cdnpnhead: Your response to my message #1923, made me review what I wrote. I neglected to mention that, that is for five vehicles, a pick-up, SUV, station wagon, and two sedans. On average (although not actual) it comes to about $79 per vehicle per month.
To those out there that are into body work. The other day while driving my CTS, I ran over a mess of blowing tumbleweeds. Totally unavoidable, they were about the size of 55 gallon drums. Anyway as a result, the rear splash guards, the ones just in front of the rear tires (I guess they 're splash guards) were rattled loose. They seem to be fastened with little black snaps or bottons. Does anyone know if these can be purchased so I can resecure these flaps myself. Per phone call, the dealer didn't have any or maybe didn't understand what I was asking for. Thanks.
I'm currently paying $273 ($500 deductable) for six months on our CTS and $360 for the same period on the STS ($250 deductable). I know that the CTS-V insurance will be higher. Insurance companies love performance cars. They bring in big bucks.
Even though I'm an agressive driver, my last ticket was in in 1966 (speeding and loud mufflers). While I tend to drive the CTS more agressively than the STS or my old Vette, I drive to fit road conditions and the traffic around me. It's worked for me for a long while and tickets and/or accidents drive up the cost of insurance.
The final factor in keeping insurance costs down is my wife. Whenever I drive, she always says, "no road rage". She's seen me give dirty looks to drivers who weave down the road reading the paper, using hair dryers, electric shavers and cell phones. While dirty looks aren't as bad as hand gestures, she tells me that I should ignore the other driver and either pass them or slow down.
She's usually right. Still, the CTS is a fun car to drive.
The left lane is the fast lane. The right lane is the thru lane.
We as Americans are very territorial. We drive in what ever lane we feel like. Some who will be making a left turn in 5 miles will drive in the left lane for 5 miles.
If i get tailgated and it is safe for me to get in the right lane I will do so and let them pass.
I expect the same courtesy from a driver who is going 5 over when I want to get 9 over. I do it for them why can't they do it for me?
Pull that stuff in Europe and you will be persona non grata.
American drivers (I don't know anything about other drivers) are not territorial. They are inconsiderate and ignorant of the physics of automobile motion.
The average driver may know how to steer, accelerate and brake but they do not seem to know how to drive. Driving means knowing how to move your vehicle so it helps the flow of traffic rather than hinders it. It means maintaining enough space between you and the car ahead to avoid having to jam on your brakes for every little change in traffic speed. It means flashing headlights to pass instead of tailgating. It means letting someone else in line to avoid a jam in another lane. It means not cutting into lines in spaces so small that you take someone else's right of way. It means using signals so others know what you are doing. Mostly it means thinking ahead of the traffic to insure a smooth flow for everyone. Thanks, that's my rant for today.
Where do you live Bingoman? I assume its not somewhere with alot of traffic. I'll say it again, in CA, signals seem to mean nothing. I will let someone in if they signal, but the courtesy is rarely extended to me. About flashing headlights, If you flash a car full of gang members, your looking at an early exit out of this world.
Of all the things that infuriate me, nothing is more infuriating than someone who flashes their headlights for me to pass!! And unless that vehicle has a red and blue light bar on the top, he will NEVER get around me and hell will freeze over before I move over for them. IMO, light flashing is a sign of arrogance and has nothing to do with driving courteously.
I don't want to sound grumpy -- that's not my style. But insurance (actuarial) rates are not based on drivers' irritating behavior. They are based on simple statistics: correlation of age and accident rate.
Lots of older people have annoying ways of driving, including tailgating and weaving. But annoyance doesn't necessarily equal accident...
In California you usually have a few lanes of traffic, not just the right or left lane. I will flash my lights at semi's to let them know they have gotten past me.
As usual, Bingoman is correct. Driving is moving your vehicle with (and through) the flow of traffic, without hindering it.
Here in the Chicago area there's been a big fuss, in the newspapers, about drivers moving to the right when someone flashes their headlights behind you. Illinois law requires drivers to keep to the right, except when passing. I'm surprised by the number of drivers who say they would refuse to move over, despite the law.
Headlight flashing has always been a sign of courtesy, especially between trucks and passenger cars. It's also been used to signal a passing vehicle, that it's OK to return to the right lane.
Bingoman's comments are the benchmarks for good drivers. They can be reduced to the concepts of "Thinking Ahead", "Courtesy" and "Respect for yourself and other Drivers".
If everyone drove with respect for the other drivers on the road, there would be no need for any discussion on headlight flashing, driving in the right lane except to pass, etc. It never crossed my mind in the headlight flashing discussion the need to flash your lights after a semi has passed and is clear to move over, I do that like a natural reflex, and don’t even realize I do it. You sure don’t want them to have to judge the front of your car with their mirrors, if you have a chance to help them out.
As for the right lane except to pass, that is great in theory, and on a rural interstate highway with only two lanes, and little traffic, it is the only way to go. But when you think of urban traffic, it doesn’t work very well. I travel interstates across OKC every day, 3 lanes each way, occasionally 4 lanes. If we all drove in the right lane except to pass, we would have traffic backed up to Arkansas. They made the road 3 lanes wide to handle traffic congestion. I have driven in Chicago also, many of those roads are at least 4 lanes wide, and if it is rush hour, they are all full. You might be in the left lane, but under those conditions, the odds of actually passing anyone else are not good. If you throw merging traffic into the equation, driving in the far right lane is just asking for trouble, if you are not entering or exiting the highway soon, you spend your whole trip dodging merging traffic.
Merging traffic is another topic, best left unmentioned, BUT why is it that the person who has made it to the end of the on ramp merge lane and is now at a DEAD STOP, thinks all the rest of the people on the road caused him to be sitting there and doesn’t realize it is his own fault by not knowing how to merge!!
It's odd how everyone seems to be numbered (pardon the pun, lol).
Cad. I live in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, CA. I drive all over the country. I agree that it is difficult to follow the rules of the road in heavy urban traffic. But helping to smooth the flow is probably more important. Most of what I previously posted is applicable to the more open freeways.
Blkthree. How do you know that the guy who is asking you to move over and let him through is not someone with a heart attack victim sitting beside him who is trying to get that person to an emergency room?
Don't get me going on the way insurance companies can leagally discriminate based on age. I have been driving since 1991 and have only had one accident. And that was the fault of the other driver(who was of senior citizen status). I know they have their numbers, but I still think it is ridiculous. Give a younger driver low insurance rates like everyone else, then if he(or she) blows it and has tickets or an accident, charge them the higher rate. I also don't like how they discriminate based on marriage status. Like being single is going to make a you a more dangerous driver. To the contrary, how many soccer moms have you see in thei mini-vans and SUVs full of screaming kids trying to calm them down while driving. BTW, I pay $550 every 6 months for full coverage on my Intrigue. And that is with a sterling record. I just got my first ever ticket about a month ago so I don't know how that(if it will at all) affect my rates.
Bingo, we all have our opinions, and I agree with 99% of what you have said. We all also have our pet peaves, and one of my biggest is someone flashing their lights and expecting me to move over for them.
I would have never thought that a person behind me flashing his lights had a medical emergency on his hands. I suppose it is possible, but not likely.
If it was me, and I had a person in the car with me who had a heart attack I was trying to get to the hospital, I would be driving with my emergency flashers on, and to hell with flashing lights, I'd be on the HORN!!!
You're right, it's not courteous to flash your lights and expect someone to move over during rush hour traffic or some types of expressway driving. While my comments were meant to cover normal highway or suburban driving, there are always exceptions. Rush hour is one of them. Expressway driving is another.
In fact, during rush hour, I normally drive in the right lane to avoid drivers making left turns. While I call myself an agressive driver, I try to use common sense. If the traffic isn't moving, it doesn't pay to get worked up over nothing.
I do have a problem when a driver sits in the left hand lane for mile after mile, blocking the road, and traveling less than the speed limit, or not keeping up with traffic. My choice is to flash my lights to get the driver to move over or pass on the right. Lately it seems that I have to pass on the right alot.
Don't take offense at my comments. They weren't meant to be personal. In another twenty years or so, my driving days will be over (cataracts or macular degeneration). Right now, I enjoy driving so much (thanks to the CTS) that I expect everyone else to drive with the same love of the road that I do.
My wife tells me that I'm a dreamer and the real world is full of people that drive because they have to, not because they want to. She should know, as her trip to work is a real drag (rush hour, city type driving). I drove her for two years, until we got the CTS. Now, she tells me about the people that checked out the CTS at stoplights, during her drive. That's what it's all about, her drive is a lot more fun now.
I guess I grew up in the wrong generation, when truckers were the "Knights of the Road", "Courtesy" was common place and there were a lot less cars on the road.
I have to agree with you. There are too many cars on the road. I too, enjoy driving, and if I have my choice, I will drive in the right hand lane, a lot less of a target for the state trooper and his radar gun. The left lane in a perfect world is made for passing.
Where did our perfect world go???
All of you enjoy your weekend and drive safely, and while you are at it, try to have some fun!
I've occasionally had people flash their lights wanting me to get over and frankly rather than get over(which I typically do if I see a fast approaching car in my mirror) I'll stay in the lane. Then when they tailgate me, I'll just ease off on the gas. I've been down to 45 MPH on the freeway with a tailgater one time. He finally figured out what I was doing and got got over and blew by me. Had he simply given me time to safely get in the other lane and not literally been on my bumper, I would have gotten over.
I LOVE to drive. People at work can't understand why every year I opt to drive the 9 hour trip to Chicago when we have an annual conference there. But then again, the typical car you see in the parking lot everyday is a Camccordrus, minivans, and SUVs. The funny thing was last year, several of them got delayed at their connecting flight and I actually made it back home driving before they did:) Give me an open road, a warm sunny day, some great driving music, and a decent car and I'm content. Oh and no cops around.
Congested urban highways, lousy drivers, Left Lane Louis' in the hammer lane, and how about those people that hurry up to pass you and slow down in front of you, old people without a clue anyone else is on the road with them, people with cell phones while they drive, ladies putting on their makeup while they drive, how about the salesman who spends most of his time in the car that you see reading a book while he is driving, shall we start a list???
As I have heard George Carlin say, "Look at that idiot in front of us driving so slow, and how about that a**hole that blew by us standing still?" or something similar to that.
Oldsman1: I'm right there with you buddy, a 9 hour drive or a plane ride.. that's a no brainer, give me the drive!! And if it's not a direct flight, there is a good chance of making it there before the plane, and even if you don't you still have your own car to enjoy while at the conference instead of the piece of crap they give you for a rental.
cdnpinhead: I would agree, most US drivers would never make it in Europe. At least 75% of them would be totally clueless, as they are here!
Diver etiguette doesn't exsist in the US of A. We all seem to use the "me first" rule. I drive all day five days a week from 8AM til 11PM. The truth is that in our day to day dealings, we are so preoccupied with stuff, that we are forced to drive while we tend to our stuff. To boot, we are all guilty of the same things that we site other drivers for at one time our another. If it's not the cell phone, shaving, or makeup, it's fussing with the kids, spouse or family pet, the cup of coffee, the sandwich, etc.
And if it's not any of the above, then we are mentally preoccupied with anything but driving at two to three minute intervals. That's just the nature of people. And that's why there's so many fender benders from day to day. I believe it's just by chance that we don't see more accidents.
Have I ever passed an intersection with the turn signal flashing? At least twice. Have I ever changed lanes without looking first? A couple of times I'm sure. Have I ever driven too slow for the flow of traffic without realizing it? Maybe, but I couldn't be sure because sometimes I'm not paying attention. To remedy all the frustration, I finally learned to just drive my car, and let the other people drive their cars.
If you human and driving a car, then you too are guilty of these things. So there.
I wouldn't have even gotten a rental because the conference was at a hotel near O'hare so they just expect you to ride the shuttle from the airport. There are times I do have to fly and I'll admit, take-off is kind of fun and it's enjoyable once your at cruising speeds, but the crap you have to go through on the ground is just ridiculous. And most of it went on well before 09/11/01. The last flight I was on from Chi-town had an absolutely rude flight attendant. And the airlines wonder why they keep losing money. I can't wait to do the Chicago trip someday in a CTS.
The March issue of Automobile has a pretty good "preview" review of the SRX. All I can say is there is a finally an SUV that I might really want! It looks great and the interior has some enhancements which I seriously hope make there way into the 04 CTS. The review didn't go into alot of detail on the performance, but they were very impressed by it. The model they tested had the V8 and they posted a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds. Not bad at all for a 4600 lb vehicle. Two pages over was a review of the Infiniti FX45 which had their 345 hp V8 and a 4400 lb curb weight and it was all of .02 quicker to 60. The FX is an interesting price, but looks too bizarre for me. It also appeaers to be more expensice than the SRX's projected price. First the CTS, then the XLR(it is supposed to go on sale before the SRX), then the SRX, followed up by the next gen STS I think Cadillac is really on a role here. It's taken alot of coffee, but the giant(GM, Cadillac in particular) is finally wide awake.
V8 Infinitis never seem to put up numbers in line with their horsepower ratings. You'd think with 345hp, it would do 60 in 6 seconds or less.
The SRX is very impressive, but I'm not interested yet. I already have an old SUV that works fine and will be buying a CTS to go with it when my wife's car is paid off.
Too much in my opinion. Cadillac is not yet BMW. It would be better to use the Infiniti pricing of offering a lot features and power for less than the competitors.
What are you talking about? Even at $50K the CTSV would be $12K cheaper than a 540i and $22K cheaper than a M5. $50K will barely get you a loaded 530i.
I was reading the March Motor Trend and in the back they have a summary of road tests from their past issues. Three test results are shown for the CTS; here are the 0-60mph results: 2/02-$36,000-manual: 7.0 8/02-$35,365-auto: 6.9 1/03-$32,000-auto: 8.0
8.0 seconds? Could road/weather conditions be the cause? Seems to be a pretty big disparity between the two automatics. Even if the 8/02 car had the sport package, I don't see why Stabilitrack and 17" wheels (with what I suspect are only marginally better performance tires over the standard tires) would have any significant impact on a sprint to 60mph.
Motortrend had a brief article about the SRX, estimated the pricing to be $45-50K. I don't know where they got there numbers, but they didnt say much about it. They did say it would come out first with the V8 and be followed later with the V6. It is an interesting vehicle, I would like to see one in person. Hopefully, they will have one at a auto show near me soon.
Its V8 has only 315hp, not 345 in the Q45 & M45. Last month's Car & Driver had it beat the X5 4.6, ML55 AMG & Touareg V8 in 0-60, braking, lateral acceleration & gas mileage. If SRX could do that, Caddy would be mighty satisfied. I thought I'd set the record straight seeing some of the prior posts. For review, see
That would be true except that the CTS is intended to compete in the same class as the 3 -series. The CTS is the entry level sports sedan for Cadillac as the 3 is for BMW. Even the marketing data from Cadillac for the CTS has the 3 as its main competitor. There is a reason that all of the car mags group the CTS with the 3, A4, G35 and so on - that is the class it is in.
Have you ever noticed that when the auto mags put all these cars together on price, the big ones always lose? Because they've got the whole comparison model all wrong. They're throwing together a bunch of cars of highly disparate sizes and intents, and evaluating them based on how they feel to the one person behind the wheel. And, in general, the smaller cars are going to win that one. Does the Malibu compete with the Mini because they both happen to sell for similar money? Not bloody likely.
Detroit so often falls into the trap of trying to offer "more" car for the money - ignoring the fact that if a typical 3-series buyer wanted a larger car, they could easily afford one. They buy a smaller vehicle because they don't need/want anything larger.
The CTS' real competition in the US marketplace (aside from the LS) is the TL, the Maxima and I35, maybe the Passat and G35 (they kinda straddle the smaller and larger markets, both in size and in price.) There's maybe a little A4 overlap, but mostly it competes with the cheaper end of the A6 line, and the 525i.
I always hear the CTS being referred to as large. IMO the CTS is on the small side, especially when width is concerned. While looking at the rear of a CTS and DTS side by side, the CTS looks almost like a compact car.
This has been going on in BMW vs. Lincoln LS comparisons for three years. Match it up against a 3-series and the BMW wins on the basis of being more nimble. Well, no kidding. Ask the back seat passengers how they're enjoying "nimble". Or try a 12 hour interstate cruise. What you don't see is the LS or CTS matched against a 5-series of similar price. If you can even get one priced that low, it's a bare bones car with around 190 hp. Match the LS or CTS against a similarly equipped and powered 5-series and either American car will blow it away in bang for the buck.
I think it's the "cold air return" looking grille on the FX that pushes it over the edge. Anyway, the rounded look is so 1990s now. I'd have to see one in person, but from the pics I like the SRX better than I did the CTS before I had actually seen it in person. The interior also seems a bit warmer looking.
I had an interesting experience this evening with my CTS. It is parked in the garage. I was sitting at the dinner table just after dinner when I heard a loud horn honking... beep - beep - beep. I opened the garage and the CTS horn was honking and the lights were flashing. I got out my clicker and started pressing the lock and unlock buttons. Finally the racket stopped. I wondered what had tripped of the alarm system as the garage door was closed and no one was near the car, and I had not even locked the car doors.
I have finally come to the conclusion that something in my pocket pressed the alarm button while the clicker was in my pocket, and the signal carried through the garage wall which is right next to the dinner table.
That happens to me all the time, bingoman. Maybe I need looser pants.
As far as the accelleration times go, I would expect a CTS with the sport package to be slower than a base model (one reason I got a base model). Extra features = extra weight. Bigger wheels = extra weight. Extra weight = slower times.
BTW, speaking of long drives, I'm flying out to Cleveland on Friday to pick up a convertible for my girlfriend (1998 Eclipse Spyder GS-T) and then I get to drive it all the way back to Colorado. Hopefully to will be warm enough at some point along the way to put the top down...
I hope you get lucky enough to let the top down, but this time of year, Ohio to Colorado, I would feel fortunate if it didn't snow and the heater worked well in the car! Enjoy your trip.
I've had the alarm problem with my wife's Explorer. It's my habit of carrying too many grocery bags or other stuff, on my right side. When the alarm goes off, I have to struggle to put down the bags to get at the key fob, while my wife is trying to hold back the laughter.
I did the same thing with the trunk opener button on my '94 STS. The trunk lid would pop open at the most unexpected times. My wife would just turn her head and chuckle.
As of today, we've had no alarms with the CTS. That doesn't stop my wife from laughing at the way I park, away from other vehicles with no rhyme or reason to my choice of a parking spot.
As for speed, my concern isn't CTS Sport equipment or larger wheels. It's the extra 12 lbs I've picked up since the end of summer. I need a CTS-V to make up the difference.
The heated seats on our CTS are worth the extra cost. My wife uses them all the time on her drive to and from work. It's been really cold the last few weeks and they're predicting another cold wave mid-week.
While our CTS is handling the cold really well, we have a small slapping or clicking sound when the car is started and it's below 25(F) degrees. It lasts about 5 to 10 seconds and then goes away. Don't know if it's a cold accessory drive belt, but it doesn't happen when the temperature goes above 25 degrees. Other than that, the CTS has been almost perfect.
necros - Have fun on your drive, but I don't think you'll get the top down on this trip.
The CTS's shape makes it look smaller than it is - tall and narrow. And it is a much smaller car than a DTS, but then the DTS is very, very large.
By marketplace standards, the CTS is about mid-range for its size class - a little longer than a 5-series BMW or E-class Benz, same size as a Lincoln LS or Honda Accord, a couple inches shorter than an Acura TL.
Comments
thebug...
thebug...
thebug...
Even though I'm an agressive driver, my last ticket was in in 1966 (speeding and loud mufflers). While I tend to drive the CTS more agressively than the STS or my old Vette, I drive to fit road conditions and the traffic around me. It's worked for me for a long while and tickets and/or accidents drive up the cost of insurance.
The final factor in keeping insurance costs down is my wife. Whenever I drive, she always says, "no road rage". She's seen me give dirty looks to drivers who weave down the road reading the paper, using hair dryers, electric shavers and cell phones. While dirty looks aren't as bad as hand gestures, she tells me that I should ignore the other driver and either pass them or slow down.
She's usually right. Still, the CTS is a fun car to drive.
Rich
The right lane is the thru lane.
We as Americans are very territorial. We drive in what ever lane we feel like. Some who will be making a left turn in 5 miles will drive in the left lane for 5 miles.
If i get tailgated and it is safe for me to get in the right lane I will do so and let them pass.
I expect the same courtesy from a driver who is going 5 over when I want to get 9 over. I do it for them why can't they do it for me?
Pull that stuff in Europe and you will be persona non grata.
The average driver may know how to steer, accelerate and brake but they do not seem to know how to drive. Driving means knowing how to move your vehicle so it helps the flow of traffic rather than hinders it. It means maintaining enough space between you and the car ahead to avoid having to jam on your brakes for every little change in traffic speed. It means flashing headlights to pass instead of tailgating. It means letting someone else in line to avoid a jam in another lane. It means not cutting into lines in spaces so small that you take someone else's right of way. It means using signals so others know what you are doing. Mostly it means thinking ahead of the traffic to insure a smooth flow for everyone. Thanks, that's my rant for today.
Lots of older people have annoying ways of driving, including tailgating and weaving. But annoyance doesn't necessarily equal accident...
Happy motoring...
Here in the Chicago area there's been a big fuss, in the newspapers, about drivers moving to the right when someone flashes their headlights behind you. Illinois law requires drivers to keep to the right, except when passing. I'm surprised by the number of drivers who say they would refuse to move over, despite the law.
Headlight flashing has always been a sign of courtesy, especially between trucks and passenger cars. It's also been used to signal a passing vehicle, that it's OK to return to the right lane.
Bingoman's comments are the benchmarks for good drivers. They can be reduced to the concepts of "Thinking Ahead", "Courtesy" and "Respect for yourself and other Drivers".
Driving is a privilege, not a right.
Rich
As for the right lane except to pass, that is great in theory, and on a rural interstate highway with only two lanes, and little traffic, it is the only way to go. But when you think of urban traffic, it doesn’t work very well. I travel interstates across OKC every day, 3 lanes each way, occasionally 4 lanes. If we all drove in the right lane except to pass, we would have traffic backed up to Arkansas. They made the road 3 lanes wide to handle traffic congestion. I have driven in Chicago also, many of those roads are at least 4 lanes wide, and if it is rush hour, they are all full. You might be in the left lane, but under those conditions, the odds of actually passing anyone else are not good. If you throw merging traffic into the equation, driving in the far right lane is just asking for trouble, if you are not entering or exiting the highway soon, you spend your whole trip dodging merging traffic.
Merging traffic is another topic, best left unmentioned, BUT why is it that the person who has made it to the end of the on ramp merge lane and is now at a DEAD STOP, thinks all the rest of the people on the road caused him to be sitting there and doesn’t realize it is his own fault by not knowing how to merge!!
Cad. I live in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, CA. I drive all over the country. I agree that it is difficult to follow the rules of the road in heavy urban traffic. But helping to smooth the flow is probably more important. Most of what I previously posted is applicable to the more open freeways.
Blkthree. How do you know that the guy who is asking you to move over and let him through is not someone with a heart attack victim sitting beside him who is trying to get that person to an emergency room?
Rich, thanks.
I would have never thought that a person behind me flashing his lights had a medical emergency on his hands. I suppose it is possible, but not likely.
If it was me, and I had a person in the car with me who had a heart attack I was trying to get to the hospital, I would be driving with my emergency flashers on, and to hell with flashing lights, I'd be on the HORN!!!
In fact, during rush hour, I normally drive in the right lane to avoid drivers making left turns. While I call myself an agressive driver, I try to use common sense. If the traffic isn't moving, it doesn't pay to get worked up over nothing.
I do have a problem when a driver sits in the left hand lane for mile after mile, blocking the road, and traveling less than the speed limit, or not keeping up with traffic. My choice is to flash my lights to get the driver to move over or pass on the right. Lately it seems that I have to pass on the right alot.
Don't take offense at my comments. They weren't meant to be personal. In another twenty years or so, my driving days will be over (cataracts or macular degeneration). Right now, I enjoy driving so much (thanks to the CTS) that I expect everyone else to drive with the same love of the road that I do.
My wife tells me that I'm a dreamer and the real world is full of people that drive because they have to, not because they want to. She should know, as her trip to work is a real drag (rush hour, city type driving). I drove her for two years, until we got the CTS. Now, she tells me about the people that checked out the CTS at stoplights, during her drive. That's what it's all about, her drive is a lot more fun now.
I guess I grew up in the wrong generation, when truckers were the "Knights of the Road", "Courtesy" was common place and there were a lot less cars on the road.
Rich
Where did our perfect world go???
All of you enjoy your weekend and drive safely, and while you are at it, try to have some fun!
It's not pretty.
Having logged a number of hours on German roads at very high speeds, it's clear that U.S. drivers have a ways to go.
As I have heard George Carlin say, "Look at that idiot in front of us driving so slow, and how about that a**hole that blew by us standing still?" or something similar to that.
Oldsman1: I'm right there with you buddy, a 9 hour drive or a plane ride.. that's a no brainer, give me the drive!! And if it's not a direct flight, there is a good chance of making it there before the plane, and even if you don't you still have your own car to enjoy while at the conference instead of the piece of crap they give you for a rental.
cdnpinhead: I would agree, most US drivers would never make it in Europe. At least 75% of them would be totally clueless, as they are here!
Bingo
And if it's not any of the above, then we are mentally preoccupied with anything but driving at two to three minute intervals. That's just the nature of people. And that's why there's so many fender benders from day to day. I believe it's just by chance that we don't see more accidents.
Have I ever passed an intersection with the turn signal flashing? At least twice. Have I ever changed lanes without looking first? A couple of times I'm sure. Have I ever driven too slow for the flow of traffic without realizing it? Maybe, but I couldn't be sure because sometimes I'm not paying attention. To remedy all the frustration, I finally learned to just drive my car, and let the other people drive their cars.
If you human and driving a car, then you too are guilty of these things. So there.
thebug...
thebug...
The SRX is very impressive, but I'm not interested yet. I already have an old SUV that works fine and will be buying a CTS to go with it when my wife's car is paid off.
Maybe next time...
Don't expect any discounts.... this thing's gonna be hot!!
2/02-$36,000-manual: 7.0
8/02-$35,365-auto: 6.9
1/03-$32,000-auto: 8.0
8.0 seconds? Could road/weather conditions be the cause? Seems to be a pretty big disparity between the two automatics. Even if the 8/02 car had the sport package, I don't see why Stabilitrack and 17" wheels (with what I suspect are only marginally better performance tires over the standard tires) would have any significant impact on a sprint to 60mph.
http://www.mtdemocrat.com/display/inn_auto/P2301_A.txt
Detroit so often falls into the trap of trying to offer "more" car for the money - ignoring the fact that if a typical 3-series buyer wanted a larger car, they could easily afford one. They buy a smaller vehicle because they don't need/want anything larger.
The CTS' real competition in the US marketplace (aside from the LS) is the TL, the Maxima and I35, maybe the Passat and G35 (they kinda straddle the smaller and larger markets, both in size and in price.) There's maybe a little A4 overlap, but mostly it competes with the cheaper end of the A6 line, and the 525i.
I have finally come to the conclusion that something in my pocket pressed the alarm button while the clicker was in my pocket, and the signal carried through the garage wall which is right next to the dinner table.
How's that for unexpected excitement???
As far as the accelleration times go, I would expect a CTS with the sport package to be slower than a base model (one reason I got a base model). Extra features = extra weight. Bigger wheels = extra weight. Extra weight = slower times.
BTW, speaking of long drives, I'm flying out to Cleveland on Friday to pick up a convertible for my girlfriend (1998 Eclipse Spyder GS-T) and then I get to drive it all the way back to Colorado. Hopefully to will be warm enough at some point along the way to put the top down...
I did the same thing with the trunk opener button on my '94 STS. The trunk lid would pop open at the most unexpected times. My wife would just turn her head and chuckle.
As of today, we've had no alarms with the CTS. That doesn't stop my wife from laughing at the way I park, away from other vehicles with no rhyme or reason to my choice of a parking spot.
As for speed, my concern isn't CTS Sport equipment or larger wheels. It's the extra 12 lbs I've picked up since the end of summer. I need a CTS-V to make up the difference.
The heated seats on our CTS are worth the extra cost. My wife uses them all the time on her drive to and from work. It's been really cold the last few weeks and they're predicting another cold wave mid-week.
While our CTS is handling the cold really well, we have a small slapping or clicking sound when the car is started and it's below 25(F) degrees. It lasts about 5 to 10 seconds and then goes away. Don't know if it's a cold accessory drive belt, but it doesn't happen when the temperature goes above 25 degrees. Other than that, the CTS has been almost perfect.
necros - Have fun on your drive, but I don't think you'll get the top down on this trip.
Rich
By marketplace standards, the CTS is about mid-range for its size class - a little longer than a 5-series BMW or E-class Benz, same size as a Lincoln LS or Honda Accord, a couple inches shorter than an Acura TL.