Cadillac Seville reviews

2001 Cadillac Seville Interior Features

It's a handsome interior with Zebrano wood trim and black leather upholstery. The front bucket seats are plush, but not overstuffed, with enough lateral support to keep the driver firmly planted when maneuvering the Seville through tight curves. Yet the side bolsters are low enough to make getting in and out easy. The seats adjust every which way with adjustable lumbar support. I had trouble adjusting the lumbar to a comfortable position, but eventually came to terms with the seats. The front seatbelts are anchored to the seat, so they fit more precisely and feel much more comfortable to wear. Front and rear seats have heaters for cold mornings and bad backs.

Seville offers an optional adaptive seating system that many potential buyers may dismiss out of hand as just another costly ($995) gadget. For short commutes and around-town driving, they'd probably be right, but on long drives, the system is comfortable and noticeably less fatiguing. Hidden under the plush leather upholstery are special sensors designed to measure a body's pressure points and then automatically adjust ten strategically placed air cells in the seat cushion.

The Seville's interior looks great and is highly functional. The center console, sweeping up into the instrument panel, houses an attractive radio and climate-control center. The gauges use a three-dimensional Vacuum Fluorescent, or VF, display that is as easy to read as it is sophisticated. The digital readouts are in blue, which is fine, except that the blue high-beam indicator is buried alongside blue trip odometers and other digital readouts, so it's very easy to ride around unaware that the high beams are on.

Like many of the interior features, the Bose 4.0 sound system uses computer technology to enhance both driving attributes and creature comforts. It's something audiophiles should consider. It punches out nearly 425 watts of music power through its eight speakers, which include a 12-inch subwoofer. The Bose system is smart enough to automatically adjust volume and tone levels to compensate for changing cabin sound conditions. Steering wheel controls allow volume adjustments and surfing among your preset stations. A weatherband gives up-to-the-minute weather reports.

Everything is programmable, including the security system, so you don't have to listen to a horn when you lock the car, or put up with automatic locking every time you put it in drive. A computer tells you when one of your tires is low on air pressure, and warns when it's cold enough for ice to be on the road.

For 2001, Cadillac has added a $1995 Infotainment system, with a personal digital assistant, hands-free cell phone, infrared port, CD-ROM, satellite navigation, voice recognition and, in some areas, e-mail, all integrated into the Bose 4.0 stereo. The navigation system features a five-inch color display with bright, clear graphics, centrally located in the instrument panel. Passengers operate the system by touching the screen and following turn-by-turn instructions, or by referring to the map displayed on the screen.

Previously optional, but now standard on all Sevilles is GM's OnStar system. OnStar combines cellular technology with a Global Positioning Satellite, or GPS, receiver that constantly tracks the vehicle's position. No additional cellular contract is needed to use the system. Pressing a button connects you to an OnStar service center that can provide directions, call for a tow truck or remotely unlock the doors if you've left the key in the ignition. The service center can make airline reservations, provide restaurant recommendations, or send flowers for a special occasion. Most important, they will check in on you immediately after an airbag deploys and will summon help to your location if you don't respond.

Seville's sophisticated airbags use sensors designed to prevent deployment of the front passenger's bag when the seat is empty or a small child is sitting there. According to Cadillac,