Nobody’s Driving These Cadillacs In Their Dreams: 1986 Cimarron vs 2001 Catera

If I had to guess, without going through the tedium of actually counting, I would say that more songs have been written about Cadillacs than any other make. From Bruce Springsteen to Southern Culture On The Skids, GM’s flagship brand has captured the imagination of songwriters everywhere – but I guarantee you none of them had these two models in mind.

Yesterday’s turbocharged hatchbacks probably didn’t capture many imaginations either, but you sure had some opinions about them. In particular, the Juke’s weird styling was a point of contention; some folks love it for being different, others can’t stand the sight of it. The little Fiat, being far less polarizing of a style, won by a sizeable margin.

I don’t hate the Juke, and in this trim it actually looks kinda cool, but I’ve wanted a 500 ever since they came out. Not badly enough to buy one (yet), but I am definitely a fan, and this is a good spec and a good price. Like some commenters, I wish it were a real color, but I don’t hate it in white.

For some reason, I was thinking about the song “Royals” by Lorde the other day, in particular the line, “We’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams.” It’s a strange callout to make, especially since Cadillac hasn’t been an aspirational brand for a long time. It was, once, certainly, but its “Standard Of The World” reputation didn’t survive the malaise era, and the brand has spent decades chasing former glories. Today we’re going to look at two cars that Cadillac desperately wanted to be seen as aspirational, but they fell somewhat short of the mark.

1986 Cadillac Cimarron – $4,500

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter overhead valve inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Pennsville, NJ

Odometer reading: 225,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The Cadillac Cimarron has been the butt of jokes for as long as it has existed, but as someone who has not only driven one extensively, but also spun one out on a freeway on-ramp at sixty miles an hour and lived to tell the tale, I feel obligated to defend it. Yes, it was too expensive new. No, it was nowhere near the BMW 3 Series and Audi 4000 competitor Cadillac wanted it to be. Yes, it looks just like a Chevy Cavalier with more chrome. All that is true. But once the Cimarron hit the used market and depreciation took its toll, something funny happened: it became a great used car deal. My dad bought his, a 1984 model, for $2,600 in 1989. It lost ten grand of excess price in just five years, becoming roughly the same price as an equivalent Cavalier, but with power everything and nice leather seats.

The Cimarron’s base engine was the Cavalier’s 2.0-liter pushrod four, commonly mistaken for the Pontiac 2.5-liter Iron Duke, but it’s actually a totally different engine. Four- and five-speed manuals were available, but they’re rare. A 2.8-liter V6 became available in 1985, but GM wasn’t shy about adding badges to the outside announcing it, so I’m almost certain this one is a four-cylinder. It has 225,000 miles on it, but it has been well cared for, and it runs just fine.

The inside is dirty, and the driver’s seat bolster has seen better days. I’m pretty sure duct tape wasn’t on the Cadillac option sheet. But I do remember these seats being very comfortable. The seller says the interior will get cleaned out and detailed before the sale, but they should have done it before taking the photos.

It’s in better shape on the outside. The paint is shiny, and I don’t see any signs of rust, though admittedly the photos aren’t great. It’s missing the center cap on one wheel and possibly one end cap on the front bumper, but otherwise it’s remarkably well-preserved.

2001 Cadillac Catera – $2,700

Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter dual overhead cam V6, four-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Newburgh, NY

Odometer reading: 86,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The next time Cadillac wanted to try selling a smaller car, instead of pulling from the rest of the GM domestic lineup, it looked across the ocean to Opel, GM’s European division. The Catera is really just an Opel Omega with every option in the book and some Cadillac badges. It was even built in the same factory in Germany.

Unlike the Cimarron, and most of the rest of Cadillac’s lineup throughout the 80s and 90s, the Catera is rear-wheel-drive. It’s powered by an Opel-designed V6 with an unusual 54 degree angle between the cylinder banks. No manual transmission was offered in the Catera; all of them have the same four-speed automatic. This one has very low miles, only 86,000, and the seller says it runs great.

It’s in good condition inside, and the seller says the air conditioner is ice cold. It doesn’t look much like a proper Cadillac inside, though; it has a distinctly European feel. I’m sure it’s very comfy, though.

It’s clean outside and rust-free, which the seller makes a big deal of. This was a Pennsylvania car until recently, and that state’s inspections are very strict about rust. Weirdly, the “CATERA” letters have been removed from the trunk lid, and the A and the T have been relocated to the lower-left corner. Seller’s initials, maybe?

When you think “Cadillac,” you generally don’t think small sedans, which is probably why neither one of these sold very well. But neither one is a particularly bad car. They’re just not very good at being Cadillacs. Ignore the badges, and just accept them as they are, not what Cadillac thought they should have been. Which one deserves a second chance?