As for advertising, I see more print ads for CTS than I do TV ads. I guess they are aiming for the car magazine reading types more than the general TV watching public. Whatever they are doing seems to be working.
Actual tested top speed for manual was 147mph. V-rated tires are speed rated at 149mph at 35psi, 142mph at 30psi. We tuned the car at 30 psi so the car is governed to 142mph. By the way, it's rock solid at 147
They're holding back until the 2003 comes out, then I expect an all out blitz like you're seeing for the Navigator. The Espresso ad is funny - they're obviously trying to move out the 2002s with incentives and ads for the next couple of months.
As for the CTS ads - what does a 60's drop top boulevard cruiser have to do with a CTS? I can understand the Porsche version - it's the same type of car.
And why do they have to show the CTS going the wrong way on the race track? I know it's supposed to show that the CTS goes against the grain but I think it would have been more effective if they showed the CTS outrunning the other cars in the same direction. How long can you call something a "Breakthrough" anyway? We know it's 'different' - show us how it handles and how fun it is to drive.
If you haven't seen the original LS ad from 1999 you're missing out. It won several awards and has some amazing special effects. I'll see if I can find the online version.
I think the ad featuring the 1959 Eldorado is an XLR ad, not a CTS ad.
And as far as the current CTS ad in the mix (wrong way on the racetrack), I'm not sure that showing the CTS outgunning the competition would have made sense since we all know that a CTS is slightly slower than a BMW 330i and certainly slower than a Infiniti G35. That kind of ad might work better next year when the new engines come. The CTS plays a game of "chicken" with the competition with the competition giving way.
If I was an ad-man at GM, I'm not sure I would have accepted that ad either. But I don't work for GM :-)
No, the one I'm talking about is definitely a CTS. Peeks out from behind the older caddy with blinker on and blows by it. I forget the tag line but it's something along the lines of Caddy being 'reborn'. It's well made and an eye-catcher, but I just don't buy the analogy. If Lincoln tried that with the LS I would have the same opinion.
The 59 Eldorado convertible ad was for the CTS. The CTS is actually faster than the BMW330 - see the February Car & Driver where the as tested top speed is listed (130 for the BMW and 140 for the CTS, beat only by the Saab).
Dindak is right. The CTS/59 ad uses the Zep 'Been a long Time' song in the background. The marketers are trying to cash in on the esteem many who do not like the 90's Cadillacs still hold for the late 50's Cadillacs. In sum the ads admit it has been a long time since Cadillac can claim to be cool.
The other, admittedly more esoteric link, is that the 50's Cadillac design is a response to fighter jets of the time while the CTS is a response to the Stealth air craft.
If the 03 LS is offered with deals anywhere close to what Ford is selling the 02's, I will make a trip to the local Lincoln shop
Most of the CTS's advertising on TV is on Speed channel same as for the other Cadillac commercials. I doubt you will see them much on any other channel than Speed TV channel.
On sales of the CTS, I think it is excellent with only a standard engine and a choice of a manual or auto. The LS is selling more because it has more choices and deals on them like incentives and discounts are huge compared to the CTS. If the CTS had another or two engine choice from the standard model and perhaps higher quality interior, it probably will outsell Lincoln LS and Volvo S60 which is doing very well also.
Audi A4 and Jaguar X-Type has several more engine choices and tranny options over the CTS and they are trailing behind the CTS but not by much.
When you see that ad with the '59 Eldo, it is an ad for all Art and Science Cadillacs. Sometimes they cut it to make it a CTS only ad.
In the full ad, they show the CTS, Escalade and finally the XLR. I noticed a change to the ad the last time I saw it. In the original, you only saw very short glimpses of the XLR as the train passed in front of it. In the recent version, the XLR is now clearly seen from several angles.
I like the CTS ad that shows it driving "against the wind." Maybe it's because that's how I am as I've never been run to run with the crowd. Guess thats why I like the CTS so much as well as other cars that the masses have never caught onto.
sweetjeldorado : Cadillac advertises heavily on TechTV, but I know not everyone gets that channel. I guess they are targeting the Silicon Valley crowd and people who like technology.
oldsman01 : I have never followed the crowd, always like to have something a little different.
Go to cadillac.com , click on the picture of the CTS. then go to the gallery and click on videos. There are three streaming videos , two are the CTS commercials. I like watching them and love to hear the gears winding out! The CTS looks great in all three.
While I enjoy the TV ads, I really enjoy the real thing even more. The CTS is really starting to show up in everyday traffic. I've seen black, white and sterling.
What colors has everyone else seen? What color CTS is the most popular among CTS drivers on the board and do we have all of the available colors represented? I believe black is the most popular even though I have white diamond.
I've been busy the last few days, but I remember seeing that someone got their CTS to more than 140 miles per hour. Congratulations, you win. I won't have a chance to run at high speed for about a month and my wife keeps reminding me that I'm not a teenager anymore. Of course she's had the CTS to just over 100, so I wonder who the teenager (leadfoot)is.
Still, the car is more fun to drive than any I've driven for a long while. That includes my Corvette. The CTS engine and transmission just seem to scream, "drive me agressively". The Corvette just said, "step on my accelerator and I will beat anything out there". The CTS is more fun.
What a dream it must be to work on a project like CTS right now. Your task is to make the CTS a world class mega sports sedan from the already fantastic base CTS out now. I'll bet those Cadillac development guys are having the time of their lives right now, much like the Corvette guys have been doing for decades.
Here's a link to some CTS-specific aftermarket goodies that you may not have seen yet.
I personally like the looks of the red CTS. The ground effects kit seems to be almost "seamless" with the stock car. Click on "More Images" to bring up some good shots of the red CTS. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photos...
I really like the spolier, not to extravagent yet very sporty, I think the look of it really evens out the rear end and makes it look much better, maybe a spoiler will be an option on the 2004s.
What problems have current CTS owners experienced thus far? Please post a note and I will compile a summary of the problems which are reported in the next few weeks.
My own problems after 5 and a half months, a passenger's courtesy light bulb burned out and battery failed and had to be replaced. Not bad.
I've been shopping for a CTS LuxSport and am on the verge of making the big move, comparing cars in stock, equipped as is, against ordering exactly what I want and waiting 6-8 weeks. I was told that cars ordered now with the LuxSport option will be delivered without polished wheels. The dealer has been totally upfront and accurate about everything else he's told me, so I have no reason to doubt what he said about the wheels. That's the equivalent of about an $900 increase in MSRP. The LuxSport was increased by $500, from $3500 to $4000 MSRP, not long ago. Assuming what I was told is correct, the CTS LuxSport MSRP has been increased recently by $1300-$1400.
In Canada, list prices were increased by 1.4% in July - however, we do benefit from pricing which is lower than the U.S. equivalent. Also, the CTS is selling so well here that discounts off the list price are not easy to get.
I've seen a CTS in every color except the Jade green. Most common are sterling and white. In fact, pretty much all I've seen on the road are these colors as well as a couple of black ones. The garnet red, cashmere, blue, and copper sunburst have all been seen while driving by the dealer. The funny thing is, I see them at the dealer for a short time then they are gone so someone somewhere must be driving them around. My CTS will either be blue, black, or sterling.
Although I thoroughly enjoy my CTS 5 speed and have written numerous posts about my very positive experiences with the car. I unfortunately have had numerous problems with the car, one very bothersome from the first day that I drove it off the lot. My car was built in April 02' and these are the "issues" that I have experienced.
1. Kinked fuel hose - could not fill it up - easily fixed by the dealer - I have seen other posts on this issue also.
2. Water leak stain rings in the head liner - Although my car doesn't seem to be leaking in the rain now as it has been tested by the dealer and myself. I have 2 almost identical stain rings in my gray head liner at the corner of the A pillar running about halfway down the side window and into the center of the roof. Identical on both sides. The dealer is giving me a hard time on replacing the head liner under warranty since there is no apparent current leak. Perhaps it's a glue stain ? I've written and called Cadillac customer service. No help as of yet.
3. Bad problem - 5th gear bearing type whine - Since the day I drove it off the lot, 5th gear only has a constant variable bearing type rubbing whine noise. It's almost intolerable between 40 - 60 mph. Once you get above 60 mph the road noise starts to drown the noise out. The dealer acknowledges the problem and was told by Cadillac not to attempt a repair at this time until they (Cadillac) determine a repair. It's been 3 1/2 months and I call my dealer every week and Cadillac hasn't released a TSB yet, so the dealer can't attempt to fix it under the warranty. I called Cadillac Customer Service (#800-333-4223) and was given a case number and was basically told there is nothing that they can do until the Cadillac engineers determine a fix. I have written several letters to Cadillac, without a response. It's embarrassing to have anyone ride with you in the car, they always ask, "What is that noise?"
4. Rattle in the dash - I get a strange, loud rattle (it almost sounds like someone is shaking a key ring slowly with aluminum keys) from the center of the dash on a very rare ocassion. (probably 5 times since I had the car 3 1/2 months) I can't associate it with the HVAC system, stereo, etc. I turn everything off, put the car in neutral and just let it roll and it still makes the noise. The dealer can't find anything wrong.
5. Parking brake - Only engages (brakes the car) at the very last millimeter of travel. I will have this checked out.
6. Observation / probably not a problem - On a cooler temperature morning or evening (say 70 degrees or cooler, down into the 60's) I will turn off the air conditioning, put the temp control to the lowest temp setting of 60 degrees and allow what I think is the outside temperature air to just come through the upper vents. But to my surprise, the air coming through the vents is always on the luke warm side (approximately 75 - 80 degrees plus) I always end up having to put the air conditioning back on because the car gets too warm.
Other than these issues, I love the car for the driving dynamics, performance, pure cruising comfort and the fun to drive factor. I continue to have more people look, stare and actually come up and ask me all about the car. More so than any other car or motorized vehicle (motorcycles & boats) that I have ever owned. It's a head turner and people are attracted to it like glue. I just want Cadillac to stand behind the car and get that noise out of my 5th gear.
I still endorse the car to anyone in the market for a new car and I have been reluctant to voice my issues. I am not bashing the CTS at all and do not mean for my issues to give fuel to those anti-American car bashers.
According to www.gmbuypower.com, the LuxSport package is still $4000 USD, and the polished wheels still come with the package. I'd be interested to hear where your dealer is getting his information from.
Had the CTS up to 135 MPH on a l-o-n-g, flat, deserted stretch of highway this morning. A 530i rolled up on me at about 90, so I put the pedal to the floor and we were off... He was running tight with me and matched me step for step. The CTS likes to get up to about 110 but after that you can really feel the aerodynamic drag and gearing which restrain the car from accelerating like a banshee to higher speeds. As the speedo needle clicked 135 the car was still rock solid and tracking straight, but it was time to slow down since we were almost at twice the posted speed limit.
To Richw5: I agree with you that the CTS is one of the most fun vehicles you can drive as an overall package. However, the lux/sport version is lacking on the "sport" in my opinion. Having owned a worked 1998 6-speed Z28 putting out almost 400 RWHP, I feel that although the CTS likes to be driven aggressively, it just lacks the raw power that made the Z28 an absolute blast to drive. Driving the Z was like playing a video game on the street - just decide what you want to do...and blam, the car is there! Of course, the CTS has a much more refined chassis and suspension compared to the brutish Z. When the V-Series come out next year with an exhaust note that emanates a serious bark, and the horsepower and torque to morph the Goodyears into long black strips on the pavement, I'll have found my ideal car...a luxury hot rod! Can't wait!!
Sorry to hear about your problems. So far we've only had the fuel filler/cable misrouted problem. I will watch for the others.
FAV002 -
I bought the CTS for my wife. It has enough sport for her and is exceeding her expectations for a daily driver. Everywhere she goes, people comment about the CTS. She is really happy!!!!
However, there is sometimes a 25 year old in my 60 year old body. I look for a challenge at every stop light, also look for squad cars!
3-series BMW's are no problem for the CTS. I learned to drive with both feet at the Boudurant school of driving back in the 60's. It gives you a jump on the competition and most give up right away. The 5-series cars are faster. I usually check out the driver first. Then I think, is it worth it or not? Safe driving comes ahead of beating BMW's.
My last ticket was in 1967, Beeville Texas, for doing 80 in a 50 mph zone. I've been a lucky and carefull driver for 44 years now. I pick the time and the place to be sporty.
Congrats... 135 mph is great. Our first chance will come up in about a month. Just depends on the amount of state troopers out that weekend.
Having seen your pictures before, I can only say that black is outstanding. Our STS is black and so was my Corvette. However, it was time for a change. The only CTS available at the Corvette dealer where I traded my Vette, was the diamond white . The white is a lot cooler in the summer, as we've had a hot summer, I tend to drive the CTS more. If I had a choice, it would be my favorite car color, red.
I have a 3-1/2 month old white diamond lux/sport with all options except engine heater. It now has approx. 8500 miles. It's been to Phoenix, Houston, Chicago and back to Los Angeles.
The only problems have been a disconnected outside right rear door handle, Two stability system false alarms and a sound system that periodically refused to produce any sound. The door handle problem and one of the stability system false alarms were diagnosed and fixed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The amplifier was replaced by my dealer in Northridge, CA. The second stability system false alarm was also diagnosed by my dealer.
The fastest I have gone in my CTS is about 95 while passing on back country roads. I have a problem with speed, as I have a talking speedometer, otherwise known as a wife (we are both senior citizens).
My local dealer in Maryland offered $500 discount off sticker - base CTS + auto, no other options - on an ordered car. I think the base vehicle is a relative bargain, especially with the new 0% financing for three years. My lease is up in November, so not I'm rushed, but would appreciate feedback. Is this a reasonable deal?
You may do a little better than $500 off. If you are a member of Costco their buying service will send you to Moore Cadillac at Tysons Corner in Virginia and give $1,500 off sticker or if you have access to United Buyers Service they will send you to Westminster MD and offer $1,900 off sticker. In both cases this was off a $34,400 sticker price. These deals were offered in March when very few CTS's were shipping.
I don't know what it's like on the East Coast anymore, but here in Los Angeles the dealers are offering $1,000 to $2,000 of sticker with the need to ask. My dealer was offering $1,000 when I ordered the car in March. By the time the car came in in April they were giving $2,000 off sticker, and the car was delivered to me at $2,000 off the sticker price.
Caddy salesman called today. He sez: Geo we hava a black, sport pkg, roof CTS waiting for you ! And we will do GM employee deal ! FINALLY!.....I laughed and said did you forget I bought a new Deville 3 weeks ago ? And you insulted me by offering me 3900 for my 96 ? The other dealer gave me 6ooo trade ? DEAD silence ! I love my new Deville but I did want a CTS ! Maybe next time......geo
Car and Driver is reporting that the CTS will get an XM Satellite Radio option sometime this fall. I guess it's too much to ask the guys building my car right now to throw that little feature in :-)
I hope they won't make future owners pay for the Navigation system to get XM.
Last Saturday I was discussing ordering a car, since they didn't have one equipped as I wanted it, and after conferring with the "business manager" the salesman came back with a price, but he said cars ordered now would have the LuxSports delivered sans polished wheels. It could have been said to dissuade me from ordering a car, or it could have been said to alert me to the fact that my ordered car would not have the wheels I would have been expecting. I dunno. I know there is nothing yet to that effect in any of the options listings I've seen, which is why I asked whether anyone has been told anything similar.
According to GM Buypower web site, CTS's still come with 17" polished wheels with the LuxSport package. That's gospel for the customer until its posted otherwise. I'd really press them on this issue.
I doubt they would not want you to order a car since they make the most amount of money on ordered cars. Plus, CTS's are generally not sitting for very long on showroom floors so they are not likely under a lot of pressure to clear dealer stock (unless they have a hard to move color like Copper Sunburst). I'm not sure what their motivation is, unless they are trying to sell you their own aftermarket wheels. But I think they would have said something about that to you by now.
This is an interesting car. Definitely polarizing styling as some people love it and others hate it. The interior is just awful. I do like the driving dynamics.
Well, your last comment was definitely troll-bait, but I'll comment seriously.
Yes, the styling is take-it or leave it. But better that than "ugly" or "boring". The styling has grown on me since it was unveiled and my wife likes it too. Note that BMW is moving toward this "edgy" brand of styling too with its new models after years of "safe" designs.
The interior is also subject for debate. Nobody agrees it's perfect. Some think it needs to be warmer, other like the basic concepts. Everyone thinks it needs a proper set of guages (even the elderly Mercury Grand Marquis I rent for work every week has oil, temp and volt guages).
But the 3rd generation Cimmaron? Not even close. The Cimmaron was a half baked idea from a GM chairman who thought he could get away with selling anything. He was right in one sense about the cost advantages to platform sharing. But they went way overboard with that car. It offered no advantages over its lower siblings in the GM line, unless you liked the leather it came with. And it began rusting while sitting on the showroom floor. It wasn't worth the price premium.
As for the Catera, that car was a "nice try", but not enough in a highly competitive segment. The basic idea was okay, but the styling didn't match the Cadillac family, the car was too heavy, the engine was not powerful enough, and the handling was uninspired (later versions tried to address this). Combine that with a dopey marketing campaign and you were left with a vehicle that didn't rise to its full potential. There is a much better version of that car still sold in Australia by GM's Holden.
The CTS is pretty much a clean slate car. New platform, new styling (which leads the rest of new Cadillac models for this decade), new everything but the engine and we get two new ones in 2004. My big complaint is that Cadillac didn't flesh out the refinement tweaks in year 1 for this car; we'll have to wait for 2004 to see the fully realized package. But auto jouralists take this car seriously now, and so should you.
Yesterday we remembered the anniversary of a great tragedy. That tragedy was brought about by a hatred for our way of life, our freedom to choose most things in our daily life.
While we celebrate the hero's (police, firemen, airline passengers, etc.) of 911, many people fail to recognize that everyone who goes to work, raises a family, helps others, becomes a positive, productive member of society is a hero too.
The posters of this board are among my hero's. We can agree or disagree about our favorite cars and the direction the auto companies take in making them better or worse. While not all of the posters drive a CTS or a Cadillac, they seem to share the American love of the automobile. It's a fun and dynamic group.
Once in a while, a terrorist appears. We have seen "who the man" now "the reel deal" only interested in starting a fight. "Reel deel" needs to grow up and to understand that a Bentley is now just an overpriced Volkswagen, but that's his choice.
Our choice is to own or discuss the CTS. It isn't perfect, but I believe it's heading in that direction. I know I've said this before, but the more I drive it, the more I like it.......
Actually the Catera didn't even deserve to be compared to the Cimmaron as it was a pretty decent car. It's problems were it's bland styling, rather weak powertrain, and rather heavy body. Truthfully, the Opel on which it was based came out in 1994 I believe in Europr and Cadillac was considering an Opel based entry level model called the LSE in late 94. Had the brought the car here in 94 or 95 when the competition hadn't started rolling out newer models, it might have caught on and sold even better. In 97 new models from Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, and Audi were just around the corner and a heavy, dull(by US standards) styled car with no real price advantage just never caught on. It was a decent try and did give Cadillac 20K or so sales a year so I guess it was better than nothing. Now we finally have the real thing and I personally am gald they went with a design that evokes some emotion and response from the public. Sales figures seem to be proving the CTS was a move in the right direction and the new V6 as well as the V series coming out certainly won't hurt anything.
Comments
As for advertising, I see more print ads for CTS than I do TV ads. I guess they are aiming for the car magazine reading types more than the general TV watching public. Whatever they are doing seems to be working.
As for the CTS ads - what does a 60's drop top boulevard cruiser have to do with a CTS? I can understand the Porsche version - it's the same type of car.
And why do they have to show the CTS going the wrong way on the race track? I know it's supposed to show that the CTS goes against the grain but I think it would have been more effective if they showed the CTS outrunning the other cars in the same direction. How long can you call something a "Breakthrough" anyway? We know it's 'different' - show us how it handles and how fun it is to drive.
If you haven't seen the original LS ad from 1999 you're missing out. It won several awards and has some amazing special effects. I'll see if I can find the online version.
And as far as the current CTS ad in the mix (wrong way on the racetrack), I'm not sure that showing the CTS outgunning the competition would have made sense since we all know that a CTS is slightly slower than a BMW 330i and certainly slower than a Infiniti G35. That kind of ad might work better next year when the new engines come. The CTS plays a game of "chicken" with the competition with the competition giving way.
If I was an ad-man at GM, I'm not sure I would have accepted that ad either. But I don't work for GM :-)
2. CTS ad with the convertible is just showing CTS as a car worthy of the Cadillac name which used to be great. Basically, Caddy is back.
I like the race track ad, and like the song in the "convertible" ad. They both get your attention which I guess is the main goal.
The other, admittedly more esoteric link, is that the 50's Cadillac design is a response to fighter jets of the time while the CTS is a response to the Stealth air craft.
If the 03 LS is offered with deals anywhere close to what Ford is selling the 02's, I will make a trip to the local Lincoln shop
On sales of the CTS, I think it is excellent with only a standard engine and a choice of a manual or auto. The LS is selling more because it has more choices and deals on them like incentives and discounts are huge compared to the CTS. If the CTS had another or two engine choice from the standard model and perhaps higher quality interior, it probably will outsell Lincoln LS and Volvo S60 which is doing very well also.
Audi A4 and Jaguar X-Type has several more engine choices and tranny options over the CTS and they are trailing behind the CTS but not by much.
J "CaddyLac"
In the full ad, they show the CTS, Escalade and finally the XLR. I noticed a change to the ad the last time I saw it. In the original, you only saw very short glimpses of the XLR as the train passed in front of it. In the recent version, the XLR is now clearly seen from several angles.
oldsman01 : I have never followed the crowd, always like to have something a little different.
What colors has everyone else seen? What color CTS is the most popular among CTS drivers on the board and do we have all of the available colors represented? I believe black is the most popular even though I have white diamond.
I've been busy the last few days, but I remember seeing that someone got their CTS to more than 140 miles per hour. Congratulations, you win. I won't have a chance to run at high speed for about a month and my wife keeps reminding me that I'm not a teenager anymore. Of course she's had the CTS to just over 100, so I wonder who the teenager (leadfoot)is.
Still, the car is more fun to drive than any I've driven for a long while. That includes my Corvette. The CTS engine and transmission just seem to scream, "drive me agressively". The Corvette just said, "step on my accelerator and I will beat anything out there". The CTS is more fun.
Rich
I've seen a fair number of White CTSs. White is my personal favorite as well.
Some of the owners here linked photos of their blue CTS, which looks good.
Last Sunday I saw my first Orange CTS. If nothing else, the owner of that car can be assured people will notice him wherever he drives.
Here's a link to some CTS-specific aftermarket goodies that you may not have seen yet.
I personally like the looks of the red CTS. The ground effects kit seems to be almost "seamless" with the stock car.
Click on "More Images" to bring up some good shots of the red CTS. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photos...
http://vogue-tyre.com/index-whatsnew.html
My own problems after 5 and a half months, a passenger's courtesy light bulb burned out and battery failed and had to be replaced. Not bad.
What have others experienced?
Anyone have any information on this?
If you dont like the split spoke, the Neeper Haaz looks exactly the same without it.
Don't like that grille much... it needs a logo!!
1. Kinked fuel hose - could not fill it up - easily fixed by the dealer - I have seen other posts on this issue also.
2. Water leak stain rings in the head liner - Although my car doesn't seem to be leaking in the rain now as it has been tested by the dealer and myself. I have 2 almost identical stain rings in my gray head liner at the corner of the A pillar running about halfway down the side window and into the center of the roof. Identical on both sides. The dealer is giving me a hard time on replacing the head liner under warranty since there is no apparent current leak. Perhaps it's a glue stain ? I've written and called Cadillac customer service. No help as of yet.
3. Bad problem - 5th gear bearing type whine - Since the day I drove it off the lot, 5th gear only has a constant variable bearing type rubbing whine noise. It's almost intolerable between 40 - 60 mph. Once you get above 60 mph the road noise starts to drown the noise out. The dealer acknowledges the problem and was told by Cadillac not to attempt a repair at this time until they (Cadillac) determine a repair. It's been 3 1/2 months and I call my dealer every week and Cadillac hasn't released a TSB yet, so the dealer can't attempt to fix it under the warranty. I called Cadillac Customer Service (#800-333-4223) and was given a case number and was basically told there is nothing that they can do until the Cadillac engineers determine a fix. I have written several letters to Cadillac, without a response. It's embarrassing to have anyone ride with you in the car, they always ask, "What is that noise?"
4. Rattle in the dash - I get a strange, loud rattle (it almost sounds like someone is shaking a key ring slowly with aluminum keys) from the center of the dash on a very rare ocassion. (probably 5 times since I had the car 3 1/2 months) I can't associate it with the HVAC system, stereo, etc. I turn everything off, put the car in neutral and just let it roll and it still makes the noise. The dealer can't find anything wrong.
5. Parking brake - Only engages (brakes the car) at the very last millimeter of travel. I will have this checked out.
6. Observation / probably not a problem - On a cooler temperature morning or evening (say 70 degrees or cooler, down into the 60's) I will turn off the air conditioning, put the temp control to the lowest temp setting of 60 degrees and allow what I think is the outside temperature air to just come through the upper vents. But to my surprise, the air coming through the vents is always on the luke warm side (approximately 75 - 80 degrees plus) I always end up having to put the air conditioning back on because the car gets too warm.
Other than these issues, I love the car for the driving dynamics, performance, pure cruising comfort and the fun to drive factor. I continue to have more people look, stare and actually come up and ask me all about the car. More so than any other car or motorized vehicle (motorcycles & boats) that I have ever owned. It's a head turner and people are attracted to it like glue. I just want Cadillac to stand behind the car and get that noise out of my 5th gear.
I still endorse the car to anyone in the market for a new car and I have been reluctant to voice my issues. I am not bashing the CTS at all and do not mean for my issues to give fuel to those anti-American car bashers.
To Richw5: I agree with you that the CTS is one of the most fun vehicles you can drive as an overall package. However, the lux/sport version is lacking on the "sport" in my opinion. Having owned a worked 1998 6-speed Z28 putting out almost 400 RWHP, I feel that although the CTS likes to be driven aggressively, it just lacks the raw power that made the Z28 an absolute blast to drive. Driving the Z was like playing a video game on the street - just decide what you want to do...and blam, the car is there! Of course, the CTS has a much more refined chassis and suspension compared to the brutish Z. When the V-Series come out next year with an exhaust note that emanates a serious bark, and the horsepower and torque to morph the Goodyears into long black strips on the pavement, I'll have found my ideal car...a luxury hot rod! Can't wait!!
-FAV002
My CTS Pictures
Sorry to hear about your problems. So far we've only had the fuel filler/cable misrouted problem. I will watch for the others.
FAV002 -
I bought the CTS for my wife. It has enough sport for her and is exceeding her expectations for a daily driver. Everywhere she goes, people comment about the CTS. She is really happy!!!!
However, there is sometimes a 25 year old in my 60 year old body. I look for a challenge at every stop light, also look for squad cars!
3-series BMW's are no problem for the CTS. I learned to drive with both feet at the Boudurant school of driving back in the 60's. It gives you a jump on the competition and most give up right away. The 5-series cars are faster. I usually check out the driver first. Then I think, is it worth it or not? Safe driving comes ahead of beating BMW's.
My last ticket was in 1967, Beeville Texas, for doing 80 in a 50 mph zone. I've been a lucky and carefull driver for 44 years now. I pick the time and the place to be sporty.
Congrats... 135 mph is great. Our first chance will come up in about a month. Just depends on the amount of state troopers out that weekend.
Having seen your pictures before, I can only say that black is outstanding. Our STS is black and so was my Corvette. However, it was time for a change. The only CTS available at the Corvette dealer where I traded my Vette, was the diamond white . The white is a lot cooler in the summer, as we've had a hot summer, I tend to drive the CTS more. If I had a choice, it would be my favorite car color, red.
Rich
I have a 3-1/2 month old white diamond lux/sport with all options except engine heater. It now has approx. 8500 miles. It's been to Phoenix, Houston, Chicago and back to Los Angeles.
The only problems have been a disconnected outside right rear door handle, Two stability system false alarms and a sound system that periodically refused to produce any sound. The door handle problem and one of the stability system false alarms were diagnosed and fixed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The amplifier was replaced by my dealer in Northridge, CA. The second stability system false alarm was also diagnosed by my dealer.
The fastest I have gone in my CTS is about 95 while passing on back country roads. I have a problem with speed, as I have a talking speedometer, otherwise known as a wife (we are both senior citizens).
we hava a black, sport pkg, roof CTS waiting
for you ! And we will do GM employee deal !
FINALLY!.....I laughed and said did you forget
I bought a new Deville 3 weeks ago ? And you
insulted me by offering me 3900 for my 96 ?
The other dealer gave me 6ooo trade ?
DEAD silence ! I love my new Deville but I
did want a CTS ! Maybe next time......geo
I hope they won't make future owners pay for the Navigation system to get XM.
I doubt they would not want you to order a car since they make the most amount of money on ordered cars. Plus, CTS's are generally not sitting for very long on showroom floors so they are not likely under a lot of pressure to clear dealer stock (unless they have a hard to move color like Copper Sunburst). I'm not sure what their motivation is, unless they are trying to sell you their own aftermarket wheels. But I think they would have said something about that to you by now.
If they don't sell a lot of cars expect a long wait.
Is this the 3rd generation Cimmaron?
sevenfeet0, on the Deville and Seville you cannot get XM if you get the navigation system so the CTS will probably be that way as well.
Yes, the styling is take-it or leave it. But better that than "ugly" or "boring". The styling has grown on me since it was unveiled and my wife likes it too. Note that BMW is moving toward this "edgy" brand of styling too with its new models after years of "safe" designs.
The interior is also subject for debate. Nobody agrees it's perfect. Some think it needs to be warmer, other like the basic concepts. Everyone thinks it needs a proper set of guages (even the elderly Mercury Grand Marquis I rent for work every week has oil, temp and volt guages).
But the 3rd generation Cimmaron? Not even close. The Cimmaron was a half baked idea from a GM chairman who thought he could get away with selling anything. He was right in one sense about the cost advantages to platform sharing. But they went way overboard with that car. It offered no advantages over its lower siblings in the GM line, unless you liked the leather it came with. And it began rusting while sitting on the showroom floor. It wasn't worth the price premium.
As for the Catera, that car was a "nice try", but not enough in a highly competitive segment. The basic idea was okay, but the styling didn't match the Cadillac family, the car was too heavy, the engine was not powerful enough, and the handling was uninspired (later versions tried to address this). Combine that with a dopey marketing campaign and you were left with a vehicle that didn't rise to its full potential. There is a much better version of that car still sold in Australia by GM's Holden.
The CTS is pretty much a clean slate car. New platform, new styling (which leads the rest of new Cadillac models for this decade), new everything but the engine and we get two new ones in 2004. My big complaint is that Cadillac didn't flesh out the refinement tweaks in year 1 for this car; we'll have to wait for 2004 to see the fully realized package. But auto jouralists take this car seriously now, and so should you.
Yesterday we remembered the anniversary of a great tragedy. That tragedy was brought about by a hatred for our way of life, our freedom to choose most things in our daily life.
While we celebrate the hero's (police, firemen, airline passengers, etc.) of 911, many people fail to recognize that everyone who goes to work, raises a family, helps others, becomes a positive, productive member of society is a hero too.
The posters of this board are among my hero's. We can agree or disagree about our favorite cars and the direction the auto companies take in making them better or worse. While not all of the posters drive a CTS or a Cadillac, they seem to share the American love of the automobile. It's a fun and dynamic group.
Once in a while, a terrorist appears. We have seen "who the man" now "the reel deal" only interested in starting a fight. "Reel deel" needs to grow up and to understand that a Bentley is now just an overpriced Volkswagen, but that's his choice.
Our choice is to own or discuss the CTS. It isn't perfect, but I believe it's heading in that direction. I know I've said this before, but the more I drive it, the more I like it.......
Cadillac Rules!
Rich W