Rented a 07 DTS

[TJ H 20664]

Just got back from a trip to Vegas and Grand Canyon where I rented a 07 DTS from Alamo/National.  First word of warning is I signed up and paid for a Cadillac Sedan Deville or simalar, when I got out to the lot to pic any car from the luxury/preimum row there was several Dodge Magnums (which are station wagon type of things, I own one and love it but wouldnt concider it luxury), A Dodge charger, several Pacificas (wich I concider a small mini vans), and  one Deville.  I feel bad for the guy behind me that was also expecting a caddy or lincoln sort of a car, guess he went back to yell at the kieosk...

I have owned and driven several caddys over the years the newest one I owned was a 95 Deville a couple of years ago.  When I was shopping for that one I drove several other models and chose the 94-99 body style because  I thought the ride was smoother (more classic cadillac like) than the 2000+ models.  Also in the 2000 the radio part of the dash stuck out far enough to hit my knee defeating the point of not having a center console. I thought the 07 rode at least as smooth as the 95, much better than the 2000ish ones I test drove. One of the things I didnt like was the buttons for the extra dash info were not easy to reach from a normal seating positon other than that I liked the interior.  Power wise I was not impressed.  I even looked under the hood to make sure it was not a V6.  My 95 with the 4.9 seemed to have more power than this car did.  It was able to hold its speed on the up hills and down shifting one gear held it fine on the down hills but if you wanted to pass someone on the highway or speed up going up hill you were in trouble.  The older caddys always said preimum fuel only but this car did not say that anywhere so I wonder if the rentals have a special de-tune package on them because they know people will not put premium in them?  Are there differnt power levels for a deville vs. the sevilles and eldos?  It was not as bad as the 307s and 4100s but close, I was worried that I would want to buy one when I was done but the lack of power was kinda a turn off to me.  Anyone know for sure if the rental ones are differnt than the regular ones?

TJ H
20664
StPaul/Mpls MN USA
73 Eldo convert(s)
75 Eldo
78 CDV


   

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

All Northstar engines beginning in 2000 have been able to use regular gasoline. There must have been something wrong with the car you drove if it felt anywhere near as sluggish as an HT4100 or 307. I drove my two premium-fuel Northstar cars over mountain passes and even the grades and high altitude did not make them feel the least bit underpowered. I also drove a nearly-new 307 Ninety-Eight in Colorado with four people and luggage and it frequently could not keep up with traffic with my foot in the floor. I have a senior friend who has a 2001 Deville and I drive him in it every so often and it feels about the same as my two pre-2000 cars. I do remember noticing a slight difference when I went from a 4.9 to a Northstar in that the 4.9 seemed a little stronger from a stop and the Northstar stronger when accelerating above 40 or so. The performance package on the DTS (which no rental car would have)has a lower final drive ratio and about twenty more horsepower which provide slightly better acceleration, but the car you drove should not have seem underpowered.