By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
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.