1991 Cadillac Brougham 5.0 Liter from North America

Summary:

Excellent car, great value for the money

Faults:

Power antenna.

General Comments:

This car has the best ride and is the most beautiful car with the ornamentation, paint and styling. It had the same basic style since 1980, but in 1990 they updated the look with composite headlights, larger body side mouldings and nicer taillight lenses with the 5.0 Ltr engine.

It is not the quickest car on the block, but the styling and comfort more than make up for that.

It had been an extremely dependable car, and I will not sell it, as it is destine to become a classic.

I love this car so much, even though it is not my daily driver anymore. I have a 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV that I use in the summer, and a 2004 GMC Envoy that I use in the winter.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th July, 2010

6th Jul 2010, 12:15

Actually I found the older look (1989 and before) much nicer. Plus the Oldsmobile 307 was a nicer engine than the Chevrolet 305.

19th Jun 2015, 15:21

Like the 1980s and 1990s Lincoln Town Cars, I still see plenty of these Cadillac Broughams of all years driving around all the time. I don't think they'll become classics for a long time. Even then, I don't think they'll be looked at in the same light as their predecessors from the 1950s and 1960s...

In reply to 6th Jul 2010, 12:15

19th Oct 2016, 18:49

The Chevy 305 had a bit more power and was nearly as reliable as the Oldsmobile 307.

1991 Cadillac Brougham D'Elegance 5.7 V8, TBI 350 Chevy from North America

Summary:

The Cadillac of Cadillacs

Faults:

Nothing, other than the recline motor on the passenger side seat, probably from me fiddling with it for 5 minutes straight.

Car is prone to rusting, if you buy a southern car, you'll be fine.

General Comments:

The great American land barge...

Described as heroically overdecorated, it is the last great throw back to the late 60's/70's era of American luxury. Love or hate its boxy, formal, chrome laden style, you can't deny this Cadillac's sheer assault on your visual senses. At 220" long, it was the biggest sedan you could buy in 1991.

The interior is richly furnished, but elegantly simple by today's techno overload standards. It has all the regular gadgets like power seats, electronic climate control, lights everywhere, lots of wood trim, sunroof, CD player, etc. I like the throwback touches like button style leather seats, shag carpet, digital displays, airbag-less steering wheel, chrome accents, etc.

The driving experience is somewhat of a throwback as well, with the very light steering. Not much feel, but it handles surprisingly well for such a large car. If you opted for the 5.7 V8, you got a firmer suspension, and a much better handling car IMO. The 5.7 cars still ride nice, but you will feel the road a bit more than other Cadillacs of the past.

Both the 5.0 (305) and 5.7 (350) V8's are small block Chevrolets with throttle body fuel injection. Both are known for their longevity and virtual bullet-proof reliability. These motors have been known to go 200-300k. I'd recommend getting one with the 350 V8, the 305 is a total slug, the 350 feels pretty damn quick until you get past 60mph (this is coming from somebody who owned a 350hp V8 Camaro).

The real beauty of these cars is their simplicity. They use Chevy V8's, are based on the same chassis as a Chevy Caprice, and you can buy just about any part at your local Autozone. Maintenance/parts costs are probably about 1/4 of the price of a similar year Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, etc.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th October, 2008

15th Nov 2008, 03:04

I have a 91 Brougham with a 305 TBI. It's not a slug at all. The Oldsmobile 307 4bbl used in previous years is a pure slug. I also have a 93 with a 350 TBI and it's not that much faster than my 91.

11th Dec 2008, 13:08

I just purchased a '91 Brougham as well. I was at first disappointed when I went to look at it as the owner told me it had the "big" motor, when it simply had the 5.0L. That said, it all depends on your frame of reference.

The acceleration of the 305 with TBI is a night vs. day difference to the old carbureted 307 of previous years. I wasn't disappointed at all after driving it, in fact I had to double-check to see that it really was the 5.0L. So, if you've owned a 307-based Brougham in the past, you'll be in heaven, or at least in a position to merge on the freeway in the 305TBI version.

I'd say the rest of the review was spot-on! These cars certainly aren't for everyone, but for those of us with enough appreciation for "vintage American luxury" - up to and including a desire to keep driving them everyday, these stately old boulevard yachts are about as good as it gets.

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