Vehicle Description
This 2002 Cadillac ESC is special because it's when Cadillac got
its mojo back. Today's Cadillac is on a roll, but it was this coupe
with a 300 horsepower DOHC V8 that really started the company back
on the road to success. And today it's still a luxurious, fast,
comfortable car that looks like it should cost thousands more than
it does.
Having lived all its life in the warm, dry south, this Eldorado
still looks impressive and expensive. The pearl white paint job was
popular on these cars because it looks right, and this one appears
to still be wearing mostly original paint. The urethane bumper and
body-colored grille show some signs of use and age, of course, but
as Cadillac's top-of-the-line, it has probably received
above-average maintenance for most of its life. That would explain
the super straight body panels, good shut lines, and other details
that not only speak to Cadillac's newfound commitment to quality in
2002, but also an owner who parked it carefully. Sure, there's
still enough chrome to remind you that this is a Cadillac, but it's
tasteful and restrained, one of the first steps Cadillac took
towards being a world-class automaker. And the look still works
well today.
The Eldorado's interior was a big step up, too. No more overstuffed
couches; no, you get a pair of beautifully upholstered buckets and
a center console, adding a sporting flair to the Eldo. The sweeping
dash uses real Zebrano wood as an accent and there are big, round
gauges that are easy to read and which include a tachometer with a
6250 RPM redline. In a Cadillac! Obviously everything was standard,
including power windows, locks, mirrors, and seats, automatic
climate control, a tilt steering column, and cruise control, and
all of it appears to be fully functional, more evidence of a good
life. There's also a great-sounding AM/FM/CD stereo system that's
especially effective given how quiet it is inside this car. The
seats and carpets remain in excellent condition, the dash hasn't
been baked by the sun, and the back seat looks virtually new.
There's also a sizeable trunk that includes a cargo net and spare
tire stashed underneath.
Power comes from the legendary 4.6 liter DOHC "Northstar" V8, which
was arguably the best engine built in America at the time.
State-of-the-art and plenty powerful, with 300 horsepower on tap in
the ESC, it transformed the big Eldorado coupe into a car that
didn't mind hustling. It runs beautifully and has a fantastic V8
growl that sounds expensive when you put your foot in it. It's a
pretty engine, too, thanks to a custom cover on the top that hides
most of the working bits, and you can see that the engineers cared
about getting it right, because service access is excellent and
there's nothing that seems merely adequate. It's backed by a
4-speed automatic overdrive transmission driving the front wheels,
and before you worry about torque steer, remember that the GM
engineers spent a lot of hours fine-tuning the front suspension to
virtually eliminate it. The all-independent suspension is supple
but confident and there are big brake discs at all four corners.
It's quite clean underneath, proof that it has never been in the
rust belt, and those flashy chrome alloys are in excellent
condition and carry a set of 225/60/16 Firestone radials.
With fairly low mileage, this ESC has a lot of life left in it and
delivers an exciting drive that you almost wouldn't expect from
Cadillac. Call today!