3rd Jun 2006, 16:28

Just so we're on the same page.. The car has saved your life twice. It makes you feel safe and secure. But, you DON'T have proof of these feelings. Then, there are witnesses to the fact that it can climb any surface? I'll have whatever proof you've been downing.

7th Nov 2007, 02:39

I owned a '90 Caprice and I had an accident with a '94 Grand Am. The girl driving the Grand Am changed lanes into my LH front quarter panel. The back of the 'Am looked like a bull rammed it. It felt like I had driven over a small curb. Got out and pulled the fender back. The chrome wheel liner fell off, but that is about it. I sold it about 6 months later and I've regretted it ever since. These cars are fantastic.

2nd Feb 2009, 22:57

I bought an 89 Caprice Classic LS Brougham and it is my first car. I must say the lady before me did not take great care of it, and I have had problems because of this, but other than that, the car has been great to me, and working on it is quite easy, which is nice with the price of garages.

I tell everybody they should buy a car like mine because it truly is a great car.

24th Feb 2009, 20:28

I have a 1989 Caprice Ls Brougham. OP is right, the wiring in this car is disgustingly bad, my wipers seem to act on their own accord. Also, I find the gap between highway and city driving mileage is strange. On a long-distance trip, I can get upwards of 600 km before refueling. If I drive back and forth to school and friend;s houses, I might get 400 if I'm lucky.

The previous owner didn't take good care of it, and my car seems to be falling apart. It saddens me quite a bit, I love it to pieces!

3rd Nov 2010, 01:09

These are the best cars ever built in my opinion. The GM b-body platform has an excellent drivetrain used in commercial/fleet/law enforcement cars for years. Easy to fix, but never even breaks down.

This is a quality built car with comfort, safety and reliability that no modern day import or domestic can match.

The last of the good rear wheel drive cars with classic styling. I am the proud owner of a 1990 Caprice Classic Brougham and a 1981 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham coupe (Canadian made Bonneville).

I will never sell these cars since there is nothing but junk on the market today. No car matches my Caprice for quiet, smooth ride quality.

These cars still get 28 MPG, which is decent even by today's standards for a car that can carry 6 adults and a trunk full of stuff. You cannot beat a Caprice for value, it is an investment that keeps paying for itself, you will not regret buying one.

3rd Nov 2010, 13:39

"These cars still get 28 MPG"

Where do these magical cars come from that get 10 MPG better than they are rated? Even the 6 cylinder version of this car's best mileage is 22 highway. At 20 years old, they would be doing worse than that unless they were freshly rebuilt. I just don't see 28 MPG out of one of these dinosaurs... no way!

I'd have to drive the car from full to empty and divide the miles by gallons used before I'd believe it.

3rd Nov 2010, 19:17

I agree. I would like some of whatever mister 28 MPG is smokin'. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the old boxy GM big bodies. 28 MPG in a full size 1989 Caprice ain't gonna happen, no matter how good of shape the car is in. And it especially ain't gonna happen carrying six adults with all their junk.

Considering their size and the technology of the time, the full size body on frame cars of the 1980's were fairly fuel efficient for their day. 25-26 MPG is almost conceivable if you travel across flat roads with no wind No A/C and don't exceed 65 MPH.

One of my friends in high school had a 1985 Chevy Silverado 4 X 4 with a lift kit and huge tires. The change in axle ratios and different transmission made the speedometer/odometer go way out of whack. It was a severe let down the day he fond out his camouflaged redneck tank really didn't get 24 MPG, barely half that.

On a side note, the few full-sized vehicles from the late 1970's through the mid 1980's that came with Oldsmobile's 350 diesel WERE capable of close to 30 MPG. It's too bad the diesel was so poorly designed and didn't last.

3rd Nov 2010, 21:31

My Caprice has a 305 V-8 and gets better mileage than the 6 cyl version, which is underpowered for a car this large, and uses the same amount of fuel.

It is a well known fact that a well tuned up Chevy 305 V-8 in a car like the Caprice will get 28 MPG. Of course you will not get the same mileage with the 305 in a van or truck, as they weigh more and are less aerodynamic.

I certainly get 28 MPG in my Caprice, which surprises a lot of people, but reality is they have not made any leaps and bounds in fuel economy in the past 20 years. I could get slightly better fuel economy if I got an expensive, newer small car, but it would not be saving me any money in the end, all costs considered.

Another thing to factor in is that I don't drive like an idiot, flooring it at every light. Driving style also is a big factor in fuel economy.

4th Nov 2010, 10:59

The 305 was fuel injected that year, so it is possible you would get into the mid twenties for mileage and a bit more if you really drove it gingerly on the highway. It is rated at 25 MPG highway. It is, however, no lightweight at around 4,000 pounds.

4th Nov 2010, 12:39

Regardless, even 18 MPG is affordable and worth it to drive a real car, even at $2-3 gas. One always has to factor in that an old Caprice (if you could still find one - nowadays they're quite rare and collectible) would only be $5-10,000 in proper like-new condition, while a new car with similar capabilities would be around $30,000-35,000. It also depends if you are a wage-slave doing a lot of commuting. These are good cars for the retired or well-off dilettantes.

17th May 2015, 04:09

I disagree. 28 MPG in any full-sized Chevy Caprice (even with the EFI 305) is pretty much unattainable. I'd say 25 is the very maximum you'll be able to get out of one of these (which is still pretty good). These cars aren't lightweights either, weighing in at around 4,000 lbs curb weight.