Cadillac Eldorado reviews

2000 Cadillac Eldorado Driving Impressions

If the Eldorado Touring Coupe seems loaded with creature comforts, it's absolutely jam-packed with technology designed to enhance safety and improve the driving experience.

It all begins with the Eldorado's well-publicized and deservedly praised 4.6-liter Northstar V8. On the ETC, this engine produces 300 horsepower at 6000 rpm. This is matched by a brawny 295 foot-pounds of torque, though this peak torque comes at a fairly high 4400 rpm, rather than down low, where it would produce even heartier takeoff. Conversely, the Northstar engine used Eldorado Sport Coupe produces 275 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 300 foot-pounds of torque at 4000. For 2000, the Northstar engine features an all-new head design, new intake manifolds, coil-on-plug ignition and rolling cam runners to reduce friction. Pistons, valves, connecting rods and camshafts were changed or updated. All of this was designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. It has also resulted in a quieter engine. Now, instead of having to run 93-octane fuel, the engine burns regular unleaded.

In short, this car has lots of power. Eldorado Touring Coupe's 0-to-60 mph acceleration times are spirited, coming in right at 7 seconds flat. Passing maneuvers from 30 to 70 mph take only about 6.5 seconds, which is very uplifting. The automatic transmission is excellent. It shifts so smoothly that it's almost undetectable when accelerating gradually.

Like any powerful front-wheel-drive car, the ETC exhibits low-speed torque-steer under full acceleration. Slam down the accelerator pedal from a standstill and you'll feel a slight tug on the steering wheel. You'll also get some front wheel spin if you've switched the traction control system off. However, traction control is automatically activated each time you start the car. Whenever traction control senses wheel spin, like when you slam down the gas pedal at a stop sign, the system reduces engine torque and lightly applies the brakes to the front wheels. Driven moderately, none of this will be noticed.

Besides traction control, the Eldorado comes standard with anti-lock disc brakes. ABS allows the driver to maintain steering control of the car in an emergency braking situation.

Three other systems are available on the Eldorado: Magnasteer variable-assist steering is standard; CVRSS continuously variable road-sensing suspension is standard on ETC; and StabiliTrak stability control is standard on ETC, optional on ESC.

StabiliTrak uses yaw and lateral-acceleration sensors in conjunction with the suspension, steering and ABS to detect oversteer (fishtailing) or understeer (front-end washout). Immediately upon sensing either of these conditions, StabiliTrak applies braking to the one wheel that can help to regain stability. Several top-line automakers are using these systems now and, presuming the laws of physics haven't been too grievously violated by the driver, they really work.

The CVRSS suspension is an advanced system that reads the road surface's roughness and on rougher surfaces automatically adjusts the shock-damping rate of each individual wheel. The result is reduced impact harshness, a smoother ride and more sustained contact with the road during extreme emergency maneuvers. Also on the ETC is a system that automatically adjusts the ABS according to the texture of the road.

Magnasteer actively varies the amount of power-assist given the steering, more at low speeds to decrease steering effort, with increasingly less at higher speeds, where increased steering effort has a steadying effect.