2004 CADILLAC DEVILLE NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2004 Cadillac DeVille?
For those concerned that they could wind up on the business end of a .44 Magnum, Cadillac offers the new armored edition of the DeVille. The windows, roof, side panels and undercarriage are fortified by bullet-resistant glass and ballistic steel, giving the armored Cadillac DeVille a Level IIIA rating. In other news, new colors with fanciful names such as White Lightning and Blue Ice will be available later in the year, but 2004 Cadillac DeVille buyers won't need to wait to order a new package that includes heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Other revisions include wider availability of Cadillac's Night Vision system, revisions to the exterior mirror turn signals and a manual parking brake release that replaces last year's electronic release. Also gone for 2004 are the trick adaptive front seats.

Advantages of the 2004 Cadillac DeVille:

• Impressive V8 engine
• Comfortable front seats
• Huge interior
• Giant trunk
• Available armored edition

Objections to the 2004 Cadillac DeVille:

• Iffy build quality
• High price tag
• Mushy performer
• Poor resale value

Editor's Advice:
Though not as traditionally American as the stodgy Lincoln Town Car, the 2004 Cadillac DeVille embodies the luxury design philosophies of times gone by. Big interior, big engine, mushy suspension and lots of gadgets are available on the various DeVille models. Exterior ornamentation is surprisingly restrained, and the sporty DTS makes a bid for mass appeal, but there is nothing truly compelling here except for big rebates and low-interest financing.