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Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

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Comments

  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    Very well said, thank you. :<)
  • merckxmerckx Member Posts: 565
    (2001),I can say that they are fine cars;I'm thoroughly enjoying mine. The first 9,000 miles have been a dream!
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    My '97 Catera was a pretty good car. Perhaps not the cutting edge in styling or power, but it got me all around the USA in comfort and safety. And my grandkids loved Ziggy.

    I also had two Cimmarons. The first, an '83 was way underpowered. 18 wheelers ran past me at altitude in Arizona. The second, an '88 was much better. A reasonably powered V6 and better front and rear sheet metal. I don't need to have the fastest car on the block, only enough power to keep up with traffic and a little extra to get out of trouble occasionally.

    It's funny, the reasons we choose to buy, or not buy, certain cars. I almost bought a Lexus ES300 in 97, but my wife could not find a comfortable position in the passenger seat because of the headrest, and so it was removed from the shopping list. Again the '02 MB C320 was off because of the passenger seat.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Wow, you owned 2 Cimmaron? You must have been a Caddy fan!

    Catera is a very decent car, especially the later models with the re-done rear end. My big fear in buying a used one (we looked at 2) was the maintainence costs and repair costs. My wife wanted it bad but we opted to wait a few years and get a CTS next time maybe.
  • richw5richw5 Member Posts: 152
    Bingoman,

    Didn't know you had a Catera. What did you really think of it and did you have a lot of mechanical problems? A Cadillac mechanic on another web page said that the Catera was prone to mechanical problems. I hadn't heard that before.

    Since we seem to have identical twin CTS's and are in the same age group, you are always welcome at our house, should you drive back to Illinois, in the next few years. It might be fun to have a CTS gathering in the future. Corvette drivers normally wave at each other, maybe we can start the CTS wave.

    Dindak,

    I rented Olds Intrigue's several times and always thought they were great to drive. Had two Olds Cutlass Convert's, a '66 and a '70. The GM decision to kill Olds was not right. They were and are good cars.

    Went to an old car show last Sunday. It amazes me how beautiful some of the cars of the 30's, 40's and 50's were. Still, technology makes today's cars much better.

    Rich
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I love my Shortstar powered Intrigue. Lots of good technology in it and a nice sporty smooth ride. At 32, I know I was the first to buy an Oldsmobile among my friends. Unfortunately I will be the last also. It was the wrong decision, but I can see why GM did it. I only hope Buick becomes what Oldsmobile should have have become.

    CTS is likely my next car buy if I can swing it in a few years.
  • mannytrannymannytranny Member Posts: 175
    Just got home from a day of driving (shopping, groceries, Home Depot, etc.) and around here we are doing the wave ~. I think that it started by a former Corvette owner who also has a CTS. Our dealer here sells both cars. Really coool!!!!!!!

    It's a rare treat to even see another CTS but yesterday in traffic , it was my CTS (black) followed immediately by another CTS (black). You can imagine all the stares from opposing traffic since it was almost bumper to bumper on the street.

    I'll be meeting other new owners at our New Owners Seminar later this month. Can't wait to see what they are thinking about their cars.

  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    You said, "smooth ride". Your intrigue must have come with the "luxury ride" package cause mine sure wasn't smooth. LOL.
  • bingomanbingoman Member Posts: 373
    My Catera was a pretty basic Green '97 model. I got it in March of '97 in preparation for a trip around the country in the Fall. That gave me about 6 months to evaluate and break in the car before the trip. The only trouble I had during the first 50,000 miles was several broken cup holders.

    The cup holders were the worst piece of engineering ever to come out of GM. On examination they appeared to be designed to break. They were placed to fold out of the console between the seats directly over the hand brake handle. They had a notch in each of the two support struts to clear the edge of the console cover. If you applied the hand brake (by lifting it) while the cup holders were deployed, it contacted the cup holder from underneath and broke the support struts at the notch. I had it replaced once in L.A. before I left on the trip. I made the mistake of applying the brake while the cup holder was out while on my trip. When I tried to get it replace in Atlanta the dealer checked parts and said he was sorry but they where out at the moment.

    The trip lasted 2 1/2 months and covered 11,000 miles from Sept. 13 to Nov. 25 with no mechanical problems. At a motel in Phoenix a rod sticking out of a concrete bumper stop caught the back of the chin piece as I backed out and broke the chin loose. It also loosened the front inner fender liner which got pushed against the front tire while driving on the freeway. The liner, the fog/parking light assembly and re-attachment of the chin piece cost about $150, which the motel paid for.

    I had an alignment problem with the rear end which was fixed, including two brand new tires, under warranttee at about 20,000 miles.

    In the later years I had some problems with electrical components, including some false check engine and leveling system lights.. The ignition switch had to be replaced and the radio amplifier became staticy and was replace. The transmission developed a small leak which the mechanic said was from a bad seal on the control box. When I went to pick up the car the entire transmission was out. They said when they checked they found that the transmission fluid appeared to be burnt so they were replacing the transmission with a new one. It took a week to get the warranttee inspector to ok it and then deliver and install the new unit. I also had the air pump for the automatic leveling system replaced.

    At 70,000 miles, after I had already ordered the CTS, and was preparing for a trip to visit my daughter and grandkids in Las Vegas, the brake wear warning light came on on the dashboard. This cost me about $450 because the brake work includes the replacement of the two electrical sensors for brake wear which wear down as soon as they contact the rotors. The trade in price had already been set and I could not get the dealer to make an allowance for the new brakes on the car. On the other hand when I ordered the CTS they were giving a $1000 discount on the car, but by the time it was delivered they were giving a $2,000 discount, and they billed the CTS with the full $2,000 discount.

    All in all, I didn't think this was an excess amount of mechanical problems, considering everything was covered under the factory original warranty and extended warranty.

    As to getting together, I would like to but I don't know when I might get back to the Chicago area. If you are thinking of driving to Southern California let me know. You can email me at msumner@worldnet.att.net

    I guess this has been longwinded enough.

    Bingoman
  • cadillac1cadillac1 Member Posts: 51
    Does anyone agree the CTS should have finished last in the newest edmunds comparison. I am not some Caddy lover who thinks it should have finished 1st, but LAST! I have got to test drive a CTS and a 330i. I don't know how they can say a CTS is more rough.

    Also, I think that Caddy needs a 3 series sized car. Pricing a car to compete with the 3 series isn't enough.
  • cadman88cadman88 Member Posts: 75
    that comparison was bs all I can say is that edmunds editors are so damn stupid how the hell does the Acura beat the CTS?? it looks like crap, the BMW gets a 100 in evaluation and the CTS a 20 the only one under 50. Edmunds sucks for tests, the only reason I am even here is to chat, I think that edmunds just like imports, (all of the editors drive imports except two I think, ricers!!
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    I do not think it is in Cadillac's style to make a car as small as the 3 series.

    As for the test, the 3 series definitely deserves to win. I would place the CTS ahead of the G35. The Infiniti does nothing for me.

    I have a strong bias against awd, so that kills the Audi in its top manifestation. A front wheel drive Audi is nice. I actually find its interior to be too fussy. I know many will jump on me for that comment.

    I do not understand how the Acura can place higher than the CTS or the G35.

    Bottom line: 1) 3 Series, 2) Audi, 3) CTS, 4) G35, 5) Acura. The Audi, and just maybe the 3 Series will have to watch out next year when the new V6 and V8 versions of the CTS hit the street. The G35 will fade, imo.
  • eaton53eaton53 Member Posts: 356
    The CTS will ever do well in these comparison tests because some of the testers are bound to dislike the styling.
  • seatownseatown Member Posts: 6
    This test was a joke. I also agree that Edmunds' tests and comparisons are ridiculous. I am also here only for the forums.

    craig(hoping Edmunds staff is reading this)
  • bobbyknightbobbyknight Member Posts: 121
    Their comments seemed accurate enough. A month ago I test drove a CTS and G35 back to back with a friend who was looking to purchase a car in that price range. She loved the G35, while was impartial to the CTS. Other than styling, it didn't seem to stand out in any way. It drove nice, had adequate power, and looked nice. But for 38K, it was about 4K more than the G35, and the G seemed like the much better car.

    On a side note, I don't see how the TL could be placing as high as it has (edmunds, R&T, C&D, etc...). I have not driven one but it must be a heck of a car for the price. Who knows, I guess I can't comment until I get to drive one.

    It looks like the hype of the CTS was short lived. There was this great anticipation prior to the introduction earlier this year. Now it's almost like yesterdays news. The dealer in the west suburbs of Chicago had a large inventory of CTSs, and now with the 0% financing...

    Its just not the breakthrough everyone was hoping.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    The CTS is clearly outselling the G35, and is selling above GM's original projections.

    GM is getting great publicity from 0% -- a number of September 11 business oriented pieces have made plausible arguments that credit GM with helping to keep the country out of a more severe recession.
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    After reading the test, I agree with some of their comments, many of which have already been discussed here ad naseum. Here's the breakdown:

    Engine: ok, there are better engines in this class. We all know that. Next year will be different.

    Interior: Again, I've seen some reviews like it, others not. GM Vice-chairman Bob Lutz apparently didn't like it that much but it was too late to change it for launch. Again, there will be two interior rolling changes in the next two model years, according to press reports. One thing for sure is that Cadillac can do better in the quality of interior materials (check out Audi or BMW). Either that or lower the price to that of the Acura or Infiniti. Even then the Acura comes with nicer interior materials.

    Handling: I'm a little perplexed at this one. Some magazines love the handling. MT and Edmunds have come down in the "too harsh" camp. I'm not sure what Cadillac should do here, outside of offering the Magentic Ride shock absorber system in the LuxSport models as they do with the STS.

    Seats: They complain the seats are too large. Maybe they are too *small*. At 6'11" & 300 lbs, I thought the seats were a little tight myself. I've seen reviews that liked the Caddy chairs. This is very subjective, depending on your body type. Judge for yourself.

    Steering: The Cadillac steering is heavy, but they they laud BMW for putting heavy steering back in the car. OK, whatever. Personally you don't know what all the fuss about is with BMW steering until you've driven one...it is that special. But the gap that BMW has had in this element is closing rapidly. Both my wife and I liked the CTS's steering.

    Fun to drive: I thought the CTS was a hoot to drive the first time, the second time, and the third time. Then I put down my money. I've driven a 540i before. It's an amazing machine, but I can't fit in it well and it costs too much. Again, a CTS isn't going to beat the smaller cars in this test in the slalom because of its size. But then I bought one precisely because it has the size I need.

    Pricing: The CTS is competitively priced against the BMW 3 series and the Audi in general, but are expensive next to the Acura and the Infiniti. That's not a great position to be in. The bargain prices of the Acura and Infiniti make reviewers forgive their weaknesses more easily. The BMW and Audi command top dollar and have better build materials. To be in-between in this test can mean getting squeezed out.

    Botton line: Cadillac has a problem in these tests in general. There are issues that can and will be fixed. But the biggest problem may be the positioning of the car. This is a BMW 5 series sized car with a 3 series price point. As a result, car magazines wind up putting it up against 3 series sized cars, where it will lose every time. The BMW is 300 lbs lighter and smaller. Is it any wonder how BMW gets more oomph out of a 225 HP engine?

    The Acura TL is an interesting anomaly in all this. Honda manages to throw in a front wheel drive car that manages to do well in these tests (although not with every magazine). It's certainly very price competitive, the interior is no-nonsense and the engine has plenty of power. Yet the styling does nothing for many people, which is also typical Honda. The TL is also a large car, which penalizes it in tests like this.

    A better test for the CTS is against cars its own size. The BMW 530i, the Audi A6 are better matches, but they cost $10K more and have better engines and interiors. Again, wait 'till next year.

    Edmunds.com does a wonderful job at this and I value their opinion. But having said that, anyone in this market needs to evaluate the cars for themselves, then decide. One of my best friends last month bought the G35 over the Acura TL Type-S after critically weighing several factors. The Edmunds editors came to a different conclusion. My size needs of a car in this class immediately eliminates many of the cars in this test. Other readers here will have different needs. Judge for yourself.

    And many people certainly have judged for themselves. Sales of the CTS are hot right now. I talked to my salesrep today and she says they can't keep the CTS on the lot. I suspect the styling of the car is going to end up being "regionally popular" in some places. Personally I like the fact I'll be driving something that I won't see at every stop light. In north Atlanta, I see more 330i's than I do Chevy Cavaliers.

    And for Cadillac (and GM), learn from this. Stop introducing cars that aren't completely fleshed out on day 1. It's going to be difficult to turn the opinions of these writers in year 2 of the CTS, no matter how good the upgrades are. I'm glad the XLR and STS were delayed. Gone are the days where you could introduce something and fix things are you go along. You have to be perfect in this hypercompetitive market, or don't bother showing up. Given the changes Bob Lutz is making to GM thinking, I am hopeful.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    RE : Review - It's been my theory for a long time that Edmunds hates anything made by GM. While I always want to think I'm wrong, they certainly always make a good case for people wanting to argue that they are biased.

    b4z : Intrigue has a better ride quality than that Impala you are driving now, that's for sure.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Very good and thoughtful analysis. Your posts here underscore that you really are someone who has reached the point in life where buying a 38k car is feasible.

    I disagree somewhat with your last paragraph. GM is a large company with many sources of talent. Certainly it has experience with performance cars as demonstrated by the Corvette. Still, BMW has done nothing but make rwd performance sedans -- and the occasional coupe and two seaters for generations.

    The CTS is GM's first rwd performance sedan in almost a generation. It is a huge advance over what came before. As much as one may hope GM could have beaten BMW out of the box, it is an unrealistic expectation.

    The CTS is an excellent first shot. It is finding more satisfied customers than GM expected. GM appears to have the committed people in place to build on the CTS. To me, that is as good as one could have hoped.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,504
    The Lincoln LS wasn't even in the comparision nor, I believe, was Jag.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    No one expects anything to beat the market leader on the first try. That said, CTS is far more competitive that Edmunds is making it out to be. One comment was describing CTS as the Charlie Brown of the group??

    I also disagree with the comments that the car is heavy and that the build quality was not good. If they had criticized the dash, I could have lived with that but they were pretty harsh on the car as a whole.

    There are so many positive comparisons where CTS does well (usually finishing mid-pack) and before I even read this comparison, I predicted Edmunds would put CTS in it's place (last). Nice to see Edmunds' keeping true to form.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    It is too bad the Jag-X and LS were left out.

    I thought the Charlie Brown quip was out of line as well. Especially after reading the second opinions.
  • eaton53eaton53 Member Posts: 356
    Said they weren't fans of the styling, the tone of the review was pretty much set.

    Besides the X-type and LS, there wasn't a Saab or Volvo in there either. Why they let the CTS in, I have no idea... if it's not German or Japanese it can't possibly be any good!!!
  • richw5richw5 Member Posts: 152
    Over the years, I've noticed that most auto writers are biased in favor of foreign cars. Jim Mateja and Dan Jedlicka (Chicago Trib and Suntimes) are prime examples. There are times when their columns (reviews) mimic what has been written in the auto buff magazines.

    I'm sure Edmunds writers follow the same pattern. If there is an identical flaw in an Cadillac and in a BMW, the Cadillac is trash and the BMW has a minor glitch.

    As far as the comments I see here, you all seem to be right on target. It's important to me that GM, Ford and Chrysler become competetive with anything from Europe or Asia. It's the American way.

    I hope Cadillac (Ford and Chrysler too) has learned their lesson from losing market share and follow this advice:

    1. Listen to your customers.
    2. Broaden your market.
    3. Create inovative vehicles.
    4. Produce Quality vehicles and continue to improve them.
    5. Give Quality service.

    The CTS is a step in the right direction. I hope the the XLR, SRX and STS will follow suit. If they do that, the auto writers/testers will be forced to give them good marks. I they don't, the public will stop reading their reviews.

    My wife will be testing a new vehicle on Sunday. She's riding a mule down the Grand Canyon with her niece. If anyone wants, I'll write a review (LOL). Needless to say, I will remain on top and take a train ride with some friends. Then it's on to Las Vegas to spend our CTSV money.

    See ya next week.

    Rich
  • cadillac1cadillac1 Member Posts: 51
    Edmunds reviewers are as follows. Middle Aged men wanting to be young again, and middle aged women who want to be excepted as knowledgable auto journalists. Think about it, they will always praise a car that has little conveniance. Their favorite cars are the 3 series, honda S2000, and Mazda Miata. If this were an auto enthusiast site, I could understand. But this site is supposed to inform people about the merrits of a car in all ways, not just performance and handling. Heck, even when they do comparisons on mini-vans, they will start say things like, "well this car had the least amount of seating and luggage room, but it is the best in our minds because of the silky smooth 240 hp V6. Well, I always assumed people bought minivans because of their seating capacity, and luggage room, not for performance reasons.

    All this thinking kills the CTS, and even the Lincoln LS in comparisons. These cars are much more of a logical choice than a 3 series or A4 if your anything other than a single person. These cars give the following. Above average handling(not the best), Average power, average interiors, great price, room for 4, a sizable trunk, etc. Yet Edmunds overlooks the latter things and prefers skid pad numbers, etc.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Honda, BMW, Toyota and Mercedes can do no wrong with Edmunds' reviewers. Domestic brands can do no right for the most part and the rest is a crap shoot.

    I'm not saying the reviewers are biased, just that a strong case can be made that they are.

    (yes I am trying to be PC)
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    What I meant in my last paragraph is that when you've been down and behind the competition, you need to come to the dance with everything you've got. Yes, BMW and Audi have a 30 year head start in the sport sedan market and that lead isn't overcome overnight. But Cadillac has had plenty of time to size up the market to deliver a great product.

    What I was really getting at in my commentary was that Cadillac in the last 20 years has not sweated the details in all areas of their product design. For every success, there are too many shortcomings and failures. Here's my list of things Cadillac could have differently in the past 20+ years:

    1980: Oldsmobile diesel V-8 engines. These engines were modified gas engines that ran badly and failed quickly.

    1981: Cadillac V8-6-4 engine. This was an idea that was 20 years ahead if its time. But it was rushed to market in less than a year. The result? Buyers found that solenoids that controlled the variable displacement cylinders would get dirty and fail far too easily. There's nothing worse than trying to motivate a 5000 lb Deville on a 3.0L V-4 in first gear.

    1982: Cadillac Cimmaron. Enough has been said on this issue already.

    1982: Cadillac HT4100 engine. Probably the weakest V-8 engine produced by Cadillac in 40 years.

    1987: Cadillac Seville and Eldorado. Probably the most undistinquished and boring cars Cadillac has ever produced.

    1987: Cadillac Allante. Nice idea and great looks. Hampered by a weak engine (the aformentioned HT 4100) and a convertible top that never did work quite right.

    1992: Cadillac Seviile and Eldorado. These cars were *far* ahead of their predecessors and the Seville was well reviewed in the press. So what was the problem? The acclaimed Northstar engine was late to market, not appearing until 1993.

    1997: Cadillac Catera. First attempt at a European sport sedan. It wasn't a bad car. But the car never measured up to the competition in styling, performance or handling. And the marketing stunk. You know you're off the mark when they stop inviting the Catera to magazine comparison tests.

    1999: Cadillac Escalade. The first Escalade was criticized as being too close to its Chevy Tahoe and especially its GMC Yukon Denali cousins. It was ironic since the Denali began as the project Cadillac had abandonned when its general manager thought no one would buy a Cadillac truck. So the Denali came first. When Lincoln introduced the Navigator to roaring sales, Cadillac quickly brought the Escalade to market, only to look like a quick rebadge entry of the GMC product. Fortunately for Cadillac, the 1992 Escalade redesign made everyone forget the earlier effort.

    I remind everyone of these issues out of my love of the marque. I am a Cadillac fan. My soon-to-arrive CTS will be my 4th Cadillac (after owning three Devilles). I want this brand to succeed as it did in its heyday. But Cadillac can't just introduce any car and have people fall in love with it like the 30's, 40's and 50's. There are many more competitors who put up fierce competition in the luxury car space.

    Cadillac has to reconnect with the buyers out there with the right product. The CTS is a great first step. But any missteps along the way will automatically make a car magazine reviewer say to himself "hmmm, not enough, again." The CTS came in 5th place out of 5 at Edmunds, 3rd place out of 3 in Motor Trend, and 8th place out of 11 in Road and Track. It's not that the competition makes no mistakes. The current BMW revamped styling and "iDrive" system are getting strange looks from buyers, and open criticism from writers. But BMW makes so many good things, they get the benefit of the doubt. Cadillac cashed those chips years ago.

    Cadillac cannot afford to introduce anything less than the perfect car for its price point. Anything less, and you are irrelevant in the eyes of the buying public.
  • baron87baron87 Member Posts: 93
    ...is prompting calls from GM-Insiders/GM Enthusiasts to boycott this site. Although, I personally would probably never participate in such actions, these people have legitimate grievances, and have their right to expression.

    At any rate, Edmunds' Editorial Team appeared to have no legitimate problems with the CTS. Their only arguments they could half-heartedly make against it had to do with styling, and ultra-subjective things such as seat comfort. Edmunds showed no quantitative evidence as to how the CTS was inferior to competition. And yet, they placed it last!

    This is the most recent of such events in a long strong of seemingly ultra-prejeduiced Edmunds reviews. The second-most recent in my memory, being the review of the Buick Redezvous, where it was critcized for "lack of offroad ability" just because it's non-GM supplied tires went flat, was met with the outrage of auto enthusiasts.

    As an aside, no the Edmunds' reviews are NOT biased. Something is only biased when it does substantial harm to another entity. So, they can be marked with prejudice, but are not in any way to my knowledge "biased".
  • eaton53eaton53 Member Posts: 356
    Merciless criticism works better!!
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Several years ago they did a review on the Olds Intrigue which said that it's handling was dangerous!
    After several complaints the review was pulled.

    My complaint was that most of the reviewers were younger and simply did not have the car experience or knowledge to be writing the things they did.

    Many of them had grown up in families that never owned a domestic car.

    Also I think you will find that most of the moderator's here will not defend edmund's car reviews. Two different entities within the orginization.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    A large Cadillac dealer here in Ma. has CTS'S in todays newspaper with a $3286 discount and it a real discount not one of those matching deals.
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    I have never put much stock in any of Edmunds's reviews and comparison tests regardless of what the make is. I remember in one midsize sedan review the said the Oldsmobile Intrigue's handling was "dangerous" and then ranked a Ford Taurus at number two or three. Go figure. They criticize a car over the littlest things and for a while it seemed like in every Cadillac review they did, part of their test was to try and pry interior pieces off. Whats funny is when you go to the new car pricing section and they have the owners rating and some vehicles will have the editor's rating and you see the editiors have rated the car low while owners rate it much higher. I don't even read Edmunds reviews anymore as I stick to C&D, Road and Track, Motor Trend, and Automobile for that. I don't always agree with those guys either, but their reviews are more consistant and seem to have more substance to them. Not to mention, they are usually more accurate.
  • mannytrannymannytranny Member Posts: 175
    Hi Y'all,
    A friend of mine ( has a 2000 STS )told me that if Mobil 1 is used at the oil change it could void the CTS warranty whether the dealer puts it in at my request or if anyone else does it. He claims that the oil must be GM specific as well as the oil filter.

    I can't believe it. It's too late to contact the dealer to get their spin on it since they closed already. Anyone have any answers?

  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Basically, WHAT A LOAD! This friend in question must be one of those that believes everything a dealer tells them and takes it to heart about service. You DO NOT need to use specific oil, and from basic knowledge, I would also say that a GM oil filter isn't a requirement, but an owner might chime in on this.
  • necrosnecros Member Posts: 127
    I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Federal Law and court decisions (including, IIRC, Supreme Court decisions) prohibit manufacturers from voiding warranties over stuff like this, unless they are willing to supply oil/filters, etc. for free.

    I believe the court decision involving this precendent actually had to do with an air filter, which is pretty analogous to an oil filter. I'll try to dig up a cite...
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,504
    to keep in mind is that the Lincoln LS was put into their "long-term review" pool, then reviewed by people who didn't realize the battery was in the trunk.

    This isn't a huge deal, but if the time comes for a jump-start for a car supposedly driven by car "experts", not being able to find the battery is a significant data point. One wonders if they can find any orifice on their body with any number of hands and optical assistance.

    These are the same people now turning on the CTS.

    Not to worry. Looks like a pretty good damn car to me.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • necrosnecros Member Posts: 127
    Here's a good one from Amsoil addressing oil and warranties: http://syntheticoiltech.com/oil/chazpearson/warrantylaws1.htm


    Here's another one with a very in-depth explanation of the Act: http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/guides/ftc/warranties/undermag.htm


    Hope this helps refute your friend's ridiculous claims.

  • eaton53eaton53 Member Posts: 356
    A black CTS with chrome wheels sitting in traffic today that reminded me of why I like it so much.

    Everything around it looked completely ordinary.

    Another reason to like Caddys... dealer doesn't charge any more for routine service than for any other GM car, less than $20.
  • mannytrannymannytranny Member Posts: 175
    Thanks for the sites. I have sent them both to my friend and I hope that he reads both. Maybe he'll get a little wiser when he goes to the dealer.

    I was going to use Mobil 1 from now on but I went to the website to get the recommendations of what oil viscosity was recommended ,the site comes up empty on the CTS. I so wanted to send the info to him also. He told me to go to the Mercedes dealer down the street and get it changed there because I must think the CTS is a Mercedes since that's what they use there.

  • calicadicalicadi Member Posts: 87
    I never pay too much attention to reviews or comparisons. The reviews are opinions written by people who collect a paycheck in doing so. Lots of psychology in that equation. Comparisons of the imperical kind are more revealing of the truth. When the September 2001 Automobile Magazine gave the CTS what I thought was a fair and somewhat positive review, I checked it out for myself. I feel I know enough about cars, their manufacturers, physics, and finance, to make my own decisions. I don't need a $20-$30,000 a year columnist to make me feel good about it either.

    I don't buy foreign cars so I could care less about how they compare. If I wanted a pure performance play, I would've bought a Viper or a 'Vette, but those are two-seaters and I need something more practical.

    The CTS is great looking and a blast to drive. I was washing mine this morning and a neighbor came over and said it was, "The best looking car on the road today.". So who needs reviews??? If people keep buying 'em, the factory will keep makin' 'em.

    Necros...thanks for the warranty links, dude.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    1384 CTS's produced this week. YTD is 31,044 cars.
    If you factor in the cars that were built in 2001 they are well over the 30,000 cars they thought they would be build the first year.
  • eaton53eaton53 Member Posts: 356
    If you want to get gouged for a glorified oil change (otherwise known as a "multi-point inspection") go to a Mercedes dealer.

    My wife's '94 SLS has been serviced at the Cadillac dealer since new and it runs perfectly. No need to go elsewhere... and it's less than $20 for a standard oil change, certainly somewhat more for synthetic.

    I have no idea how much for synthetic since I've never used the stuff. I prefer frequent changes using conventional oil.
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    Many high performance engines come with Mobil 1 from the factory, I believe the Corvette and AMG MBs are among them. I cannot imagine why it wouldn't be recommended in the CTS. I beliebe the Mangun-Moss Act of 1982(or something like that) prevents manufacturers from voiding the warranty if you don't use their brand of parts unless they provide the parts free of charge. To me, for those who plan on really pushing their CTSs, Mobil 1 makes sense. I've seriously considered switching to Mobil 1 in my Intrigue.
  • jgranatajgranata Member Posts: 70
    i'm sure that this has been discussed before, but i can't seem to find the info; what are the projected numbers for hp and torque for the 3.6 that's going into the cts? jackg
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Around 251 hp.
  • wick1410wick1410 Member Posts: 1
    I have enjoyed my CTS for the last 3+ months (3,000 miles), however, I noticed a great deal of vibration/side-to-side jogging in the steering wheel when driving at speeds in excess of 30mph right from the beginning. The dealer re-balanced the tires at 1200 miles and it appeared to cure the problem. Unfortuntely, the problem reappeared during a 600 mile trip last weekend and continues to persist. Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so, the remedy?
    Thanks.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Which tires do you have? Brand/model/size?
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    you may have one or more bad tires . Have the car put in the air and spin each wheel and look for a tire that isnt running true
  • mannytrannymannytranny Member Posts: 175
    I stopped by the dealer on the way home today and asked in the service area about using Mobil 1. The guy there said it is not recommended and would be a total waste for the CTS engine !

    He added that the dealer will do it if requested but at an additional charge. The service advisor said that the oil would have to be changed every 6000 miles anyhow even if I had Mobil 1 in the CTS because the warranty wants this done at the proper intervals.

    I asked what they charged for a regular oil change only. He stated that they only do oil changes / filter and 5 point check. Cost ...$26.95. If I wanted Mobil 1, the cost would be $68.00. I asked why???????????

    I also asked if they could just do an oil change period. He just looked at me and went right into the 5 point check that is included.I am now going to shop for Mobil 1 best price (Wal-Mart)and for a cheaper rate at other GM dealers just to be curious.

    The Mercedes dealer will do a regular oil change with Mobil 1 for $44.95 a friend told me.I'm going to check on this tomorrow.

  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    The CTS sales exceeded combined Escalade and EXT sales for the first time last week...

    Next stop, the Deville. :-)
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