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2008 Cadillac CTS

1303133353657

Comments

  • beerme1beerme1 Member Posts: 67
    There are several people who own the car that post in this thread. The bug just got one so it may be too early. But can any of you post your feelings about the car now that you've had it a month or two?
    Are there any irritating things? Noises, rattles, I know someone mentioned brake dust. Is that really a problem? Are the ac vents bothering you?
    Is the car living up to your expectations? Is bluetooth really a reason not to buy the car? For me it doesn't matter. It would not in the least stop me from buying a car I fell in love with. Although undoubtedly I would prefer to have it.

    I showed the review from R&T to my fiance and she frowned at the blandness of the Infiniti. Me too. The CTS is drop dead sexy.
    Perhaps the G is a better car or a BMW any version may be a better car but are there any regrets amongst owners of the CTS?

    Someone early on metioned that there will be a large buy american group out there that will buy the car. Count me as one of them. But I still have some weird feeling that I may be giving up to much in comparison to get into the CTS.
  • cosmo13cosmo13 Member Posts: 31
    Thanks, I feel the same.
    Pin striping was no charge from my dealer. I believe this model because of high belt line does need pin stripe.
    Cosmo13
  • vic10vic10 Member Posts: 188
    Not so sure a pinstripe would be a plus...but sure wish it had a door-ding bumper strip down the side.
  • golfnut5golfnut5 Member Posts: 202
    beerme1,

    I owned a 03 CTS and thought it was a blast to drive, but had several problems with it. Rear end diff noise, CD player problems, speaker problems and finally tranny problems. I have a weird feeling also. I am interested in the 08 CTS, but will wait to see if problems surface. A spare tire is an option, that is goofy. Why two sound options regular Bose and 5.1, its a Cadillac put your best in and forget about it.
  • briantucsonbriantucson Member Posts: 23
    Beerme1,
    I'd ordered mine (DI engine, all options minus AWD, Nav, Sunroof) after looking at the competition. I'm still waiting for delivery, so I can't offer feedback on those items you're asking for...sorry.

    But, the thing is this car looks Damn Good inside and out, and drives well enough (a 3'er drives best, but the interior design leaves me repulsed...the G35 is quicker and is right sized, but agree with you on the interior blandness and lesser available options) that the rest will not be missed.

    Many posts written on Bluetooth, but I don't care. I work in an office not a car, and I'd rather not talk while driving anyway.... I understand the complaint from the other side, but come on, it's a car

    It's a fun game. You say you're engaged, so you've already answered for yourself the question of defining your priorities; Do you marry the beautiful woman that's good between the sheets, or marry the less attractive woman that's amazing between the sheets and have to sneak peeks at the beautiful women when you think she won't notice? Looks are superficial, but let me suggest that a life without beauty would be lessened.

    I've got a few more weeks to go before my Caddy arrives.

    Happy Motoring. I also would like to hear from current owners.
  • cptsullycptsully Member Posts: 18
    I have owned mine for about 3 weeks now. Mine is black, with all the bells and whistles, minus AWD. I have owned two BMW's previously, but the new models don't appeal to me, and the other contender's, the Infiniti G35, G37, and M35, while excellent vehicles, were just far too bland on the outside for me. I like my CTS a lot, and can't walk away from it without turning to look at it two or three times. :) The curb appeal is the exact reason I chose it over the Infiniti models.

    However, I have found one extremely annoying thing, but I'm not sure I can explain it properly. It seems that on the driver's side, on the door handle/arm rest, and on the center console side, the leather/upholstery cover is very thin, and covers two fairly sharp right angles of steel underneath the leather. It might be nothing to most drivers, but this just happens to be where my knee and leg area naturally falls while I'm driving, and over a fairly short period of time it becomes irritating and painful.

    It's not an issue when the car is on cruise, which is a great deal of time for me, as the bulk of my driving is interstate driving, but when I am on the pedals it's a different story. I am still hoping to find just the right seat positioning to alleviate this, but haven't had much luck yet.

    I still love the car though, but I wish they had put some more padding in those specific areas.
  • hildyahildya Member Posts: 8
    Agree about the Bluetooth...unless you work in your car...what's the difference...you can get bluetooth add-ons or do the Verizon OnStar option which is what I'm going to do. People complaining about $10 a month? Please.

    What I'm mad about is that my car is actually at my dealer right this second..but I'm out of state until November 17th! I told my salesguy he could take it for a spin, but nobody else! I have to live vicariously through him for now!

    Mine is a DI, Red with Cashmere with Luxury II..everything but the tire upgrade, which I would have done if I had custom ordered. THis car was on the way and it had everything I wanted but that. So....by the way, is anyone actually getting the spare tire? What's the consensus on that?
  • nextone1nextone1 Member Posts: 15
    I've had my 2008 CTS 3.6DI RWD (all options except AWD) for almost a month. I ordered it in August and took delivery eight weeks later. So far I've racked up about 1,800 miles. This is also my first Cadillac.

    I have two small disappointments. First, the car has a high-pitched wind-noise whistle around the driver's door. It's usually present at about 55 mph and above. There is also a quarter size paint flaw above the left-rear wheel. I've not yet asked the dealer to repair either.

    Unlike the post above, I've not noticed any interior problems, or thinness in the leather on the armrests. I have had no brake dust problems; but this may be a problem with the performance brake package with the FE3 suspension or AWD. The AC vents are also not a problem (for me) as some feared. The lack of Bluetooth is not an issue because I don't have a Bluetooth phone and don't plan to have one. Not a negative, but the car has a firmer ride than I expected.

    Now the likes: The NAV system; a very nice 5.1 DTS surround sound system with DVD player; the radio TIVO function and internal hard drive; very comfortable seats; tight turning radius; 304 hp on regular gas and real world 21 - 25 mpg; ambient lighting; love the light pipes, swivel HID lights, remote start, ventilated seats, and the large sunroof. Bottom line is this car has exceeded my expectations. No regrets here.
  • adnanzadnanz Member Posts: 10
    I've ordered the Permormace Package (FE3), RWD, Premium Luxury package 08 CTS. Anxiously waiting, just wanted owners feedback for this set up. I'm in the norhteast, so i know i have to get winter tires but i just wanted feedback from owners who are driving FE3 already. THANKS.
  • knotemknotem Member Posts: 62
    I found this website's very helpful, mostly people already bought or test drove the 08 CTS; It's a user reviews. Most of the objections are from sunroof shade, plus various complaints from a variety of little problems here and there, and some very satisfied owners:

    http://autos.yahoo.com/cadillac_cts-reviews_user/
  • bobelewbobelew Member Posts: 17
    I've only had mine for a couple of weeks, but I have been able to put almost 1000 miles on it. I have been spending a lot of time in the break-in of the car so it has seen a lot of highway and city stop and go driving. I ordered the Red Crystal with all of the goodies including AWD. I did lot of test driving before purchasing because I wanted to see the differences between and rear wheel and the AWD. I tested the F1, F2, and the F3. I found the F1 way too soft, besides, I don't think you can get the Dl engine with that suspension. The F3 was a little too firm for me. I wanted it to be more of a family car than a sports car. The F2 is still quite sporty for a car of this size and to me it was the perfect compromise. I went with the AWD because it seemed to have a little better handling in less than perfect road conditions. You are supposed to lose a mile or two per gallon with the AWD drive, but I cannot complain. I am averaging about 18 to 19 in the city and I one trip of 300 miles, I averaged almost 26 mpg. I should get even better as it breaks in more.
    I have found none of the problems stated by others such as an air leak over the driver's door and the sunroof and I have had it over 100 mph in a couple of stretches of deserted freeway for short bursts checking for that very thing. I also haven't found any problems with the air vents. The climate control works flawlessly and the navigation system is awesome. This is the third Nav system I have owned and by far the most sophisticated and yet easy to use that I have experienced. Those air conditioned seats are pretty cool to (pun intended!)
    I guess I would rate the CTS at 4.5 stars out of 5. This is just an awesome car. I can't wait to take it on a real trip in the next month or so.
    Do yourself a favor and get one on order. I talked to my salesman the other day and he told me that the CTS now close to a 3 month wait. I can't verify that, you might no to wait too long before making up your mind.
    Good luck.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    all good reviews..waiting till after the first of the year to order...beleive some of the delays are due to constrained items...P63 polished wheels..and the wood inserts for the shift know and the steering wheel B20.....

    my salesperson is still telling me 6-8 weeks...looking at red, with DI, PDQ, Performance all season Y42, P63..... will be an after New Years order for me.....
  • beerme1beerme1 Member Posts: 67
    I want to thank those of you who responded to my question. It has been nothing but positives.
    I drove an f2 and an f1 equipped cts and was quite surprised at the difference between the two.
    I am most likely going to order an f2 di awd but will be in Jan. or Feb. I am very curious to see how this car handles winter as we do tend to get just a little bit of snow where I am each year.
    Thanks again to all!
    Willy
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    Read the article. I am wondering why Edmunds thinks the EPA rating for the G35 is 19/26. I checked the EPA web site, and it says 17/24.
  • puckspucks Member Posts: 47
    Could the 19/26 be the 07 they tested? While 17/24 is the new 08 number?
  • gsearlesgsearles Member Posts: 3
    I'm going to order a CTS in January for a March delivery and am having trouble picking a color since my dealership hasn't had any in yet to look at. I like the black and red but also curious about the gold and bronze which look good in the tiny pictures in the brochure. Taste is personal of course, but what do people think about those metallic colors if you've seen one in person?

    Greg
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    the red is stunning with highly polished wheels....I normally stay away from black....to hard to keep the swirl marks out of the clear coat over time.....gold and bronze areny my favor..but the white is a good looking car too....

    go over to cadillacforums..and then into the 08 CTS forums..lots of members have posted pics there...and you can get a feel for colors there....

    cant beleive your dealership hasnt gotten in any yet....or have they just sold them faster than they can keep them in inventory.....if they havent gotten any in yet at all..I would find another dealer to order from ...as this dealer as a very low allocation
  • cptsullycptsully Member Posts: 18
    I had a similar problem...I was already set on the black, but wanted to see what the other ones look liked as well. I saw a White clear-coat, and Red, both of which were gorgeous, but not what I wanted.

    However, according to the dealer, the colors offered for the Escalade, which he had a wide variety of, were the same offered for the CTS. So, I was at least able to see what the color looked like, although on a different vehicle. Maybe that would help you as well!
  • cosmo13cosmo13 Member Posts: 31
    I have Thunder Gray. The color is dynamite. I had a black 2004 CTS and it was beautiful. Dark colors look awesome when clean.
  • cosmo13cosmo13 Member Posts: 31
    I was at my dealer today and saw black CTS with chrome wheels. Dynamite looking automobile. I ordered the standard machined wheels, they look good but i wish i had ordered chrome.
    I have had my 2008 CTS since September 12th.
  • arby1arby1 Member Posts: 83
    Go online to check other dealer inventory and then drive there to see . I ordered gold mist because a light color is easy to keep clean , and I didn't want to pay for white diamond . Silver is nice but only looks good with ebony interior , while I feel that cashmere looks better inside .
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    Edmunds chart clearly states 2008 EPA ratings. While I was checking the EPA numbers, I also noticed the BMW figure was wrong. Edmunds has 19/29, but the EPA web site says 18/26.

    My point is that if Edmunds can't get the easily verifiable numbers in their comparisons correct, why should I believe the numbers that can't be easily verified.
  • knotemknotem Member Posts: 62
    Edmunds also has the fuel capacity for the 08 CTS as 18 gallons but Cadillac website and brochure show 17 gallons.
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,191
    The current Order Guide lists the CTS tank capacity as
    18 gal ( 68 liters )
    2022 X3 M40i
  • puckspucks Member Posts: 47
    I think it's a typo on edmunds' part. The G35 and BMW are both MY 2007, so why would they have the 2008 EPA estimate?
  • puckspucks Member Posts: 47
    Hmm..that's weird. My brochure says 18 gallons and I'm quite sure 18 is the size of the tank.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    I have the glossy color brochure....14X8 .it in the specifications it states fuel capacity to be approximately 17 gallons......uuummmmmmm
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    Good question. The box says "2008 EPA fuel economy", and then the numbers are listed for all five cars.

    By the way, if you go to the EPA site and click on 2007, you will find 17/24 for the G35 and 18/26 for the 335i.
  • knotemknotem Member Posts: 62
    I have the same brochure home shows 17 gal, also when you check Cadillac.com it states a 17 gal (approx); but when you check GM Order Guide or GM Canada it shows 18 gal (15 Imperial Gal = 68 liters).

    http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/model/po_specification.jsp?model=cts&year=20- 08

    http://www.gmcanada.com/gm/english/vehicles/cadillac/cts/options
  • nextone1nextone1 Member Posts: 15
    My owner's manual says 18 gallons.
  • bobelewbobelew Member Posts: 17
    The 18 gal capacity is correct. At least that is what my owner's manual is telling me. I think that the 17 gal figure was published before the production vehicles were built.
  • knotemknotem Member Posts: 62
    17 gal “published before the production vehicles were built” makes sense; I was the first in the market for the 08 CTS, back in late August, and had that brochure from my dealer. I was turned off by the translucent sunroof shade; that was the only reason from not buying the car.
  • rspruittrspruitt Member Posts: 13
    Have about 3,000 miles on my new CTS now and have noticed a ticking noise which is somewhat more pronounced than when I first started driving the car. It sounds like it is coming from the air vents but it's not. The noise is related to the engine acceleration (neutral or in gear). Does anyone else have this same noise? Trying to discover whether or not I should take it to the dealer right away or if it's common.

    Also, going into "phase two" of my HDD training. Appears that GM has a deal with audible.com. Does anyone know if we recieve a free subscription through our CTS purchase? I couldn't find anything online but the manual seemed to indicate this was included.

    Finally, linked up my Onstar phone and Verizon Wireless minutes- not as perfect as Bluetooth but enough hands free functionality that I am satisfied.

    Txs
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    there has been some discussion over in another cadillac forum of noise and vibration......do you have the DI engine.....some have attributed it to a minor design issue that GM is aware about..but apparently cant do anything about it without a major redesign of the internals....and it is only prevalent during acceleration.......apparently per the board..there has already been one requested buy back because of this noise issue.....guess I would ask is it annoying or loud....compare to the overall road noise if any....

    the other issue is apparently steering wheel vibration...at highway speeds...sounds like you havent experienced it...
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    How many people on this board would purchase Adaptive Cruise Control if it was offered on the CTS?
  • arby1arby1 Member Posts: 83
    If it was bundelled with other options , I would get it . I hate , having to brake and then restart my cruise control .
  • vic10vic10 Member Posts: 188
    Love cruise control but after reading some rather nasty reports on Adaptive Cruise used on other manufacturer's, would definitely NOT want it
  • vic10vic10 Member Posts: 188
    Did my usual Sunday morning walk around the local Cadillac dealership and there were three CTS's with a very traditional sunroof: One panel only, and an opaque sliding shade on the inside. Nothing was noted on the posted invoice to indicate it was either a factory roof (the 2 panel sunshade is specifically montioned on cars that have it) nor was there a supplement tacked on to indicate it was aftermarket. Did I miss something?
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    not me
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    Vic, what exactly did you read that turned you off to adaptive cruise control?
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    150 why not?
  • vic10vic10 Member Posts: 188
    From Dec Car & Driver's editorial by Patrick Bedard, commenting on the system in a Jaguar:
    "...The Jag in the left lane at about 75, a semi several hundred yards ahead in the right lane doing maybe 30 as it picked up the arc of a left hander (turn) I had yet to reach. ...the look-ahead radar saw that slow moving 18 wheeler curve in what it thought was my path, it panicked...and hammered the Jag's brakes."

    It went on to say the Infiniti uses a laser which, even when turned off, senses a "dangerous" situation and pressurizes the brake assist in case you need to do a panic stop...and if you're not aware, you'll send yourself through the windshield whn you apply the brakes. It also sets off radar detectors and has the same false alarm probability as described for the Jag.

    It made it sound like the only way the system is going to work without such surprises is on a relatively straight road where no one changes lanes. Personally I have not problem "beeping" up or down to adjust speed or occasionally tapping the break to turn the system off....
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    Very interesting. Thanks for the information.
  • gsearlesgsearles Member Posts: 3
    Any chance the CTS's with the traditional sunroofs were 2007 models?
  • rspruittrspruitt Member Posts: 13
    Yes, I do have the DI engine. After listening to the noise again yesterday, it almost sounds like something from the Tachometer- which would make sense. I'll let everyone know what the dealer service thinks it may be.

    Certainly more annoying than loud.
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    Just another "nanny" device for people who want their cars to drive them rather than vice versa. I prefer to look down the road myself, rather than have a laser or sonar look for me.
  • vic10vic10 Member Posts: 188
    Nope. Definitely 2008's. They did have custom wheels and tires (the wheels similar in appearance to Vogue's Ghensu--though usually if there's a Vogue mod, there's a separate invoice attached to the factory one.) so maybe it's aftermarket. Was a nice clean looking installation, both inside and out....
  • adamg2adamg2 Member Posts: 12
    Ordered a black RWD CTS with the Y42 performance package and 6-sp manual transmission on October 26th. I just recently found out that my car is not expected to arrive until early January :mad: - I was hoping for December at the latest. The delay is likely a result of the fact that I ordered it in standard but I'm hearing of 3 month waiting lists for all models. January is just about the worst month imaginable to recieve a new car - particularly in Toronto. However, I do not have the patience to wait until the spring as I cannot tolerate my '97 Integra much longer.
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