I recently purchased from my Caddy dealer an engine and cabin air filter for my 03 CTS. Both filters were $26 each, what a rip off! AC Delco made in Korea stamped on the box. Can't wait until these filters show up in the chain auto part stores and Walmart and sell for what there worth $6 each. I actually called several Caddy dealers in my area and $26 was the best price, the high was $32. Beware!
The current conquest rebate is supposed to end on Monday. Does anyone know if it is likely to be extended or replaced with something similar? I was hoping to buy a new car (Cadillac CTS or Acura TL) in March rather than January, but the Cadillac dealers are trying to put the hard sell on this weekend based on the rebate expiration.
I noticed a recent article in Consumer Reports rated first year reliability as poor for the CTS. I feel this rating is unfair based on the comments on this board. I now have 20,000 miles on my 03 CTS and have had only one problem thus far (instrument cluster replaced for clock sync problem).
I know this is a CTS discussion forum, but I saw my first SRX on the road yesterday. I've seen them on the dealers lot for a while now, but hadn't seen one actually being driven. Well, yesterday morning we had some snow and the roads were just a slushy mess and I came upon an SRX. Not a bad looking SUV at all. One thing I loved were the LED taillights. This is one feature I wish the CTS had as they are brighter than incandescent bulbs, they light up quicker, and they just look cool.
I was at my dealer this weekend, pressing the "Hot Button" and failing to win. However, interesting news: They will be getting their first CTS-V tomorrow. That one is spoken for, but they have another one coming in on 18 January that is available...
tell me where the dealer who's getting a CTS-v on Jan. 13/18 is located. I have had a deposit on one since April, and my dealer here in PHX ordered it in early November, but last dealer word was to expect it delivered February 12. If my dealer is a month behind others, I'd like to know.
I recall a decent amount of praise for Blizzak snow tires earlier on this board and I'm pretty much done fooling myself that I can get through the NY winter on my all-season tires. Do folks get them on all four wheels, or just the rear wheels? And do people splurge for wheels as well or just have their snow tires put on your factory wheels?
This is my 2nd winter running V-rated Blizzak LM22's (225/50R17 - same as the stock all-season Goodyears on my '03 CTS Sport). I installed on the stock 17" aluminum wheels. The other option was to drop down to 225/55R16's on winter alloy or steel wheels but I didn't want to give up the dry/wet handling advantage of the 17's when the weather is OK. The only real disadvantage is the slight additional cost to remount and balance 2x per year, but without the upfront cost of the wheels.
Toyo and Pirelli also make 17" winter tires in the 225/50R17 size, but they may only be H-rated. Many more selections if you go to 16's, but again, lower speed ratings generally.
PS. If you have the polished aluminum rims, make sure they use the "stick on" balancing weights on the inside edge of the rim instead of the clip-on lead weights on the outside of the rim. The road salt accelerates the corrosive effect of the lead against the aluminum and will leave a nasty "scar".
The dealer is Rickenbaugh Cadillac in Denver, CO. Not sure where you are, but Rickenbaugh is a great dealer to buy from. Might be worth a drive. I believe their website is at http://www.rickenbaugh.com
I know some time ago you had a problem with the fuel guage that plummeted to zero. I was just fueling my CTS and after I got back into the car I was resetting the readings and noticed one strange reading message that said LOW RANGE. When I looked at the fuel guage it was at the bottom. I had just filled the tank and it should be at the top. On the way home I stopped into my dealer and mentioned the problem. He said the sending unit failed and they'll replace it next week. I left and stopped into a grocery store for some milk and when I started the car the fuel guage went right to full. Do I presume that it's O.K. and wait to see if this occurs again? The other strange thing that happened was while I was driving home I had the console reading on fuel used and I swear that it jumped to another setting without me touching anything.I guess that I should have mentioned this to the dealer but I really forgot about it.
That sounds just like mine . It was intermittent. Since the new sender it has been fine (although I dont drive the car to often in our winter weather) . Changing it was more work than I wanted the dealership techs to do . They had to lower the rear suspension assembly cradle ( yikes) because the gas tank is on both sides of the driveshaft-rearend (connected, a la Corvette ) . It must have been the techs first sender unit R&R because he failed to seat the o ring correctly and I had a massive gas leak when I filled it . - You would think they would have checked for leaks with the nitrogen leak tester professional techs would use . Also when they put your car up on the lift request that they dont bend over the pinch welds . It will happen if they dont care . PS thay are supposed to call me as soon as they get a black/black with sunroof CTS-V
Interesting couple of days. Yesterday, while returning from Las Vegas on I15 I pulled over to let another car pass. As he went by he made strange twisting motions with his hand. I could not figure out what he was trying to tell me. It was not an obscene gesture, at least none that I was familiar with. When I finally did stop about 100 miles further on I discovered my gas cap hanging out by its hold strap with the gas door closed. I apparently forgot to replace it when I got gas in LV. What surprised me was that I got no message on the DIC. I thought this was supposed to cause a reportable problem.
Today, while on the south bound I5 freeway at the merge point with the 118 I was nearly hit by a van which was changing lanes without looking. I caught it out of the right side of my eye as it moved toward me. I very quickly jerked the wheel left to avoid it and then immediately back to the right to get back into my lane after it moved back. The car leaned slightly on each swing but immediately recovered with absolutely no fish tailing. This car really runs on rails. It was so well under control that the stability system did not even come into action. (I have the sport lux model with Stabilitrac II.)
The OBD-II diagonistic system will set the SES light without the gas cap sealed tight . I believe it wont set a code until a certain number of ignition key cycles have been performed . I to have made emergency lane changes in my lux sport that I was sure I would have had a fishtail problem
Thanks for the info. I have already told the dealer to cancel the app't. for next week. The advisor said that this problem could happen again soon or not for a while. I should let him know if it does re-occur. I really appreciate all of your pointers so that if ever get this done I'll be sure to inform the techs!
The pressure check on my GM car occurs after a startup where coolant is at a low temp level but not cold. It doesn't happen hot. So gassing up with engine hot then getting back on the road doesn't invoke a check on restart.
Mine has come on after stop at gas station for morning coffee on way to work. It will go off on restart if problem is gone and vacuum leak check passes.
I was just at my dealer for the fuel guage problem and I went into the showroom. We got into a discussion about trade in values of CTS's . So I asked for the trade in value of my car which I bought there. The sales manager said that he could get a figure in minutes so I stayed around. To my surprise the figure was so low that I questioned him. He said that a manual transmission deducts $3,000 off the price on a trade. He didn't tell me what book or site he was using. So if this is true about a CTS then I told him that before anyone would buy a manual CTS he should be told this! As soon as I heard this I thought about the Lincoln LS that dropped the manual trans and I'm wondering if Cadillac will also in the regular CTS. I also questioned him about who would want a CTS-V? He said that it's different. Did anyone else hear this?
If I remember correctly, only about 20% of drivers can drive a manual. And of those who can drive a manual, many prefer not to.
That means dealers have to do more work to sell manual transmissions than automatic. To make up the profit margin, they lower the trade value.
That does not mean the CTS with a manual has less value than an automatic to every driver. If you wanted to do the work, you could probably find a manual lover willing to pay a fair price for one. But you would not be worrying about the other commission car sales you are losing while you are looking for the manual lover.
The CTS-V is different because the high demand for the vehicle is concentrated among the 20% of drivers who know how to drive a manual. I bet people will leave their names with Caddy dealers hoping to hear about used CTS-Vs. An automatic CTS-V probably will have even have less value to these sort of buyers than one with a manual.
A Cadillac dealer here has had a CTS manual on the lot for over 2 months. It appears to be really nice: Bose, sunroof,etc. Black/gray, 21000 mi. They haven't sold it. I would have thought it would have flown off the lot. They either want to much $$ for it, or there maybe a limited demand for it. I don't know. It is equipped just as I would like it. Whenever there is a choice between auto and man, I've always bought manual. I enjoy being in direct control of the car.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
riskybusiness, thanks for the info. I'd probably go with the standard Blizzaks (rather than the performance LM22's) in 16". Unfortunately, it turns out that my procrastination has caught up to me; I called around and the local tire shops are sold out of pretty much all snow tires and since their production is seasonal they won't be getting anymore in stock this winter. I'll know better for next winter.
The offer was $20,000 on a trade. The original window sticker price was $33,885. I got $2,000 off this price. I know that manual trans are not a hot commodity for Cadillac but I can see where it's going. The dealer is still ordering manual trans for his stock because he wants some there when the CTS-V arrives.
Well first of all its going to cost a lot to own a Cadillac always has, always will . Given that the auto trans was more money and I agree the manual will take more TIME to sell but they will sell . Sounds like your dealer really low balled you get you to panic , so much for wanting your repeat business . I hope it was not the dealer who sold it to you ? Edmunds pricing doesn't agree with him when I ran my 5 spd manual . And I couldn't get their 3 letter competitor to give me a value logical difference .
Yes, it was the dealer that sold me the car. I'm going to another dealer early next week to see if the same holds true. The reason that I asked was because I was interested in the CTS-V. The sales manager also told me that they would be selling the car at window sticker price with no discounts no matter what. He said that they would be able to do this because of the limited number of CTS-Vs being produced. I don't know what small booklet he looked in to get the price but I called a friend who works at another dealer and he said that it's really true. He didn't know why the sales manager would use that pricing on me because I had bought it there. He was as surprised as I was.
They have pricing books to meet their needs . When the use a book like Galves( lowest of low ) its time to move on .Knowing you are interested in a CTS-V , it looks like they are looking to get some ADM out of you by lowballing the trade
The CTS was purchased June 2002.It is a 2003 model. It now has 12,390 miles on it. I am really re-considering buying a CTS-V. For a $50,000 investment (o.k. a car is not an investment)or purchase price I wouldn't expect the CTS-V to hold its value either but I wouldn't hope for that much drop percentage wise. Maybe it will?
I think the CTS-V will depreciate the same as any Cadillac would .There is no real reason why it wouldnt. So, If we pay sticker price that will hurt even more .
That is a lot of depreciation. I like the CTS a lot. But will probably but one used. Are they fleeting these out to rental companies? That could explain some of the drop.
necros, I debated it, but can't quite get comfortable with buying my tires online --it's the sort of purchase that I'd like to have a physical place to return to if there is a problem. Of course, another bad snowfall could have me rethinking that.
If I did do it, I'd consider getting 205x65x15 size mounted on basic 15" steel wheels (I assume if you buy a tire-wheel package from tirerack.com that they mount and balance the tires on the wheels) which is a cheaper size (offsetting most of the cost of the steel wheels) and from what I gather better for the snow (taller sidewalls and narrower tire are recommended). This would spare my wheels from getting beat up as much.
Somehow, I think they will retail their value more than regular CTSs. But if not, I know what will be replacing my Lincoln LS in a couple of years. I love me LS, but just the the thought of a Cadillac with an LS1 V8 and a 6 speed manual has me salivating a bit:) Speaking of manuals, it's been a while since I've driven one but I don't think I'll have any problem driving one when I get my hands on one.
I have never seen a Cadillac hold its resale value , never.( The 76 Eldo covert, Allante were supposed to ) . You will lose 8 to 10 K the first year and then 4 to 5 K after that . I am a Cadillac fanatic but this is the reality. Its always a laugh when the salesmen tell me Cadillac holds their value . I bought my 42K Lux Sport CTS for 32,500 (certified) it had 7500 miles on it (exec car)and was 8 month old . Who knows what its worth now . But at least I beat most of the first year value plummet. Sometimes its hard not to pull the trigger for brand new but its always better to wait out the year depreciation then it will only cost you 4 to 5 K a year .
You can't base depreciation on sticker price. You have to base it on actual selling price. That $42K car you bought for $32K probably sold new for $37K, so the actual depreciation is only $5K.
That's one reason the percentages look so bad on Caddys and Lincolns versus BMW et al. The published numbers for both are based on MSRP. BMWs sell for maybe $1K off MSRP at the most while Caddy/Lincoln goes for $3K - $10K off MSRP depending on incentives and model year closeouts. That totally skews the published depreciation figures.
If you're looking at a used car, compare it to what you would pay for a new one similarly equipped. That's what determines the used car's price.
I agree with you except in the beginning there was no way you could get 5K off a CTS sticker. there were no GM incentives . Dealers were discounting 1800 - 2500 from sticker . Deprecation is always based on what it actually cost the buyer . I haven't found out what mine would be
Paying sticker for a CTS-V is going to be heavily depreciated in 1 year
My 2004 Lux Sport has a nav system that I am currently learning all the ins and outs of its' features. Has anyone noticed location names of points of interest not being exactly where they should be? I live in the west suburbs of Chicago and my nav system shows Michigan State Uniteresity only three blocks from my house. Last time I checked that school was located in East Lansing MI. Other then that glitch the system is working flawlessly.
I suppose that since my CTS ( a manual trans) lost almost 1/3 of its retail value and that a CTS-V is also a manual trans what could anyone expect to see in depreciation the first year? After all, the dealer said all manual transmissions are a hard sell and the more limited the market , the harder the sell. Considering the CTS-V is really limited then it would stand to reason that the value should also fall after year one. There will be no incentives or discounts available just like the CTS had none when it came out. wwhite2 ---- I would be curious to see what your car would be worth on a trade.
I think there's a big difference between a regular manual CTS and a V. In the V arena it's almost a detriment NOT to have a manual. Different market.
wwhite2 - I agree with you and I was estimating the $5K off sticker. The ones who really get killed by depreciation are the ones who pay close to sticker and then the car gets heavy discounts in later years. The value of a 3 yr old CTS will be based heavily on what a brand new one is selling for at the time. That's what I would look at if I was dealing on a used car.
I would agree that demand will exceed supply on the V. I think they will hold there value better. Not quite as good as a M3, but much better than other GM products. If you really want to sell your car, sell it yourself. The dealer wants to make a nice profit when they resell it, so of course they will not give you a great offer.
The dealer is only going to offer you wholesale value for your trade-in. Anything higher comes out of the new car profit. Think about it - you're the used cars sales mgr. I'm trading in a car. You can buy the same car at auction for $X. Why would you give me more than $X? Exceptions would be for a rare vehicle that's in high demand and short supply that the dealer couldn't easily get at auction.
Comments
2003 sales were 49,392 vs. 37,000 in '02.
December sales were way off from last december.
I checked for engine and cabin air filters on the net, but was not able to locate any.
Toyo and Pirelli also make 17" winter tires in the 225/50R17 size, but they may only be H-rated. Many more selections if you go to 16's, but again, lower speed ratings generally.
PS. If you have the polished aluminum rims, make sure they use the "stick on" balancing weights on the inside edge of the rim instead of the clip-on lead weights on the outside of the rim. The road salt accelerates the corrosive effect of the lead against the aluminum and will leave a nasty "scar".
I believe their website is at http://www.rickenbaugh.com
On the way home I stopped into my dealer and mentioned the problem. He said the sending unit failed and they'll replace it next week.
I left and stopped into a grocery store for some milk and when I started the car the fuel guage went right to full. Do I presume that it's O.K. and wait to see if this occurs again?
The other strange thing that happened was while I was driving home I had the console reading on fuel used and I swear that it jumped to another setting without me touching anything.I guess that I should have mentioned this to the dealer but I really forgot about it.
PS thay are supposed to call me as soon as they get a black/black with sunroof CTS-V
Today, while on the south bound I5 freeway at the merge point with the 118 I was nearly hit by a van which was changing lanes without looking. I caught it out of the right side of my eye as it moved toward me. I very quickly jerked the wheel left to avoid it and then immediately back to the right to get back into my lane after it moved back. The car leaned slightly on each swing but immediately recovered with absolutely no fish tailing. This car really runs on rails. It was so well under control that the stability system did not even come into action. (I have the sport lux model with Stabilitrac II.)
I to have made emergency lane changes in my lux sport that I was sure I would have had a fishtail problem
I really appreciate all of your pointers so that if ever get this done I'll be sure to inform the techs!
Mine has come on after stop at gas station for morning coffee on way to work. It will go off on restart if problem is gone and vacuum leak check passes.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
He said that a manual transmission deducts $3,000 off the price on a trade. He didn't tell me what book or site he was using. So if this is true about a CTS then I told him that before anyone would buy a manual CTS he should be told this!
As soon as I heard this I thought about the Lincoln LS that dropped the manual trans and I'm wondering if Cadillac will also in the regular CTS. I also questioned him about who would want a CTS-V? He said that it's different.
Did anyone else hear this?
That means dealers have to do more work to sell manual transmissions than automatic. To make up the profit margin, they lower the trade value.
That does not mean the CTS with a manual has less value than an automatic to every driver. If you wanted to do the work, you could probably find a manual lover willing to pay a fair price for one. But you would not be worrying about the other commission car sales you are losing while you are looking for the manual lover.
The CTS-V is different because the high demand for the vehicle is concentrated among the 20% of drivers who know how to drive a manual. I bet people will leave their names with Caddy dealers hoping to hear about used CTS-Vs. An automatic CTS-V probably will have even have less value to these sort of buyers than one with a manual.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
The dealer is still ordering manual trans for his stock because he wants some there when the CTS-V arrives.
The reason that I asked was because I was interested in the CTS-V. The sales manager also told me that they would be selling the car at window sticker price with no discounts no matter what. He said that they would be able to do this because of the limited number of CTS-Vs being produced.
I don't know what small booklet he looked in to get the price but I called a friend who works at another dealer and he said that it's really true. He didn't know why the sales manager would use that pricing on me because I had bought it there. He was as surprised as I was.
I thought my SVT Contour depreciated fast. But it's 5 years old now and its still worth 45% of what I paid.
Brian
I am really re-considering buying a CTS-V. For a $50,000 investment (o.k. a car is not an investment)or purchase price I wouldn't expect the CTS-V to hold its value either but I wouldn't hope for that much drop percentage wise. Maybe it will?
I debated it, but can't quite get comfortable with buying my tires online --it's the sort of purchase that I'd like to have a physical place to return to if there is a problem. Of course, another bad snowfall could have me rethinking that.
If I did do it, I'd consider getting 205x65x15 size mounted on basic 15" steel wheels (I assume if you buy a tire-wheel package from tirerack.com that they mount and balance the tires on the wheels) which is a cheaper size (offsetting most of the cost of the steel wheels) and from what I gather better for the snow (taller sidewalls and narrower tire are recommended). This would spare my wheels from getting beat up as much.
That's one reason the percentages look so bad on Caddys and Lincolns versus BMW et al. The published numbers for both are based on MSRP. BMWs sell for maybe $1K off MSRP at the most while Caddy/Lincoln goes for $3K - $10K off MSRP depending on incentives and model year closeouts. That totally skews the published depreciation figures.
If you're looking at a used car, compare it to what you would pay for a new one similarly equipped. That's what determines the used car's price.
Paying sticker for a CTS-V is going to be heavily depreciated in 1 year
After all, the dealer said all manual transmissions are a hard sell and the more limited the market , the harder the sell. Considering the CTS-V is really limited then it would stand to reason that the value should also fall after year one. There will be no incentives or discounts available just like the CTS had none when it came out.
wwhite2 ---- I would be curious to see what your car would be worth on a trade.
GM will never make enough CTS-Vs to meet demand. A well tended used CTS-V will be sold before the original owner even trades it in.
wwhite2 - I agree with you and I was estimating the $5K off sticker. The ones who really get killed by depreciation are the ones who pay close to sticker and then the car gets heavy discounts in later years. The value of a 3 yr old CTS will be based heavily on what a brand new one is selling for at the time. That's what I would look at if I was dealing on a used car.