Used 2008 Cadillac DTS Consumer Reviews
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What a Cadillac is supposed to be!
Southern, 11/30/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
30 of 30 people found this review helpful
Big, strong and comfortable. Quiet. Economical - using regular gas, long oil intervals and all this with a torquey V8. Really well thought out. No "Idrive" or other difficult to understand user interfaces like the competition offers. Has all the toots and whistles including power lumbar with massage! Side radar that warns if something is in the blind zone. Rear and front parking aids. And a bunch more. Needless to say it is very comparable to more expensive foreign cars, but does some things better. This car just makes you feel good when you drive it.
Batmobile... All Grown-up
miguelski, 05/24/2011
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
25 of 25 people found this review helpful
In considering a replacement for my 2004 black Supercharged SS Monte Carlo (Batmobile) I looked for an American made "grown-up" 4 door car. My internet research led me to the Certified 2008 black-on-black Cadillac DTS which I purchased. I am very pleased with my purchase.
9th Cadillac
caddyclassic, 02/18/2009
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
21 of 21 people found this review helpful
My 9th Cadillac is the best one I've owned. I'm old, but I still want the luxury with performance, the Northstar still amazes me, even after three of them. Wind noise of past cars has been minimized. If you are a long time buyer, this could be the cheapest car to own.
American Beauty
TomK, 11/20/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
This is the most beautiful auto I have ever seen. Everything about its styling pleases my eyes. There is no defect in appearance inside or out. If I had a blank piece of paper, this is what I would design. Several years ago I attended a comparison drive of luxury autos sponsored by Motor Trend Magazine. I was able to test drive the best of Europe, Asia and the US any way I wanted. Believe me, no expensive import offers anything more than the Cadillac DTS except snob appeal. I had really planned to buy a six cylinder with a six speed transmission. But when I saw this DTS, I couldn't say no.
American Luxury Car
Ralph, 06/28/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I traded a BMW 745 for a Cadillac DTS. The Cadillac lacks some of the more sophisticated technology of the BMW but it is easier to maintain, it rides beautifully, and is easy to get serviced. Consumer Reports recommended this car for reliability in part because it dispenses with some of the cutting edge technology and, instead, provides reliability and a more affordable price. The large trunk and back seat and good for carrying more passengers and luggage. We use this car as a road car for longer trips. It takes regular gas, parts are easy to get and there is an extensive dealer network. GM has done an excellent job with this car.
Found a peach!
Terry Herron, 12/02/2015
updated 12/21/2018
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
36 of 41 people found this review helpful
This 2008 DTS has ALL the bells and whistles! Even an electric roller shade in the back window. It rides like you're in your own living room! When you sit inside and start it up, you think you're in a space ship...lights all around! It's designed to work with OnStar, so we had to get an aftermarket bluetooth adapter. The navigation is CD (DVD?) driven, so future updates should not be a problem. I LOVE the dual heated and cooled front seats, and the rear seats also have heat! TWO YEAR UPDATE: Still going strong with only routine upkeep. She just needed a small touch-up on some surface rust on one door. At 90,000+ miles, still a very reliable car. All electronics work (and it's LOADED). Comfortable to ride. THREE YEAR UPDATE: The 3rd brakelight on the trunk was found to have some lights not working. Bought a new light online and had our local mechanic install it. Nearly 100,000 miles on it and STILL just like new! November 2018: Noting rare slippage in the transmission, we decided to trade-in. Now leasing a Kia Forte instead. Someone will still get many enjoyable years from this Cadillac.
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Great purchase.
myeaglelimo, 08/13/2009
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
I purchased this vehicle a year ago. I run a limousine company, American Eagle Limousine, and the Cadillac DTS is the customers vehicle of choice. It surpasses the Lincoln Town Car in exterior design. My client are always complimenting on how "smooth" and "bump free" the ride was. The car is a head turner and has been extremely reliable. I purchased this vehicle at 7,500 miles and it has well over 100k on it as of August 2009. I have not experienced any engine problems. The only problem I experienced is with the rear cup holder, which has cheap build quality. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase. I will be purchasing more Cadillacs in the future.
2008 DTS Luxury III
2008 DTS Luxury III, 09/11/2010
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
I traded in my 2000 DHS for the 2008 DTS Luxury III Platinum model and regret it. My old DHS was a great car with a bad transmission. I had a few problems and tried to contact the "help" line. They refused to let me talk to a decision maker and were basically worthless. Cadillac apparently does not want to talk to customers. I am trying to go through the dealership and they will not give me the name of the GM Rep so I am not allowed to talk to her. This is unfortunate since I have 3 GM cars and when these are gone will likely not have another.
Miss my old Caddy
caddygirl4life, 11/11/2012
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
20 of 23 people found this review helpful
My 2008 DTS is sexy, I have been driving a caddy since 16 and have owened through the years 10 plus cars (caddy's) always upgrading to a newer year... The 2008 is the first caddy I brought brand new and I have to say the even though I think the car looks good, the ride is just not there. I really miss my 97 deville concours and wished I never upgraded.
Wanted to love it...but in the end...didnt!
phillip_g, 03/12/2015
2008 Cadillac DTS Performance 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
25 of 30 people found this review helpful
I have loved Cadillacs since I was 5 years old and rode with my Granny everywhere in her many Cadillacs over the years. I am not the typical age of the traditional Caddy buyer. I like the size, comfort, and style of large American Cars. Family has always driven Caddys or Lincolns and I carry on that tradition with a great amount of pride. Purchased Certified-Used in early 2011, traded a 2005 Deville DTS that I loved. The 2008 DTS is NOT a sports car nor is it intended to be. I am so very disappointed in its reliability issues not only for the cost but also for sentimental reasons.
American--and proud of it
JFS777, 04/01/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Performance 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
My Platinum DTS runs rings around the 2000 S-Class I traded in. Couldn't believe what Mercedes wanted for a new one! Are they kidding? Definitely not worth it. The Caddy gives me everything the M-B did--at over twenty grand less. The ventilated seats are great. My next new car will again be wearing the wreath-and-crest and not the three-pointed star.
American luxury
Don, 10/21/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Great car. Handles better than the '05 Deville I traded. Smooth power from the V-8 with decent mileage for the size of the car. I get 26 mpg on the Hwy. Comfortable and quiet ride in American luxury tradition, yet still decent handling. Good value for the money.
PMCaddy
Phyllis Milne, 10/26/2016
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury I 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Very reliable, luxuriously comfortable, excellent handling, very low mileage car.
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Most Bang For Your Buck
Caddy Daddy 2K19, 12/25/2019
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury I 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
I owned my first car when I was 16, a 1994 Honda Accord. Then, I upgraded to a 2002 Lincoln Continental when I turned 20. Next, a 2004 Cadillac SRX when i married, had a baby and turned 23. I am now 33 and drive a 2008 Cadillac DTS. I recently bought this car 10 months ago with 84,000 miles for $7,500. I’ve had to do some routine maintenance (brake, bearing, battery, a couple spark plugs) since i bought it. I attribute this more to the small dealership than a testament to the reliability/durability of the DTS. Even after sinking a couple thousand dollars into this beast since purchase, it’s still a great buy. I revamped the audio system, adding dual 12” subs in the trunk and JL audio speakers and tweets throughout the cabin. I will also be throwing Vogue whitewalls on this big boi once the winter is over. Don’t feel the need to replace the stock rims as I really like them. My Lac has a landau roof and looks so classy. Too classy. Had to go bad grandpa and throw a giant naked chrome lady (Sabrina) on the hood. Car now looks sufficiently G’d up. Macs drive Lacs. The interior is a creamy linen throughout. Upgraded to some custom Lloyd mats with the Cadillac name written in script. Also put in Cadillac crest logo welcome-lights for the front doors at night. Classy. The front seats are heated and cooled, rear seats are heated. Steering wheel is heated. I added a car alarm and remote start. It’s heavenly having a warm seat and nice cozy car on these cold New England morning. The car is a beast to maneuver and park for the uninitiated. I’ve always been a lover of large American sedans, so I be wheelin. There are nice wood accents throughout the cabin. Not sure if the wood is wheel or not but it all looks nice. I love some good, clean, creamy beige interior leather, my goodness. So plush and luxurious (for the pricepoint). The stock radio was hideous, i did not have the model with the dvd navigation screen. No worries, ripped that garbage out and threw in a kenwood touch screen. The seats are comfortable and the car is fun and comfortable to drive. Lots of compliments from all age groups and genders. People love the car, it’s a real head turner. I’ve heard of issues and criticisms regarding the 2008 Cadillac DTS. I did not buy the car new. I did not pay $50,000 for a platinum DTS with an oil leak. So I can only speak to my experience. For $7,500 84,000 miles there is no better balance of luxury and price. There just isn’t. This car is in the class of 300, Lucerne and Town Car. This is not a sporty car to whip around corners. This is a large, luxurious, good ol’ fashioned American land yacht. I know the upkeep involved in maintaining such a vehicle. If you’re worried about gas mileage or paying for premium gas and full synthetic oil and leather wipes for the seats and doors and weekly carwashes ... this is not the car for you. Furthermore, this is not the car company for you. You might want to drive a Kia. This is not a Kia. This is a Cadillac.
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Glad I didn't sell my Merc Grand Marquis.
rdownie, 03/30/2014
updated 04/03/2018
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
27 of 36 people found this review helpful
Two years ago, I purchased a 2008 Cadillac DTS with 62,000 miles. It was to replace my 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis with 156,000 miles---now 163,000. The Cad looks and runs like a brand new car, but the ride is not near as nice as my aging Grand Marquis. Lots of road noise on city streets. Plus, too many buttons to push---very distracting. I would have bought another Mercury, but Ford wrongly decided to not manufacture them any more. The Mercury does not have as many distracting buttons to push and the ride, both city and highway, are much, much better. Headroom in the Cadillac for the driver's side is poor. I am 5'11" and 230 lbs. I have to move the seat to the maximum down and rear positions, plus relocate the steering wheel to the maximum up position, in order to get in without bumping my head on the door frame. In my 60 years of driving, I have owned many luxury cars. This Cad is the worst of them all. By the way, my wife, much smaller, loves the car, or I would get rid of it immediately. The Cadillac recently developed an oil leak in a cover on the front part of the engine. The Cad dealer wanted $2,900.00 to repair this mild to moderate leak, stating that the entire engine has to be removed to make the repairs. Ugh to Cadillac and General Motors. Another distraction is the speedometer display. When the morning sun is up, you cannot read the dash lights. And, turning the headlights on to the maximum does not help any. No more Cadillac's for me. This is not a car for the un-rich owner. Driving into the Cadillac Dealer costs an arm and a leg for even the smallest services. I have traded this Cadillac off for a new KIA Optima. Not as many buttons to push but the compact KIA handles better and is more comfortable than the "Luxury" Cad. As previously said----no more Cadillac's for me.
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wish i had my 2000 deville back
dan beth, 09/25/2009
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
i was the proud owner of a 2000 deville and just loved the car! my wife decided to upgrade & we bought the 2008 dts. i think the new one is not as quiet or smooth as the 2000, also it has that same whining noise at approx 15 to 30 mph i read about in another review, also it gets somewhat sluggish at 45 mph, no idea why it does that. the 2000 had much softer & comfortable seats, anyway my wife loves the car but i'm very disappointed, no way should it be 51000 dollars on the window!
Love those Caddys
Joel Albert, 12/14/2007
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Bought my 4th Cadillac. '94 Deville had 175,000 miles; '99 Deville had 130,000; '05 DHS had 110,000..just got '08 DTS...these are true road warriors that have given this road warrior almost 1/2 million comfortable; safe miles...had a Lincoln in between the '99 and '05 Caddy...not even close to Caddy ride. When I got my first one I was only 44..below average demographic..love the comfort; acceleration; and handling..not interested in overrated and overpriced German or Japanese..Caddy packages all options neatly..takes me 20 minutes to buy my car..always get the White Diamond..keep building these.
Fuel Economy lacking
chuck, 12/19/2009
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I have had several Cadillacs including a 2006 DTS that got good to excellent gas mileage.I use the DTS primarily as a short to long trip car,so it's mostly highway driving.Still the mileage as recorded by the computer fuel monitor is in the low 20's, where the 2006 was in the mid 20's. As far as the looks and comfort of the car,I am well pleased.
jacobson's DTS review
jacobson, s, 11/11/2007
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I started driving a Cadillac when Oldsmobile stopped building the original Aurora. I travel from Florida to Atlanta, GA and the ride is comfortable, quiet, and smooth, my companion reads a book all during the drive. On one trip my cruise control stopped working, I hit my OnStar button and they made an appointment for me at a dealership near where I was staying. The service manager was waiting for me and the problem was solved. He called me to make sure everything was completed to my satisfaction.That is Cadillac quality and servuce.
No Quality Control
Bart, 09/29/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Performance 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Car is comfortable and handles well for a large car. Car has been in the shop, at 500 mi and at 2000 mi, for drivetrain and electronics problems. Paid $55K + for this car and was not offered a loaner car by this dealership while the car was in their shop. This will be the last American car that I purchase!
Owner's first ride
Don, 05/27/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I took some of the advice from others on the internet and looked for a car to take long rides in. It is ideal. It is roomy and quiet.
Caddie Lover
Caddy Lover, 02/10/2022
2008 Cadillac DTS 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I love my but repairs are expensive. I have a oil leak and was quoted $4600 to fix
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Its 2023 and I just purchased a 2008 DTS
AZPaulo, 06/16/2023
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
In the way back machine I owned a 2006 DTS that I bought in 2008. It was a great car and I wanted another. With new car prices and interest rates, a new Cadillac was not going to happen. I found a 2008 DTS lux III package for sale with less than 60,000 miles. Has some scratches and needs a good cleaning but the ride is what I recall. Smooth and comfortable. For the year its good mpg. Avg 24 mpg hwy. Quiet with good acceleration and has 80 pct of new car features. Lumbar massage and cooled/heated seats are awesome. Wish Cadillac would have brought the DTS into 2020's.
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Our 2008 DTS
L. Tong, 12/11/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Performance 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
We owned our third Cadillac on August 31, 2008. Overall the 2008 DTS is comfortable and the engine has a lot of get up ond go. However, 2008 DTS appears to be noiser than my previous 2002 Deville. From the front of the vehicle gear noise can be heard between 25-30mph. release the accelerator and the noise is gone. Below 25 or above 30 mph the gear noise cannot be heard. Suspect the transaxel. The side seat buckles in the back seat are set down too far making it difficult or next impossible for an average size adult to connect the latch to the buckle. Question, have the car companies stopped using undercoat on vehicles?
BIG, COMFY RIDE
S, 08/07/2018
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
Absolutely a great ride. Breaking would be my only complaint, but is a large heavy vehicle. Just got to get used to it...
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You get what you pay for ...
Bill Hurley, 03/17/2019
updated 03/19/2020
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury III 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
If comfort is your priority; this car is a winner ... it's like traveling in your living room ... quiet luxury.
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FUel economy disappointing
Chuck, 12/05/2009
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury II 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
I have had several full size cadillacs including a 2006 prior to his one. The 2006 DTS averaged 25 MPG on the road or better,whereas this one averages closer to 23 MPG, I find this to be quite disappointing, otherwise I am very pleased with the car.
north star disaster
emalmer 1, 05/28/2020
2008 Cadillac DTS 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
8 of 14 people found this review helpful
guess where the starter is...under the intake...$28.00 torque convertor solenoid repair..$2300 to change..most northstar engines use 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles..head gasket repair..which will happen to all northstar engines soon enough...big bucks..i've owned 4 northstar cadillacs...sorry..but engineering disasters waiting to happen..
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My new one
aboutmuny, 06/22/2008
2008 Cadillac DTS Luxury I 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
3 of 7 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2008 DTS (double espresso) I like the performance on this one better than the 2004 I traded. The 2004 had better interior and sound system. I like the H.I.D. headlamps, the remote start and quietness on the 08. It could have had nicer rims and higher quality sheet metal. (the trunk and lower rear quarter panels seem very cheap. I don't like the cloth on the side of my seats. It should have had a 2 -tone interior for the $33,006