Owning a car is like being in a relationship. Things that first annoy us about our significant other may become less bothersome as time goes by. Conversely, some issues that don't initially make an impression can become apparent and gnaw at your very core. Our relationship with the Seville STS is no different.

Data manager Scott Schapiro spent the month of May with the Seville, and most of the complaints he had concerning the interior of the Seville last month have faded into the background. Most, but not all. He is still annoyed that the A-pillars are so thick. He notices them jutting out threateningly every time he enters or exits the vehicle. These same pillars also create problematic blind spots that reduce his confidence when heading into a left-hand sweeper.

Schapiro also dislikes the way glare washes out half of the stereo and HVAC displays--a common complaint with the drivers who have spent time with the Seville. Otherwise, he has become comfortable with the Seville's interior. In fact, Schapiro is one of Edmund's few drivers to have made peace with the Seville's adaptive seat controls.

Mechanically, we are still having issues with the Seville. The suspension never seems suited to the road conditions. Bumps and other irregularities are much too harsh and are felt throughout the car's whole structure. Steering feedback is also not what we expect in a $50,000 car--the continuously variable power assist seems to increase, decrease and then increase again as corners are taken at a moderately sporty pace. It's almost as if the variable-assist steering is wrestling with the Seville's prodigious torque steer, thereby limiting the driver's ability to hustle the Seville through a corner smoothly.

The Seville's Northstar V8 is one of the most highly praised motors around, but Schapiro sometimes feels like a few of its 300 horses are out grazing instead of pulling the weight that an engine like this promises. He cites specific examples of when he wants to pass and thinks he has enough room, only to find that he is unable to close the necessary gap, despite an authoritative downshift of the transmission.

Something new we discovered was that when the traction control is switched off, the car starts out in second gear. For a vehicle that competes as a performance sedan, punishing attempts to achieve maximum acceleration with a second-gear start seems a bit confusing.

A couple of mechanical gremlins have reared their head this month. First, the A/C began to feel very weak to Schapiro as the Florida days began warming up. Ice-cold air was no longer blowing out of the vents. This problem was intermittent but persistent. Then, a week later, the power-steering pump began to groan during parking-lot maneuvers and slow turns. This was soon joined by a complete loss of power assist during similar maneuvers. Trying to park a 4000-pound car without power steering for too long will make a Mr. Universe out of anyone!

A service visit to Coral Cadillac in Pompano Beach, Fla., was scheduled. Since the power-steering problem occurred on a weekend, Schapiro was pleasantly surprised that he was able to get an appointment scheduled for the following Monday morning. The car was written up quickly by the service manager, who also arranged for a free loaner car while the Seville was being repaired. The loaner was a 1999 De Ville. After a few days with the De Ville, Schapiro had the following to say, "Drive one of these and you will realize what an improvement the Seville is."

The A/C problem and lack of power-steering assist was traced to a bad power steering pump (surprising for a car with only 15,000 miles). Coral Cadillac also replaced the vibrating driver's side mirror and addressed the other problems that people have complained about in recent months (sagging headliner and trim pieces). Additionally, the oil-life monitor was reading 11 percent, so we decided it was time to get the car serviced. For $45, the oil was changed, tires rotated and chassis lubed. Not a bad deal.

The work on the Seville was completed the next day, so we had the body shop repaint the Seville's scratched front bumper. The bill for this was $390 and the work was completed in just a few days.

The Seville's mileage continues to average in the high-teens. While such mileage is to be expected, driving range would be improved if more than 18.5 gallons of go-go juice could be carried at once. Because of the Seville's smallish gas tank, the car's comfortable cruising range is less than 275 miles. Increasing the Seville's gas tank to a 20-gallon capacity, like the other larger Cadillac models, would be welcome.

Total Odometer Reading: 15,803
Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.6 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $390 (Fixed paint scratches on the front bumper.)
Maintenance Costs: $45 (Oil changed, tires rotated and chassis lubed.)
Problems: Faulty steering pump reduced power steering assist and the efficiency of the air conditioner. (Fixed under warranty.)