Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

mcgreenx

My CTS is silver (Platinum?), but the part seems to be clear/not colored. I didn't keep track of time, but I don't think it took two weeks to get. Perhaps it a matter of which part of the country you're in, i.e., from what parts source they are supplied.

gbriank

45% for Honda? I was speaking of the CTS.

loyaltogm1

Anyone know if splash guards are available in body colors or black? Can't seem to fine anything that fits my 03. Thanks

b4z

He is messing with you.
That was his way of telling you that Honda products have higher residuals than GM products.

dindak

Ya, except no one understands the "humor"

gbriank

Again, is anyone getting a higher residual value than 45% during lease or Power Buy signing? I am coming out of my Power Buy on my Saab next year. The dealer has told me about some early buy-out to get me into a CTS 6 months early. I am attempting to crunch the numbers to find out the monthly payment.

Second question, has anyone had any serious reliability problems with their CTS?

regfootball

oh wait, maybe the 5 and 4 were switched around, then we'd be talking Honda.

Seriously, 45% residual on a luxury marque is HILARIOUS! and sad.

vcjumper

When I check on cars4u.com, the 3 year lease residual for the CTS is set at 47%. For comparison sake, on the same site the Lexus ES300 is set at 48%, the IS300 at 46%, G35 at 54%. Lexus is hilarious and sad.

regfootball

my apologies.....egg on me, then. I thought most asian brand cars were above 50%.

I still think most Honda products exceed 50%.

jcat707

I don't think those residuals are right. I could have sworn that a Lexus has better residual values than an Infiniti. Maybe those numbers are how much value that they lose in three years and not how much they are worth in three years. Just a thought but you could be right.

b4z

When I bought my Intrigue in '99. The Accord residual was 53%. For a 3/36,000 mile lease.

The Intrigue was 50% but GM was subordinating leases then.

I would work on getting the cap cost and rate down as low as possible.

gbriank

Those were the numbers I was looking for....

Here's my situation.... Lease on 9-3 SE coming up next year. Could get a great deal on another 9-3, but am starting to have serious lower back issues. I just don't know if I want to go back to Saab. I have been in the CTS and the seats are darn near amazing. After looking at the GM website for Supplier Discount, there is a higher rate of incentive on Cadillac. My other alternative, finish out the lease and pick up a used LS430.

jvs72

Hi all. I am new to this group, but have been following along for quite some time.

I will be buying a new car by the end of this year and have narrowed my search down to the '04 CTS with the auto trans and the G35, also auto trans. My only gripe is that I cannot opt for heated seats as a stand alone option on the CTS. The G35 comes with this option. It seems as thou the two cars are relatively equal in comparison of features/quality/power/handeling/etc.

I would much rather buy the CTS, but I cannot see myself paying 5K just for the heated seats option along with other stuff I do not care for (like the wood trim, etc.). Does anyone know if GM has any intentions of introducing the heated seats as a stand alone option. IMO, doing so GM would attract a few more buyers in the cold climate regions.

BTW, I live in the Chicago area and it's in the 90's now, but I will need some bum warmers in about 6 months from now, especially with a car with leather seats.

pmdriver

B4Z,
The headlight issue is strictly a marketing call. They have methods for boiling down all the schemes/combinations that make sense for most buyers. I say most because obviously it's tough to make perfect selections for everyone as you unfortunately are finding out. As for the sport model, which I assume would have lower restriction exhaust/induction, tires/wheels, aggressive shocks, etc., what kind of interest do you think would be out there? The result would be a more athletic car but with a little loss in ride / N&V refinement. I'm more inclined toward this type of vehicle, but I'm probably not typical. As for the silver smoke - you are probably more up on the color names than I am. Is that a specific name for the new gray in 2004?

GBrianK,
Thanks for the input on the seats, it's one of the parts of the car we spent a great deal of time on that doesn't get a lot of press. We actually took our seat engineers to a track in Nevada and as I gave them feedback they hand carved the foam into place. The foam was eventually used as the template for the production seats. In 2004 the seats will get adjustable lumbar which is a direct result of customer feedback. Hope you choose the CTS!

Thanks for the input on the auto/manual for the CTS-V. The car will certainly evolve over time. I do think right out of the box you'd be surprised how addictive manually shifting with 395 ft-lb. of torque is! I do however understand the stop and go traffic arguments.

dindak

50%, 48%, 46% big deal. If you like the car and lease is to you liking get it.

b4z

Thanks for the reply.

I have in mind a CTS that has the PDX "Sport" package with an 18" wheel option and xenons. Maybe some small exterior changes, badging etc. and then some badging or aluminum bits in the interior.
No other changes to the suspension from what is available on the current "Sport" package.
This will keep costs down.
I think GM is missing the boat by not having multiple and larger wheel choices.
Although I hear that is in the pipeline.
I don't really want a suspension that is stiffer than what is available now.
The roads are bad in this area and I have the IROC for when I want to bang around. LOL.
So, I guess I would mostly be satisfied with some 18" polished wheels.
I think many of the people here would too.
We appreciate your participation on this thread.

libertycat

I love the wood trim and steering wheel and the beige leather. Better interior than 3 Series, C Class, S60, 9-3, TSX, IS300 (gross interior), and G35. Basically best in class except for the X Type which has the MOST BEAUTIFUL interior in its class (at a cost of course).

richm4

I was reading something in the Chicago Sun Times earlier this week that the CTS won some type of award earlier this year for it's great interior.

After initially thinking the interior was very cheap looking, I now think that the interior is actually pretty good, although not in the STS, DTS or Lexus class.

libertycat

the Lexus in this class (IS300) has the WORST interior ever. It is very spartan and UGLY with low-quality materials.

abigailh

am seeking advice about an 89 4dr.cadlilac that has a rebuilt chevy V6 in it;installed by a bona-fied mechanic for his parents....it has approx. 70,000 miles on it.
I have a friend who has worked on Cadlilacs his whole life and he says that to do a reinstalling of that sort is almost impossible without problems and that an 89 had electrical troubles..
I can get this vehicle for 1700.00 and since I en-joy Cadlilacs alot would like to buy it.
my friend has never had a good word for Cadlilacs
maybe he is burned out...but with my hubby ill and I having to make auto decisions alone...I'm stumped...by the way the mechanic who did the motor replacement has maintained it regularly... and is also my mechanic..help...
               thanx

missouri2

the biggest problem would be with this swap is if something went wrong and you had to get it worked on some where else it could cost you major bucks. i would stay away. i hope your husband gets better.

b4z

The deville board might be a better place for this.
is this a FWD cadillac or a rwd?

jemiller

I think this subject has been done to death in the past. IMO the materials are okay, they're competitive with other vehicles in the car's price class e.g. Acura/Maxima but not really BMW or Audi. The aesthetics are a matter of personal choice; some will like the finishes Cadillac chose and some will not. The seats are nicely shaped and better than most of the competition, including BMW.

FWIW I like the IS300 interior - the gauge layout is a little too funky, but otherwise it's clean and conventional and basically comparable to what Toyota used to sell - as Toyotas - in about 1990, when Japanese-make material quality was at its peak (they've gone through some cost-cutting since then.)

automole

Like everything, the quality of the CTS's interior and the success of the design depends on who you talk to.

In my opinion it's much better than the competition and I would prefer the CTS's interior over the STS or DTS. Design-wise I like the Infinity G35 interior but still prefer the CTS's design and quality of materials. I don't particularly like the addition of wood to the CTS's interior, but that's just my personal taste. I'd rather see stainless steel in place of the wood in the Lux group.

Now for the Jag X-type interior (libertycat post)...you couldn't have picked a car that is more different than the CTS for comparison purposes. The X-types interior is purely "old world" with all of the stitching and leather and the "dainty" shift knob. You'd also think that the X-type's fit and finish would be much better than the CTS but in my experience that was NOT the case as the interior of the X-type I test drove had it's fair-share of squeaks and creaks.
The X-type might be lumped into the same 'class' as the CTS but this car is vastly different in it's design and ride/driving characteristics...the CTS has great road feel, heavy steering, tight handling, and modern/futuristic sharp-edged appearance. The X-type has poor road feel (although very "luxurious"), loose steering, quite a bit more body roll, and a more classic rounded appearance. Apples and Oranges. For what it's worth, during our car shopping my wife liked the Jag and if I would have shown more interest in it we probably would have bought the X-type instead of the CTS. The bottom line was that we BOTH preferred the CTS and neither of us have regretted our purchase decision.

As for the Audi, we looked at this car and my wife refused to even test drive it due to the "frumpy" looks and cheap feel of the interior...I agreed.

...and this subject HAS been beat to death!

gbriank

Couple of questions for you on the CTS.

First, the seats are great! Good support and plenty of side bolstering. What motivated Cadillac to integrate the seat belts into the seat? I'm not sure if that was done as a safety measure or aesthetic touch.

Second, why are there only handles mounted in the headliner in the rear? My Saab has them in all four positions, and let me tell you when i'm having problems moving around those handles definity help.

Lastly, I have heard varying stories on grade of fuel to be used. CTS is flexible (regular to premium) but at what sacrifice of performance?

Thanks to all for all info! I have narrowed my choices to three cars.

mcgreenx

Also a comment on fuel and aluminum.

Re: heated seats, I had a heated drivers seat installed on my wife's Accord by an auto upholstery shop. As I recall, the price was about $200-300 per seat. I think it is located in the west Highland Park area. I, too, love heated seats on cold Chicago-area mornings, and I have OEM on my CTS LuxSport, but the aftermarket solution may work for you, especially considering the price difference.

Regarding fuel, as I have written here previously I have been using 87 with no perceptible difference in performance. It may be that there is a difference measurable by electronic instruments, but in my real world the only difference is that I get BETTER gas mileage with 87 than 93. I compared the mileage with 87 and 93 over some long road trips, eliminating as many variables as possible, and I get almost 2 mph better with 87 on the highway. I was more than a little surprised and didn't believe it at first, but someone here posted an explanation (that I didn't understand), for whatever it's worth.

Last comment: A few days ago USA Today had an article about use of aluminum in cars and said the CTS hood, as well as those of the DeVille and Seville, are aluminum. I didn't save the article, but what caught my eye, assuming I understood it correctly, was that it said there are only 19 body shops in the ENTIRE COUNTRY that have the capability of repairing aluminum body parts. Could that be true?

libertycat

Gee, how can u like the CTS interior better than the beautiful Seville and Devilles. Wow! Don't you like the HUGE comfortable seats and the REAL wood trim? I also can't believe someone would rather not have wood.

automole

"Gee, how can u like the CTS interior better than the beautiful Seville and Devilles."

First off, you're NOT being sarcastic right??

Beauty is definitely a subjective thing and in my opinion I wouldn't describe the interior of the Seville or Deville as beautiful...just my opinion though.
"Old", "lacklustre", "uninspired", "boring", "behind the times" are terms that are more along the lines of how I'd describe either of those interiors. They might have been awe inspiring interiors if they were released in 1984 but it's almost 2004 now and those interiors are looking VERY tired by todays standards.

"Wow! Don't you like the HUGE comfortable seats and the REAL wood trim?"

Honestly, NO. Rolling sofas aren't really my thing and the Deville has a little bit too much puckered leather for my personal taste. Sure I'd prefer REAL wood over fake wood but I'd still prefer no wood at all.

That's not saying that there's anything wrong with wood...I'd just prefer not to have any in a modern clean interior like the CTS's. Also, IMO there's something really WRONG about putting brown wood in a black or 2 tone grey interior. It's like wearing brown shoes with a black suit...some may like the look but I'd never personally dress like that.

"I also can't believe someone would rather not have wood."

Believe it or not...I would rather not have wood. Brushed aluminum or stainless steel would be great. I'd even maybe like the dark (Grey/Black) wood like seen in some of the Jaguars but I just am not "in" to a bunch of brown fake wood.

Call it "personal taste", "style", or whatever, but if the only cars Cadillac made were the DTS and STS (even they were each $15,000 MSRP less expensive) I wouldn't be driving a Cadillac right now.

Now that's not to say there's anything wrong with people liking the STS,DTS...I'm just not a huge fan of the styling of either car.

On another note, I also use 87 gasoline and it runs just fine in my CTS!

bigorange30

Real wood can scratch easily and has to be sanded as noted on a Jeep Grand Cherokee TSB. It can also warp with heat and moisture and become delaminated from the dash. I also do like the look of the simulated wood trim with a black interior. It dresses out my Infiniti QX4 sharply.

jvs72

Thanks for the input on the aftermarket heated seats installation. I also realized that the 3.6L V6 and the auto trans option is included in the lux pkg (1SB), so I'd be paying an additional 3.5K for the heated seats and the other extras. Hmmmm ... very tempting. Will have to consult my accountant, aka the wife, when I am ready to buy.

jemiller

Un-bloody-likely.

The Lincoln LS's hood and front fenders are aluminum. The Audi A8 is *all* aluminum, has been for years. The new Jag XJ is *all* aluminum. The new BMW 5-series has an aluminum nose structure bonded to a steel passenger compartment.

Aluminum repair is pretty common these days.

b4z

Since the '03 manual weighs 3507lbs and the auto weighs 3570lbs.

Why does the '04 auto weigh 3694lbs!!!

The '04 engine is all aluminum. Where did the extra weight come from?

wwhite2

I also once had a dealer tell me that heated seats can be done aftermarket .

sevenfeet0

Pmdriver is right; the marketing types usually spend a lot of time trying to come up with various packages that make sense for the lion's share of buyers. I would imagine that the data shows that the heated seat buyers also almost always go for the lux or lux sport package. I did. In fact, in my case, the heated seat decision was almost an afterthought since my wife and I lived in Atlanta at the time. As it turned out, it was still a good decision, even for living in the south.

If I lived up north, the decision to get heated seats wuld be a no brainer, but I can understand the problem of driving the price of the car up significantly for the priviledge.

sevenfeet0

Thanks for the updates. One thing about the direction of Cadillac these days is that it seems that you guys are really listening to customer feedback. It used to be that you guys would put a car out and then not do anything with it for 4-6 years. The fact that you guys aren't afraid to make rolling upgrades based upon market conditions and customer feedback bodes well for the future.

automole

"Pmdriver is right; the marketing types usually spend a lot of time trying to come up with various packages that make sense for the lion's share of buyers."

Marketing types spend a lot of time TRYING TO MAKE MONEY. If they can force buyers into a higher priced car by placing certain basic luxuries (along with other options people couldn't care less about) as part of an option group that means more $$ for GM.

This subject has been beaten to death...but there are certain options...(heated seats, compass, homelink transmitter, power passenger seat, chrome/stainless exhaust tip, etc) that come STANDARD on MUCH lesser cars.

The bottom line is that the packages make sense for Cadillac...NOT the lion's share of buyers!
If they truly wanted to please the majority of buyers all the inexpensive options would be included as STANDARD.

oldsman01

IMO, the DTS and STS still set the standard for Cadillac's interior design. Not that the CTS's is bad, it just lacks the warmth and opulence the other two have. But again, the STS and DTS are much more expensive cars so one would expect a more upscale interior.

b4z

Still can't figure out why the spilt folding rear seat is not available on it's own on 1SA.
Cuts utility of the CTS down greatly.

Shouldn't power passenger seat be available on 1SA?

automole

Upscale = puckered leather, real wood, ugly dash?

First off, please don't take offense to my comments...my opinion is just very different. I prefer a car interior that is clean, modern, exiting, and connects me with the road and driving experience.

If I wanted to see lots of wood and sit in a plush seat I'd go hang out at my local LazyBoy showroom.

wwhite2

I believe the CTS in its V6 or V8 form is screaming out for a "SMG" a la BMW automated 6 speed manual transmission . It must be a manual not those faux paddles Pontiac is using for their automatic transmission . Cadillac and Corvette are supposed to be the leaders in technology and GM has yet to produce an automated manual transmission .

jemiller

The T56 that's used in the CTS-V has an SMG variant that's in use or planned for various Ford products (it's in Aston Martins now, and is known to be running around in various test Mustangs in preparation for its use in the '05-06 Cobra.)

I would expect to find it showing up in other T56 applications - Vipers, 'Vettes, etc. - eventually, but it's possible (likely?) that if Ford paid Tremec to develop the hardware, then Ford probably gets an exclusive on it for a while.

tyler80

If I'm going to drive a new modern car like a CTS, I want the interior to reflect that same sleek, clean modern style.

wulf007

Sorry, but I agree with automole on the options pricing. It looks very much like the Cadillac Marketing staff decided how they could advertise that they have a great car "starting at less than $30K" than bait and switch to a much higher price. Why not price it a little higher to begin with and add features standard on other cars? If I am not mistaken the 04 has a luxo-sport option at close to $10K, which does not include navigation. Using Edmunds pricing, a well equipped CTS comes in at around $43K without taxes,registration,docs etc. Local dealer had an SRX in for demo, well equipped but not fully equipped, with an MSRP of $58K. Other manufacturers of high end cars manage to price options more sensibly although the initial cost of the vehicle is higher. Why can't Cadillac? Because the bottom line is the bottom line and they have said they are not interested in market share, they are interested in market niche.

b4z

PDX Sport package on hold right now.

Click on "Cadillac" icon.
Then to Holds & Delays.

http://www.us.leaseplan.com/fleet_resources/fr_pnews.htm

jpnmass

I agree that the 16" standard wheels are a bit undersized for this car. I got the same on my 98 Intrigue and that car MSRP'd at $23K. I would think 17" would be standard with an option for 18".

In terms of some of the options, I'm glad that a number of options are not standard. I have no desire to have heated seats, a homelink transmitter, a compass, etc.

Of course, I don't love the way some of the options are bundled, but Cadillac is not the only culprit in that game.

libertycat

For GM in coming years=Cadillac=sporty, Buick=luxury, and Chevy, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, GMC, Isuzu, and Suzuki=standard. For Ford=Ford and Mazda=standard, Mercury, Lincoln, Land Rover, and Volvo=luxury, and Jaguar and Aston Martin=sporty. For Daimler Chrysler in coming years=Chrysler, Maybach and Kia=luxury, Mercedes-Benz=sporty, and Dodge, Mitsubishi, Jeep, and Hyundai=standard. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are a bit more obvious.

mannytranny

Just ask the people that sell the Cadillacs for the defintion of luxury and sporty.
     They will tell you ........
     auto transmission = LUXURY
     manual trans = SPORTY
as long as there is an auto trans there will always be a luxury Caddy.

b4z

Thought you guys would get a kick out of the cabriolet conversions.

Hope you will accept my apology. LOL.

The license plate insert is fairly cool though.

http://www.vogue-tyre.com/index-gallery.html

Go to "Acessories".

hydra2

Everyone wishes for a luxery car at near lux prices with great handling, power, interior,prestige,resale?, etc. This is usually wishful thinking. Near lux usually means something is missing from the lux pack to keep price down(power,interior,refinement,etc).

Some see the cts as a near lux, I see it as a lux (sporty or otherwise). It is a steal between 30-35k, imo.

If it remains reliable and cadillac continues to improve it with more power and luxery features, of course it will be priced more like a lux than a near lux auto. Or from a marketing position (like bmw, mb and others)the base cts represents the near lux entry and the nicely optioned cts represents the lux at prices which will overlap and (at times)exceed deville prices. Check the bmw 3 and 5 series and you'll see similar.

Because the cts is such a success and competes in the lux segment, if you want one with all the goodies, prepare to pay up. Of course if the cts flops, huge discounts will occur, but I don't think the true cts fans expect or disire this.

mannytranny

Just wondering if the license plate insert collects bugs?:)
I put on the CTS logo on the sides of my car and I must say that CTSJerry really came up with a cool idea. Anyone along side now knows it's a CTS.