It was mentioned that the CTSi will be racing in the ALMS series (next year?). Nissan is also going to race the 350Z and autoweek reports another Japanese manufacturer, which is not Toyota, is also talking with ALMS officials (assumed to be Mazda with the RX-8). It will be real interesting to see these new cars race. Can't wait.
They sold me an AC Delco "PF2256G" "88894390" filter. On the top of it there is " E621H ENERGETIC" and "GM 24 415 388". Thanks for the info on the Catera filter...maybe I can look at them side by side and see if there is a difference other than the numbers.
Since I'm new here, I should explain that I traded a '98 Vette Roadster for a CTS at the end of May. Only put 4000 miles on the Vette in four years and finally realized it was not the car for me (at this time). My grandson's child seat would not fit the Vette and he is more important than my ego. So after 26 years of being a Corvette driver, I grew up.
As for the CTS, it's become my wife's daily driver. She loves it! It'nimble and quick enough for her (lead foot). I enjoy driving it too. We haven't had any problems so far, but I do expect some first year glitches to show up. It's a fully loaded White Diamond color with the Luxury Sport option and moon roof. We get compliments all the time, specially when we go to cruise-night car shows. The 16 to 25 year olds love the styling.
However, I do think that it needs a little better interior, a touch up of the exterior and about 30 more horses. The radio/information/navigation system is too complex and difficult to use when driving and the analog clock is useless. If the stock market ever goes back up (I'm retired), an upgrade to the 2004 model might be in the works.
This is a great board and I'd be interested in hearing other drivers CTS experiences.
Welcome to the discussion! White Diamond is the only color I've yet to see in person and I'm sure it looks great.
I had a Cobra and was looking into buying a Corvette until my wife and I decided to have kids which made a 4-door (and 4 seat) sedan a necessary convenience. I'm sure you probably feel differently having driven the Corvette more than I have; but there was something very Corvette-like in the way the CTS's steering and suspension feels IMO...or maybe just GM-like I guess.
-Just curious...what kind of interior improvement and/or exterior touch-up do you think the CTS needs? In my opinion the exterior is perfect with the exception of the wheels (I like the styling...just think they should be bigger diameter) and I like the interior just as it is as well. I have been a little disappointed in the leather; it seems to be stretching a bit more than I'm used to and seems like it will stain easily. Other than that (the leather) I wouldn't change a thing about the interior, even the analog clock. I too would consider an upgrade in 2004 stock permitting and assuming they don't ruin what I like about the existing CTS by 'freshening' the design.
ambull: Why? The CTS is obviously weak in the horsepower/torque department but has great brakes, steering, and handling. I think if the engine was beefed up it would do very well as a race car.
bobsan: What brand of wood kit did you end up getting for your CTS? I would like to get wood (or carbon fiber) for just the door grips since my CTS didn't come with the wood (no luxury package) but all the kits I've seen have many more additional pieces that I don't want. I'm also wondering about the quality of the various wood kits.
It's just my opinion, but the CTS dash doesn't say Cadillac. Too much bland colored plastic.The clock is poorly located and the radio/navigation pod seems to be disconnected from the rest of the dash. I've seen some of the wood kits and they would help add some color.
I'd like the CTS to have a mini version of the STS dash (but improved). Also, at 6' tall, the driver seat doesn't have enough thigh support for me. My wife is 5'2" and thinks it's perfect.
Using or reseting the "information system" items (temperature, average fuel milage, average speed, fuel used, etc.) is a real pain. It should be a lot easier.
As for the exterior, I agree that it should have bigger wheels. The side view doesn't look right (to me) in light colors, don't know why, just my opinion. The photo I saw of the CTSi had a ground effects package that seemed to enhance the side view. I would like to see the CTS (from an earlier post)with the grill painted to match the body. Would our CTS look good that way? My wife says NO!!!! I just wonder.
Anyway, enough criticism. The CTS is a great car to drive! It handles better than most cars and is quick enough for my wife. We're trying to reduce the driving miles on our other car (2000 miles away from expiration of the warranty), so we use the CTS alot. Wherever we go, the CTS draws a crowd. People always complement us on the car which makes me feel good. It was hard to give up the Vette, but I believe it was the right decision.
What Cobra did you have? Drove a buddy's 427 back in 1967 that was the most awesome car I'd ever seen. It's funny, my Vette was almost as quick, yet was a comfortable street/road driver. Still, the Cobra will always stick in my mind.
Rich, we seem to have about the same car: White Diamond, Luxury Sport, with all options except the engine heater.
I have the grill painted to match. Everyone I've spoken to seems to think that it looks much better than the original Gray painted grill. But then, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you have to live with your wife.
I've put almost 8,000 miles on the car since I got it in May. It has behaved very well except for a false alarm about the stability system, and another check stability system message today. Being able to check with OnStar about the cause while on the road is nice, and reasurring. I rather like the interior as it is. But I agree the dash needs full instrumentation and the clock is in a ridiculous location. The clock is the only instrument that the passengers need to see and it is in the poorest location for them.
The navigation system is definitely not intuitive. After more than 7,000 miles of navigating around the MidWest I still have not figured out how to add a waypoint to a route. You have to go through to many intermediate menus to get to where you can change anything. The location for the cruise control is poorly located at the bottom of the steering wheel, requiring you to reach for it in an awkward position. The volume control on the steering wheel is an interesting idea, but I have brushed it accidently on a couple of occasions, causing the radio to blare forth. Ah well, we have not yet arrived at perfection. But I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
Thanks for your input.Have you got any pictures of your grill? I'd like to see them.
Don't get me wrong, my wife loves her CTS just the way it is. For two years, I drove her to work so that I could use the other car during the day (I'm retired). Now she gets to drive and is really happy with the handling and ride of the CTS! She is my best friend, the love of my life, a hard worker, a great driver and a lead foot.
My criticism of the CTS is because I want Cadillac to be the standard of the world again. During the '80's, GM had managers that didn't know the car business. They were so busy counting beans, they ruined the quality and styling of their cars. I hope, under the guidance of Bob Lutz, that this has changed.
I love to drive the CTS too! it's always funny to see what the navigation system does when I don't follow it's instructions. First it tells me to make a u turn. Then it recalculates and comes up with a new route based on the direction i'm going. Sometimes it's right and sometimes I'm right.
It's a pleasure to hear from other CTS owners. I was surprised to hear about the oil change costs. Since we only have about 3300 miles, it'll be a few months before I get the oil changed.
More later. The wood trim on our house needs painting before winter, so Home Depot is calling me.
So, here's my 1000 mile review: Background: I'm 28 and I have a black CTS, with two-tone seats and no other options. The infamous "base package" with a manual transmission. I ordered it from the factory on 1 June and picked it up at the dealership 17 July. Other cars I considered were the BMW 325, the Mercedes C240 and the Subaru WRX. The engine: I think the engine is peachy. I don't have any trouble passing anyone, accellerating into traffic, or zooming up to 80mph on some winding roads here in Colorado. I haven't taken it up into the mountains, yet, but I'm sure it will be just fine. I would like to drop a K&N filter into the airbox and I have contacted B&B Performance about the stainless steel exhaust they put on the Lund CTS (Autoweek 20 May 2002). I'll let everyone know what I hear from them. I would like a little more oomph (and a little louder exhaust noise; call me crazy) but after a few tweaks, it should be perfect. The transmission: I hadn't had a MT in years, and wanted to go back to one. If the CTS wouldn't have come out, I would have gotten a WRX. So, GM snagged me right there. I love the way it shifts. It's a little notchy, but I like that feel, so I'm happy with it. The handling: This car kicks [non-permissible content removed]. 'Nuff said. The exterior: This is one of the things that sold me on the car. I love the way it looks. It's not too bad in silver, but in black it's awesome. Very evil-looking. I'm having the windows tinted this weekend, which will just make it more evil. The interior: I like the interior, too. I didn't want a bunch of wood. I also hope they don't change it too much. I was looking at the Joshua Tree site linked above, and I like their brushed aluminum stuff, but in moderation. I really like the techno look, and the two-tone accentuates it even more. Problems others have: The clock: I have no problems with the clock. A temp gauge might be nice, but I don't require it. My clock keeps as good time (so far) as my Swiss watch, and that's good enough for me. The remote keyless entry: I don't have any problems with this either. I routinely unlock the car from over 100 feet away. Also, so far, no moisture under the seat, no water in the back seat, or other problems mentioned in this thread. Problems I have: The only problem I've run into is trying to find a comfortable position for a long duration in the seats. I seem to have some lower back twinges after long trips. I've been adjusting the seat over the past few weeks to find a better position. I guess the only other problem is that I don't get to drive it enough. Others' opinions of the car: I've only gotten one negative comment about the looks so far; everyone else I talk to really seems to like it. One person thought it was a Volvo. I've always like the squarish looks of Volvos, too, so that's cool. I've gotten thumbs-up driving down the road and lots of people craning their necks to check it out. One guy stopped my in a parking lot to tell me he'd just gotten one. And for some reason little kids (like, five years old) really seem interested in it, too. One guy in my office couldn't believe I chose a Cadillac over a BMW, but he's kind of a "Germanophile." Another associate with a BMW Z3 likes the CTS a lot. In fact, we're going for a drive in it this afternoon... That's about all I have to say about it. I really like it. I especially enjoy driving at night. The way the guages and console light up make me feel like I'm in some jet cockpit.
Great review. I agree, black looks best. I think any dark color is fine though.
Unfortunately there are many people who think BMW / German cars are best and it will take time to change minds. Cadillac has a gem here and they just have to keep working to make it better and build a following. Build it and they will come as they say!
Okay, I finally got a chance to get behind the wheel of CTS. I'll probably let my local dealer allow me to take one home for a day or so to see what I think past the 20 minute test drive.
A little background. As my nick indicates, I'm very tall, much of it in my legs. This radically restricts the cars on my short list. I also don't want a boring car, and I don't want to spend more than $40K. I am 37 years old and married with a baby on the way. My last car was a '91 Deville, which got totaled in an accident last year, which I have yet to replace. The list of cars for the long legged driver includes:
Volvo S80 Mercury Marauder Cadillac CTS
First the Mercury. I travel for a living and rent the Mercury Grand Marquis almost every week. The Marauder is a pleasant change from the normally elderly GM. A nice growl from the engine, tighter rack & pinion steering, a suspension that doesn't wallow at every curve. On the other hand, the interior wasn't much upmarket from the normal GM. The seats are better but not extraordinary, the performance gauges are a nice touch, and they replaced the fake wood with a gray dotted plastic. Well, its better than fake wood. And finally, there's nothing funnier that a road full of motorists getting out of your way thinking you are a cop car.
The Volvo S80 2.9 I'd driven a number of times since you can rent them from Hertz. I can adjust the seat in a strange way that allow me to have about 2 inches of leg room from the dash (a big deal for me). The cabin is spacious, the dash makes sense (although some of the controls don't on first glance), and the power is adequate, but not exciting. The trunk is big, but of course second to the huge Mercury. I haven't driven the T6 hotrod but it may be out of my price range anyway. More downsides include a radio whose display washes out with sunlight, and a thick B-pillar which intrudes on my shoulder room. With a baby on the way, its easily the most practical decision.
Now the CTS. I drove a Luxury model with autotrans. Damn this car was fun. I know understand what everyone talks about in describing the handling. The dealership let me take the car on a twisty side road, which is a good move since this car seems love this. Cadillac really nailed this. Last time I drove something like this, it was a BMW 3 series, though the BMW still gets a nod for the steering rack, but not by that much.
The interior driving room was a mixed bag for me. The leg room is less than the S80, but livable. My right leg spend its time against the central console at a spot I'm not sure I like. This isn't a problem in the Volvo or the cavernous Mercury. Headroom for the Volvo is better, despite the published numbers that give the CTS the edge. Regardless, I probably wouldn't order either car with a sunroof given my size problem. Although the CTS has a dead pedal, its too thin and my shoes aren't that wide.
The CTS interior seems to be a design exercise in trying to make the interior live up to the "look-at-me" exterior. Some things work, but others don't. Personally, Cadillac's Audi+Lexus lovechild interiors of the Deville and Sevilles make more sense to me, but not even Lexus put their normal interior in their overachieving IS300. Some features remind me a little of the Allante, without the square buttons. And everyone is right about the clock; it needs to go back to the center console where it belongs. Why can I get a full set of guages in a Maurader and not in CTS? The glove box is too small and there isn't enough storage room for odds and ends, especially compared to the S80.
Although the S80 and CTS are similar sized automobiles, the S80 feels more spacious, most likely due to the fact that it's a wider car with a taller greenhouse. The Volvo wins for front passenger space hands down. The CTS is supposed to have more rear leg room, but since I don't sit back there, I don't care as much.
The CTS engine has enough oomph for me, especially since I was used to a 200 HP V8 Deville which was hauling around more weight. 30 more horses would be great, but probably only get me into trouble. The engine noise has a nice growl under heavy acceleration but its not as smooth as the Volvo inline 6.
So here's my dilemma. The Maurader is a nice change from my normal car rentals, but there's still to much Grand Marquis in it for my blood. The Volvo has a great balance of features, including room, layout and safety, but a spirited personality isn't one of them. But it makes a great family luxury sedan for a guy who will soon be mounting a baby seat. The CTS is like a siren's song. It seems like it will be a lot of fun day to day. But it's difficult to overlook the shortcomings.
Sevenfeet0 - you are obviously slightly outside the normal Detroit design parameters. Aside from that, choosing a car is a game of choices. There are always tradeoffs to be made. Rarely does any car exactly meet a persons desires or requirements. Most of us in this chat would like a more complete set of instruments, and I expect that the next version of the CTS will have them, but not this year. If you enjoyed the handling of the Luxury model you should try the Luxury Sport. It has 17" wheels, and a 'sport tuned' suspension, stabilitrac II and a self-leveling rear suspension. It also has speed sensitive steering.
Considering your height I wonder if you might be more comfortable in a van or SUV. Whatever you eventually choose, a new car is always fun. Good luck on your choice.
I feel your pain, although I'm only 6 feet 0. There are only a limited number of cars with front legroom greater than 42.5 inches and like all cars they involve trade offs.
If the legroom is paramount, consider getting a used Lexus GS or LS. Ditto a used Infiniti Q45. If you only want something new and under 40k, consider the Nissan Maxima/Altima combo and the Infiniti I35 or G35. A new base DeVille would be right at 40k, much less used. You might also consider a new or slightly used Saab 9-5.
Go sit in and test drive all of these cars that are near the top of maximum front legroom. You may discover one to your liking. However, after you see their trade offs, the CTS may look a lot better to you. It is a great car that you can have a lot of fun in, despite its shortcomings. Btw, your choices might force you to choose between luxury fun and practical fun.
I just returned from a new owners meeting at the Cadillac dealer. Only one Deville owner seemed to be 60 something and she was driving a Crimson Pearl Red Deville...go figure. All of the other DeVille owners seemed to be 30 something to fifty something. One young couple had an ETC.
One thirty something lady had a White Pearl CTS and a retired couple had a silver one. The only problems with the CTS and other Cadillacs stemmed from a failure to read the owner's manuel.
One CTS owner complained that she kept accidentally hitting the record message buttons by mistake and needed the system explained to her. The retired couple complained that they couldn't find the cd changer. They had looked in the glove compartment and the trunk, to no avail. They were happy campers when the tech showed them how to load the changer that's located in the dash stereo system on the CTS.
After plying us with rolls and coffee, making a pitch to have us service our cars there early and often, answering our questions, everyone left happy.
BTW, the thirty something lady said that all of her female friends and co-workers adore the CTS. She said some of them plan to buy one and others who can't afford one, hate her.
Looks like I will have to give up my crown as one of the tallest on edmunds'. I am 6'8" and have the same problem with legroom that you have. I can fit in the CTS but find it a little tight in the console area. The GM wbody cars have quite a bit of legroom. More than the Marauder you mentioned. While they are a step down in luxury both the intrigue and the impala are excellent. My intrigue had a lot of problems but my Impala with 28K miles has been the best car I have ever owned. With the seat all the way back and the bottom cushion and seatback rocked up and back there is almost 2 inches between my knee and the dashboard. I also pushed the rearview mirror up since it blocks my forward vision. The intrigue is better in this respect but the car was too much trouble for me to consider it again. These comments only pertain to cars with the power seat. The manual ones do not offer enough adjustment. Also look at the Passat and some BMW's.
I appreciate the suggestions you guys are making. Unfortunately, I've been down the path of most of them. One thing I'd forgotten about was a used Lexus LS. I can fit in the current LS okay, and some of the older models work too. The GS model is too tight for my taste. All other Lexus cars are impossible.
BMW 5 series are too tight (legs wedged between the steering wheel and door or center console). Some older 7 series would be nicer if they had more headroom. The 3 series surprisingly fits the best of all, but not enough for me to fork over $40K for one.
The Passat fits surprisingly well, but VW put the brake pedel inexplicably too close to the accelerator. Its way to easy to make a mistake here. (Maybe my feet are wider than normal after all!)
GM W-body cars fit okay, but not enough for me to take one home. The Intrique is a lame duck and the Impala leaves me cold.
All Nissan's and Infinitis don't work at all, including all previous generation Q45s. I helped a friend of mine pick out a G35 two weeks ago. I would have considered it too but I couldn't drive it more than a few blocks without getting pissed off.
All Toyotas and Hondas aren't worth mentioning.
The Lincoln LS is impossible to drive. Ditto for Thunderbird or Jaguar S-type, all based on the same chassis.
The Caddy DTS doesn't work as well as I would like. Its just on the border of "yes" and "no". Another half inch of leg room would make a world of difference.
If this search was just on researching leg room figures, then it would be easier. But I've learned that just because a car claims over 42 inches in the front doesn't mean my legs will like it. Usually my legs will splay in a butterfly position in the driver's seat. The trick is to get something that ultimately I can live with. And headroom and shoulder room always comes into play. I always weigh 300 lbs and have a NBA basketball build, despite having never played in the league.
A classic case in point is full-sized sport utes. Believe it or not, most of them have front seats that don't go back that far. The Escalade (and other related GM models) has a second problem. With a column mounted shifter, once shifted into Drive, the shift knob is right over my knee. Lift my foot off the brake to hit the accelerator and I stand a good chance of knocking the truck out of gear. Not good. Ford full-sized utes are better, but there's a last problem. My wife doesn't care for the super-sized trucks and hates the idea of a truck making less than 14 miles per gallon. (She once worked helping third world countries with their environmental problems).
BTW, there is one car which I fit in nearly perfectly and is my dream car. It's the Mercedes S-class. The seat goes back and back and back... Mercedes understands the needs of a small but loyal constituency: NBA basketball players. But this car is at least $70K new, and used ones are still $50K+. The previous generation ones don't fit me nearly as well. I might look like an NBA player, but I don't make that kind of money. Well, not yet anyway.
My salesman at the Caddy/Olds dealer where I bought my Intrigue is a about 6'8". When the Caddy DTS came out I was excited about it and asked him to call me when one came in. He did, but he said "you won't like it". It actually had less legroom than the previous model. They made the knee bolster larger at the lower part of the dash. GM is the only company I know that can make a car with a longer wheelbase that has LESS legroom than the previous model.
I am also amazed at how little legroom the full size trucks have.
I have also looked at a 4 year old Lexus LS 400. They can be had for 30K and are super cars. I have talked to many a Mercedes and BMW mechanic who will tell you that they are much cheaper to own.
As for the CTS I will wait another year until the CTSi comes out. If I can drive the 6 speed without my left leg hitting the steering wheel or armrest I will buy it. If not, it will probalby be a marauder or a impala ss.
I have been told that a temp gauge will soon be placed where the clock currently is. Models that are currently being produced now have the clock integrated in the radio.
Also, there have only been 200 CTS's built with the Jade Green color. Do not know the reason for this.
There is also discussion that the Grand River plant may add another shift to double the current CTS capacity. Personnally I hope this does not happen. That would mean about 80000 units per year and I am afraid that GM would then start do incentivise the CTS to move them off dealers lots. Hopefully Gary Cowger realizes that this would be bad for the rebirth that Cadillac is going through and keep operating the plant on one shift for the CTS.
If you read all of sevenfeet's post you'd see what he's saying is that it's impossible to drive because of his height.
For me it was impossible to drive because of its cost $$
I actually looked at the Jag X-type and in the end it was between it and the CTS for my decision on which new car to buy. Although the X-type was a fine car I'm glad I picked the CTS. The CTS had much better handling and I felt like more of a participant in the driving experience. The Jag had loose steering and felt more detached from the road.
Have you considered a Chrysler 300M? My father is 6'4" and can fit comfortably in my '99M, even with a sunroof. It really is an excellent car...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Do you think that there is any chance to upgrade an earlier CTS? Would it be too expensive to add a temp guage to the dash?
I asked at my dealer and they just stared at me with such a blank look and then the one guy said......... why would you want to add a temp guage? The other one said that it would be so expensive to put one into an earlier car and to re-program the computer that it wouldn't be worth it!
The fact that your dealer couldn't answer your question is a general problem with Cadillac dealerships. If Cadillac is going to remake itself, it must not forget the customer experience with the dealer. I shouldn't know more than them when it comes to their product. They should certainly understand that a sports sedan needs a proper set of guages.
And BTW, it probably would be too expensive to retrofit the existing CTS, unless you wanted to spend $2000 on a new set of guages. We're probably all just going to have to wait for Cadillac to revamp the dash for 2004, or a mid-2003 model year update (less likely).
I had forgotten about the 300M (or Intrepid). They are large and I think I can fit in them. I have a friend who owns an Intrepid. I may have to ask him for a fitting.
I wouldn't bother wasting your time on the 300M; it was my previous car that I traded in on the CTS. Besides being inferior in fit and finish (felt more like a Neon than a top of the line Chrysler) to the CTS it has LESS legroom. One of the reasons I was happy to get rid of the 300M was because of the cab-forward design; due to the design there was a big hump on the left side under the dash where the wheelwell was. This cut into the driver's legroom and as a result I always had to put my left foot flat on the floorpan...I couldn't ever stretch it out. On long trips my left leg would cramp up because I couldn't stretch it and it bothered my lower back on the left side. Keep in mind, I'm only a little over 6'1".
On another note, has anyone been mildly annoyed with 'big brother' riding along with you in the CTS? Besides OnStar being able to track your every move the car seems to have a mind of its own. I wanted to tweak some of the settings while cruising along at a snails-pace the other day and the computer told me I needed to come to a complete stop before it would let me make adjustments. Then tonight I stepped on the gas and noticed a small puff of smoke in my rear view mirror. When I put the car in neutral to rev the engine a couple of times I noticed there was a 'neutral' position rev limiter so I couldn't rev it over 3000 RPMs. Seems like car manufacturers are doing all they can to engineer the fun out of our cars.
I don't know for sure but I think it would be expensive to add a temp gauge to a current CTS with the clock in the instrument cluster. it is my understanding that the temp gauge will be added this fall. I'll double check and let you know.
The CD player in the CTS plays both CDR's AND CDRW's! That's a good thing since I think you'd be pretty much screwed if it didn't since it would be nearly impossible to install an aftermarket stereo in the CTS.
The LS also has a 3000 rpm rev limiter in neutral/park. It's there to keep folks from revving up to redline then grabbing Drive. You do that too many times and you'll be sweeping your tranny up with a broom.
Automole is right. The Chrysler cars just don't cut it in the legroom department. Also the extreme rake of the windshield blocks vision. Especially overhead stoplights. i rented a intrepid when my intrigue was in the shop several years ago and the intrigue had more usable inches of legroom. I sat in a LHS a few months ago and was surprised at how little legroom there was and the fact that my elbow almost went through the padded console lid.
I agree about the caddy dealers. I was on vacation and my moms deville needed a servicing, so while their I asked the main sales guy when he was getting the CTSi with the vette engine. He said I must be thinking about the SLR( He said SLR) which will have a 300hp Northstar. I wanted to tell this guy how off he was, but my mom needed the work done that day and she did not have an appointment.
The same lack of product knowledge was the case at St. Claire Cadillac until recently. We asked the new service manager what happened to the old service manager and he said that Cadillac has been puting pressure on the owners of dealers to raise their customer satisfaction number. So they replaced the 70 year old guy with a 30 year old. I know it will take more than this to turn Caddy's dealerships around, but atleast Cadillac is trying.
I really don't get your point about the 30 yo versus the 70 yo, particularly in light of local experience. When the last 65 yo service agent retired, service went straight to hell. That was two years ago, and all the staff are new 30-somethings. The service department sort of resembles a loosely contrived party now.
The age of the people in service or the sales department is not that relevant. TRAINING means an awful lot more. And these days, it means not only detailed knowledge of your products and services, but also future products. People are reading the magazines about future stuff much more than 20 years ago.
Lastly, the dealer experience can be summed up with two old stand bys: first impressions, and followup.
Is the dealership clean and modern?
Do the sales associates conduct look and conduct themselves in a professional manner?
Are desks neat and tidy?
Does someone engage the customer within the first 30 seconds of their arrival in the dealership, even if its just to say "I'm with another customer right now, but I'll be with you shortly"?
If they don't know an answer, do they investigate and followup?
Do women get treated equally as purchase decision makers? (yes, I've seen this happen)
Do service departments take the time to explain issues? Do they explain problems and repair work in plain English?
Years ago, my mother went to her local Cadillac dealer to trade her Deville for a new one. She's a high ranking administrator in the Nashville school system. When she saw a Deville she liked, she asked "how much is the car?" Instead, she got the runaround of "well, we could do $499 a month", or something else that hid the true cost of the vehicle. Finally she got so fed up, she walked out, drove the Lexus dealership and bought an ES300 within an hour. Cadillac will probably never get her back just because of that one bad experience. It's truly a shame for a customer of 20 years. And it was completely avoidable with proper training.
What I meant was that hopefully the new and younger guy will bring a new "customer 1st attitude." The old guy was very arrogant and acted like we as customers should be happy that his dealership will service our caddy. Alot of car companies have problems with rude and arrogant dealers. I hear Lexus dealers are quite rude and give off the aura of "I'm better than you."(This is all hear say though) The difference is most people have a positive opinion of Lexus automobiles. This cannot be said for Caddy. Basically I think their are 4 key issues in no particular order that Caddy must adress to be number one again.
1. Have a good advertising campaign to get people into the showrooms. I think their breakthrough campaing does this.
2. Have dealerships remodel and make them on par with Lexus, MB, and BMW. Some Caddy dealers are great, but some look no more modern or fancy than a daewoo or Kia dealer.
3. Produce auto's that are of high quality, reliablity, and not a carbon copy of the competitors. I feel they have gone in the right direction with the CTS to fullfill this requirement.
4. Hire people for the dealerships that will treat the customers the way a luxury car customer should be treated. Again, I think caddy is hit and miss in regars.
I like the aftermarket wheels...what are they? As for the other mods I don't like them. The things I like so well about the CTS are that there's no stupid 'Cadillac' name anywhere on the car, the taillights are narrow and tall, and the cool reflective plastic behind the license plate (it looks more shiny metallic than plastic). There's nothing wrong with your modification...it just makes the rearend of the CTS look generic like every other sedan on the road. The dual exhaust is cool though, although I'd prefer dual single pipes instead of dual double pipes.
The aftermarket wheels really are not aftermarket. In fact, I just copied them from an XLR pictures and pasted them on top of the CTS. As for the Mods, I agree with you, I like the CTS exterior as it is. However, It seems that the rear end is what gets bashed by most people. So I tryed for the generic look.
How about this CTC? The picture is of a CTS owned by someone in this forum. I can't who remember though. The link above includes whatever I have done with the CTS. I even tried cutting the front end of the XLR and pasting in onto the CTS. It sucked.
Lastly, what do you guys think is the reason for Cadillac's silence in regards to the CTSi(CTSv) . And when will we know the specs of the upcoming V6. The rumor is 251hp, but I've seen many different numbers.
Fueludup, thanks for the compliments, but the mods were free. The result was obtained from Adobe Photoshop and having excess time in ones life.
Lets start a little question session. We all know the CTS needs more power. Most also think some minor things need to be tweaked in the interior. Well what is the most important thing that needs changing in regards to the CTS exterior. Nothing? Everything? the trunk? the grill? etc.....
I'm not sure the mods work that well. An angled car needs rectangular exhausts, not round. And moving the license plate is interesting, but the look reminds me a little too much of the Catera's rear end. The rear Caddy logo is nice and large, just like the Escalade.
The CTC is really interesting, but BMW tried a hatch and failed. The jury is still out for the low-end Mercedes C class hatch. Maybe an outright coupe may be a better idea.
Comments
It will be real interesting to see these new cars race. Can't wait.
The car was silver and looked like the luxury sport model.
The car was also featured in the Trans Am series as well.
What wonderful races Le Mans and Trans Am series are!
J "CaddyLac"
As for the CTS, it's become my wife's daily driver. She loves it! It'nimble and quick enough for her (lead foot). I enjoy driving it too. We haven't had any problems so far, but I do expect some first year glitches to show up. It's a fully loaded White Diamond color with the Luxury Sport option and moon roof. We get compliments all the time, specially when we go to cruise-night car shows. The 16 to 25 year olds love the styling.
However, I do think that it needs a little better interior, a touch up of the exterior and about 30 more horses. The radio/information/navigation system is too complex and difficult to use when driving and the analog clock is useless. If the stock market ever goes back up (I'm retired), an upgrade to the 2004 model might be in the works.
This is a great board and I'd be interested in hearing other drivers CTS experiences.
Rich W
I had a Cobra and was looking into buying a Corvette until my wife and I decided to have kids which made a 4-door (and 4 seat) sedan a necessary convenience. I'm sure you probably feel differently having driven the Corvette more than I have; but there was something very Corvette-like in the way the CTS's steering and suspension feels IMO...or maybe just GM-like I guess.
-Just curious...what kind of interior improvement and/or exterior touch-up do you think the CTS needs? In my opinion the exterior is perfect with the exception of the wheels (I like the styling...just think they should be bigger diameter) and I like the interior just as it is as well. I have been a little disappointed in the leather; it seems to be stretching a bit more than I'm used to and seems like it will stain easily. Other than that (the leather) I wouldn't change a thing about the interior, even the analog clock. I too would consider an upgrade in 2004 stock permitting and assuming they don't ruin what I like about the existing CTS by 'freshening' the design.
ambull: Why? The CTS is obviously weak in the horsepower/torque department but has great brakes, steering, and handling. I think if the engine was beefed up it would do very well as a race car.
bobsan: What brand of wood kit did you end up getting for your CTS? I would like to get wood (or carbon fiber) for just the door grips since my CTS didn't come with the wood (no luxury package) but all the kits I've seen have many more additional pieces that I don't want. I'm also wondering about the quality of the various wood kits.
It's just my opinion, but the CTS dash doesn't say Cadillac. Too much bland colored plastic.The clock is poorly located and the radio/navigation pod seems to be disconnected from the rest of the dash. I've seen some of the wood kits and they would help add some color.
I'd like the CTS to have a mini version of the STS dash (but improved). Also, at 6' tall, the driver seat doesn't have enough thigh support for me. My wife is 5'2" and thinks it's perfect.
Using or reseting the "information system" items (temperature, average fuel milage, average speed, fuel used, etc.) is a real pain. It should be a lot easier.
As for the exterior, I agree that it should have bigger wheels. The side view doesn't look right (to me) in light colors, don't know why, just my opinion. The photo I saw of the CTSi had a ground effects package that seemed to enhance the side view. I would like to see the CTS (from an earlier post)with the grill painted to match the body. Would our CTS look good that way? My wife says NO!!!! I just wonder.
Anyway, enough criticism. The CTS is a great car to drive! It handles better than most cars and is quick enough for my wife. We're trying to reduce the driving miles on our other car (2000 miles away from expiration of the warranty), so we use the CTS alot. Wherever we go, the CTS draws a crowd. People always complement us on the car which makes me feel good. It was hard to give up the Vette, but I believe it was the right decision.
What Cobra did you have? Drove a buddy's 427 back in 1967 that was the most awesome car I'd ever seen. It's funny, my Vette was almost as quick, yet was a comfortable street/road driver. Still, the Cobra will always stick in my mind.
Rich
If not check the following Webpage:
http://www.woodtrim.com
Joshua has Wood and Carbon Fiber kits and also you can purchase partial kits I believe (dash or doors ect only)
Check it out and it is good quality and looks great.Easy to apply if you follow the instructions.
To Rich: Welcome to this board and keep us posted on your expierience.
Thanks and I am looking foward to your posts!!!
bobsan
I have the grill painted to match. Everyone I've spoken to seems to think that it looks much better than the original Gray painted grill. But then, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you have to live with your wife.
I've put almost 8,000 miles on the car since I got it in May. It has behaved very well except for a false alarm about the stability system, and another check stability system message today. Being able to check with OnStar about the cause while on the road is nice, and reasurring. I rather like the interior as it is. But I agree the dash needs full instrumentation and the clock is in a ridiculous location. The clock is the only instrument that the passengers need to see and it is in the poorest location for them.
The navigation system is definitely not intuitive. After more than 7,000 miles of navigating around the MidWest I still have not figured out how to add a waypoint to a route. You have to go through to many intermediate menus to get to where you can change anything. The location for the cruise control is poorly located at the bottom of the steering wheel, requiring you to reach for it in an awkward position. The volume control on the steering wheel is an interesting idea, but I have brushed it accidently on a couple of occasions, causing the radio to blare forth. Ah well, we have not yet arrived at perfection. But I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
Bingoman
Thanks for your input.Have you got any pictures of your grill? I'd like to see them.
Don't get me wrong, my wife loves her CTS just the way it is. For two years, I drove her to work so that I could use the other car during the day (I'm retired). Now she gets to drive and is really happy with the handling and ride of the CTS! She is my best friend, the love of my life, a hard worker, a great driver and a lead foot.
My criticism of the CTS is because I want Cadillac to be the standard of the world again. During the '80's, GM had managers that didn't know the car business. They were so busy counting beans, they ruined the quality and styling of their cars. I hope, under the guidance of Bob Lutz, that this has changed.
I love to drive the CTS too! it's always funny to see what the navigation system does when I don't follow it's instructions. First it tells me to make a u turn. Then it recalculates and comes up with a new route based on the direction i'm going. Sometimes it's right and sometimes I'm right.
It's a pleasure to hear from other CTS owners. I was surprised to hear about the oil change costs. Since we only have about 3300 miles, it'll be a few months before I get the oil changed.
More later. The wood trim on our house needs painting before winter, so Home Depot is calling me.
Rich
Background: I'm 28 and I have a black CTS, with two-tone seats and no other options. The infamous "base package" with a manual transmission. I ordered it from the factory on 1 June and picked it up at the dealership 17 July. Other cars I considered were the BMW 325, the Mercedes C240 and the Subaru WRX.
The engine: I think the engine is peachy. I don't have any trouble passing anyone, accellerating into traffic, or zooming up to 80mph on some winding roads here in Colorado. I haven't taken it up into the mountains, yet, but I'm sure it will be just fine. I would like to drop a K&N filter into the airbox and I have contacted B&B Performance about the stainless steel exhaust they put on the Lund CTS (Autoweek 20 May 2002). I'll let everyone know what I hear from them. I would like a little more oomph (and a little louder exhaust noise; call me crazy) but after a few tweaks, it should be perfect.
The transmission: I hadn't had a MT in years, and wanted to go back to one. If the CTS wouldn't have come out, I would have gotten a WRX. So, GM snagged me right there. I love the way it shifts. It's a little notchy, but I like that feel, so I'm happy with it.
The handling: This car kicks [non-permissible content removed]. 'Nuff said.
The exterior: This is one of the things that sold me on the car. I love the way it looks. It's not too bad in silver, but in black it's awesome. Very evil-looking. I'm having the windows tinted this weekend, which will just make it more evil.
The interior: I like the interior, too. I didn't want a bunch of wood. I also hope they don't change it too much. I was looking at the Joshua Tree site linked above, and I like their brushed aluminum stuff, but in moderation. I really like the techno look, and the two-tone accentuates it even more.
Problems others have: The clock: I have no problems with the clock. A temp gauge might be nice, but I don't require it. My clock keeps as good time (so far) as my Swiss watch, and that's good enough for me. The remote keyless entry: I don't have any problems with this either. I routinely unlock the car from over 100 feet away. Also, so far, no moisture under the seat, no water in the back seat, or other problems mentioned in this thread.
Problems I have: The only problem I've run into is trying to find a comfortable position for a long duration in the seats. I seem to have some lower back twinges after long trips. I've been adjusting the seat over the past few weeks to find a better position. I guess the only other problem is that I don't get to drive it enough.
Others' opinions of the car: I've only gotten one negative comment about the looks so far; everyone else I talk to really seems to like it. One person thought it was a Volvo. I've always like the squarish looks of Volvos, too, so that's cool. I've gotten thumbs-up driving down the road and lots of people craning their necks to check it out. One guy stopped my in a parking lot to tell me he'd just gotten one. And for some reason little kids (like, five years old) really seem interested in it, too. One guy in my office couldn't believe I chose a Cadillac over a BMW, but he's kind of a "Germanophile." Another associate with a BMW Z3 likes the CTS a lot. In fact, we're going for a drive in it this afternoon...
That's about all I have to say about it. I really like it. I especially enjoy driving at night. The way the guages and console light up make me feel like I'm in some jet cockpit.
Unfortunately there are many people who think BMW / German cars are best and it will take time to change minds. Cadillac has a gem here and they just have to keep working to make it better and build a following. Build it and they will come as they say!
bobsan: Thanks for the link...I'll check out the wood kits.
necros: Nice review, and nice car! Mine is EXACTLY like yours exept with auto instead of manual transmission.
A little background. As my nick indicates, I'm very tall, much of it in my legs. This radically restricts the cars on my short list. I also don't want a boring car, and I don't want to spend more than $40K. I am 37 years old and married with a baby on the way. My last car was a '91 Deville, which got totaled in an accident last year, which I have yet to replace. The list of cars for the long legged driver includes:
Volvo S80
Mercury Marauder
Cadillac CTS
First the Mercury. I travel for a living and rent the Mercury Grand Marquis almost every week. The Marauder is a pleasant change from the normally elderly GM. A nice growl from the engine, tighter rack & pinion steering, a suspension that doesn't wallow at every curve. On the other hand, the interior wasn't much upmarket from the normal GM. The seats are better but not extraordinary, the performance gauges are a nice touch, and they replaced the fake wood with a gray dotted plastic. Well, its better than fake wood. And finally, there's nothing funnier that a road full of motorists getting out of your way thinking you are a cop car.
The Volvo S80 2.9 I'd driven a number of times since you can rent them from Hertz. I can adjust the seat in a strange way that allow me to have about 2 inches of leg room from the dash (a big deal for me). The cabin is spacious, the dash makes sense (although some of the controls don't on first glance), and the power is adequate, but not exciting. The trunk is big, but of course second to the huge Mercury. I haven't driven the T6 hotrod but it may be out of my price range anyway. More downsides include a radio whose display washes out with sunlight, and a thick B-pillar which intrudes on my shoulder room. With a baby on the way, its easily the most practical decision.
Now the CTS. I drove a Luxury model with autotrans. Damn this car was fun. I know understand what everyone talks about in describing the handling. The dealership let me take the car on a twisty side road, which is a good move since this car seems love this. Cadillac really nailed this. Last time I drove something like this, it was a BMW 3 series, though the BMW still gets a nod for the steering rack, but not by that much.
The interior driving room was a mixed bag for me. The leg room is less than the S80, but livable. My right leg spend its time against the central console at a spot I'm not sure I like. This isn't a problem in the Volvo or the cavernous Mercury. Headroom for the Volvo is better, despite the published numbers that give the CTS the edge. Regardless, I probably wouldn't order either car with a sunroof given my size problem. Although the CTS has a dead pedal, its too thin and my shoes aren't that wide.
The CTS interior seems to be a design exercise in trying to make the interior live up to the "look-at-me" exterior. Some things work, but others don't. Personally, Cadillac's Audi+Lexus lovechild interiors of the Deville and Sevilles make more sense to me, but not even Lexus put their normal interior in their overachieving IS300. Some features remind me a little of the Allante, without the square buttons. And everyone is right about the clock; it needs to go back to the center console where it belongs. Why can I get a full set of guages in a Maurader and not in CTS? The glove box is too small and there isn't enough storage room for odds and ends, especially compared to the S80.
Although the S80 and CTS are similar sized automobiles, the S80 feels more spacious, most likely due to the fact that it's a wider car with a taller greenhouse. The Volvo wins for front passenger space hands down. The CTS is supposed to have more rear leg room, but since I don't sit back there, I don't care as much.
The CTS engine has enough oomph for me, especially since I was used to a 200 HP V8 Deville which was hauling around more weight. 30 more horses would be great, but probably only get me into trouble. The engine noise has a nice growl under heavy acceleration but its not as smooth as the Volvo inline 6.
So here's my dilemma. The Maurader is a nice change from my normal car rentals, but there's still to much Grand Marquis in it for my blood. The Volvo has a great balance of features, including room, layout and safety, but a spirited personality isn't one of them. But it makes a great family luxury sedan for a guy who will soon be mounting a baby seat. The CTS is like a siren's song. It seems like it will be a lot of fun day to day. But it's difficult to overlook the shortcomings.
Suggestions?
Considering your height I wonder if you might be more comfortable in a van or SUV. Whatever you eventually choose, a new car is always fun. Good luck on your choice.
Bingoman
If the legroom is paramount, consider getting a used Lexus GS or LS. Ditto a used Infiniti Q45. If you only want something new and under 40k, consider the Nissan Maxima/Altima combo and the Infiniti I35 or G35. A new base DeVille would be right at 40k, much less used. You might also consider a new or slightly used Saab 9-5.
Go sit in and test drive all of these cars that are near the top of maximum front legroom. You may discover one to your liking. However, after you see their trade offs, the CTS may look a lot better to you. It is a great car that you can have a lot of fun in, despite its shortcomings. Btw, your choices might force you to choose between luxury fun and practical fun.
Good luck and have fun in your search.
One thirty something lady had a White Pearl CTS and a retired couple had a silver one. The only problems with the CTS and other Cadillacs stemmed from a failure to read the owner's manuel.
One CTS owner complained that she kept accidentally hitting the record message buttons by mistake and needed the system explained to her. The retired couple complained that they couldn't find the cd changer. They had looked in the glove compartment and the trunk, to no avail. They were happy campers when the tech showed them how to load the changer that's located in the dash stereo system on the CTS.
After plying us with rolls and coffee, making a pitch to have us service our cars there early and often, answering our questions, everyone left happy.
BTW, the thirty something lady said that all of her female friends and co-workers adore the CTS. She said some of them plan to buy one and others who can't afford one, hate her.
The GM wbody cars have quite a bit of legroom. More than the Marauder you mentioned.
While they are a step down in luxury both the intrigue and the impala are excellent. My intrigue had a lot of problems but my Impala with 28K miles has been the best car I have ever owned.
With the seat all the way back and the bottom cushion and seatback rocked up and back there is almost 2 inches between my knee and the dashboard.
I also pushed the rearview mirror up since it blocks my forward vision.
The intrigue is better in this respect but the car was too much trouble for me to consider it again.
These comments only pertain to cars with the power seat. The manual ones do not offer enough adjustment.
Also look at the Passat and some BMW's.
BMW 5 series are too tight (legs wedged between the steering wheel and door or center console). Some older 7 series would be nicer if they had more headroom. The 3 series surprisingly fits the best of all, but not enough for me to fork over $40K for one.
The Passat fits surprisingly well, but VW put the brake pedel inexplicably too close to the accelerator. Its way to easy to make a mistake here. (Maybe my feet are wider than normal after all!)
GM W-body cars fit okay, but not enough for me to take one home. The Intrique is a lame duck and the Impala leaves me cold.
All Nissan's and Infinitis don't work at all, including all previous generation Q45s. I helped a friend of mine pick out a G35 two weeks ago. I would have considered it too but I couldn't drive it more than a few blocks without getting pissed off.
All Toyotas and Hondas aren't worth mentioning.
The Lincoln LS is impossible to drive. Ditto for Thunderbird or Jaguar S-type, all based on the same chassis.
The Caddy DTS doesn't work as well as I would like. Its just on the border of "yes" and "no". Another half inch of leg room would make a world of difference.
If this search was just on researching leg room figures, then it would be easier. But I've learned that just because a car claims over 42 inches in the front doesn't mean my legs will like it. Usually my legs will splay in a butterfly position in the driver's seat. The trick is to get something that ultimately I can live with. And headroom and shoulder room always comes into play. I always weigh 300 lbs and have a NBA basketball build, despite having never played in the league.
A classic case in point is full-sized sport utes. Believe it or not, most of them have front seats that don't go back that far. The Escalade (and other related GM models) has a second problem. With a column mounted shifter, once shifted into Drive, the shift knob is right over my knee. Lift my foot off the brake to hit the accelerator and I stand a good chance of knocking the truck out of gear. Not good. Ford full-sized utes are better, but there's a last problem. My wife doesn't care for the super-sized trucks and hates the idea of a truck making less than 14 miles per gallon. (She once worked helping third world countries with their environmental problems).
BTW, there is one car which I fit in nearly perfectly and is my dream car. It's the Mercedes S-class. The seat goes back and back and back... Mercedes understands the needs of a small but loyal constituency: NBA basketball players. But this car is at least $70K new, and used ones are still $50K+. The previous generation ones don't fit me nearly as well. I might look like an NBA player, but I don't make that kind of money. Well, not yet anyway.
When the Caddy DTS came out I was excited about it and asked him to call me when one came in. He did, but he said "you won't like it". It actually had less legroom than the previous model.
They made the knee bolster larger at the lower part of the dash. GM is the only company I know that can make a car with a longer wheelbase that has LESS legroom than the previous model.
I am also amazed at how little legroom the full size trucks have.
I have also looked at a 4 year old Lexus LS 400. They can be had for 30K and are super cars. I have talked to many a Mercedes and BMW mechanic who will tell you that they are much cheaper to own.
As for the CTS I will wait another year until the CTSi comes out. If I can drive the 6 speed without my left leg hitting the steering wheel or armrest I will buy it. If not, it will probalby be a marauder or a impala ss.
Also, there have only been 200 CTS's built with the Jade Green color. Do not know the reason for this.
There is also discussion that the Grand River plant may add another shift to double the current CTS capacity. Personnally I hope this does not happen. That would mean about 80000 units per year and I am afraid that GM would then start do incentivise the CTS to move them off dealers lots. Hopefully Gary Cowger realizes that this would be bad for the rebirth that Cadillac is going through and keep operating the plant on one shift for the CTS.
to that color as "NO SALE GREEN"
Geo owner of a seafoam green 96 Deville..lol
BTW: Syracuse NY Cad dealer has a used loaded
5 spd. CTS 1700 miles $34,9xx. Resale looks good !
At least that's what I thought he meant.
For me it was impossible to drive because of its cost $$
I actually looked at the Jag X-type and in the end it was between it and the CTS for my decision on which new car to buy. Although the X-type was a fine car I'm glad I picked the CTS. The CTS had much better handling and I felt like more of a participant in the driving experience. The Jag had loose steering and felt more detached from the road.
It really is an excellent car...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
http://thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5173&sid=173&n=156
Cheers.
I asked at my dealer and they just stared at me with such a blank look and then the one guy said......... why would you want to add a temp guage? The other one said that it would be so expensive to put one into an earlier car and to re-program the computer that it wouldn't be worth it!
What do you think Cadillac will do?
And BTW, it probably would be too expensive to retrofit the existing CTS, unless you wanted to spend $2000 on a new set of guages. We're probably all just going to have to wait for Cadillac to revamp the dash for 2004, or a mid-2003 model year update (less likely).
On another note, has anyone been mildly annoyed with 'big brother' riding along with you in the CTS? Besides OnStar being able to track your every move the car seems to have a mind of its own. I wanted to tweak some of the settings while cruising along at a snails-pace the other day and the computer told me I needed to come to a complete stop before it would let me make adjustments. Then tonight I stepped on the gas and noticed a small puff of smoke in my rear view mirror. When I put the car in neutral to rev the engine a couple of times I noticed there was a 'neutral' position rev limiter so I couldn't rev it over 3000 RPMs. Seems like car manufacturers are doing all they can to engineer the fun out of our cars.
i rented a intrepid when my intrigue was in the shop several years ago and the intrigue had more usable inches of legroom.
I sat in a LHS a few months ago and was surprised at how little legroom there was and the fact that my elbow almost went through the padded console lid.
The same lack of product knowledge was the case at St. Claire Cadillac until recently. We asked the new service manager what happened to the old service manager and he said that Cadillac has been puting pressure on the owners of dealers to raise their customer satisfaction number. So they replaced the 70 year old guy with a 30 year old. I know it will take more than this to turn Caddy's dealerships around, but atleast Cadillac is trying.
Lastly, the dealer experience can be summed up with two old stand bys: first impressions, and followup.
Is the dealership clean and modern?
Do the sales associates conduct look and conduct themselves in a professional manner?
Are desks neat and tidy?
Does someone engage the customer within the first 30 seconds of their arrival in the dealership, even if its just to say "I'm with another customer right now, but I'll be with you shortly"?
If they don't know an answer, do they investigate and followup?
Do women get treated equally as purchase decision makers? (yes, I've seen this happen)
Do service departments take the time to explain issues? Do they explain problems and repair work in plain English?
Years ago, my mother went to her local Cadillac dealer to trade her Deville for a new one. She's a high ranking administrator in the Nashville school system. When she saw a Deville she liked, she asked "how much is the car?" Instead, she got the runaround of "well, we could do $499 a month", or something else that hid the true cost of the vehicle. Finally she got so fed up, she walked out, drove the Lexus dealership and bought an ES300 within an hour. Cadillac will probably never get her back just because of that one bad experience. It's truly a shame for a customer of 20 years. And it was completely avoidable with proper training.
1. Have a good advertising campaign to get people into the showrooms. I think their breakthrough campaing does this.
2. Have dealerships remodel and make them on par with Lexus, MB, and BMW. Some Caddy dealers are great, but some look no more modern or fancy than a daewoo or Kia dealer.
3. Produce auto's that are of high quality, reliablity, and not a carbon copy of the competitors. I feel they have gone in the right direction with the CTS to fullfill this requirement.
4. Hire people for the dealerships that will treat the customers the way a luxury car customer should be treated. Again, I think caddy is hit and miss in regars.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/36142151/46902603olXFwM
I lowered trunk lid, moved license frame to trunk, modified the taillamps, added M5 Dual Exhaust, and added aftermarket wheel.
As for the other mods I don't like them. The things I like so well about the CTS are that there's no stupid 'Cadillac' name anywhere on the car, the taillights are narrow and tall, and the cool reflective plastic behind the license plate (it looks more shiny metallic than plastic). There's nothing wrong with your modification...it just makes the rearend of the CTS look generic like every other sedan on the road. The dual exhaust is cool though, although I'd prefer dual single pipes instead of dual double pipes.
http://community.webshots.com/album/36142151RAyTig
How about this CTC? The picture is of a CTS owned by someone in this forum. I can't who remember though. The link above includes whatever I have done with the CTS. I even tried cutting the front end of the XLR and pasting in onto the CTS. It sucked.
Lastly, what do you guys think is the reason for Cadillac's silence in regards to the CTSi(CTSv) . And when will we know the specs of the upcoming V6. The rumor is 251hp, but I've seen many different numbers.
Lets start a little question session. We all know the CTS needs more power. Most also think some minor things need to be tweaked in the interior. Well what is the most important thing that needs changing in regards to the CTS exterior. Nothing? Everything? the trunk? the grill? etc.....
I'm not sure the mods work that well. An angled car needs rectangular exhausts, not round. And moving the license plate is interesting, but the look reminds me a little too much of the Catera's rear end. The rear Caddy logo is nice and large, just like the Escalade.
The CTC is really interesting, but BMW tried a hatch and failed. The jury is still out for the low-end Mercedes C class hatch. Maybe an outright coupe may be a better idea.
Then again, what do I know?