Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

v8lincolnguy

Congratulations, details? Did you trade the Impala?

richw5

The locking gas door on my STS is a real pain and we don't use the glove box for anything more than the owners manual, insurance card, tire pressure gauge a small pack of kleenex.

Most of the items that we regularly use are in the console.

About two weeks ago we thought there was a rattle in the dash, but it was the transmitter for our local toll road payment system (I-Pass) vibrating against the windshield as we hit some bumps.

Our CTS was an early build (Feb 02) and has about 23K miles on it. It has been trouble free, although I wish we had the clock in the radio/nav system. The CTS is a drivers car. It needs to be driven with gusto.

Our dealers service has been exceptional and the only time the CTS was returned dirty, the dealership had the service consultant call me and offer a free oil change.

My only regret is that we don't have the 3.6L engine, but maybe that's an incentive to save for another CTS a few years down the line.

pat

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!

wwhite2

I have never picked my nose while driving my CTS . And if I should have the need, I wont need a light . LOL

bxd20

"It's a CTS, not a minivan."

I love the car, but I don't feel the need to defend every single shortcoming. The lights are already in the back, why not have the switch? When an Olds Alero, Chevy Malibu, Mercury Mystique, Ford Focus, Nissan Altima, Buick Century, etc etc etc etc etc, all have one. Much cheaper cars.

I buy a car first for performance, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate conveniences. As I said earlier, the car is outstanding, why not take care of the few tiny, minor mistakes? Yes, it is a mistake for rear seat passengers to not be able to turn on their light. It is an extremely small mistake, but easy enough to fix.

You used the word "necessity". It's not a necessity to own a CTS, it's a luxury. We'd all be able to live as we do now with Cobalts.

Brian

v8lincolnguy

I agree with you on the extras. While the lack of a glovebox light or even a locking fuel door probably would not keep me from buying a CTS, I still think they should have these features. Not only because a Honda Civic does but because it used to be that Cadillacs always had more features than their competitors(especially the European marques) did. Lincoln LS owners have had a similar debate as Ford has deleted some of the "little" extras such as rain sensing wipers and front door courtesy lights from the LS in recent years.

markhampton

Interesting the attention a locking fuel door is getting here. Did you guys know that the BMW 745 (at least the '02 model) doesn't have a locking fuel door? I guess BMW figured that if one can afford the car, then one can probably afford a garage. Anyway, I never gave it much thought until the subject came up here. The 745 has far more significant problems.

Manufacturers make these kinds of choices all the time. They need the car to come in at a certain price point, and sometimes that means choosing between a fuel door lock and a super-lightweight suspension bit or another 100 laps at Nurburgring. I like the choices Cadillac made .

rsteph

Just got my April CR magazine. Other than their general comments about the CTS, their report was less than favorable. CTS did not place well in their lists and they show poor reliability. Oh well, still love my CTS.......

imidazol97

Still suffers from the military/industrial complex syndrome that those folks hated from the American economy back in the flower child era. They still haven't 'forgotten.'
GM was the big representative of the 'enemy' for the culture at CR then and now.

More I see the CTS the more I like the styling. It's been slow for me to change, but it's a fresh style. Now that I understand who its competition is, I understand the style. Reading your opinions on this forum have help me understand an area of the market where I have no knowledge.

shadowjack

Has anyone bought a CTS recently near New York City? What kind of deals are local dealers offering? How was your experience with service after the sale? Thanks very much.

b4z

Anybody have a clunk from the rearend when they put it into gear?

dhannahiii

Traded in my Sport Lux CTS for Silver Green SRX. See my report under the SRX section.

cornellpremed

Does anyone know if there are auxiliary audio inputs in the CTS (like for adding an mp3 player)?

riskybusiness

I had the cluster replacement at around 10k miles to fix the analog/digital clock synch problem. Now at 30k miles I'm off 6-7 minutes again.

Has anyone had this fix done recently, and are they now replacing the old "clock/tach/speedo/fuel" cluster with the new "temp/tach/speedo/fuel" cluster instead? This would be ideal, but assume it would require updating the DIC display to show the digital clock.

necros

No, they are not replacing with the temp cluster. I had this done last week, and they are only replacing with identical parts.

bigdaddycoats

http://www.world-challenge.com/news/04press51.html

golfnut5

riskybusiness,

I had my cluster replaced at 8,000 miles for clock sync problem and now at 25,000 miles I am two minutes off. Not sure if I will replace again unless GM can assure me the problem is fixed.

sawyerjon

Anyone have any problems with the car driving in the snow? The last rear wheel drive car I had was a BMW 325 (w/o traction control) wasn't a lot of fun in the winter here in the North East. I'm debating on getting an awd Volvo S60 instead of the CTS. Any info greatly appreciated.

riskybusiness

See posts #5020, 5021, 5171 and 5261 for my experience with snow. Bottom line, handles great with snow tires, less than optimal without.

jfgobraves

I am interested in trading in my pontiac grand prix gtp for a cts, but was wondering what everyones opion was on the heated seats on my grand prix there are burn in marks on the seat from the heat coil. Also on another side note has anyone got there cts windows tinted i am curios on what the cost will be?

jfgobraves

I will be purchasing a new cts soon and was wondering if cadillac offers normal maintenance free for 3 years? I can remember someone telling me this a while back but i cant seem to fing any info on it. Thanks for your help

bingoman

Here in Southern California I don't use my seat heaters often enough to get burn marks.

Cadillac does not provide and free service other than warranttee work.

batmanscts

jfgobraves: I've only used my heated seats a few times. However, I did notice an electrical burning smell in one of the seats a few weeks ago. Haven't had a chance to take it to the dealer. I've had a few vehicles with heated seats and never had a problem. (Hope I don't have one now.)

I had my 03 CTS windows tinted in Colorado Springs. Cost was around $190. Dealer made the arrangements, but took me along to the tint shop. I chose the color of tint and got a feel for the quality of the people at the shop. Have been very happy with it. Mine is black with ebony interior and dark tint. I think it was well worth the money.

jbardram

Hi - Just bought an '04 CTS with the 3.6 and luxury package. Have read back through this board and want to thank everyone for all the informative posts. This is a great board.

I've put 1100 miles on the CTS in the first two weeks, mostly highway. I share the opinion of some others that GM should have left some corners uncut (glovebox light, quality of some of the switchgear, fold down rear-seat etc.) I'm strictly a buy-American person, so I'm much more likely to give GM a pass than the import buyers they are trying to win back. I find the 3.6 to be very smooth and powerful, a nice step forward for a GM V6.

Minor quibbles aside, it's a terrific car (previous daily driver was a Dodge Dakota). I hope everyone enjoys their CTS and gets many happy miles...-Jon

richw5

Our CTS has the neutral interior and is my wife's daily driver. She uses the seat heaters all winter and there are no burn marks on our seats.

We would never buy another vehicle without a seat heater as long as we continue to stay in a cold climate (Chicago area).

Winter driving has not been a problem as long as I remember to go light on the accelerator or when taking corners.

wybes

I've had my CTS since the beginning of the year and here in Chicago the seat heat button is one of the first ones I press when I get into my car. I will usually knock it down to low a few minutes after it's been on and I haven't had any issues. Today was a relatively balmy day in Chicagoland (upper 50's) so me and my marathone running wife took a trip up north to scout an upcoming half marathon. The CTS handled great. We were doing 85 down the interstate and it was solid as a rock. The sun roof open and just crusin' . . .
Great car. . .

fav002

If anyone is interested in purchasing a new CTS, SRX or any other Cadillac or GM model, I have one GM In-The-Driveway certificate remaining. This certificate enables the bearer to buy any GM vehicle at the supplier discount price, which is the GM employee price +4%.

For example, the base 2004 CTS currently has an MSRP of $30,650. The employee price is $27,500 and the price with the certificate is $28,600 for a savings of $2000 off sticker. Options and equipment packages on the vehicle are discounted in a similar manner. The magnitude of the discount varies depending on the model.

If anyone is interested in using a certificate in the next 10 days (they expire March 31st), please email me at FAV002@yahoo.com.

Thanks!

wwhite2

Did you get a CTS-V ?

fav002

I had a CTS-V company vehicle for a while and the car was absolutely awesome!! As much as I enjoyed my former CTS with the 3.2 and the 5-speed stick, the V took the performance of the CTS to an entirely different level! It performs like a 4-door Corvette with the refinement and luxury of the new generation of Cadillacs.

However, I had the chance to get behind the wheel of a C6 Corvette and changed my mind about purchasing a CTS-V. I've wanted a Corvette since I was a teenager and this one is it - excellent power, handling, refinement, styling...IMHO it's got it all. I'm planning on buying a new C6 soon after they go on sale this summer.

bigdaddycoats

http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/domestic/vehiclesel.jsp?year=200- 5&regionID=1&divisionID=5

turboez

I'm watering at the mouth at the prospect of driving a C6, can you please share any more comments about the car. A description of the car's handling and power would be greatly appreciated, greatly. I'm sure you've driven the C5, how does it compare? Thanks, again.

turboez

To make this about the CTSV, I remember reading it would be upgraded to 500 hp sometime soon. What made you make the decision not to wait for that instead?

peccles

Good to see a manual 6 speed transmission. If it
has a tall 6th gear for low RPM cruising it should
easily get over 30mpg on the highway. I would
think the new 2.8L would be just as powerful as
the outgoing 3.2L but with better mileage. I
disappointed to see that Magnetic Ride Control
is still not an option for the CTS. They should
have made the CD player capable of playing MP3s.

Robberbarron

I just purchased a 2004 CTS w/1sb, roof, and XM.

Black with black interior.

This is one younger buyer that Cadillac won back. <I'm 25>.

bxd20

At least the 6 spd is coming. Overall, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm young, and want a sports sedan. But here in the Cleveland area, I strongly desire either heated seats or a remote starter. I can't get the remote start at all, even though much lesser cars such as the Malibu and Buick LaCrosse offer it. And the heated seats are still part of the lux pkg only. So to get them, and the sport package, I'm going to hit 40k. Also, no 18" wheel option, which realistically I didn't think we'd get but I was hoping the V-series bits would be available, just as MB does with AMG parts.

I guess I could have a remote start installed aftermarket...

Thanks for the link!

missouri2

traded my white lux sport for 2004 lux redline, sunroof and xm. i like the ride, the xm, lumbar and the new engine. there is a little more body roll in corners but it is livable. the sound of the 2003 engine under throttle is better then the 2004.

wwhite2

If the 05 CTS will be available with a 6spd manual that is great . I really enjoy my 5 spd . Be forewarned that the trade in value will be heavily affected . The only way to get the same money as the auto is to sell it yourself

bigdaddycoats

The Malibu is the only car currently on the market that offers a remote start so this should not be to much of a disappointment. There are many good aftermarket units out there. I would imagine that in time many of GM cars will have it as an option. I agree about the heated seats - they should be a stand alone option.

As far as CTS-V parts you could always buy them yourself. Just find the part number and look them up here -

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm

CTS-V

wheels - 9595354
grille - 21996486

b4z

I understand Aisin is the suplier for the new 6 speed.
Isn't this the transmission that costs $10,000 to replace and that is sealed and can't be repaired?

bingoman

b4z is that a 6 speed manual or automatic?

I believe all ne GM automatic transmissions are sealed for life. At least they were on my Catera and CTS. As to price, a NEW 4 speed automatic transmission would have cost me between two and three thousand according to the techs at my dealer if it was not covered by my extended warranty.

theo2709

Deletions

 
  Exterior color (54U) Cashmere
  (LA3) Engine, 3.2L DOHC V6
  (PDP) Luxury Performance Package
  OnStar glass-mounted external antenna

New Features

 
  Exterior color 46U (WA-928L) Stealth Gray
  Exterior color 61U (WA-918L) Sand Storm
  Exterior color 62U (WA805K) Moonstone
  (MV1) Transmission, 6-speed manual, AISIN
  (LP1) Engine, 2.8L DOHC V6. Available with automatic or manual transmission. (Available 4th quarter 2004)
  Integrated roof-mounted OnStar and XM antenna (ISARS)
  1SA Equipment Group will be available for 2.8L engine. (Available 4th quarter 2004)
  Synthetic leather in Ebony or Light Gray. Available on 1SA with 2.8L engine only (Available October, 2004)
  New B19 Wood Trim Package will offer Burl trim on shifter trim plate, center stack and door handles. Wood on Steering wheel and shifter knob. Available on 1SA with (PDL) Luxury Package and 1SB with (PDL) option. (Available October, 2004)

Changes

 
  1SB becomes base Equipment Group
  (PDL) Luxury Package and its contents become Available rather than Standard
  (PF4) and (PX0) 16" Wheels will retain their RPO codes, but will be new design

bxd20

Remote start - okay, you are right, though for '05 Malibu won't be alone. I've had an aftermarket one on my past two cars and that's ok but factory integrated is always nicer.

Can't put on the V series wheels, 6 lugs instead of 5. Would require swapping hubs too, major work and $$$.

Brian

bigdaddycoats

You are right, I forgot they were 6 lug.

Robberbarron

"It's a CTS, not a minivan."

Why would I care if there are lights for the back seat passengers, I'm always in the driver seat.

In my CTS, passengers should sit down, shut up, and hold on. <grin>

riskybusiness

I have the same sentiment re passengers, but for the rear seats, the "grab handles" are there above the doors. No such luck for the (more likely) front seat passenger, who has only the door handle to grab on to, and it's in a pretty awkward place for that purpose.

Perhaps a front passenger grab bar as an addition for 2005?

b4z

I am posting this here because the comments about
my SRX V6 will pertain to CTS owner's.
When i test drove the 3.6L CTS last August I was very enthusiastic about it's low end and midrange power. I was a little less enthusiastic about it's smoothness and sound quality.

I have owned my SRX for 3 weeks and these are my observations.
Engine could be smoother at higher rpms. For a V6 it doesn't have the jewel like quality that a Honda V6 has.
Top end power is lacking.
I have seen a horspower graph and it is flat as a pool table at higher rpms.
The power does not rise.
DOHC motors aren't supposed to do this.
You have all this power down low, but when you really put your foot into it there is no reward for spinning it above 5000 rpms.

Now here is the really bad news.

Took my SRX to the dealer today because of a rubbing noise at low acceleration and low cruise speeds.

Diagnosis:
A new camshaft.

Evidently there is a coating on the camshaft that can wear off. My dealer has seen it once before on the 3.6L.

I will keep you guys updated.

v8lincolnguy

Bummer on your new SRX having a problem. Despite the lack of top end power, do you still think the 3.6 is far superior to the old 3.5 liter DOHC?

wwhite2

Isn't VVT supposed to be the answer to all engine variables ? I wonder why it is set up to run out of steam at higher rpms ? The camshaft thats a tough one, I hope the tech returns all fasteners back to their orginial position and actually USE the torque wrench . There is nothing like a tech who thinks they have a torque wrench "built into " their arm. LOL

Have you driven a 3.2? .....if so would you say it is smoother than the 3.6VVT

jhl4

Does the CTS have the GM Oil Life System?

wwhite2

Yes