2004 Cadillac XLR consumer reviews

Great car. My wife calls it a "Chick Magnet." The only fault the car has is Getting Parts! Once you have the parts, finding someone who knows about the car is a real trip! most mechanics don't want to touch the car. But with all the potential problems, still love the car!

Back in 2015 I bought a 2006 XLR from an estate in Nashville Tennessee. I live in Ohio, and I drove the car to my home in Ohio. I have owned over 156 classic cars in my 86 years. I drove the car just over 3000 miles till 2021. I took the car out for a short drive. When I stopped and shut the engine off, and later tried to drive away, it would only shift into reverse. Something broke in the shifter into the transmission. Had a real hard time getting it to the Cadillac Then I found out that there was no parts available at GM since there were so few of the XLRs built, there were no parts. I along with the dealer we both called all over the country to Cadillac dealers for the part. Finally found one in Florida. I then sold the car to my Cadillac dealer. He has it for a show car on the floor since it is truly one of the finest looking sport cars, but I I will never own another since parts are no where to be found. Not even aftermarket parts since the total production of them was around 2000 cars, and they were produced at the Corvette Plant. The undercarriage is Corvette, and the rest is Cadillac. Parts for the engine would be available since it is a Northstar Engine.

This is a luxury sports car and is a fun car to drive , performance is good and vehicle quality is very good , a few quirks but working through them and loving the car

Very comfortable car with top up or down. Truely a pleasur to drive. Ample power. P{robably the smoothest transmission that I have ever driven. I was genuinely surprised at the quality of the vehicle.

The 2004 XLR (automatic) is basically a Corvette with a CTS body style diced up to preserve those sharp, performance lines with a convertible top. The suspension and ride is great - even at 50k miles of driving. However, being a mechanic, the routine mantenance and electrical systems are an absolute nightmare. If anything with the fuel system goes wrong, any diagnostics will cost you muh money because of the dual fuel tanks with an interconnect tube: from transmission to fuel related issues (mechanical or electronic), the entire rear end has to be dropped. There is nothing cheap nor simple about this car. The convertivle top pump, ECM, etc are located in the rear of the car. There is also a separate fuel pump control module. Even simple shift linkage work requires the exhaust to be dropped. So, be warned -- many mechanical issues are often electronic related and these components are becoming harder to find and more expensive.

This car has truly been a wonderful machine. You can't beat riding with the top down and the wind blowing through your hair.

The perfect car for me. I have always wanted an XLR. Cadillac convertibles are my weakness. I have had several and none disappointed me. I am 82 years old but with this car I feel 28. Every thing about it pleases me It. It has a black interior and a black exterior just like the Cadillac convertible I purchased in 1972 and still have.

Very fun! Great looks! Fabulous car! Suspension is softer and more comfortable than the non-luxury rival. More quiet too. All leather interior! Push-button start...very bueno! I loved walking up to the car and opening the door; walking away and the car locking itself. Very efficient and easy! All of the wheels are the same size, you can actually rotate tires. They are quite wide and make it possible to take a 90 degree turn going 45mph! Car is not the the fastest in the world, but the 325hp definitely takes off. No problem merging onto the hwy and very comfortable at 80mph. MPG: it's great on the hwy 28-29 and not great in the city 11-13...depending on how you drive it. Grade of gasoline does make a difference. I'm very picky and can tell how different the car acts with 87, 89, and 93. With 93, car operated smooth as glass and you had instant take off. With 87, car was smooth, but you could tell engine wasn't as fine. Take off wasn't great...however, once you hit 2K rpms...the car takes off no matter what kind of grade of gasoline. Parts are not cheap! Can't find used. Maintenance isn't bad at all...oil change and air filter. However, top can act up on occasion as can a blinker or the adaptive cruise control. Heated/cooled seats are so-so...there again, they had just been introduced. My was a 2004. Navigation was on-target evey time! A different grille makes a world of difference! Stock grille is cheapo plastic ....get a billet, honeycomb, or any chrome replacement. Not to mention, get rid of the front license plate..... Just my two cents. If you get one, or, are thinking about getting one... 1. Figure out how much you want to allocate/save/set aside for potential repairs/check-ups. 2. Decide what your price point is and go shoppin! Take your time. It took 3 weeks of internet browsing....all the websites and another 2 before I closed my deal. It was well worth the wait! Enjoy.

Beautiful car!!! Lines on it are awesome. Gets sooo many looks it's unreal. Several guys have approached me about my "bat-mobile." A worthwhile car that doesn't beat you up. Ride is decent to pretty nice depending upon your subjective likes/dislikes. Softer than a corvette for sure and much quieter. ALL leather interior makes a HUGE difference. Not only for sound but also looks! Corners very, very well. I've taken a 90 degree turn at 45, no problem...better hang on though. Tires are very wide. All 4 tires are the same size. Acceleration is okay...engine roar is more exciting. 325hp does get up and go. If you stay out of it, 29-30 mpg is possible on the hwy. In the city, 12-14mpg. Semi-auto with manual on the stick is subpar. If you've ever driven a Porsche or a BMW, the Caddy cannot hang with the aforementioned's pattle shifting capabilities. I would peg a Corvette to be the same as the XLR in this sense. Top is really easy to operate. Press a button and hold it down for 20-30 seconds and presto...you're ready to go. Road noise with top down is surprisingly quiet. With the windows up, you can have a conversation and be understood. No yelling or having to raise your voice. Great car. Replacement parts are expensive b/c it's a Caddy. Have had the care for 8 months and only 1 major mechanical problem. Gear shift stuck in park. Got a clever work around though. Other than that, car purrs. Mines black and it's awesome! Enjoy!

Very responsive, having problems with the power steering, very hard to steer but no other problems. Would trade for a low mileage V series.