Background: Assembled in Germany by General Motors' Opel European unit, Cadillac's import-fighting Catera is a relative new automotive offering. Debuting late 1996 as a 1997 model year vehicle, the four-door Catera falls into the entry-luxury segment, which now represents a whopping 40 percent of luxury car sales. Import competitors including Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have a strong presence here, and the German-built Catera aims to capitalize on this growing market segment. Catera is based on Opel's Omega MV6 sedan. Currently, Catera represents the smallest and only rear-drive car at GM's luxury car division. It's the only Cadillac featuring a V-6 engine. All other Caddys boast V-8 powertrains. Catera's offers one well, equipped trim level with one powertrain selection. Catera is not Cadillac's first foray into a less-than full-size sedan. In the early 1980s during the gasoline crisis and uncertain domestic economic times, Cadillac debuted the very forgettable, four-cylinder Cimarron. Cross examine any Cadillac dealer about Cimarron and they most likely will plead insanity. It was a thinly disguised Chevrolet Cavalier with leather interior and Cadillac grille. It rusted just as fast as any Cavalier of that era and disappeared from the landscape almost as fast as the American Motors Matador. Fortunately, GM learned a valuable lesson. Catera, worthy of entry-level luxury status, is lightyears ahead of Cimarron.
New for 1998: Since Catera is a relatively new to the automotive scene, this sophomore edition remains basically unchanged from last year's premier offering. Three new exterior colors, Sky, Cocoa and Platinum are available and power outlet have been modified to better accommodate cell phones and other accessories. Also, these outlets now retain power with the engine off.
Price: Cadillac provided the Daily Herald with a Cranberry red Catera with a manufacturer's suggest retail price of $33,610. with upgraded sound system, cast aluminum wheels and heated front and rear seats, the bottom line totaled $36,418 including a $665 destination charge.
Engine: Catera is powered by a dual-overhead cam, 3.0-liter V-6 engine generating 200 horsepower. It's the sole Catera engine and one of the most potent in its class. Drivers also have an opportunity to select from three driving modes depending on road conditions. Normal mode is useful in everyday driving, sport mode provides more aggressive transmission shift points for peppier acceleration and a winter mode provides easier starts during icy or slippery situations. Selection of winter and sport modes is as simple as pushing a button.
Safety features: Catera includes many state-of-the-art safety features, including General Motors' optional OnStar telecommunications system. Dual air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, keyless remote entry, daytime running lamps and child safety security rear door locks all come standard. OnStar, available as a dealer-installed option in all 1998 Cadillacs, combines global position satellite technology and onboard electronics along with a hands-free, cellular phone. In the event of front air bag deployment, a signal is automatically sent to the OnStar center in Farmington Hills, MI.
Standard equipment: Four-speed automatic transmission, cruise control, rear-window defogger, dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows (with express down and up feature), power door locks, heated power outside side mirrors, AM/FM/cassette player, eight-way power driver's seat, intermittent wipers, tinted glass, remote fuel door and trunk locks, four-wheel independent suspension and speed-sensitive steering are all standard.
Options: The short list of options include a power sunroof, ($995), heated front and rear seats ($400), eight speaker Bose sound system ( $723) and five spoke alloy ($335) or chrome ($1,195) wheels. Leather seats and upholstery, with 8-way power front passenger seats were a $3,000 option at the beginning of the year, but now come standard (boosting the base price by $3,000.) Cloth seats which were standard are no longer available.
Interior: The engine starts up quietly, and cruises with a serene hum. Rear headrests annoyingly come into play when peering into the rearview mirror. Cheap and flimsy front dual cupholders subtract from the elegance. These plastic-framed holders flip out from the center arm rest before folding open. Backseat riders have no cupholders, not unusual for European-built vehicles, but ash trays are usually near by. All four power window controls surround the floor-mounted automatic transmission shifter with burled walnut decorative enhancements, while power lock buttons and power mirror controls are found on the driver's front door near the small interior chrome door handles. The wide instrument panel stretches half way across the dashboard with large, easy to read analog gauges. Cruise control operates from the turn signal stalk while a right-hand side stalk handles windshield wiper functions. A headlight dial is left of the steering column. Large fuel door and trunk release buttons, along with traction control deactivation button, hazard button and rear window defogger buttons conveniently surround the sound system. Automatic climate controls, with dual zone comfort and manual override buttons and levers, situate above the stereo. Secondary radio controls are conveniently found on the steering wheel, making it a breeze to change stations while driving. Our upgraded sound system included both a compact disc and cassette player, and weather band channel. A digital clock was separate from the radio frequency display.
Seating comfort: Seating positions seem a tad higher than some competitors. Since Catera is rear-wheel drive, passengers have to content with the transaxle hump traveling the length of the interior. Two adults fit comfortably in back although in a pinch, three could manage. Head and leg room is generous in front and adequate in back. Controls monitoring the front power seats are located on the chair's side. The rear seatback folds down in three sections, for easier transporting of longer.
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 107.4 inches Overall length: 194.0 inches Overall width: 70.3 inches Overall height: 56.3 inches Front headroom: 38.7 inches Curb weight: 3,770 pounds
Exterior: Catera's conservative exterior design includes rather thick rear roof pillars and flush-mounted door handles. It doesn't resemble any other Cadillac offering except for the familiar looking front grille with five horizontal chrome bars and a centralized Cadillac crest. Front headlight housing wraps around to the side fenders. The radio antenna is molded into the rear window. Catera's with the Onstar option have the phone antenna placed atop the back window. Fog lights come standard. The locking circular fuel tank door is found on the right rear fender. Sixteen-inch Goodyear Eagle all-season tires mount onto 16-inch cast aluminum wheels. Sixteen-inch alloy and chrome wheels are optional.
Trunk: Catera gets high marks for it user friendly, 14.5 cubic-inch trunk featuring a low liftover design. It's easy to load and unload groceries and other items into the long, flat-floored space. The full-sized spare tire is stored upright on the left side behind a removable sidewall rather than under the trunk floorboard. A black strap, affixed to inside lid, makes closing the trunk easier; a nice touch.
Target market: Cadillac's own research indicates Catera buyers are between 35 and 50 years old and evenly divided between men and women. Average household income is approximately $100,000.
Fuel economy. Catera's fuel estimates check in at 18 miles per gallon city and 24 m.p.g. highway mated with the standard four-speed automatic transmission. The fuel tank holds 18 gallons of recommended premium unleaded fuel.
Final thoughts: Catera handles quite well on the road, with spirited cornering and very little body sway when tacking with aggressive maneuvers. Acceleration is quick and peppy. The owners' manual cautions drivers about the difficulty of removing the ignition key from the steering column once the motor is turned off. This happened several times during the week-long test drive and proved annoying. The manual recommends turning the steering wheel in order to remove the sticking key . Most of the time, that course of action failed. After restarting and repositioning the car, the key would generally disengage. Sales of Cadillacs smallest offering have been steady despite fierce competition in this upstart entry-luxury segment. Annual sales projects originally were in the 25,000 unit range when Catera debuted in the fall of 1996. For the 1997 calendar year, Cadillac sold 25,411 Cateras. |