days are long over, as any number of completely objective studies have shown. Nonetheless, attitudes and assumptions linger in the marketplace, and GM, Ford and Chrysler are still dealing with the negative perceptions. The good news is that the newer products are certainly capable of dispelling those negative perceptions. The bad news is that it is probably still going to take a long time to overturn those bad perceptions, as good as our new products may be. I do worry that the effort may be too late.

[Ranger]

The good news is that the newer products are certainly capable of dispelling those negative perceptions. The bad news is that it is probably still going to take a long time to overturn those bad perceptions, as good as our new products may be. I do worry that the effort may be too late.

So very, very true and though I share your fears, I truely hope your last statement is wrong.

[Oldgamer]

... I didn't take any of Oldgamer's statements to be "private" so I assume he does not mind me quoting him here. If I'm mistaken, then I apologize in advance.)...

I don't now why you didn't take private message as private, I thought it's obvious. I just didn't want to touch sensitive theme again, some people really easily get upset when it's happened. Actually me too, as previous Caddy owner (it's even sad to say previous), I do like to underline extra time what I liked about my STS. As I told I didn't have many problems with my car other than transmission. Computer I changed myself and almost nothing more. Other than that it was a very good car. You are right, it was more logic decision in a light of next coming transmission rebuild. I know that most cars run 150000 miles with no rebuild. It was just one of the bad cases that's it.