Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

batmanscts

bingoman: I'm a handful of years behind you in age, but I think your opinion about the value of hand brakes on hills in cars with manual transmissions is inconsistent with the opinions of most of us who also are experienced with manual transmissions. My first driving experience at about age 12 was with a 39 Olds with a manual transmission. I've owned a dozen or more cars with manual transmissions in the US and in foreign countries since then. jemiller and others are correct about the benefits of a hand emergency brake versus a foot pedal emergency brake in heavy traffic and hilly environments.
   I'm sure that you remember as I do the number of people we've seen nearly burning out clutches by trying to release them half-way while accelerating on hills to keep the vehicles from rolling backwards at a stop sign, stop light, or in heavy traffic. Please don't tell me you've never killed the engine in such a situation.
   BTW, I've also had to go out to the garage to release the hand brake on my wife's Honda when I've done my gorilla impression setting the brake. I've also had to do the same thing for her when I stomped the foot brake too hard on a '70 Malibu and a '72 Impala.
    You claim that anyone who needs a hand brake on a hill has a problem with their foot coordination. You later say that your legs are too old and too tired for the clutch dance.
    Sir, that is exactly the point of the entire discussion in favor of the console area hand emergency brake versus the foot pedal brake on the CTS (and other vehicles) with a manual transmission. Everyone is not as skilled and coordinated as you and I might have been when we were in our late teens and twenties. Many drivers today have not grown up using clutches on tractors, trucks, lawn mowers, cars, and everything else with a gasoline engine as some of us old goats did. There simply is no reason for any automobile manufacturer to build cars that increase the risk of an accident because of a stupid design feature such as another pedal that requires humans to have three legs and feet to operate them safely in a common driving situation.
   I'd like to think that Cadillac is listening to the several voices who think the current emergency/parking brake design/location is less than optimum rather than a few voices who say they were once good enough drivers not to need better technology or design features. Just because we like or are satisfied with what we have, doesn't mean the car can't be improved.
   I enjoy your comments and perspective, but in this instance, I merely happen to think you are behind the rest of us. I hope you continue to enjoy your CTS as the rest of us enjoy ours.
Cheers!

cornellpremed

You geezers need to get with the times.

OK, now I'm gonna get flamed. Tee hee.

bingoman

cornellpremed said it. If you can't handle the clutch then stick with an automatic. The answer to my problem is not a handbrake on the console, it is an automatic transmission.

The foot operated parking brake is much more efficient, and can apply a much greater force for holding a car than can a handbrake. Personally I hope that Cadillac sticks with the foot brake, certainly for the majority of CTS owners, those who have automatic transmissions, I believe the preference is for the foot brake.

With the future addition of the paddle transmissions the need for the handbrake is eleiminated while the ability to control the transmission without a clutch is maintained.

But to each, his/her own choice, and I certainly wish all those with manual transmissions a great ride and pleasure in their cars.

P.S. I should have add lol to my comment about the clutch dance. I really didn't mean to be take so very seriously, and I apologize if anyone feels insulted by my remarks.

regfootball

footbrakes are a PITA, whether it be stick or auto. They BELONG next to the driver seat, where it is easy to reach and set without making like your gonna take a #2 just to reach it.

akirby

Give up. They don't get it and they never will.

necros

Anyone wondering why people need a hand brake has obviously never needed to rotate their car's rear-end on a tight switchback before, either. Can't quite figure out how to do that in the CTS...

b4z

Isn't the official name for that a "Looey"?

gr8rph

will be picking up my 04 cts luxury sport tomorrow. will let you know how it rides later.

wwhite2

OK thats one thing that would be difficult to do . I the footbrake doesnt bother me . I got used to it . Little heel toe can save you if you stall one a hill . Its really not that bad . although I did like the handbrake location on my Vette It was on the LEFT and didnt take up console space , but I guess some will fault with that

b4z

A car with a stiff clutch bothers me waaaaay more than not having a handbrake.

v8lincolnguy

I'v gotten used to the hand operated parking brake on my LS, but it does rob console and passenger elbow space and seems a bit out of place in a car like the LS. Would much rather have a foot operated brake(preferably with auto-release). Having said that, if the car were a manual, then a hand brake would make more sense. This is one thing the CTS-V should have.

wwhite2

Thanks for the tip my new tires were inflated to 32/32/32/33 according to my digital gauge. I also found one lug cap loose . These techs cant even do the simplest things correct, never mind anything that would require skill or finesse. Every time this dealer touches my CTS its a disaster

saintjr

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS NON-METALIC WINDOW TINTING. IF SO WOULD THIS THEN STOP THE PROBLEM ONE MIGHT HAVE WITH THE NAV. SYSTEM RECEPTION WITH METALIC WINDOW TINTING. ALSO GOT THE NEW TIRES AND THE RIDE SEEMS BETTER THAN EVER. MAYBE ITS IN MY HEAD BUT IT REALLY SEEMS SMOOTHER.

rwisem

I only drive automatics now and a foot parking brake is fine. (seems like they don't need adjusting as much, either.

In a stick, though, I do prefer a handbrake. In my younger days of driving sticks I lived in Seattle and you NEED a handbrake on those hills. They are good for rotating the back end, too. When I had a new '71 Capri, I was taking a co-worker to work on a snowy morning. The long hill ahead was blocked and there was no way to turn around except to rotate right where we were. I told him to hold on and pulled up the brake while cranking the wheel. We neatly swapped ends, but he thought I was trying to kill him.

wwhite2

I was checking out my car and I noticed some more collateral damage from letting the dealer work on the car . The pinch welds at both rear jacking points were crushed over from their lift ears . It's really to bad since I have the foresight to buy and use the floor jack adapters from Eastwood to prevent this problem ,even the spare tire jack addresses this problem . The so called experts dont have a clue or dont care

bingoman

All you folks who live in snow country. Doesn't anyone drive their CTS in the snow. Does anyone use a traction device? Does anyone have any experience that they can tell me about. Or is the traction of the CTS with or without Stabilitrak so good that traction devices are not needed.

redgtconv

I have an '04 with 3.6L and automatic trans. When I accelerate at slow speeds, usually in first gear, I feel a vibration in the gear shift lever. I have tested other CTS's and have not noticed this. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this and has anyone found the cause of this problem?

riskybusiness

I'm 25 mi north of Toronto, where it can be dry or flurries in the city, and 3-6 inches of snow (or a foot or two on a really bad day) where I live. I put V-rated Blizzak LM22's on all four corners last winter on my '03 lux sport after a couple of early storms caught me by surprise. Traction is good, not great, with the stock Goodyear RS-A 17's. Traction control,even with tranny in winter mode, can cause the ignition to be so retarded that you can barely get going if it's particularly slippery (like rain on snow, or icy and just around freezing). The snow tires made all the difference in the world. I had the 225/50R17's put on the stock wheels, but if I really needed to go through heavy snow, I might opt for putting the snow boots on 16" wheels with a slightly narrower tread. Chains, etc are not required or allowed where I am, so I can't comment on that.

Any word on a true AWD platform? I think I read that AWD will be an option on the '05 STS, and is already in the SRX. Considering it's the same chassis, you'd think they might be able to configure in the CTS as well without a huge difference in the ground clearance.

riskybusiness

By the way, Stabilitrak generally is great when accelerating hard coming out of a corner or when the rear end threatens to come unglued on hard acceleration in the rain/snow, but doesn't really do anything on the straight starts. That's where traction control comes in, and as previously stated, it's a bit sensitive when things get really slick. I've set one of my 4 steering wheel buttons to disable it when necessary, as now and then a bit of spin comes in handy.

b4z

Isn't their a reflash for the ECU that will solve an low speed and idle problem?
The '04 that I drove in July vibrated quite a bit.
I think they have talked about the reflash on the other the caddy site you participate in.

golfnut5

I took my 2003 CTS to my dealer today for oil change and asked the service writer if the sail panels are supposed to be so loose fitting. Service writer said he thought so to allow air bag to come out quickly if needed (what an answer), but he would have body shop check them. When the service writer came to get me after the oil change was completed he said the sail panels did not fit properly and he would order new panels for me. If I had not read about the problem on this site, I never would have noticed. Thanks.

Has anybody asked their dealer about the leather stretch or maybe padding problem in the seats? I am now beginning to think the problem could be with the padding.

bingoman

There are no air bags behind the 'C' pillar sail panels. The air bags are above the doors and do not extend to the 'C' pillars.

tmacguy

I have seen the new '04 CTS here at Saudi, as with the '03 model, we get the same specs as those exported to Europe. We still carry the entry 2.6L version. But the 3.2L is still here with the Automatic, the sales rep I talked to had no clue about the 3.5L engine (he had not heard about it). We still have the 3 head rests for the back seats, we have the power folding mirrors, the rear fog lamps (under the reverse white lights), and side cornering yellow lights toward the back of the front fenders. In addition, new for '04, there is a really ugly fire extinguisher attached to the front of the front passenger seat, it is so ugly (reminds me of older mercedes benz cars of the 80's). On star, compass and cell phone provisions are not available.

I noticed that the dial back lights are now white instead of the orange of the 03, I liked the orange one better. And at last they have a temperature gauge.

Still no parking sensors, no auto release hand break and no power steering tilt coloumn.

Asking price for a full loaded lux sport CTS with Nav and Sunroof is $41,333, periodic maintenance is still free for 3 years.

Take care all

bingoman

How accurate, complete and extensive are the maps that come with the navigation system.

rctennis3811

that GM is going to export the CTS as the new Opel/Vauxhall Omega and Holden Berlina/Calais/Commodore??<<those were the cars that were the basis for the original Catera

rctennis3811

a little off topic, but nonetheless GM..

does anyone know whatever happened to GM's Shortstar V6 engines?? it was the V6 version of the Northstar V8s. i remember that they used one in the Intrigue for one year only

wybes

I'm looking to purchase a CTS with NAV and am being told that with the NAV the compass in the morror isn't available since there is one in the NAV screen. Sure would be nice in the mirror for the times the NAV is off.

wwhite2

My 03 with Nav has the compass in the mirror . I dont know if anything has changed

jemiller

Background: the Catera was an Omega. Different grille, different radio, but no significant mechanical differences.

The Holdens are not Omegas, they use Omega sheetmetal (stretched 2" from the Opel) and some chassis bits (heavily revised) from an earlier Omega design but they are not Omegas. Holdens for instance have rack-and-pinion steering, which no Omega ever did. Powertrain is US-derived (Buick V6, Chevy V8, next year the CTS's 3.6 V6) and nothing like the Omega/Catera.

Holden is doing a new RWD platform for future Aussie-built cars, they decided the Sigma that the CTS is based on is too expensive for their use.

The demise of the Omega left Vauxhall and Opel with no big car to sell; Vauxhall is looking at importing Holdens to fill that gap.

b4z

3.5L Shorstar became available as a $500 option near the beginning of the '99 model year. Then became the standard and only engine in February '99 through to the end in April 2002.

The redesigned '00 Aurora had the 3.5L as the base engine. It was available until '02. In '03 all Auroras came with the 4.0L only.
,
Interestingly, 3.5L production was stopped in 2001, with engines stockpiled for 2002 production of the Intrigue and Aurora.

So it was produced for 3 years and available for 4 years.

It was a great engine with a lot of midrange, but was expensive to build.

saintjr

THIS IS MY FIRST USE OF A NAV. SYSTEM AND I LOVE IT. I FIND IT VERY COMPLETE AND EXTENSIVE. EVEN IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD I SEE THE NAMES OF SMALL BODIES OF WATER(LAKES,STREAMS,ETC),NAMES OF CEMETERIES,PARKS AND POINTS OF INTEST THAT I NEVER KNEW. I PROGRAMMED IT TO TAKE ME TO MARYLAND FROM NEW YORK AND WAS TAKEN TO THE FRONT DOOR WITH VERBAL QUEING WITHOUT A PROBLEM. ON THE HIGHWAY IT ALERTS YOU TO WHAT REST,GAS,FOOD ETC, AT EVERY EXIT.
AS FAR AS THE COMPASS GOES I READ IT WILL NOT BE IN THE MIRROR ON THE 04-ON THE 03 IT IS ANOTHER NEEDED GUIDANCE PLUS EVEN WITH THE NAV. SYSTEM.

jobrenky

I have a 2003 Cadillac CTS. The sport mode on the transmission is supposed to stay on when you set it, even after the car is restarted. Mine will stay on about half the time. The dealer can't find the problem. Has anyone else experienced this. Please advise.

cantaxguy

My nav works perfectly. Only problem is, I have to answer the question about "accepting the terms of the agreement" every time I'm in the car.

Has anyone found a way around this?

tmacguy

I posted earlier that for the second time in under a year (13,000 mi) my left frtont strut (shock absorber) went bad and had to be replaced. The car stayed for 1 day in the shop and I got it back this morning. One of the Technitians told me he had seen this problem on a couple other CTS's. Even the customer service representative told me "we know this is a problem" but he did not elaborate further.

Now one on hte list mentioned this problem which makes me wonder if it is export related, which I doubt.

BingoMan: I do not know how accurate is the nav system, I know they have special CD or DVD that is for Saudi, but I do not know any thing more, I do not have it.

tmacguy

A member posted earlier that he took his CTS accross country with a group of other cars and he did hit the 124mph speed limiter. Is this true for all US cars? My CTS has not such limit, I took it all the way to 145mph before I let my foot off (I was on a 4 lane wide low traffic highway).

The manual states that their is a speed limiter set to the tyres speed rating, which is a V rating. V rating = 135mph. So I was indeed surprised when my speedo passed the 140 mark without a hitch.

tmacguy

This may be off topic, but I want you all to know that GM is serious about its Cadillac reputation. When I took my CTS to the dealer to fix the bad shock absorber, he told me he has no loaner cars and he could not give an appointment so I would get the loaner. So I e-mailed GM regional office in the United Arab Emarers in Dubai.

The very next day the dealer customer service rep called with tons of appologies and gave me a next day appointment with a promise of a 1 day fix. And that is what happened. They zoomed the car into the service bay as soon as they filled the service card, and the customer retlations manager him self drove me from the dealership to my work and sent a car to pick me up by the end of the day.

It was abvious that GM did give the dealer a brush. GM is all serious about the satisfaction of its customers.

BTW, I had experienced similar super GM support once before on another issue I had with my 2002 Chevy Lumina (the rear wheel drive holden made, but this is the v6 variant, not the super SS one).

I am impressed by GM support, it is a reaon why I buy and recommend GM to my friends.

You Americans should be proud about what GM is doing overseas.

rctennis3811

does anyone know if the 04 CTS has xenon or bi-xenon lights?

wwhite2

There is a black CTS in the remake of the "The Italian Job".

calicadi

jobrenky - Please read post #3064 from ctsjerry on the sport mode fix. It describes how to force the "learn mode" which should retain the selection. Mine does the same. Haven't tried the suggestion myself. I just turn it back on when I notice it's off. My guess is the computer is detecting less aggressive driving and defaulting to the economy setting. Computers can be such a nag.

tmacguy - I can attest to your findings on service. My dealership is first rate. I've been getting phone calls after I bring my CTS in for service asking if I enjoyed my experience. I've also been getting satisfaction surveys in the mail from GM. I phoned the dealership recently to find out what they knew about delivery schedules of the CTS-V. As we spoke he mentioned Cadillac headquarters made it very clear to the dealers that they wanted the most successful new car launch possible. If any of you reading this are not getting first-class attention for your CTS, contact the Cadillac zone manager.

necros

I have a base model CTS, so my limiter is set to 124, to coincide with the tire rating, as you said. LuxSport cars are, I believe, equipped with a 146 (?) mph limiter to match the tire ratings there. Since I don't run the stock tires anymore (except in thw einter, when I'm not driving around at triple-digit speeds, I was hoping I could talk my service guy into changing the limiter. No luck so far, but I'm slowly wearing him down.

ctsgirl_2004

When I test drove my 2004 CTS, I noticed the problem with the shock absorber right away. The car had less than 20 miles on it at the time. The dealership fixed the problem within a couple days and I was told that future 2004 CTS's would be getting a recall on this problem.

wwhite2

Dealer has C pillar sail panel replacements on order . On my way back from the dealer the check engine light lit solid . Called onstar , they said it was code P0128 .....an out of range ECT (low) .My CTS is making way to many trips to the dealer

b4z

At least I got your attention.

For months I have been posting how SRX production ramp up had slowed CTS production.
They finally got CTS production back on track last month.

But the months of lower production has finally shown up as a reduction in sales.

3,844 CTSs were sold in October vs. 4,848 last October. A 20% reduction.

However for the year they are still way ahead. 41,073 vs. 29,180.
A 40% increase.

52,000 CTSs have been produced this year vs. 41,000 last year.

2002 saw 37,000 CTSs sold.
Will we make to to 50,000 this year?
Anybody want to start a pool?

To put things in perspective. Cadillacs target was 25,000 CTSs per year.
50K would be 100% over target!

bxd20

It's wonderful to see Cadillac doing so well... thanks for the numbers b4z.
Brian

riskybusiness

Anyone have info on how '03 CTS is holding up on resale value vs. import competitors? Blue Book / Black Book values are probably still based on very limited data, I would think. I believe that Cadillac's strategy of limited production (I had heard the target for North America was closer to 40000 units/yr, but still comparatively low) and no fleet sales for CTS was designed to avoid the typical American-made, mass production steep depreciation curve.

mbukukanyau

Has to ensure 0.00 Recalls on Cadillac if they want Caddy to go back to the top

eaton53

The X5 has more recalls than anything. Doesn't seem to matter.

msgreen

Cadillac is charging a $995 premium for cars ordered with either "Red Line" or "White Diamond" paint. Independent of the color, does anyone know if either of these two paints is actually superior in quality to that on "normal" CTS's? In other words, is it thicker, more durable, better quality, etc?

wwhite2

I have the Garnet pearlcoat $995 option on my 03 CTS I think its a very nice paint . I dont know if its just a different material applied just like every other CTS

rctennis3811

the expensive paint makes the CTS look glossier in sunlight and is more metallic in color