1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Review: The Final Fleetwood 

For 27 years, the car is flawless.

When you floored it, all I could think of was “I’M LATE FOR CHURCH!!!”

My son-in-law's grandmother bought one of these in 2006 for $5k from one of her friends who couldn't drive due to old age. The Caddy only had 16k miles & still smelled new. I remember her pulling into my driveway & at first glance I thought you could spend all day washing & vacuuming that beast. She had quite a sense of humor & said she wanted something that if she got into an accident she didn't want to feel the impact until the next day.

When my grandfather died, I borrowed one of these from a friend to drive from AL to TX. I loved it so much that even though I was in my 20's, I had to have one. Mine had a cell phone mounted on a floor stalk. I'd end up owning a whole bunch of the big caddies and drove them all over the country. I still have the last of the DTS platinum in white diamond with the cream and chocolate interior. I baby it since it's discontinued. CT6 Blackwing is my final Cadillac. I don't ever want an SUV and the 4 and 5 are too small. I've been a Cadillac guy nearly my entire life, and now I'm headed to BMW for that polarizing i7.

Truly one of the best modern Cadillacs ever made, I was very lucky enough to test drive one of these as a 20 yr old when they were brand new (because my friend's dad took pictures of the cars for the newspaper section and always got to borrow new cars for the weekend), and it was an absolute rocket ship compared to most other cars at the time, even the Camaros and mustangs most of us drove. With just real All-American horsepower from that Corvette V8 , no weird hybrid or turbo or supercharging or complications, just raw power. We drove that thing flat out at top speed on the wide interstates and it felt exactly the same at its top speed as it did at 60, and when it hit its limiter it was like a dog being yanked back on the leash it was good for another 40-50 mph miles per hour at least. It wasn't even close to out of breath. (It was limited because of the comfort tires not because of any lack of safety or power.) At the same time looking like a presidential limousine with room and comfort that absolutely no truck or foreign car even comes close to matching except maybe the newer rolls-royces. These cars have a place in society and of course you would modernize The styling and some other key components but the basic formula of a nice large comfortable car, in versions both for the regular guy as well as those that can afford a lot of luxury absolutely have a place in society especially as America is just getting older and older and climbing in and out of those silly jacked-up trucks will just not be an option for many for much longer. Now in my forties, I wish I had a modern version of this car to aspire to because I have zero interest of buying a fancy suburban with a garish iversized Cadillac emblem jammed on the grille that is very difficult to maneuver, probably wouldn't fit in my garage and basically looks like ninety-nine percent of the other boxes out there. There should always be a Fleetwood and Continental no matter what.

I had a ‘94 Fleetwood Brougham- It was MAGNIFICENT ‼️

I remember driving that on the BQE. It was so smooth it felt like I was floating.

Pure luxury and style.

Pure luxury and style. Times sadly have changed. We appreciate your love for these pieces of history.

This is a massive car. The side chrome treatments are beautiful and to me they make the side profile appear sleeker. Very clever cup holders to accommodate mugs! A really grand automobile!

This was my favorite car my parents owned growing up. Ours was white with red interior, my dad id 84 now and still drives an 07 Cadillac XLR V.

I remember being a kid in Saudi Arabia(the land of the Chevy Caprice) and seeing a Fleetwood for the first time. It was a sparkly metallic gray. I had recently seen Demolition Man movie where they had a Caddy concept car in one of the scenes. Seeing the Fleetwood was like seeing a concept car in real life. These and the W140 were the biggest boss cars around with a slight mention of the Roadmaster and the E38

I am glad you wore a suit because that is what this car deserves from its owner.

I LOVE older cars that are in mint condition and completely stock. It’s like a time capsule ❤❤

By wood and leather wrapped doors, you mean plastic made to look like leather and plastic made to look like wood. Other than that these were lovely cars.

I have my grandfather's 96 Fleetwood Brougham. Still mint. He bought it brand new off the showroom floor back then. I still remember them taking the plastic off of it. Dark blue he gave it to me 4 months before he passed in 2015. Its currently sitting at 43k miles. The last thing he had done to it was rust proofing the undercarriage.

What a gorgeous car. The owner definitely has taken great care of this classic Cadillac. I bet you really enjoyed reviewing and driving this beauty. Nice job as always James 🙂🙌

Thanks for the video. Caddy's were a true icon. Shame they couldn't react to market trends

I am a Lincoln guy but I always loved this Caddy and model year very classy and I love the button tuff seats these cars had class that is sadly missing even from the most expensive overpriced luxury cars of today.

I currently own a 94 and a 96. I have owned two other 96s a 95 and my first was a 94. They are AWESOME cars.

Beautiful car! The last TRUE Cadillac. IMO

The most beautiful Cadillac ever made. One of my favorite car the Cadillac ever made. Thanks for reviewing and sharing. You are just dressed just find to review the car.

I had a '94 Brougham and it's sister, a '94 Buick Roadmaster Estate. Both great driving cars. The build quality wasn't great (they were both built at a Chevy truck plant) but they were the last of their kind. My advice would be to get ONLY a 1996 because of the OBD II diagnostics that was introduced for that year. That really helps in dealing with the myriad electrical problems these cars had.

One of my closest friends currently has a 94 Fleetwood. Its a beautiful burgundy color. Its parked in the back of my house as it needs some minor repairs but it rides beautiful. Last of the body on frame cars. Cadillac was in its bag in the 90s with the homerun STS and related Eldorado of which I own a 98 ETC.

It looked "Custom made" for you sir. What a wonderful review & the way presented, "classy" 👌👍

always loved these.... best in black just like you've got there... it's almost a limo but w/out needing any stretch... last of the kind, classic American luxury barge. I wish they would make them like this again.

Love Cadillac and All american cars and love USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸😚😚😚😚🇺🇸❤️❤️❤️❤️

My parents owned 2 and they were incredible cars. True Luxury. Great video. Thank you

that is an awesome caddilac. Reminds me of when I was a kid. My uncle had a 1996 sedan Deville in the early 2000s. I just bought a 2008 DTS.

Love this final truly last of the full sized rear wheel drive caddies GM will never duplicate anything like it again

Another fantastic video review James! I used to work at the Arlington plant that built these, worked on this and the Roadmaster prototype platforms known then as the GM-350 program.

What a truly stunning automobile! The essence of pure class!

As always, another great review James. Looking forward to the next one.

Nice feature having the beautiful old buildings in the background. It was definitely the right back drop for such a car.

I took one of these out on a Test Drive in 1996. It was the last year and I was thinking that I should buy one. I did wear a suit to drive this car too! But that wasn't so abnormal in 1996. I loved the car and couldn't believe how fast it wass.

Just got this same year car given to me from my great grandmother! 20k miles on it mint interior, no leather cracks and the dash is not cracked either. Lived a sheltered life in Tennessee and its Rust free. So pumped to drive it enjoy

Just one thing missing from this video: you didn't honk the horn! I loved the sound of the horn on these Fleetwoods. It had a strong, rich sound to match the appearance of the car.

I was really disappointed when Cadillac discontinue this car. It was obviously due to low sales even though it did have a few years run, as far as this generation. But the problem was they let the previous generation body style go on too long, even long after Lincoln had redesign the town car back in early 1990. So by then a lot of people had already fallen in love with the new Lincoln Town car, and Cadillac basically showed up too late to the party with this one. But this generation and body style was basically the last real Cadillac with the exception of the DeVille.

I want to sit in the back and say "Home, James!". You and the car looking great!

Magnificent vehicle. Thats when you knew you owned a luxury car. Love it !!!

A review in a suit and a Cadillac goes together perfectly.

Hi James I cannot thank you enough for reviewing this Absolutely Beautiful 96 Fleetwood Brougham, quite possibly the best Cadillac Fleetwood ever made. I currently own a 1990 with the 5.7 Liter Engine and it is MINT MINT MINT like this one, and is equally as Beautiful. I also absolutely LOVE this body style and the great engine it had. What a GORGEOUS American Car. We will never see the likes of these again, which is very sad. Your Review as usual was extremely knowledgeable and beautifully shot with the great music and video quality. BRAVO... !!!! Your Channel is so great for us guys that LOVE these Caddy's. Thank You James... !!!!

Love classics like this and the Town car. So comfortable, just like driving a waterbed 😎

Wow, what a stunning car. TY for sharing. 👍👍 I still drive a pristine 2006 Lincoln Town Car, yes a beautiful car, but this car beats that in a lot of ways.

Always good to see one of these final Fleetwoods! It's crazy to think that these are now a 30+ year old design... I still think theyve aged incredibly well, along with the rest of Cadillac's 90s designs. The LT1 has also aged pretty well .... something that sadly can't be said for the Northstar. Great video brother, and the suit was a great addition!

I've always liked these Fleetwoods. Cadillac really nailed it, conveying an elegant and conservative sense of visual presence that was both powerful and restrained, which was quite an achievement considering the lower third of the car was a vast expanse of chrome. I'm sure that grand dame appreciated you dressing for the occasion. I know I got a kick out of it.

What a beautiful Caddy! I love these last gen 90's B bodies. Personally I've always wanted a Roadmaster sedan but if I could find/afford a Fleetwood that was clean enough, I'd love to own one.

Finally got yourself a 96 Fleetwood to review! It would look so good alongside my Lincoln 😆 man time flies! glad to see your channel is thriving, you deserve it 😄 Love the suit too James 🤵‍♂️👌

I love it. As soon as I got into my 50s I instinctively started wanting a big American luxury car.

Wow, this is a very well maintained Fleetwood.

I was a teen when this car came out. I didn’t like them then, but it looks a lot nicer now. 😂

This is the car my dad is looking for. I’d love to find one in great shape like this one and buy it for him! Those who have one don’t sell them and its clear why

This is a beautiful car. I use to own an 84 Coupe Deville, two 91 Eldorados, one Touring and the other the Biarritz and one 1992 Eldorado. The thing I loved to most about those cars, except the ride of course, were the fiber opticx lights on the fenders and also inside over the rear window. Cadillac eliminated those fiber optic light beginning with the 1992 Eldorado. Now I have only one Cadillac and that one is a 1965 DeVille Conv.

one of the most beautiful cars ever made !!!

That has to be a perfect specification for that type of Cadillac Fleetwood. Thank you for the informative video.

Gorgeous car. I’d kill to have that car.

Great Video!!! What a beautiful car!!! These were even available with an ultra soft crushed velour seating surface....

Best late Fleetwood review on RU-vid.Your production quality captures the street presence and experience of riding in the car.

Oh my goodness. A beautiful car and thank you forva fantastic review. These arebthe kinds of cars that I miss.

Always thought this era of Cadillac was gorgeous. Great review. Thank you.

Excellent review, so pleasant to watch and full of interesting informations. Such cars are so unusual for us in Europe, definitely a very different vision of luxury. Thanks for this video)

What a gorgeous Cadillac.

Beautiful cadillac

Thanks again for your hard work and efforts to help promote the GM Car Clubs James !

Bucket list car for me... I have owned many Roadmasters of the era but never had a Fleetwood.. One of my favorite looking as well... the purple interior was common Cadillac interior color, but very rare on other GM cars... I am pretty sure the window buttons are plastic, but very well done in chrome... Roadies have the same switches... the switch panel surrounds are metal as are the door handles... that key fob is very unusual... ive never seen one that looks like it, most Cadillac had normal square keyfobs..... I miss having a big car myself... my perfect spec would be dark cherry exterior with wine red interior

Love cadillac

I love the way this style of Fleetwood looks. Had I not bought my 78 Biarritz, it would have been a tie between one of these or an 80s model. My grandma had one that had a “Body by Fisher” badge in the bottom of the door panel. Fleetwoods are smooth rides and simply elegant cars.

James, what a BEAUTIFUL car…and you do clean up nicely! Hah Was hoping you’d blow that traditional Cadillac 4-note horn!! 🎺🎺🎺🎺

Fabulous review on a fantastic car! Thank you Larry for letting James film your outstanding Fleetwood. One of my favorite vehicles! ❤

I have a 1996 Fleetwood Brougham in the medium Garnet red with tan interior. The only options this has over mine are the chrome wheels, the sunroof and the CD player. I have the full size spare option, and the rear vanity mirrors. I love mine, and it always gets compliments when I'm driving around.

I have a 94 , mine doesn’t have the chrome wheels or moon roof: but I absolutely love it! Thank you for the great review

Looking good - the car and you.

Wow, finding a Cadillac like this, at our timeframe, in this shape is just remarkable, kudos to the owner. I love your overview, and your personality makes it worth watching. We rented a new ’94 Deville in March of 1994, after flying into (PDX) Portland Oregon from AZ, we drove it down the coast and back through the Willamette Valley. It was a great experience, and such a beautiful car, (Carmine Red?). I have never driven a new Cadillac for a week before and will never forget it (I was just 35 at the time). When we returned the car, the only mishap was a rock chip and crack in the windshield. Thank you for helping me relive that long ago trip, love your videos, will watch them all as I have time.

Great review of the last “real” Cadillac! Filming and sound are awesome. Love the external shots ( not sure if there was a subliminal message from the cemetery) they would have made a great commercial back in the day. Good work!

For the most part, I’m a huge Ford fan (especially the Panther platform) but the GM B and D bodies hold a special place in my heart. I used to own a ‘94 Roadmaster Estate Wagon with the LT1 and it was amazing. The reason this Caddy does it for me is because it is full-size, RWD, V8 powered and has a full frame. This is truly the best Caddy of the ‘90s!

Very nice. I love Fleetwoods. My favorite was my Mother's 62. I had an 82 that I liked a lot as well. Enjoyed your video.

Enjoyed the video James, great job detailing the Cadillac Fleetwood.

What a gem so beautiful the last of the big Bois chrome wheels and whitewalls ❤

Great job on the video. I enjoyed your enthusiasm for a truly great car. I also love that '96 Caddy...the epitome of luxury. My first Cadillac was a 1979 Coupe de Ville in Opera window, Landau roof, burled walnut interior trim. I enjoyed that car immensely and acquired it when I was a young driver. It too had the fiber optics indicators on the front and the cornering lamps, which are so handy when making a turn. Whose brilliant idea was it to do away with those? The drop-down license plate in the back to conceal the fuel intake was also a great idea. I currently own a low milage 2014 Cadillac XTS which is a luxury sedan. Very elegant and includes high tech and interior/exterior lighting at night that is so classy. A wonderful car but frankly it doesn't ride as smoothly as my previous Cadillacs. Still, I'm committed to owning this iconic brand. I learned the secret long ago that luxury cars tend to depreciate faster than other vehicles because the owners who buy new like to trade every year or two. So I have typically purchased a 2 or 3 year old car and saved a bunch of money. My present 2014 is showroom condition and frankly, having driven newer models I like my better. They seem to have downgraded them in the past several years while making them look more like SUVs... I wish they'd get back to more traditional styling.

What a beauty! Thanks for the video 😊

Again what a video, I enjoy so much as we over here in the UK never get to see cars like this, in the condition of what you are driving. keep up the good work James.

I have a 93 with the regular 350 motor. Not as powerfull as the LT1 but good for cruising. Totally reliable and very economical to own. Another excellent review!

Last TRUE Cadillac!!! Beautiful land yacht....

Back in 96 my Seville was at the dealer's having the transmission dropped. I didn't realize at the time that they were doing it because I was having an issue and it was under warranty. I was living in Alexandria, VA at the time and received a call that my father had suffered a major heart attack and I called the dealer to check on my Seville because I needed to drive to PA right away. That's when I was informed the transmission was out of it. They sent someone to pick me up and gave me a brand new Fleetwood to drive to PA. It drove like an oversized cloud. That's how dealers get lifelong customers, through their outstanding service.

I'm glad you got a sponsor! This will be a great plus for your channel!!

I own two of these and they offer an incredible ride; certainly the best I’ve ever experienced. They are really smooth, solid, quiet, and have ample power and even more ample space and comfort. The only thing I would improve is the steering as, though still easy, it is not the super over-boosted one-fingered steering you would have gotten in previous Fleetwoods. These are truly excellent cars, though, with top-notch classy styling that is reminiscent of a rich man in a fine tuxedo. I do disagree with two things you mentioned, one good, one bad. The key fob is plastic, but it is actually quite robust. I’ve had the thing in and out of my pocket for nearly 20 years with no problems. The one for a Grand Marquis I have had the loop part that holds to the ring crack and will occasionally activate the trunk or alarm if I move the wrong way, and the a Caddy one is way better. The other thing is that the glove box is not big, but actually barely adequate. In other Fleetwoods I have, they are a good size. Despite the huge dash in these years, only the bottom part is used and it barely holds its own manual, let alone much else. Besides that, I find your review spot on! Thank you for sharing this fantastic vehicle with us.

Greetings, Sir. Please know that I have enjoyed your videos, especially this one. I like Fleetwood Broughams of any year. Your attire is quite smart and a nice compliment to you and the formality of the car. Please keep up the good work; as your videos are well done. Best regards, Jimmy

I had a 95 in white on blue, 31,000 1 owner miles. My favorite 90’s vehicle along with the Buick Roadmaster Collector’s Edition which I bought from the widow of the original owner. 22K miles in 2016 when I bought it, black on maroon w/maroon pin stripes. 42K miles now. That caddy is the perfect color combo, elegant on elegant. I love white but black highlights the chrome more and normally I like beige interiors but these cars interiors in beige fade and discolor a little so you end up with 3 colors inside.

My dad used to work for the local GM dealer in Oman and he told me that these Cadillacs were reserved for the members of the royal family. Only in recent years I've come across privately owned examples and I must admit that I love these gorgeous Fleetwoods

Excellent review of a stunning automobile. As usual you did the car right. Class act, classy channel, thank you J ;)

I really did enjoy the full review, I watched the entire thing. It's a car to admire that is for sure, I could only dream of owning one myself ! Thank you for sharing

Beautiful looking car. Very elegant. I like that you said that bodies can be put in that trunk. :))) Anyway, very nice and thorough review. I always liked long sleek cars with whitewalls and the rear wheels covered by the rear quarters.

Awesome video James. The last of the classic RWD Cadillacs. I had a 95 Impala SS, and I never realized how similar the two were.

Confess you just left a funeral and got into that beautiful car and drove it away like Ruth Gordon did in "Harold and Maude" For a long time I kept looking for one with the cloth interior and they are hard to find. Also I keep seeing fewer used ones for sale.

I remember seeing these in car magazines. Time flies.

I had a 1999 coupe de ville. Loved it ! Had the northstar engine. Got 22 mpg around town and 27 highway. Exact same bodystyle. And those buttons on the instrument cluster gives u more info than just what they obviously have printed on them.

They have a really nice one of these at my local car museum, the Martin Auto museum in Phoenix. It shares a lot of the same parts as my 1994 Corvette! Same engine, same steering wheel, same turn signal stalk, same sun visors, etc etc. . .

I been following your channel since you started I love your videos I love cars

I'm a fool for this family of cars. I wish they'd made a Fleetwood Wagon along side the Roadmaster Estate Wagon.

Great video James! That is such an amazing car and it has obviously been cared for very well. Your car reviews are always so great and your attenention to detail is spot on. Please keep up the great work!