Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Shame on you, Adam Opel! - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By 1997 Catera - September 8 - 2:00 am

  Why did Opel allow their Europe only Omega to become such an disappointment? It has great handling, smooth power delivery, comfort, and good looks. But since reliabilty has been such a problem, we have no choice but to trade it in, today. Unfortunately, this car has depreciated an average of ten dollars a day, no small thanks to its lousy reputation. Smart buyers look elsewhere.

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  glassjaw - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By rainman - July 9 - 2:00 am

  It has had nearly all of the interior plastic knobs and parts replaced. Brake job at 23k mi. Door lock on driver side easily gets out of sync and freezes. Leaks oil currently. I have had it at the dealership just about every 3000mi for an oil change and something else that has gone wrong. But it was usu. under the extendend warr. With all of this I still love the car.

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  Fun Car, But needs more - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By BRice - January 6 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive w/ its V6, 200hp engine, but its lacking in not having an option to purchase as a manual instead of the dreary automatic tranny.

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  Iffy - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By Mike43 - December 25 - 2:00 am

  The day after I bought the car at 43,500 miles the transmission went out. The dealer did fix it, but still lags on a cold start from 1st to 2nd gear. The handling of the car is good and the power is sufficient. The car engine sounds great and the car loves to purr and hum at highway speeds which the Catera thrives on. The car is fun and exciting to drive. I just had the right tie rod replaced and there is a rattle on the left side, the repair place said its fine. I hope it will last 100,000 miles with low maintenance costs????

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  STAY AWAY from a used Catera - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By Birn - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I have a 97 Catera that I bought new. I like a lot except when it is in the shop, which has been quite often in the past year. Many things have gone wrong that shouldnt have gone wrong at all, or at least not so soon. My first car was a GM (86 Pontiac Sunbird), and I swore I would never buy another GM car. Now I remember why, and this time I really, really wont buy another GM. Cadillac had a good marketing strategy-- build a car for younger buyers and get them hooked on the Cadillac brand--but the strategy has backfired (at least as far as Im concerned) because of the poor quality of the car.

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  Car with Class yet Fun to Drive - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By John M. Gallant - October 10 - 2:00 am

  The looks and style shows class on the outside. Behind the wheel you can feel the workmanship. Maybe a little under powered, but the handling makes up for that. This car corners and stays flat and very stable.

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  Catera Schmera - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By Doug Qualls - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I stopped counting Cadilacs at my fifteenth. This Catera I bought used has been very reliable and provided excellent service so far. It has a crisp, taylored feel to it which is nice. The handling and performance and fuel economy are excellent. I normally use premium, but I have been buying regular gas for it and it has performed well, averaging 24 mpg. There are no squeeks or rattles and it has a solid quality feel: for a small car it does not feel cheap. While it is not as luxurious as other Cadillacs I own, it does have all the Cadillac features you would want the car to have. My overall feel of the car is that it has been very undervalued due to its plain styling.

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  Happy Catera Owner - 1997 Cadillac Catera
  By morourke - May 8 - 2:00 am

  A good German built Opel nicely dressed and rebadged as a Cadillac. It has very comfortable front and rear seats. Many good standard features: autolevel suspension, traction control, 4 wheel disc / antilock brakes, memory seats and mirrors, fold down rear seats or center (40/20/40), autolights, all windows auto up and down. I think this car is undervalued in the US market.