Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

automole

bxd20: Thanks for the info. I checked the owner's manual and could only find a brief reference to the configuration of the power port which basically said to talk to the dealer. Did your manual actually give instructions on how/where to change the option?

wwhite2: What did you do to receive an invitation to the SCCA racing? Is it just something they send to CTS (or CTS-V) owners automatically?

sls002

in order from last to first - Volvo S80T6 - BMW530i - Audi A6 3.0 Quattro - Chrysler 300 (3.5) - Jaguar S-Type - Mercedes E320 - CTS

Road and Track comparisions judge the cars in 3 categories, Performance, Subjective and Price. The Mercedes took first on performance, Chysler took first in price.

wwhite2

I am not sure what list I got on ? I did call the Cadillac customer service number a while back and requested any information they had on the CTS-V plus I own a CTS . I will be a future V owner .
I confirmed my tickets (2) today and they will mail them to me .We will have a 3 day pass and on Memorial Day we can view the racing from the Cadillac Hospitality tent . I am psyched to say the least

merc1

Now that is a very different group of cars to compare. The prices must have been all over the map!

M

sevenfeet0

Brought the '03 CTS in for it's 30K service date on Monday. The car had been exhibiting a strange instability that felt like the engine wasn't getting a proper air-fuel mixture. The problem seemed to disappear after the car had warmed up about 10-15 minutes.

After keeping the car overnight, it turned out the problem was a broken steel belt in a rear tire. Since I had a LuxSport, my tires were covered under the TSB previously mentioned on these pages, so I got 4 new ones for free. Otherwise, nothing else wrong with the vehicle. I'm a very satisfied customer with Cadillac and with my dealer's service department (Andrews Cadillac, Nashville).

bxd20

I believe this is a direct quote from the owners manual:
--------------------------------
The accessory power outlet will only operate when the
ignition is in ACCESSORY or ON and for 10 minutes
after turning the ignition to OFF. If you would like
the accessory power outlet to operate regardless of
ignition position, and for extended periods of time,
you can do the following:
1. Open the hood and locate the underhood fuse block.
2. Find the I/P OUTLET and OUTLET fuses and
move them over a space, to the open cavity
next to each fuse.
---------------------------
The layman's explanation I read was:

Each of the interior outlets can be changed from a battery feed to a switched ignition feed. (One is the cigar lighter in the ashtray, the other is the auxiliary outlet in the rear of the center console.

To do that, go to the underhood fuse center and look for a bright yellow 20A fuse and a bright green 30A fuse that are in "wide" spaces (sorry, don't have a picture). Looking from the front of the car, they're kinda to the right of center and slightly above, between some relays. Anyway, these are the only fuses that you can move from side to side. The center contact is the one that eventually feeds the outlets. The contact on either side come from either the battery or the "cigar relay" (the switched feed). You use the fuse to bridge the appropriate gap:

If you want the cigar outlet to be on a switched supply, move the yellow fuse one position over in the same space. If you want the rear outlet to be switched, move the green fuse one position over. The factory fuse positions bridge the gap between the battery and the center contact.

riskybusiness

Thanks for this. In my 2003 CTS owner's manual, it says to contact the dealer if I want the outlets to operate for extended periods, but I've never gotten around to asking.

GM's "battery rundown protection" circuits have saved my bacon a couple of times, but this one was a little too paternalistic for my taste.

I will give GM this .. their automatic photocell-triggered headlamps are far and away my favourite convenience item, and have probably saved me a dead battery or two. I've had them in my GM vehicles since 1996 and still find it very disconcerting when I'm driving a non-GM rental car, which I do quite often, to have to find and turn on the headlight switch, and then remember to turn them off.

automole

wwhite2: That sounds great! I too have asked for info on the V-series (and to date have received nothing from Cadillac) and will own one in the future. As for now I'm happy with my 2003 until the V-series becomes more widely available and I have some more disposable income. Speaking of income, I was planning on taking the day off from work this July to see the SCCA race in Portland...I'd much prefer to do it from the Cadillac tent if possible!

bxd20: Thanks for the info...it will save me a trip to the dealer. All my 2003 manual says is "see dealer for more info".

sevenfeet0

Actually, if I had to list one thing I am disappointed with my car, it's the battery rundown protection. I was under the impression that the system was designed to cut the power if the battery got too low, but to date I've had the thing run down to the point I've needed a jumpstart on 5 seperate occasions. It usually happens when I'm either washing or waxing my car, and the headlamps are on since they are set on "auto" and it was dark enough to activate the lights. At first I was thinking that this was just an error of the system's design, but now I'm thinking that the system might not be working at all. What does everyone think? Is my system working properly?

riskybusiness

The following passage might help (excerpted from the 2003 CTS Owner Manual):

Exterior Lighting Battery Saver

"If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on, the
exterior lamps will turn off approximately 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned to OFF. This protects against
draining the battery in case you have accidentally left
the headlamps or parking lamps on. The battery saver
does not work if the headlamps are turned on after the
ignition is turned to OFF.
If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to turn
the lamps back on."

The way I understand the headlamp switches to work, unless the key is in the ignition and turned "ON" or "START", the AUTO headlamp setting should not work at all. You would have to override by turning the headlamp switch to ON. If you do have the key in and turned on to run lights, radio, etc. you may be disabling the Battery Saver.

bingoman

Are you listening to the car radio while you wash and wax your car? If so you probably have the ignition on and and the battery saver disabled.

I had the same thing happen while setting up my navigation system for a trip the following morning. I had the ignition on to run the navigation system, and because I was inside my garage the headlights came on. They quickly ran down the battery.

If you want to listen to the radio turn the headlights off manually at the light/signal stalk.

sevenfeet0

Kudos to Cadillac and the CTS for winning it's first comparison test (that I can think of). In the Road and Track June 2004 hot on the newsstand, the 2004 CTS 3.6 went up against other "super sedans" with six cylindar engines and autotrannies. The field included an interesting mix of Europe and Detroit. Here's the breakdown from last to first:

7. Volvo S80 T6
6. BMW 530i (!)
5. Audi A6 3.0 Quattro
4. Chrysler 300 (3.5L)
3. Jaguar S-type 3.0
2. Mercedes-Benz E320
1. Cadillac CTS (3.6L auto)

What's really surprising is that the BMW came in next to last. The writers complained about the styling, iDrive and the new steering, which although is great isn't as good as previous BMW efforts. They called the car more luxurious than sporty. Ouch. But the $54k large price really put it to the rear of the pack.

The CTS was 1st in 0-60, 1/4 mile and tied for 1st in the slalom and fuel economy. It won half of the subjective categories including the important driving excitement, engine, brakes, steering, handling and seats categories. They even liked the styling, which is interesting considering how BMW got slammed.

Well done Cadillac!

wwhite2

and the posted sales numbers for the CTS prove it !

sevenfeet0

One of our test editors pronounced it, "The most athletic-feeling of the group, with firm springs, direct steering and a sticky tire at each corner of the body. It's what the BMW should feel like.

bigdaddycoats

Just a few things.

05 production begins on May 17th. There are some early build models already being driven as test vehicles. 6-spd manual will be available in June.

The new 2.8 will be available in the fall with a 6-spd manual and the auto. Reported to be around 210hp and 200 lb-ft. torque. I would imagine this should be a decent base engine. Price should base under $30k.

eaton53

"The new 2.8 will be available in the fall with the auto."

I will be interested in this version of the car. I enjoy the ride/handling attributes of the CTS and have no issues the power of the 3.2 or "ultraleather" seats.

If this saves me some money, then that's great.

exalteddragon1

Didn't the G35 win one of its own R/T comparisons a year ago? Sounds like some funny business in the R/T headquarters to me.

The CTS is a great car, but expcept for styling and interrior the G35 can give it a real run for its money, with a 5hp advantage on the engine (although requires premium expensive fuel) and a few thousand dollars lower price, its funny that the Infinity was not invited to play, did the article say why?

BTW WOW! CADILLAC RULES, and now its about 6 points away from Lexus in initial quality too! If this is what GM can do with unions, just imagine what they could do without!

v8lincolnguy

That was an interesting comparison. Personally, I would have liked to see a Lincoln LS and maybe a G35 in there as well. My guess is the G and CTS would have been in the top 2 spots. The G35 is cheaper than a CTS, but it also looks cheaper inside as well IMO. First time I'm seen a Chrysler do as well in such competition also. Maybe we are finally seeing some payoff from the "big" merger.

pbeers

The G35 is also a coupe, I think all the cars in the comparo are sedans.

exalteddragon1

about the sedan version of the G35

eaton53

These were bigger cars.... probably the reason the G wasn't invited.

ryoken

The G35 is a "bigger" car. It, like the CTS, is compared to the 5-series in size, with a less-than-3-series price.

I'm still not quite warmed up to the CTS exterior, and the 3.6L wasn't out when I was ready to buy, but GM's really beefing this car up a little every year. It's nice to see some real competition in the sports sedan market. 3 years ago, BMW was it. Now we have options.

eaton53

"The G35 is a "bigger" car"

Automatics could be the other reason. I don't think I've seen a test of a G35 auto... maybe it significantly affects the performance of the car.

jbardram

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7121&sid=17- 8&n=158

Looks like GM is already working on a higher performance version of the V...

killfort

Just about to post that article on the CTS-V Plus. The 2004 CTS-V 400 hp version is barely out and here comes 500 hp. GM isn't f-ing around anymore!! They must be preparing for the war with the upcoming 500 hp BMW M3.

breetai52

I think its the M5 that'll have 500 HP, not the M3.

sevenfeet0

The omission of the G35 is interesting considering how well it usually does in comparison tests. It may have been a simple logistical issue in which that Infiniti couldn't get a suitable example to R&T's offices in time for the test.

sevenfeet0

Well, the thought of a 475-500 HP CTS-V has been speculated around here for some time, and it's nice to see Cadillac actually seriously looking into it. With the new Corvette Z-06 engine coming online for that new car, GM could either keep the CTS-V where it was, or upgrade. Here's hoping that they can make the business decision for "upgrade".

One thing interesting about that picture was the larger wheel flares hiding the wider tires. It looks like Cadillac is addressing the only serious issue with the current CTS-V...wheel hop on acceleration. The new wider rubber should be more than enough to handle that much horsepower to the rear wheels.

One thing for sure is that the upcoming STS-V and XLR-V can't be any worse for power than an CTS-V+, if produced. That means fun times ahead...

v8lincolnguy

Fun times certainly do look to be ahead, lets just hope gasoline prices stabilize. I just paid $2.00 a gallon for premium a couple of days ago here in TN. I can only imagine how much it is in the Northeast and on the left coast.

breetai52

Here in Taxachusetts I just paid $1.929 for regular, and that was the cheapest I could find!

bingoman

Premium is $2.37 and up in Los Angeles.

richw5

Premium is $2.34 at most stations around here. Chicago is much higher.

We started using mid-grade ($2.24) every other fill-up. We refuel at half a tank. The CTS runs great, infact we actually picked up 1-2 mpg, but it might be because I'm driving more carefully and watching the mileage closer.

sevenfeet0

I've seen anywhere from $1.92 to $2.19 for premium here in Nashville.

skuuter

Here in the "illegal to pump your own" state, the cheapest regular gas is $2.05 at Safeway, while, on average, it's $2.16 in the Portland area.

eaton53

Cadillac had the wisdom not to require premium gas.

jbardram

Regular at $2.19 here on Long Island, NY. Premium is at $2.35 or so. The spread between reg & premium has come down as prices went up.

I ran out of gas on the NJ last week, first time ever (hopefully the last also). Cost me (actually GM) $36 to get 5 gallons from the NJ Turnpike Authority. So compared to the $7 per gallon that gas cost, our $2.19 isn't too bad!

riskybusiness

"Cadillac had the wisdom not to require premium gas. "

However, the 3.2L in the 2003's recommend 91 octane, although they will run without damage on 87.

FWIW, here in the Toronto area, regular gas is running around C$0.90 per LITER, which converts to about US$2.25 per US Gal. Premium runs $0.10/L higher, or about $2.75/USG. $1.92 sounds cheap right now.

v8lincolnguy

I've heard that you can't pump your own in Oregon, whats the logic behind that? I've also heard the same thing in New Jersey. Ridiculous if you ask me. We can now check outselves out in Supermarkets but can't pump our own gas.

v8lincolnguy

Do 04 CTSs have the cruise control switch on the turn signal stalk or the steering wheel? If I recall from some 04 pictures, it is on the stalk. And if I recall my experience with multiple 03 test drives, those models had the cruise at the bottom of the steering wheel.

riskybusiness

'04's have the cruise on the stalk. '03's have the controls at the bottom of the steering wheel. I have a 2003 and rarely use the cruise, but prefer it on the wheel. However, the stalk setup is relatively clean, since the wiper controls are on the right hand stalk, and the cruise only competes with the headlamp/foglamp controls, unlike the old-style "this stalk does everything" GM standard.

scurvy

the reason for full service only is to reduce the unemployment rate. any other reason is bogus. if you have x number of gas stations statewide and 6x employees at gas stations, that reduces unemployment by 6x. New Jersey also has a relatively high minimum wage from what I recall. But, because NJ has more gas refineries than most states the cost of shipping is a lot lower, so despite full service/full employment requirements, gas is cheaper than neighboring states of NY, CT, PA, and DE. Not to mention the rest of the northeast and mid-atlantic. I don't know about Oregon, but I would suspect it's the same full employment rationale.

cu95

Interesting. I never heard that rationale as for why the mandatory full service laws linger, but it's certainly plausible. As for why they first came into being, I've always been under the impression that they are left over from a bygone era when cars were new fangled contraptions and lawmakers worried about the danger of people incorrectly pumping their own fuel.

skuuter

You are both right. The mandatory Full Service at Oregon gas stations is to provide additional employment as well as to protect the poor, dumb consumer from immolating themselves.

Both reasons are archaic, but the voters have chosen to not revoke this numerous times.

v8lincolnguy

Kind of makes being able to pump your own gas take on a different meaning:) Speaking of, I tanked up earlier today(pumped it myself NJ & OR!) and paid $2.03 a gallon. I can honestly say, I think that is the most gasoline has ever been here.

bigdaddycoats

Model.....Description.....MSRP.............Destination
6DP69....CTS.............$31,700.00......$695.00

Option Packages:

Optioncode..............Description..............................- ..........MSRP
1SB........................1SB Equipment Group..........................$0.00
1SC........................1SC Equipment Group..........................$8,250.00
PDA........................California CTS Package........................$1,820.00
.............................California Discount w/ PDA....................($550.00)
PDB........................California CTS Luxury Package...............$5,965.00
.............................California Discount w/PDB.....................($1,000.00)
PDL.........................Luxury Package.................................$3,165.00
..............................Luxury Package w/ PDX.......................$2,615.00
PDX........................Sport Package...................................$1,875.00
..............................Sport Package w/ PDB.......................$1,325.00

Additional Options:
OptionCode.............Description...............................- .........MSRP
Audio Systems:
U2K.......................XM.....................................- .............$325.00
U2S.......................Bose...................................- .............$1,275.00
UAV.......................DVD Navigation System.......................$1,850.00
Engine Block Heater:
K05........................Engine Block Heater............................$60.00
Lamps:
TT6........................High Intensity Headlamps.....................$645.00
Paint:
29U........................Red Line Premium Paint........................$995.00
98U........................White Diamond Premium Paint................$995.00
Seat Options:
AM9........................Split - Folding Rear Seat......................$450.00
Sunroof:
CF5.........................Express Open Sunroof.......................$1,200.00
Suspension:
FE2.........................Delete Leveling Suspension.................($185.00)
Transmission:
M82........................5 - Automatic Transmission.................$1,200.00
__________________

mannytranny

Looks really good and better still..........there's no Gas Guzzler Tax like the 05 CTS V!

scurvy

It looks like the 1SB package is the base for '05 so the delete package with the smaller engine and pleather interior will, I assume, also include the delete package for 1SB.

I don't think I need 1SB so I may buy an '04 with the 3.6 and auto and sport package when the '05s hit the lot. Color doesn't matter to me so I think I should be able to do alright. I just hope that there is another $1000 bonus cash offer at that time that I can add to my $1000 GM card money and $1500 conquest cash for my wife's Jeep.

riskybusiness

Just read the full article ... what impressed me the most was that the CTS came first in 4 of 7 performance categories (quantitative), and was just one point behind the E-class in these categories (the new 530i placed 4th). It also won 6 of the 12 "subjective" categories, including 5 of 7 related to driving dynamics. It pretty much tied for 2nd place in the price category, but with a fully loaded 1SC with DVD-nav, BOSE and XM. A slightly less-equipped CTS could have scored even higher. Looks like we have a contender. It'll be interesting to see the STS vs. 7-series, S-class and A8.

golfnut5

I have an 03 CTS with the 16" tires, at about 19,000 miles I had a cupping problem (uneven wear on the outer edges). Has anyone on this board had this problem? I have rotated my tires every 6,000 miles. My Cad dealer said it was a combination of the type tires and the tight turning radius on the CTS. I am having the alignment checked next week. Any thoughts?

sopecreek

I have a different car but the same issue. In my case, it turned out to be low air pressure. My dealer always set the pressure at the factory recommended level (~28 psi), and I felt it was too low. Now I keep it 32 psi on all four.