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| 1999 Cadillac Catera. (Photo: General Motors) |
The rear, well, its full-width light bar seemed outdated before it was new, a throwback to the 1980s that hardly tugged on the sophisticated upwardly mobile business professional heartstrings Cadillac was targeting. Instead of pulling younger buyers away from the imports, the Catera was left to steel a few domestic buyers from Lincoln and Chrysler while offering GM buyers a new, exciting alternative.
Inside it was quite roomy, easily seating five adults in comfort. A pass-through bag is hidden behind the center armrest to allow storage for longer items like skis when two passengers are sitting in the back, and split folding rear seatbacks when more loading space is required. The trunk itself offers a fairly substantial 411 L (14.5 cu ft) of cargo volume.
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| 2000 Cadillac Catera split folding rear seatbacks. (Photo: General Motors) |
With skiing in mind the Catera's standard traction control was helpful in snowy conditions, an especially important feature in rear-wheel drive cars. Even in the dry it kept the 200-hp 3.0-L V6 engine's 192 lb-ft of torque in check during speedy getaways. OK, it didn't exactly light a fire under the tires, mostly due to the car's 1,710 kg (3,770 lb) curb weight, but for the time its performance was decent enough. Fuel consumption, however, was fairly good at 11.0 L/100 km (22 mpg) combined city/highway.
Model year 1998 saw the introduction of a few safety and convenience features, a 3-point seatbelt in the centre rear position, an updated traction control system and an optional electric rear sunshade, really handy for infants and small children who are especially prone to direct sunlight. ABS brakes and dual front airbags were already standard on the 1997 car, while side-impact airbags were optional. What's more, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Catera high marks for offset crash testing.