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Comments
Lets say we get 2% off the total cost for each hour, and 10% off for each day. That would provide incentive to either tell the truth, or finish the job on time.
I do understand that these time frames are only an estimate (or swag), but they have a pretty solid idea how long a job should take, as labor cost are predetermined (in terms of how long) in most cases.
thebug...
Add the sunroof and they are in the 36K-37K range.
My dealer has no cars over 37K.
I did notice on one that I saw yesterday that the base price was $30,000, while some of the other cars on his lot were $29,900.
Also,does anyone know if any of the 04 colors are being introduced early?
Will report back after I pick it up. The 24HR test drive I took last weekend convinced me to purchase the CTS.
I think it's a bit ridiculous that they deleted options that should be included in a car of this class in order to force the consumer into buying up into a higher price point. I mean, shouldn't ALL the CTS configurations have a compass, homelink transmitter, power passenger seat, memory mirrors/seat, multi disc CD player, etc? -And why do you have to buy the lux package in order to get a sunroof, heated seats, upgrade stereo, etc.
It's as if they designed the ugly adjustment bar on the passenger seat that takes up 3 inches of leg room for the sole purpose of punishing those that didn't buy the luxury package.
My wife's PT Cruiser cost about $13k less than the CTS but it has a 'friggin compass!
Lastly, my other big gripe is the size of the wheels. 16" or even 17" wheels are too small for the CTS in my opinion and the stock wheels are far from deluxe. I would have been more tempted to get the lux performance package if it would have come w/ 18" wheels and like others, I'd just as well not have the wood trim.
The CTS is a great car and I've been surprised by the quality, fit, and finish. It could be even better though if GM would do a little bit more by adding some basic features to the base package.
I am worried about the softening of the suspension in '04 models, though. (I had a first-year Intrigue and it handled great, but then they softened it on subsequent models and it just wasn't as good...Don't want to see that happen to CTS!)
When I dropped it off they gave me a quote of, $1,250 (but not in writing), that's including an oil change. At pick up time, the service rep didn't say anything about cost, he simply said see the cashier to pick up your car.
To my surprise, the price had dropped about $110. I think this was because of the two missed delivery times. After looking the car over for a while, I did go back in to thank him for the deal.
His facial expression assured me that the price change was compensation for the lost time, and two missed delivery dates, and this was without prompting. IMO, that's good customer service.
Taking off for my joy ride to San Diego tonight, wheels up at 2AM .
thebug...
Actually, Lexus ES300 has had a much much bigger problem involving its new 5-speed transmission for the last 18 months, and has yet to fix it.
Lexus is not the almighly quality king that it promotes itself to be these days.
quality Lexi have a few transmission bugs too....
LOL..........geo
The girls at Taconic Maint. shop put them and my business cards in each goodie bag they hand out!
I buy a load of Magic Salt too. Stuff works great!
We always stay in the motel up the street. There is a Pizza UNo, 24 hr conv. store, Ital. rest. right across the street. NO driving......
Its a good thing our wimmen don't wanna go....So we have fun! Some of the guys bring their kids too! Have U been to one yet?
Hey got some mailings from Caddy about that SRX suv that is coming this summer. Is it a worked over Trailblazer? My girl LOVES that full glass roof...Brochure sez V-6 or the 4.6 Northstar !
Maybe instead of a CTS-V....Hmmmmmmmm.....geo
>Maybe it streamlines the assembly process and I
>think it makes it easier for the consumer so you
>dont have to agonize over every option . I am
>sure an a la carte menu of options would jack up
>the overall price
I think you miss the point entirely...they do it to screw the consumer. If they really wanted to streamline the assembly process they would include more standard features and offer fewer options.
Like you said, it probably costs more money for them to delete some of the options on the base model than it would if they were included on all cars as standard. I mean really, how much money WOULD it cost them to include a compass and garage door opener in this electronics age?...how much would it really cost GM to add a 4 disc changer as standard? I would rather have them add $500 to the base price and make it a 'complete' car.
Instead they include options that should be standard like a compass, homelink transmitter, power passenger seat, heated seats, memory mirror/seat position, fold down rear seats, etc with the Luxury Sport package in order to force the consumer into spending more $$ to get the BASIC options they desire.
I think most would agree that the base model is fairly nice (for the price) as it is, and many would settle for that. I'm sure the marketing strategist (being who they are) planned ahead for this. The options are there if you want to pump it up a notch.
In my thinking, if they were to add the most common options into the base model, the price itself would eliminate a large portion of the market segment they are seeking, and many would have never taken a second look at the product. A lot of us would said "I can't afford that" and moved on to another model. That's how the hook works.
When looking at the CTS, my taughts were, don't let the $29,350 fool you into thinking you can get this for cheap. One has to know, you can have it loaded, but it won't be cheap, or you can have it cheap, but it won't be loaded.
It would be interesting to find out how many people purchased a base model BMW, MB or Lexis. As we know, many of these options are standard on the said competitors, and you have to get whether you want them or not, and it also cost more.
thebug...
crazylegs
If you are looking for a car with a manual transmission the answer is no, the engine will be the same as the '03 engine.
The rest of the trip was over the I5 south to L.A. without incident. It amaze's me how many idiots tailgate at 80 mph for no reason on an open highway. The average driver seems to have no idea of the physics of driving. They sit one to two car lengths behind the car in front for miles on end with no concept of what it would take to stop if the person in front had a blowout or hit the brakes hard to avoid an animal. This is also part of the cause for 100 car pile ups in foggy weather. And then I have to pay the premium on my insurance bill, oh well.
The CTS feels more athletic to me, for the following reasons: its lighter, rear wheel drive more balanced (feels like it is riding on rails), the Sigma platform is bank vault solid, the 5 speed automatic always finds the right gear, and in sport mode is very aggressive.
They definitely are two different cars. The STS is higher up the food chain, but the CTS is very satisfying. The engine puts out less hp/torque than the STS, but the overall power is more than adequate for my use. The quality of the leather is first rate, the interior materials are of good quality. The paint (Diamond White) looks first rate without obvious amounts of orange peel. It doesn't have some items the STS had, electronic tilt/telescopic steering wheel, performance algorithim shifting, rain sensing wipers, and the model I have does not have Stabilitrak. Overall I love this car. It puts a grin on my face to go out and drive, and find reasons to drive. Also, for better or worse (I love the styling), there is nothing out there right now that looks anything like it.
I will have to take some road trips to report on how it differs. The STS is an awesome road car, smooth, responsive and always ready. I also had a 94 Eldorado Touring Coupe. The Northstar in the 01 STS was more refined and smoother than the 94. The chassis for the 98 and up Seville was more refined as well.
Finding a low mileage STS a few years old would be great. Mine was silver with the 17 inch wheels and HID's. At lease end it only had 10,000 miles. I have two other cars that I split the mileage between so I did not accumulate alot of miles.
Next stop XLR.
John.
I'm trying to talk my sister into looking at a new CTS. She is a doctor in Denver who has primarily driven imports (she's driving a '91 Acura Legend L - yes, it's 12 years old - and she's got 130k+ miles on it. She's also got a '95 Suburban which she loves (uses it to take the family up to the mountains - the car is just mainly her commuter car), but otherwise tends to go foreign (husband is a Ford fan).
She likes to drive a stick. I'm trying to get her to look at a CTS, probably base (probably would be hard to find a Lux stick). My mother-in-law is a (recent) GM retiree, so I have the "GM in the Driveway" coupon (can give to anyone, not just family, and get GMS price +4% - good through end of June). Also have lots of GM Card dollars I can send her way (before they get devalued on 8/1) . If anyone has any suggestions on good dealers in Denver, things for her to consider going from the Legend to the CTS, or any news on any incentives (CTS has not been on any deals of late) I'd appreciate it.
Thanks,
--Robert
P.S. "The Bug" how was the trip to San Diego and the performance of that new dual exhaust?
John.
Noted a marked improvement in overall mileage in comparison to my East Coast trip of about 2.5 MPG, and this trip was all hilly/mountainous terrain. Additionally on the trip down, I had three large adults with carry-ons.
Despite all this, I was able to maintain speeds of 85-90 through the mountains. Never once did I feel as though the engine was at a compromise. As far as I could tell, the lower gears only engaged during engine braking on sharp grades.
The trip back, I ran empty (just me) through the twisty turnys, and that was a rush, a total rush. When you're by yourself, (which WAS the plan) you can really stretch it out (triple digits and all). I become more impressed with this car on each run. The CTS just seems to get better with time. What a car.
And the dual pipes, the dual pipes purred. At first I thought I wasn't going to like the sound, but after this trip, I'm hooked. IMO, it was worth the change. In my case (doesn't happen often), money well spent. Next run will be to Northern California in about two weeks. I'll keep this run a secret.
thebug...
In my lowly Neon (don't ask), there was a deal when I bought the XM ready stereo--I got installation of the XM stuff free. The receiver and antanna only cost about $150. I put a pretty nice Pioneer deck w/ XM controls in the car for about $200. I thought it was a good deal. Just a thought.
I like the new wheels on the Sport Model.
hammen2, if she goes from a 91 Legend to a CTS she'll be experiencing a totally new driving experience. The second generation Legends weren't bad cars, but we're talking 1991 technology versus 2001. And also RWD v FWD. Good luck trying to get her to break the "import only" mold although if she's been satisfied with the Suburban then she should be delighted by the CTS's quality.
Personally, I think she needs to get a few choices. I'd have her test drive an Acura TL Type-S manual, a Cadillac CTS manual, a Infiniti G35 manual, and maybe another car of her choice. It will be difficult since most dealerships don't carry manual gearbox cars, but look around your area. The Acura TL will be a strong car with a very familiar face to her. Then contrast that look and feel with the G35 and CTS and see what she likes.
In the end, it's her call. The CTS is attractive due to the GM deal that you have, but the TL is inexpensive too begin with. Ultimately, she'll decide what's comfortable for her. I own a CTS and am very happy, but I know it's not for everyone.
New TL
They must have had 8 or 10 CTSs inside their show room. They knew that we intended to buy from Red Noland, but treated us with great courtesy and patiently answered all of our questions. We found a sable black/ebony Lux Sport with every option that we wanted. We probably spent an hour in the show room looking at all the CTSs and that helped us become more certain of what we really wanted.
Noland traded another CTS to Rickenbaugh for the one the I wanted and everyone was happy... especially me. I'm a strong believer in buying from a local dealer when I can. Perhaps I'm a bit naive, but I still expect my local dealer to respond to my needs (and I want the closest drop off point when I need service). I'd recommend Rickenbaugh and Red Noland Cadillac dealerships with equal confidence in their desire and efforts to satisfy customer expectations.