"Amoore100" (amoore100)
03/04/2016 at 21:18 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off
1
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"Amoore100" (amoore100)
03/04/2016 at 21:18 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off | 1
| 39 |
When early 2000's American cars were last featured here on Used Car Face-Off, they came with more of a luxurious than sporty vibe, with all of them FWD ‘old people’s cars’. Today we have a very different bunch: cars that at some point or another were marketed as sporty or good to drive. Which would you use as a DD with some extra excitement? Here are the options:
The first contestant: 1998 Cadillac Catera - $3955
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This marvelous dark green over tan leather Catera was once marketed as a BMW-competing sports saloon in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. However, its plebeian roots in the European Opel Omega spelled disaster for the car as it proved to be neither exciting to drive nor reliable as simple transportation. Nevertheless, this example is one of the best with only 55K miles. Does this pseudo-European Caddy suit you?
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Next up we have a Buick Regal, but not just any Regal, mind you. This is the variant with the supercharged 3800 V6 producing a whopping 240 horsepowers! Nevertheless, this was far more exciting than the regular variant and with only 87K miles, this well maintained example seems to be a good bet if you want a FWD fast old people’s car.
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This car is the newest, most expensive, and has the most miles at 155K but still looks to be in excellent shape with the same supercharged V6 as the Buick. Do you prefer to buy newer, or do the higher miles and more basic interior seem to pale in comparison to the Buick and Caddy?
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Ej8gUy
> Amoore100
03/04/2016 at 21:57 |
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It would be a toss up for me between the Caddy and the Regal. A friend had the same Caddy as pictured, and it had a butt ton of lux features, including a power rear sun shade! I think reliability sucked tho. I owned a 2001 GTP and I loved that car. The Buick is the perfect mix of speed (relative) and luxury. So I guess I say Buick.
Birddog
> Amoore100
03/04/2016 at 22:22 |
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Have to vote Buick here. They perfected the Doctor’s Hot Rod in the 60s and knew how to polish a turd.
The GP was.. Well.. Pontiac wasn’t even trying at that point. It all looks like generic Corn Flakes.
The Caddy was the embodiment of a good idea gone wrong. I had high hopes for that car but got really tired of that damn Duck in the commercials.
THE CADILLAC CREST DOESN’T HAVE DUCKS IN IT!
Ahem. Sorry.
sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> Amoore100
03/04/2016 at 22:47 |
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You couldn’t pay me enough to drive a Catera, and the Pontiac is still pretty meh. The buick has a lousy interior, but is actually a pretty damn good car and surprisingly quick. Regal all day every day.
Nibbles
> Amoore100
03/04/2016 at 23:21 |
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I’d definitely take the Regal. The Caddy is a waste of effort and the Pontiac, well, they took all the cladding off the outside but they had to do something with it, right? Right? That interior is Fisher-Price levels of refinement. At least the GS's dash is padded.
shop-teacher
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 00:18 |
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Given my car history, it’s predictable that I’d take the Buick. It’s got the nicest interior, and the best looking IMO.
RallyWrench
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 00:40 |
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I see I'm not the only one to have selected the Buick. The Catera, though in nice colors, just doesn't interest me. The Grand Prix is a rental car at best. But the Buick, well, it's black and says GS on the back, and feels just special enough to be endearing.
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Amoore100
> RallyWrench
03/05/2016 at 00:45 |
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The Buick has been surprisingly popular. The Catera was horrible so that’s understandable, even with a car this nice. The Prix is a Pontiac from that era and this one is appallingly close to rental-spec. So yeah, I can totally get behind the limited edition GS.
Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 00:48 |
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Holy shit, that Buick though. 11/10 do want badly.
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Amoore100
> Birddog
03/05/2016 at 00:48 |
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The 3800 was pretty damn good and the Buick is marvelously sleeper, so its definitely the best. The Pontiac with the same engine unfortunately just carries a lot less presence with the bland body. The Caddy was something I really wanted to like as a kid since ITS AN OPEL OMG OMG IVE ALWAYS WANTED AN OPEL IN THE US!!!!!!! But then it was terrible so I stopped that.
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Amoore100
> sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/05/2016 at 00:51 |
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Regal is the ultimate Buick limited edition. Finally more than just a few badges and extra leather.
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Amoore100
> Nibbles
03/05/2016 at 00:54 |
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Agreed, the Prix is plastic fantastic although it wasn’t half as bad as the appalling Bonneville sold in 2005.
The Caddy was bad, but I’ve never figured out why besides being a huge disappointment and horribly unreliable. Buick it is!
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Birddog
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 00:57 |
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It may just be me but I think the Buick interior looks way better than the Cad too.
I laugh my nuts off every time I see a “They need to bring that here” post. “They” tried. They tried in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. It failed every time. “They” learned their lesson.
Alex B
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 09:12 |
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The Buick because it's the least repulsive.
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Nibbles
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 10:34 |
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I sold at a BPG dealership during that era; I’m incredibly familiar with the Prix and the Regal. I’d take a Bonnie GXP over both :)
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Nibbles
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 10:37 |
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Funny thing about everyone saying that the GP is close to rental spec: It's a GTP1, second-highest tier GP of that year
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Amoore100
> Nibbles
03/05/2016 at 11:28 |
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True, as horrid as the interior is I hear the Bonneville is the better car.
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Amoore100
> Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
03/05/2016 at 11:32 |
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Surprisingly, yes.
Hoccy
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 11:54 |
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Caddy because RWD and possible manual swap.
mazda616
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 12:06 |
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Buick, then I’d change the supercharger oil and make sure the recall for catching on fire was fixed.
Cateras were hilariously unreliable and underpowered. And expensive. Meh.
The GP is a product of Pontiac’s “We’re going to be dead soon, so who cares?” days - even though it's on the venerable W-Body platform just like the Buick.
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 12:16 |
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SO MANY VENTS. I love that gen Bonneville though.
dogisbadob
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 12:34 |
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The 2000+ Cateras are MUCH more reliable and better cars.
MultiplaOrgasms
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 13:05 |
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I’m still amazed how the american market could make the thoroughly meh Omega B even worse. I guess large Opels are only good when powered by big-bore Straight sixes.
not for canada - australian in disguise
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 13:06 |
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Definitely the Regal, for two reasons. 1. Sleeper, and 2. The Regal from that era has to be one of the comfiest cars ever.
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Amoore100
> Hoccy
03/05/2016 at 13:17 |
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That’s an appealing idea.
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Amoore100
> not for canada - australian in disguise
03/05/2016 at 13:17 |
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Hard to go wrong with a fast old people’s car!
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Amoore100
> MultiplaOrgasms
03/05/2016 at 13:18 |
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YESSSSSSSSSS!!! But that was the last gen Omega, so perhaps this gen is worse in every way? Anyways, I6 > V6 every time.
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Amoore100
> dogisbadob
03/05/2016 at 13:21 |
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Perhaps, but I never liked their looks as much with the tiny grille.
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Amoore100
> Nibbles
03/05/2016 at 13:22 |
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Assuming I could get past that dashboard design, yes, it’s definitely better than any of the three here.
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Amoore100
> mazda616
03/05/2016 at 13:35 |
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Buick is great as long as you resolve all those early 2000's GM problems. Catera just has too many of those, and GTP is a cheaper Buick.
LongbowMkII
> Birddog
03/05/2016 at 13:35 |
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It can if you're driving fast enough.
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MultiplaOrgasms
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 13:41 |
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Then again, GM put a lot more effort into making cool versions of the A Omega than the B Omega. Evo 500, Irmscher 4.0 and Lotus vs. a few dozen or so LS1 powered prototypes.
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dogisbadob
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 13:52 |
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swap the other grille on :)
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Amoore100
> dogisbadob
03/05/2016 at 14:00 |
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Wouldn’t fit...perhaps a full front fascia conversion is in order...and if that’s the case, I’m gonna make it an Opel!
Just to confuse people, you know...
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Amoore100
> Ej8gUy
03/05/2016 at 14:08 |
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The Caddy always seemed appealing but after hearing all the stories it seems more appalling. The Pontiac is the other end, where the mechanicals are great but the car itself is lacking. Buick is definitely the sweet spot.
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Amoore100
> Nibbles
03/05/2016 at 14:09 |
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And yet you still get cloth seats, no sunroof, an interior that looks like that ...ahh, GM at its finest.
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Amoore100
> Alex B
03/05/2016 at 14:10 |
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And most attractive?
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Amoore100
> Birddog
03/05/2016 at 14:11 |
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Well it might help if they stop bringing the worst cars here. Although, still, I hear the Astra was pretty good since every other compact hatch in America at the time was awful. But that was because America didn’t want a compact hatch.
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Birddog
> LongbowMkII
03/05/2016 at 14:36 |
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Ha! I hunt with Cadillac.
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Nibbles
> Amoore100
03/05/2016 at 14:38 |
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