Currently, my wife and I have an ATS. It will be going back in the spring, and I am wanting to replace it with an XLR, V preferably. Wanting to do my homework, so my question is/are:
Is there a year I should stay away from?
Is there a year, better than another?
What should I watch out for?
Any red flags?
Any difference between US / Canadian model V's?
I am excited about the hunt & hope I land one.
Thanks for any and all information,
Tim - aka: ATSCADDY
Morning Tim - welcome!
I'd say you would do well to try to focus in on a couple of things before you go hunting. Perhaps simple stuff like colour and interior, and a really helpful page is right here on this very site:
Cadillac XLR Registry for 2004 - 2009 Cadillac XLRs and XLR-V
Obviously General Motors improved things as the years went on so later the better more or less. Best as I understand, 2004 and 2005 models liked to cook their headlights and (anyone, correct me if I'm wrong please), after that it was a non-issue. Headlights and taillights are currently about the most expensive in the world so any car you do look at from any year, make sure they're all working properly and preferably not all crispy inside.
If you do look at the page I linked above, you'll see that not many XLR/Vs made it anywhere during the later years. They are rare and in good condition, very costly. I don't know what your budget is but it is certainly something to consider as you could in fact own a couple of XLRs versus one XLR-V. This always struck me as a bit silly because there's no way you can really use the power it makes unless you take it to a track....ah, to each their own I suppose.
The V is definitely more collectible if that's what you want to do with it. You would without a doubt find the best ones in the US of A (largest market). If you haven't imported a car from there before, it's not that hard - however depending how all this virus shtuff goes, you may need to figure a few work-arounds for transportation with the borders being restricted.
Canadian versus US models: Canadian 'Export' models get a nicer (imho) speedometer: metric to 260 km/h which the kid in me seems to find more appropriate than the 160 mph US version. I don't know if the daytime running lights were standard in the US during all model years - doesn't much matter because the circuitry is there and unlike much older cars, doesn't take any effort to get a US car to conform to Canadian law. Oh, and of course the US speedo being mph doesn't even really matter as it's push-button 'change to metric'.
There's no doubt a heap of other little details that may or may not be of interest or concern to you regarding model year differences. You would do well to google some old road tests and you can read of the changes as the years went by. There's also any car's specific options which the registry here has covered in depth, so you need to consider what you really want / need, and is said option still valid / useful today. An example might be the radio as I see some folks tossing the original for something more modern for whatever reason.
This is a handy link to keep:
https://www.kijiji.ca/b-cars-trucks/canada/xlr/k0c174l0?sort=priceAsc , as it hits XLRs Canada-wide. I can tell you that the majority of those have been on that list for over a year and only the realistically priced ones have come and gone. That list will drop to only a handful come Autumn as the cars get tucked away for winter. My point: if you're really hunting, be ready - the 'good versus value' move really quick.
eBay.com (not .ca) lists a handful, CarsForSale.com (US) lists some beauties too.
I would highly recommend avoiding any car that's been 'rebuilt' (accident repair), though if you're just looking for something to drive around in, hey, if it was done right and the price is good, who cares. I wouldn't go near anything that's had flood damage: the XLR is much too 'electric' and they are glitchy enough without having been drowned.
Perhaps a final point at this moment would be the operation of the roof. If you plan on driving it as a convertible, get to know the system intimately. A site sponsor here TopHydraulics has some outstanding videos on their website and they're worth the time to watch for sure. Inevitably even the last XLR off the line will eventually need 'roof maintenance' if it gets used, and that can be quite costly.
Neat to know you appreciate the car, Tim. We seem to be a rather 'select' group of masochists and all in all, it's not a really desirable vehicle today for so many reasons...but that doesn't stop anyone with a passion for something out of the ordinary now does it.
HTH!
Gord
