Let's see....a base CTS goes for just over $30K. My dealer says half of all CTS's they sell are base models that don't list for more than $32.5K. That leaves the rest of us who paid $34K-$42K for better optioned Lux and LuxSport models.
I would assume a CTS-V would have few options. It looks like the Nav system is a likely option since it wasn't featured in the show cars, but there's always time to change that decision. I haven't seen pictures of a sunroof with the current prototypes either, so that might be another option. Otherwise the car will probably cost no more than $53K-$54K fully loaded, which is what Cadillac insiders predicted when they said a CTS-V would cost about the same as a fully loaded M3. This assumes of course that a dealer doesn't try to install a carriage roof or something else silly on this car (and I wouldn't put it past some dealers).
This is probably competitive pricing considering you get a completely different drivetrain from the normal CTS (engine, transmission), a new dash cluster and those expensive Brembos. It's s shame there won't be a automanual for the time being since they could probably sell a lot more of these cars than the 2500 or so they expect to move.
Thanks for the Congratulations. My wife swore she wouldn't let me buy another black car due to my perfectionist nature but when it came time to purchase the CTS we both decided that it looked best in black. FWIW the GM paint is much better than some other manufacturer's that I've dealt with in the past...it seems to be holding up well and looking good. Ironically my wife traded her car in on a new one (non CTS) as well, and SHE ended up choosing black so now I'm stuck with doing the upkeep on TWO black cars! Then there's the CTSv series that only comes in black or silver...if I'm lucky (wealthy) enough to trade my current CTS in on the v series when it's realeased I'm pretty sure my next car will be black too. Oh well, as long as the dealer doesn't run it through the 'courtesy' car wash again all should be OK.
As for the floor mat tips, I'll have to keep them in mind. My original intent was to wear out the original factory mats and buy a new set in the darker charcoal color. I'd like to meet the genius that designed the CTS's two-tone interior and made the decision to use the light grey color for the carpet .
Hi AutoMole- Hey, don't feel too bad. I have THREE black vehicles in my stable of five: a '55 Chevy Delray Club Coupe, a '77 Chevy Stepside Pickup and our new CTS! Guess I'm a massochist, huh? Yes, I agree they are a pain to keep clean, but boy do they look good when shined up!
I too cringe when I think of anyone else washing my black CTS. The only good news is the guy who does the washing at my Dealership is a longtime friend and fellow car enthusiast. But in the past one fellow messed up my Deville's aluminum wheels with some spray cleaner. Never could restore it to it's original look. Was I upset!
My CTS has the Dark Pewter interior, which I really like. An all black interior would be preferred, but it's OK. Like you, I'm contemplating buying a V series in a few years. I will not make the same "mistake" I made last time: keeping a new car 12 years and out of warranty. These new cars are just too hi-tech to run around without a bumper-to-bumper warranty for our protection. Any failure can be a big ticket expen$e. The car will be out of warranty in 4 years, so unless I buy an extended warranty, I think I'll trade it in for a newer model CTS (as you say, if I'm wealthy enough!). We'll have to see what GM does with this new exciting car line.
I've seen the CTS in virtually all the available colors (including the ultrarare Jade and Copper Sunburst), but I think the car still looks best in black. Properly waxed, it still turns heads.
I agree sevenfeet0. Does anyone own a Jade CTS? I've only seen one, and I heard they dropped that color mid-to-late last year. I must admit the one I saw looked more like shiney Olive Drab. Not very good looking. Sable Black works out best I think because of the dark grey rear license bezel & dark headlights. And of course, it makes the car look really sinister. Sure glad the 2004 CTSs will have the rear license bezel in body color. The dark grey translucent bezel was a big mistake for most paint colors. Wonder who made that weird decision?
I've only seen one Jade Green CTS and that was when I was in Chicago last fall. I've only seen 3 Copper Sunburst CTSs thus far and one of them was the first CTS I drove. Blue Onyx and Sable Black are my favorite CTS colors. And the Sterling is not bad looking either.
I also my favorite color. It will be called Blue Chip next year. Can't see why the CTS-V will not be available in this color, since it is the color in the initial renderings.
I really wish Edmunds would double check their info once in a while. I found this line in the CTS review. "The CTS is a clean sheet design based on GM's all-new "Epsilon" vehicle architecture." This is completely false, the CTS is built on thr Sigma architecture. The new Malibu and Saab 9-3 is based on the epsilon.
Hi BerryCherry- My 2003 has an air filter for the interior of the car. I do not think it's straw based filter. From the Owner's Manual, I think it's similar to the engine's air filter (a rectangular .5" thk paper "picture frame" style filter). My car's interior has stayed very clean so far. The Manual says to change it every 15,000 miles. My '91 Deville didn't have any filter so this is a big improvement. Cadillac HAS to have an equal or better filter than the Impala. That's the way the GM pecking order works. I'll look further into this...
I like the dark Blue too. That was our third color choice. The Garnet Red looks real nice as well (our second choice). But, heck, I like all of them!
I suspect that the CTS-V will be alot like the Impala SS of the '90's. The first year was Black only, then as it caught on, other colors were added. Cadillac will be watching how popular it is. It should be noted that when I say "popular" I mean SALES, not just people's positive comments. If enough people ask for Blue, they'll add it.
berrycherry, the CTS DOES have a pollen filter. If the following link works (it was from the 'owners' section of the Cadillac site) you can download the owners manual in .pdf form and read for yourself (section 6-19).
Personally, from one allergy sufferer to another...I don't think it makes that big of a difference whether your car has a pollen filter or not. The pollen is still going to get you when you exit/enter the car. I wouldn't base a car buying decision on that one feature alone although it IS a nice feature and does seem to help while driving.
Over the course of my lifetime, I've had 6 red (variations of) cars, 3 black, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 white and 1 chestnut color car. Most were dark colors and showed dirt. I still loved each one.
My current black car looks like a "black mirror" when it's freshly washed and waxed. Still my wife loves our Diamond White CTS and that's all that matters.
So if I had the cash to buy a new CTS today, I would have a hard time picking a color.
berrycherry - automole is correct, the interior air filter and running the airconditioner is the only thing that helps my allergies in the spring.
Just got back from the dealer and they are going to replace the gasket around the surround. The moisture inside the surround was evident after two days of rain and no sunshine. Was side- swiped the other day going uphill after completing a 90º turn and I saw the other car skidding coming down at me from the side. The road was lightly wet. I guickly swerved but too late and no where really to go. From the sound of the impact I thought the damage was going to be even more. Caught the area just at the bottom of the rear door, across the wheel and into the back fender. The wheel is being replaced because it has a gouge and several deep scratches. The rest of the damage is mostly cosmetic but will require body work and painting. Because of the color BLACK it will need a greater area to be blended in. The other driver( 1990 Grand AM ) didn't have insurance when I asked for the info. Went inside the car , used ONSTAR to get the police to respond. Onstar pinpointed the spot( two lane rural road ) and the township police were dispatched to the scene. I told Onstar that everyone was O.K. and no need to stay on the line. Thank you Onstar! And to think that I was debating about keeping Onstar. I am definitely going to renew. No airbags never deployed. I don't know if they impact wasn't enough to set any off or the DELAY mode was in effect. (I have an early build CTS )I don't think any airbags were necessary but the police did ask if any bags opened. On another note...........I want to see a CTS V in person. I think that $45-$50,000 should be the top. Cadillac wants to make it appeal to more and newer buyers, then this works, especially for me! After seeing the pics, I want the black and of course, the awesome manual transmission!!!!!!!!
Automole- Thanks for the info on the filter, maybe now I will buy one. Went through the manual, that was great.
Went to dealer last year and they didnt know if it had one or if it could be changed. It does not show in any Cadillac Model info but the 2003 Impala does and the XLR. Guess Cadillac is behind on paper work, or maybe it was added later.
I have the same leak . I have a TSB what states to add sealer around the gasket and called out a specific sealant . My dilemma is leaving it for repair . The dealer subs out the body work and that means a nice trip to and from the dealer to the bodyshop and all i can picture is 6000 rpm powershfts on a cold engine never mind getting the job done right and not screwing something else up during the repair Oh Well I maybe doing this one myself . Am I paranoid of dealer work you betcha
If anyone in the Chicago area is interested, a Cadillac Dealer in Schaumburg, IL is having a Grand Re-opening of their rebuilt showrooms next week (April 30th through May 9th).
Guests will be the Cadillac Sixteen, Cadillac Cien, XLR and SRX.
I hope the CTSv does not share the same history as the Impala SS.
The Impala SS happened 'by accident', and only because there was virtually no engineering and no development costs involved - a few parts from the cop-car bin and a set of wheels and that's about it. It may have been a bit better than a basic Caprice, but it wasn't particularly fast.
The CTSv has some serious development and engineering behind it, there's real content in it. That also means that GM has to ask real money for it.
Bought a black, luxury opt model two nights ago after reading all the great posts here.
Suprised to see the analog clock replaced with a analog temperature gauge. I guess if they can't sync the digital and analog clock - they get rid of the analog clock!
I also have a black CTS car and I just love driving it. I'm glad to see that you got the gauge instead of the clock as in the earlier models. For a first year car, it has had some minor inconveniences. If I had to do it all over again, I would definetely buy this car. I especially love weekends when I can drive on rural roads on the way to visit my brother. The car handles just so well. Hope you will enjoy your new drive. Any options other than the lux pkg.?
Scoop79... Congrats!! What's the manufacture date on your CTS? (See sticker on driver's door.) Mine is Feb03 and it has two clocks.
For all the clock watchers: My two clocks have stayed in sync so far... They both were exactly 10 minutes slow one day, but somehow they both corrected and caught up when I wasn't looking. I was driving when my wife noticed that the digital clock was 10 minutes slow. I checked the analog clock and noticed that it had exactly the same time (10 minutes slow). I thought "I'm gonna have to pull out the owner's manual", but forgot to do it when I got home. The next time we drove the car, both clocks had corrected and were in sync. I would chalk this up to an error/misperception on my part, if my wife hadn't been along and noticed it too. I think I read somewhere that the digital clock can correct itself based on a radio timing signal. Perhaps that is what happened.
Congtats on the new purchase. I also have the black lux package, and my other cars are getting cheated out of drive time. What color interior did you go with?
Went to the dealer today to order the dual exhaust system, $750 installed. Takes two or three weeks to get the parts. So I'll have it done the last week of May. I think they have to change the lower portion of the rear bumper to accommodate the pipes, and I forgot to ask if that's included in the total. If not, it's too late, I'm going for it. The CTS looks nice with dual pipes.
Noticed a small problem just the other day with the diversity antenna. The double sided tape melts when it gets hot out. In my area this is probably going to be an on going problem, because it gets really hot here. The dealer advised me not to fix it myself, but if it becomes a recurrent issue, I won't have time to take it in every time, huumm. So far, only the inside has losened. Has anyone else experienced this?
Heck it's not even summer yet, and we are in the low 80's. The inside of the car gets much warmer, especially in the middle of summer. It can get up to 160 degrees in a parked car.
fav002: Really nice pics of the CTS. Very professional shots.
BTW, one of the salespersons told me that the 04 CTS will be in the showroom Aug 03. Not sure if this is fact or fiction after reading all the other post.
Speaking of color, last night on the Las Vegas Strip, I saw a two tone (maybe jade and silver, but difficult to tell in the dark) CTS. It had California plates I didn't know they offered a two tone. Not that I would get one, it's just not listed in the color options. Must be a West Coast thing.
Read all I could about the CTS here and took it for a test drive at the dealers... absolutely loved it!!! Bought it after a week of haggling over the price, got it at 0%. Just signed today!!!
My CTS [feels great to say that ] Base 2003, White diamond with light neutral interior, automatic.
Can't wait for the delivery next week and take it out around town for a spin...
Hope to participate in this forum more often from now on and have something to contribute.
Surely, I will be taking it out for a long trip this summer and put it to the test...
What are your thoughts on getting an extended warranty for the CTS... I didn't discuss all options with the dealer, because i was debating if it was worth it to extend it beyond the bumper to bumper 4 years...
Any experiences, advice would be much appreciated.
I had the extended warranty on my 97 Catera when I found a small leak in the transmission at 65 thousand miles. The warranty paid for itself right there. But besides that it is nice to be able to drop the car at the dealer's and let them worry about all mechanical problems. Plus it is a selling point if you want to sell the car privately rather than trade when it is time for a new car, or you can get back the unused portion. I took the full extended warranty when I got my CTS. I'm sold on it. Cars have gotten much too complicated for back yard mechanics, though I still buy the factory service manuals when I get a new car, just so I know what is going on with the car.
Wow, Cadillac actually took our advice and put a proper temp gauge in there. And with the new V6 just a few months off and a 6 speed manual planned for the following year(and I'm not even mentioning the CTS-V) things are looking good for Cadillac. Now if the economy will ever improve, Cadillac stands to make some big gains with the new product they are getting ready to launch.
Welcome and Congrats on your new CTS!!!!!!! Look forward to hearing more from you about your great new car. As far as warranty extensions, I guess it matters on how long you keep the car and how many miles you put on it. My trade in vehicle when I bought the CTS was 9 years old but had only 42,000 miles on it.( 4700 miles a year) Come to think of it my new CTS already has 7100 miles and I had it for 10 months. Hmmmmmm!
Congrats on the new purchase. You're going to love it. On the extended warranty, there's lots of pro's and con's. Review them very, very carefully. My experience with extended warranties hasn't been that great. To date, I would have come out ahead had I not purchase a warranty.
I have only purchased one (against my best thinking) becaused the vehicle was used. Encountered one high dollar situation (with a deductible) during the period of the warranty, which turned out to be less than the warranty itself. All other items that broke during the course of the warranty weren't covered. Funny how that happens.
Because of what I've experience from years back to date, I know I don't need an extended warranty. Here's some food for thought.
Consumer's Digest recommends not. That's on any item, (car, boat, TV, appliance, etc.) That's beacuse an arbiter has already figured in a win/loose situation to their advantage. They (CD) sites the fact that (with cars anyway), most will trade before (or milage will close it) the manufactures warranty runs out,average 4 to 5 years, second many will not need or use it for any thing major (covered by the free warranty), third, as above, you already have a manufactures warrany, and forth, in most cases (greater than 90%), really high dollar repairs are encountered well beyond the period of the longest offered extended warranty. So the warranty underwriter's pay little to nothing, you pay a bundle. We have to remember, that the goal of an insurance underwriter is to collect and invest, not pay out.
They also say, that if an item is going to break, it's going to happen (in most cases) within the specified manufactures warranty. Otherwise it will be okay.
For those seeking an extended warranty, I use this for an example; Review your current situation. Look at the items you own that have survivied years beyond the said manufactures warranty (and in many cases the manufactures life expectancy),vs. how many have not. Count the dollars you would have spent, or spent on extended warranties. Do the math.
In my case, I would have wasted lots of money. Extended warranties do in fact provide peace of mind, if that's what you're after. Otherwise the (free) four year bumper to bumper manufacture warranty is plenty.
Is it a gamble? Of course, but in my opinion, and experience, it's to the consumer's advantage not to purchase, and as always, each to his own.
Curious if those with the automatic leave theirs in sport mode most/all the time. Do you think there's an appreciable difference in the car's behavior? I'm still "breaking in" the engine so I haven't used the sport mode or really pushed the car.
thebug: What sort of benefit/performance enhancement (eg, how much additional hp) is expected from the dual exhaust? Any idea if it will increase cabin noise?
wwhite2: Craps at Mohegan Sun, I like how you think. :-)
cu95: My reason for the dual exhaust is purely cosmetic. It just looks really nice. I'm sure it won't increase HP, and doubt that it will cause/increase cabin noise. On the sports mode, I only use it at lights occasionally for dusting ego's. Win a few, lose a few. It works pretty good, but takes a little more petro. From what I can tell, it makes the tranny shift faster, thus gets you out of the hole before everybody else.
wwhite2: Where the heck is Mohegan Sun anyway? Sounds like a good idea, but too far to drive. In my area, we have a few casinos in the back yard, and as I gaze out the window, I see a few in the front yard too. But I don't play craps. Too costly. Local's don't gamble, it's a live and learn thing.
bingoman: I don't pay for auto repairs (up keep) or gasoline. My organization provides an allowance (and I bank it). They cover the cost of everything but auto insurance. In regards to extended warranties, each to his own. I'd rather keep the money.
All Sport mode does is makes the tranny a bit more aggressive in upshift/downshift logic. I generally don't use it for cruising around but I've I'm being more aggresive in Interstate driving, I'll turn it on. I don't think that the shift patterns are as smooth as the default mode, which is why I generally don't leave it on.
Bought, last Friday, Sterling silver CTS, auto, luxury pkg, Bose system (no navigation), sunroof, upgraded wheels. Just shy of 200 miles on it now. Love it. Mine's got the "extra" clock (haven't checked build date yet) but it seems to be keeping correct time with the one on the radio. It is kind of dumb (opinion only) to have that second one. I'd have much preferred a temp/oil pressure gauge. But, oh well. Saw something here about the VIN's not being available immediately on the Cadillac Owners site. I'm having the same problem. How long's it take? Also, OnStar is telling me they can't "fire up" my personal calling/car phone because there are no numbers available in my area at the present time. "Please keep checking back with us." Anyone else run up against this. Kind of sounds like the "seven P's" on their part....(prior proper planning prevents piss poor performance!!)
Actually, the not having enough numbers in your area for personal calling is related to whoever the actual cellular provider in your area is(most likely Verizon). For personal calling, you are actually issued a number which is specific to your area. Congratulations on the purchase!
Hi everyone, Just returned from a 2,000+ mile roundtrip out to the midwest from Connecticut. The car ran great! Had the oil/filter changed before leaving and the DIC showed 78% oil life left when I got back home. Also, I installed an aftermarket XM satellite radio for the trip. Liked it a lot. I listened to either XM or the CD player most of the time. The ride was smooth and the car handled great on the hills in Pennsylvania. I still think I'm the only one on here with a cashmere color CTS. But, I like being unique. My CTS was built Oct02. Hopefully, I have the "faster" air bags.
I leased a new 2003 CTS in the middle of March. The car developed a loud knock at idle within the first two weeks. There appeared to be no other problems with acceleration etc. Took the car in for service and was notified on the second day that two new lifters were required. The lifters were ordered and replaced. The knock continued. Service received GM approval to replace all lifters. All lifters were replace...problem still existed. Transmission was removed - possible fly wheel (?). Not the answer. Back to the engine. I was notified on Friday that the connecting arm bushings were bad and needed to be replaced. Obviously, I am quite unhappy with the fact that we are now two weeks + into this "event" and Cadillac - not the dealer - but Cadillac thinks that I should accept this vehicle once the car is finally repaired. Really... three weeks, 1440 miles. My feeling is if I wanted a certified used vehicle I would have leased one...at significantly less money. IS THIS THE CADILLAC DIFFERENCE? I am waiting for the regional rep to call and will keep you posted. This is my first Cadillac and I was looking forward to many more years with Cadillac... I guess we will see!
mannytranny: Thanks. We had a 2000 Chev Impala LS and we loved it. It was developing some issues (first year run kind of stuff) so we actually were going to trade it (couldn't pass up the 0% financing) for a 2003 Impala LS. Wife saw a CTS commercial...said "Hey, that looks cool!" We went, looked, drove...that's all it took...lol. oldsman01: I hear ya. OnStar also says you can test your system by saying "Get my Location". Well, that doesn't work either. Although that could be tied directly to the phone issue..probably is. Guess I'll need to call them and pitch a fit. I paid for it, I expect the service. 2003cts: In 3 times for the same problem and still not fixed. In my state (Washington), and most others I think, that's immediate cause for invoking the Lemon Law. Thought of that??
Oh...and on the clock thing...my build is March '03. So, if they're putting temp gauges in now, it's gotta be a really recent thing. Could it have been something the dealer did after the fact??
re VIN being recognized by MyGMlink: I think it was about the fifth day for me for the VIN to be recognized, but I wasn't trying every day so it might have been doable sooner.
re phone number for OnStar personal calling: Tell OnStar to give you a number for another area. There are no long distance charges, so the area code is of no consequence to you --it only matters if you expect a lot of inbound calls from people who otherwise would be local, and even then it's those people who pay the long distance, not you. Then later when a local number becomes available, OnStar can switch you --at least according to the OnStar rep I spoke to (it came up because I plan to be moving in about a month so I may want to change my number after the move). If you're like me and don't plan to give the number out to many people, doing a subsequent number switch shouldn't be too burdensome.
Interesting how stories change depending on who you talk to. I live right on top of a boundary change for cellular areas...so, normally, I can choose which "area" I want for my home area. So, I tried that with OnStar. I was told they would ONLY do that if I had a 2nd residence elsewhere. Otherwise, the number is assigned per your Zip Code...period. Go figure. I'll give them a few days and see what happens. If the issue isn't fixed quickly, then I'll press harder and see what I can get accomplished.
Got the true price in writing today on the dual exhaust. Cadillac sends the cars out, and they couldn't tell me exactly what the cost was, so I call the installation shop to get the real deal.
Without the rear bumper modification, it's $750 plus tax, (doesn't look as nice) and with the bumper modification, it's $1,100 out the door. I'm going for the bumper modification so it will look as well as it does on the 04 CTS.
Originally, I spoke with one of the installers, and he told me I had to purchase the entire kit, as in grill, wood trim, side skirts, and bumper. I was going to scrap the idea altogether, but a manager left me a message later in the day, and then faxed me an invoice with pipes and bumper modification only. Pretty good deal. $1,100 taxes included, installed and out the door.
Takes a couple of days with color matching, paint, and application. Will have it done the first week of May. Not sure if I'm supposed to go through Cadillac, or straight to the shop.
rsteph: Congrats on the purchase. On OnStar, I live in Las Vegas, and have a local number for Cleveland Ohio. I did it so people there could call me as a local call. They (OnStar) didn't even question it, they just did it.
The CTS is a nice highway cruiser. Can't wait to get back out there. Going to San Diego at the end of May. Short (400 mi one way) trip, but lots on mountains to play in.
2003cts - Let us know what happens with the Cadillac Regional or National (if necessary) Reps. If a new CTS spends that much time in the shop, there is something definately wrong. Cadillac should replace the car.
Concerning the transmission "sport mode", as usual, sevenfeet0 is correct. We stopped using sport mode after the first few months. Well, once in a while at a stop light, we might just turn it back on.......
Last night, when my wife (Marie) returned home from work, we went shopping. Marie always lets me drive "her CTS" when we go shopping. She turned to me and said that "the CTS was the best handling car she's ever driven". Marie loves her CTS and admitted she'd been "lead footing" it again.
As for "On-Star", I've decided to renew my subscription, based on many of the comments on this board. I'll just renew with the basic service.
Clocks - Our dash board clock seems to be keeping accurate time. Still I wish we had the digital clock in the radio and a temp gauge in the dash.
At this point, the Regional Rep should be looking to at least replace the engine outright, if not the entire vehicle. Replacing the engine is certainly appropiate in this case, especially for so few miles on the car.
Check with your state's department of commerce and insurance to find out what the lemon laws are where you live (virtually all states have some legislation). Hopefully, Cadillac will do the right thing with this car since they can't afford disgruntled customers in this stage of their comeback. This kind of thing happens to a small subset of virtually all car buyers for any make. The real test of customer service is how they address the situation to make you happy.
Comments
I would assume a CTS-V would have few options. It looks like the Nav system is a likely option since it wasn't featured in the show cars, but there's always time to change that decision. I haven't seen pictures of a sunroof with the current prototypes either, so that might be another option. Otherwise the car will probably cost no more than $53K-$54K fully loaded, which is what Cadillac insiders predicted when they said a CTS-V would cost about the same as a fully loaded M3. This assumes of course that a dealer doesn't try to install a carriage roof or something else silly on this car (and I wouldn't put it past some dealers).
This is probably competitive pricing considering you get a completely different drivetrain from the normal CTS (engine, transmission), a new dash cluster and those expensive Brembos. It's s shame there won't be a automanual for the time being since they could probably sell a lot more of these cars than the 2500 or so they expect to move.
As for the floor mat tips, I'll have to keep them in mind. My original intent was to wear out the original factory mats and buy a new set in the darker charcoal color. I'd like to meet the genius that designed the CTS's two-tone interior and made the decision to use the light grey color for the carpet
I too cringe when I think of anyone else washing my black CTS. The only good news is the guy who does the washing at my Dealership is a longtime friend and fellow car enthusiast. But in the past one fellow messed up my Deville's aluminum wheels with some spray cleaner. Never could restore it to it's original look. Was I upset!
My CTS has the Dark Pewter interior, which I really like. An all black interior would be preferred, but it's OK. Like you, I'm contemplating buying a V series in a few years. I will not make the same "mistake" I made last time: keeping a new car 12 years and out of warranty. These new cars are just too hi-tech to run around without a bumper-to-bumper warranty for our protection. Any failure can be a big ticket expen$e. The car will be out of warranty in 4 years, so unless I buy an extended warranty, I think I'll trade it in for a newer model CTS (as you say, if I'm wealthy enough!). We'll have to see what GM does with this new exciting car line.
Under stand the 2003 CTS has a 1970 filter similar to compressed straw to keep the bugs out of the cockpit.
The 2003 Impala has a K11 Air Filtration System-includes pollen filter and the 2004 XLR has the same filter.
Unless the 2004 CTS has a PROPER air filter guess I will buy an Impala as I need a pollen filter. Can not afford a XLR.
Send your comments to GM so they can install one in 2004.
Berry
My 2003 has an air filter for the interior of the car. I do not think it's straw based filter. From the Owner's Manual, I think it's similar to the engine's air filter (a rectangular .5" thk paper "picture frame" style filter). My car's interior has stayed very clean so far. The Manual says to change it every 15,000 miles. My '91 Deville didn't have any filter so this is a big improvement. Cadillac HAS to have an equal or better filter than the Impala. That's the way the GM pecking order works. I'll look further into this...
I suspect that the CTS-V will be alot like the Impala SS of the '90's. The first year was Black only, then as it caught on, other colors were added. Cadillac will be watching how popular it is. It should be noted that when I say "popular" I mean SALES, not just people's positive comments. If enough people ask for Blue, they'll add it.
https://www.mygmlink.com/main/US/en/cadillac/intlink?inturl=/pdf/- go2content/manual/US/en/cadillac/2003cts.pdf
Personally, from one allergy sufferer to another...I don't think it makes that big of a difference whether your car has a pollen filter or not. The pollen is still going to get you when you exit/enter the car. I wouldn't base a car buying decision on that one feature alone although it IS a nice feature and does seem to help while driving.
Rich
Over the course of my lifetime, I've had 6 red (variations of) cars, 3 black, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 white and 1 chestnut color car. Most were dark colors and showed dirt. I still loved each one.
My current black car looks like a "black mirror" when it's freshly washed and waxed. Still my wife loves our Diamond White CTS and that's all that matters.
So if I had the cash to buy a new CTS today, I would have a hard time picking a color.
berrycherry - automole is correct, the interior air filter and running the airconditioner is the only thing that helps my allergies in the spring.
Rich
Was side- swiped the other day going uphill after completing a 90º turn and I saw the other car skidding coming down at me from the side. The road was lightly wet. I guickly swerved but too late and no where really to go. From the sound of the impact I thought the damage was going to be even more. Caught the area just at the bottom of the rear door, across the wheel and into the back fender. The wheel is being replaced because it has a gouge and several deep scratches. The rest of the damage is mostly cosmetic but will require body work and painting. Because of the color BLACK it will need a greater area to be blended in.
The other driver( 1990 Grand AM ) didn't have insurance when I asked for the info. Went inside the car , used ONSTAR to get the police to respond. Onstar pinpointed the spot( two lane rural road ) and the township police were dispatched to the scene. I told Onstar that everyone was O.K. and no need to stay on the line. Thank you Onstar! And to think that I was debating about keeping Onstar. I am definitely going to renew.
No airbags never deployed. I don't know if they impact wasn't enough to set any off or the DELAY mode was in effect. (I have an early build CTS )I don't think any airbags were necessary but the police did ask if any bags opened.
On another note...........I want to see a CTS V in person. I think that $45-$50,000 should be the top. Cadillac wants to make it appeal to more and newer buyers, then this works, especially for me! After seeing the pics, I want the black and of course, the awesome manual transmission!!!!!!!!
Went to dealer last year and they didnt know if it had one or if it could be changed. It does not show in any Cadillac Model info but the 2003 Impala does and the XLR. Guess Cadillac is behind on paper work, or maybe it was added later.
Berry
Guests will be the Cadillac Sixteen, Cadillac Cien, XLR and SRX.
I'll be there.
Rich
The Impala SS happened 'by accident', and only because there was virtually no engineering and no development costs involved - a few parts from the cop-car bin and a set of wheels and that's about it. It may have been a bit better than a basic Caprice, but it wasn't particularly fast.
The CTSv has some serious development and engineering behind it, there's real content in it. That also means that GM has to ask real money for it.
Suprised to see the analog clock replaced with a analog temperature gauge. I guess if they can't sync the digital and analog clock - they get rid of the analog clock!
I also have a black CTS car and I just love driving it. I'm glad to see that you got the gauge instead of the clock as in the earlier models. For a first year car, it has had some minor inconveniences. If I had to do it all over again, I would definetely buy this car. I especially love weekends when I can drive on rural roads on the way to visit my brother. The car handles just so well.
Hope you will enjoy your new drive. Any options other than the lux pkg.?
Congrats!! What's the manufacture date on your CTS? (See sticker on driver's door.) Mine is Feb03 and it has two clocks.
For all the clock watchers:
My two clocks have stayed in sync so far... They both were exactly 10 minutes slow one day, but somehow they both corrected and caught up when I wasn't looking. I was driving when my wife noticed that the digital clock was 10 minutes slow. I checked the analog clock and noticed that it had exactly the same time (10 minutes slow). I thought "I'm gonna have to pull out the owner's manual", but forgot to do it when I got home. The next time we drove the car, both clocks had corrected and were in sync. I would chalk this up to an error/misperception on my part, if my wife hadn't been along and noticed it too. I think I read somewhere that the digital clock can correct itself based on a radio timing signal. Perhaps that is what happened.
Went to the dealer today to order the dual exhaust system, $750 installed. Takes two or three weeks to get the parts. So I'll have it done the last week of May. I think they have to change the lower portion of the rear bumper to accommodate the pipes, and I forgot to ask if that's included in the total. If not, it's too late, I'm going for it. The CTS looks nice with dual pipes.
Noticed a small problem just the other day with the diversity antenna. The double sided tape melts when it gets hot out. In my area this is probably going to be an on going problem, because it gets really hot here. The dealer advised me not to fix it myself, but if it becomes a recurrent issue, I won't have time to take it in every time, huumm. So far, only the inside has losened. Has anyone else experienced this?
Heck it's not even summer yet, and we are in the low 80's. The inside of the car gets much warmer, especially in the middle of summer. It can get up to 160 degrees in a parked car.
fav002: Really nice pics of the CTS. Very professional shots.
BTW, one of the salespersons told me that the 04 CTS will be in the showroom Aug 03. Not sure if this is fact or fiction after reading all the other post.
Speaking of color, last night on the Las Vegas Strip, I saw a two tone (maybe jade and silver, but difficult to tell in the dark) CTS. It had California plates I didn't know they offered a two tone. Not that I would get one, it's just not listed in the color options. Must be a West Coast thing.
thebug...
Read all I could about the CTS here and took it for a test drive at the dealers... absolutely loved it!!! Bought it after a week of haggling over the price, got it at 0%. Just signed today!!!
My CTS [feels great to say that
Base 2003, White diamond with light neutral interior, automatic.
Can't wait for the delivery next week and take it out around town for a spin...
Hope to participate in this forum more often from now on and have something to contribute.
Surely, I will be taking it out for a long trip this summer and put it to the test...
Any experiences, advice would be much appreciated.
Megh
Look forward to hearing more from you about your great new car.
As far as warranty extensions, I guess it matters on how long you keep the car and how many miles you put on it. My trade in vehicle when I bought the CTS was 9 years old but had only 42,000 miles on it.( 4700 miles a year) Come to think of it my new CTS already has 7100 miles and I had it for 10 months. Hmmmmmm!
I have only purchased one (against my best thinking) becaused the vehicle was used. Encountered one high dollar situation (with a deductible) during the period of the warranty, which turned out to be less than the warranty itself. All other items that broke during the course of the warranty weren't covered. Funny how that happens.
Because of what I've experience from years back to date, I know I don't need an extended warranty. Here's some food for thought.
Consumer's Digest recommends not. That's on any item, (car, boat, TV, appliance, etc.) That's beacuse an arbiter has already figured in a win/loose situation to their advantage. They (CD) sites the fact that (with cars anyway), most will trade before (or milage will close it) the manufactures warranty runs out,average 4 to 5 years, second many will not need or use it for any thing major (covered by the free warranty), third, as above, you already have a manufactures warrany, and forth, in most cases (greater than 90%), really high dollar repairs are encountered well beyond the period of the longest offered extended warranty. So the warranty underwriter's pay little to nothing, you pay a bundle. We have to remember, that the goal of an insurance underwriter is to collect and invest, not pay out.
They also say, that if an item is going to break, it's going to happen (in most cases) within the specified manufactures warranty. Otherwise it will be okay.
For those seeking an extended warranty, I use this for an example; Review your current situation. Look at the items you own that have survivied years beyond the said manufactures warranty (and in many cases the manufactures life expectancy),vs. how many have not. Count the dollars you would have spent, or spent on extended warranties. Do the math.
In my case, I would have wasted lots of money. Extended warranties do in fact provide peace of mind, if that's what you're after. Otherwise the (free) four year bumper to bumper manufacture warranty is plenty.
Is it a gamble? Of course, but in my opinion, and experience, it's to the consumer's advantage not to purchase, and as always, each to his own.
thebug...
thebug:
What sort of benefit/performance enhancement (eg, how much additional hp) is expected from the dual exhaust? Any idea if it will increase cabin noise?
wwhite2:
Craps at Mohegan Sun, I like how you think. :-)
down side; you can only lose your stake.
up side; you can win thousands of dollars on a good roll.
warranty:
up side; you can lose the cost of the warranty.
down side; thousands of dollars in mechanical repairs.
You pays your money and you takes your chances.
wwhite2: Where the heck is Mohegan Sun anyway? Sounds like a good idea, but too far to drive. In my area, we have a few casinos in the back yard, and as I gaze out the window, I see a few in the front yard too. But I don't play craps. Too costly. Local's don't gamble, it's a live and learn thing.
bingoman: I don't pay for auto repairs (up keep) or gasoline. My organization provides an allowance (and I bank it). They cover the cost of everything but auto insurance. In regards to extended warranties, each to his own. I'd rather keep the money.
Enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!
How did you get to choose this car over others?
Just returned from a 2,000+ mile roundtrip out to the midwest from Connecticut.
The car ran great! Had the oil/filter changed before leaving and the DIC showed 78% oil life left when I got back home.
Also, I installed an aftermarket XM satellite radio for the trip. Liked it a lot. I listened to either XM or the CD player most of the time.
The ride was smooth and the car handled great on the hills in Pennsylvania.
I still think I'm the only one on here with a cashmere color CTS. But, I like being unique.
My CTS was built Oct02. Hopefully, I have the "faster" air bags.
oldsman01: I hear ya. OnStar also says you can test your system by saying "Get my Location". Well, that doesn't work either. Although that could be tied directly to the phone issue..probably is. Guess I'll need to call them and pitch a fit. I paid for it, I expect the service.
2003cts: In 3 times for the same problem and still not fixed. In my state (Washington), and most others I think, that's immediate cause for invoking the Lemon Law. Thought of that??
re phone number for OnStar personal calling: Tell OnStar to give you a number for another area. There are no long distance charges, so the area code is of no consequence to you --it only matters if you expect a lot of inbound calls from people who otherwise would be local, and even then it's those people who pay the long distance, not you. Then later when a local number becomes available, OnStar can switch you --at least according to the OnStar rep I spoke to (it came up because I plan to be moving in about a month so I may want to change my number after the move). If you're like me and don't plan to give the number out to many people, doing a subsequent number switch shouldn't be too burdensome.
Without the rear bumper modification, it's $750 plus tax, (doesn't look as nice) and with the bumper modification, it's $1,100 out the door. I'm going for the bumper modification so it will look as well as it does on the 04 CTS.
Originally, I spoke with one of the installers, and he told me I had to purchase the entire kit, as in grill, wood trim, side skirts, and bumper. I was going to scrap the idea altogether, but a manager left me a message later in the day, and then faxed me an invoice with pipes and bumper modification only. Pretty good deal. $1,100 taxes included, installed and out the door.
Takes a couple of days with color matching, paint, and application. Will have it done the first week of May. Not sure if I'm supposed to go through Cadillac, or straight to the shop.
rsteph: Congrats on the purchase. On OnStar, I live in Las Vegas, and have a local number for Cleveland Ohio. I did it so people there could call me as a local call. They (OnStar) didn't even question it, they just did it.
thebug...
thebug...
2003cts - Let us know what happens with the Cadillac Regional or National (if necessary) Reps. If a new CTS spends that much time in the shop, there is something definately wrong. Cadillac should replace the car.
Concerning the transmission "sport mode", as usual, sevenfeet0 is correct. We stopped using sport mode after the first few months. Well, once in a while at a stop light, we might just turn it back on.......
Last night, when my wife (Marie) returned home from work, we went shopping. Marie always lets me drive "her CTS" when we go shopping. She turned to me and said that "the CTS was the best handling car she's ever driven". Marie loves her CTS and admitted she'd been "lead footing" it again.
As for "On-Star", I've decided to renew my subscription, based on many of the comments on this board. I'll just renew with the basic service.
Clocks - Our dash board clock seems to be keeping accurate time. Still I wish we had the digital clock in the radio and a temp gauge in the dash.
Rich
Check with your state's department of commerce and insurance to find out what the lemon laws are where you live (virtually all states have some legislation). Hopefully, Cadillac will do the right thing with this car since they can't afford disgruntled customers in this stage of their comeback. This kind of thing happens to a small subset of virtually all car buyers for any make. The real test of customer service is how they address the situation to make you happy.