The Cadillac Catera faces a daunting task; it has to attract new buyers to the old-guard Cadillac division. It is the same task that the Oldsmobile Aurora faced when it was introduced. The Catera is also under massive media scrutiny and is being touted as the end-all-be-all for Cadillac. Some in the media are saying that if the Catera is a failure that the entire division is lost.
I don't believe that philosophy. Further, I think it will take
time for the Catera to catch on with new buyers, just as it has
taken time for the Aurora to become popular. Cadillac realizes
its current demographic is aging and that the influx of Asian
and European competition on the baby-boomer generation is making
it difficult for Cadillac to find new consumers. The Asian manufactures
have done a particularly good job of grabbing the younger generation
and holding them as repeat customers. You don't remake a brand's
entire image overnight. And a new image is just what the Catera
is about. From the Cindy Crawford/Superbowl advertisements to
the animated ducks the Catera is taking Cadillac in a new direction.
That new direction is towards the younger buyers. Is the product
good enough to compete in a market full of choices?
The Catera isn't really a Cadillac at all; it is an Opel. Opel is a subsidiary of General Motors in Europe. This European heritage accounts for the biggest surprise: it is a rear-drive car.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Cadillac Catera. It is a really good car, it features high content at a competitive price. The styling is good; but I would not have put the front bumper guards on a car trying to attract a young audience. Overall interior space is near the top of the class and rear seat passengers have a generous amount of room. Competitors in this market include: Acura TL, Lexus ES300, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Mazda Millenia and the Infiniti I30. As you may remember I recently drove the Millenia S; the Catera is better than Millenia in styling, and interior comfort and space. It only lags behind the Millenia in the handling and drivetrain areas.
While the rear passengers are cradled in comfort, the driver and front passenger seem to be cramped. For my 6'4" frame the seat didn't travel far enough back; it took over a day to get comfortable. Once situated, the seat was supportive. Lateral support was only fair due mainly to the slippery leather seats. The ventilation system provides for the rear passengers as well with rear ducts for more airflow. The front passengers get dual-zone climate controls so each can have their own temperature settings.
The 3.0L, V6, DOHC engine has 200 peak horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. The handling, as you would expect with a Cadillac, is soft. The Catera either needs stiffer springs or weight reduction because freeway lane changes create significant amounts of body roll. A weight reduction would also help the Catera feel a bit more sporty. Still the brakes were extremely strong on my test car. The Catera features a 4-speed automatic transmission with sport mode and winter mode. The sport mode holds each gear until redline producing faster acceleration; winter mode uses third gear as a starting point for less torque to the rear drive wheels.
The list of amenities on the Catera is lengthy. The driver and front passenger seats are leather, 8 way power, 3 memory positions and manual lumbar support; rear seats are leather as well. Audio controls are easy to reach on the dash and the thick leather wrapped steering wheel has duplicate controls, though they are not labeled. The stereo has excellent sound with the Bose speakers included in the evaluated car. Safety features include traction control, anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags, keyless entry (power locks) and daytime running lights. The windows have express up and down ability in all 4 locations; the exterior mirrors are power and heated for convenience. For those long drives, the Catera also has cruise control. Rounding out the list of amenities are a power multi-position sunroof and an air-conditioned glove box.
During my week long testing I achieved 23 mpg. According to Cadillac and the EPA, you can expect to get 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. One odd note: the Catera was one of the most photogenic cars I've had around here lately.
All of the competition in this class will run you at least $30,000, it's just a matter of who has the most content for the fewest dollars. The Cadillac Catera is loaded and the total price came to $35,815.
The base price of $32,995 is for a leather appointed model, without leather the base price drops to the advertised $29,995.
The Aurora wasn't an overnight success, the Catera won't be either. But, if you buy one now you can say you were part of the rebirth of Cadillac; one of the greatest names in the automotive world. And you'll have a pretty nice car to boot.