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I am pretty sure it was a ‘base’ V6 ( not the DI 304HP version ) and it was a decent car, certainly. I put well over 400 miles on it.
Here are a few of my impressions of that CTS:
The V6 gave the impression of working pretty hard as I drove ( alone ) from San Diego to over 4,000’ on my way inland, to Desert Palms. I expect that the optional engine would have helped, certainly – but would still not have been enough for me. But I expected that.
My biggest disappointment with the CTS’s drivetrain was actually the trans. I have heard \ read much about how great the 6L50 is in the CTS. My Corvette has a 6L80. I drive mine nearly 100% in “S” & manumatic mode. 2 things about the CTS trans. drove me nuts – to the point that after the first 50 miles or so, I never used that mode again.
Thing 1: In my Corvette, once in a gear ( fourth or fifth or sixth, for example, on the freeway ) it will NOT downshift without a manual request. Ever. The CTS will downshift based on throttle position – even in ‘manual’ mode. Often shifting down one or 2 or 3 gears. Weird. And not ‘manual’, by my definition. Not exactly sure what GM is thinking here – though I have experienced something similar in a couple of BMW 3s, with their Steptronic automatic.
Thing 2: If accelerating at ( or close to ) WOT, commands to upshift are ignored. Again, my Corvette will do as told. And again, I have seen this behavior in BMW 3s. Weird. Both these odd ( to me ) choices in the programming of the automatic are counter-intuitive to me. And I dislike them both. A lot.
When driven like a luxury car ( the fun portion of my trip, with my Daughter ) the CTS was fine. When I tried to drive it like a Sport Sedan – no dice. Would not work, for me.
The suspension handled the surface street driving with my Daughter in & around San Diego, La Jolla and north through Del Mar to Cardiff reasonably well. I expect that it had the base FE1 suspension – and it definitely had Michelins that were biased ( much ) more toward ride than handling. Again as expected.
On the highway portions of my driving, I was not as impressed – with either the ride or handling. The concrete slab portions of the San Diego area freeways were challenging – and the grooves caused some minor ‘wandering’. The CTS did not seem to have quite the “I know where straight ahead is” feel that I like at 70 +/-. With the tire pressures at 34 ( cold ) the botts dots were absorbed well.
The ( rather steep w/many switchbacks ) descent into Palm Desert was handled reasonably well.
And the CTS-v will likely be much more money than I am interested in spending, right now.
I did not test drive a CTS – partly because it became clear that it would simply not have the acceleration & torque I am seeking. And the one time I did decide to test drive one, I stopped at the local BMW store & drove a 335i first. And that would not have been fair – so I cancelled that drive.
Not a bad car – but so far as purchase: Not my cuppa tea.
- Ray
Glad some here are finding the CTS rewarding to drive . . .
C+D = 14.6 @ 97
R&T = 14.5 @ 98.2
Currently, to be \ to feel rewarding to me, in the acceleration department, I really “need” something quicker than 14.0. While I certainly did not expect “Corvette level” acceleration ( or anything else, dynamically ) even the DI \ 304HP version would just not be quick enough. For me. YMMV.
C+D’s recent ‘Short Take Road Test’ of the CTS w/the base engine:
“Down 46 horses and 20 pound-feet on the DI engine, the indirectly injected base mill still brings a hearty portion of power with 258 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. With the test gear strapped on, our six-speed automatic CTS managed a 7.0-second 0-to-60-mph romp en route to a 15.4-second quarter-mile at 91 mph. The more powerful uplevel engine (with a six-speed manual) achieves the same marks in 5.8 and 14.6 seconds at 97 mph.”
And: “From the driver's seat, an extra 1.2 seconds in a full-throttle blast to 60 are glaringly obvious, but in more measured driving, the difference between the two engines is purely statistical. Both sound fantastic for V-6s, both pull hard all the way to their 7000-rpm redlines without noticeable straining, and both have sufficient power for commuter duty.”
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/performance_files- _tested_by_c_d/2008_cadillac_cts_short_take_road_test
The ‘problem’ for me is that I am certain that I would miss that acceleration – in my [ um ] ‘spirited’ driving. And in a car weighing close to 4,000 pounds, I also strongly prefer the relatively effortless acceleration at less than WOT that is typically provided by a V8 with ( much more ) torque. But that’s just my personal preference. C+D refers to a lack of “carefree passing power” in the base engine. I’d second that. And the upcoming CTS-v appears to be the only V8 CTS on the horizon. [ sigh ]
Again, I want to be clear here, I mean absolutely no disrespect to the CTS. A mid-14 second quarter mile capable sedan is likely all anyone actually needs. In fact, a mid-15 second quarter mile sedan like the CTS with ‘base engine’ is likely just fine – for most people, most of the time. I only use the term “need” here in the context of what I require for entertainment purposes.
The CTS does have gizmos. It has interesting interior styling. The exterior styling, I find much more attractive than the previous generation CTS. It is just not the car for me, at this time.
And even with a V8, the trans. [mis-]behavior I referred to above would drive me nuts. I am hoping that this is unique to the Caddy & the 6L50 – as my ‘short list’ includes one with a 6L80.
I am hoping that I will be able to buy a sport sedan with the kind of acceleration I am looking for ( not Corvette acceleration, I readily acknowledge ), and a few amenities, for less than the price of a BMW 550i.
We shall see . . .
- Ray
Still In Search Of . . .
Thing 1: In my Corvette, once in a gear ( fourth or fifth or sixth, for example, on the freeway ) it will NOT downshift without a manual request. Ever. The CTS will downshift based on throttle position – even in ‘manual’ mode. Often shifting down one or 2 or 3 gears. Weird. And not ‘manual’, by my definition. Not exactly sure what GM is thinking here – though I have experienced something similar in a couple of BMW 3s, with their Steptronic automatic.
Thing 2: If accelerating at ( or close to ) WOT, commands to upshift are ignored. Again, my Corvette will do as told. And again, I have seen this behavior in BMW 3s. Weird. Both these odd ( to me ) choices in the programming of the automatic are counter-intuitive to me. And I dislike them both. A lot.
If you are such an enthusiast, you deserve to treat yourself to the available manual. It totally changes the character of the car. It's quicker to rev, snappier between gears(because you can rev it harder), and has 0 junk in the way. Even the base model with manual is, IMO, better than the DI with automatic, it's such a difference.
Bursitis means that anything with a clutch would no longer be possible, for me . . .
All I am really asking \ expecting here is that the maunmatic function do as I say. Unless drivetrain damage will result, shift when I tell you – and do not otherwise shift.
Seems reasonable.
And I know that GM can do this – has done this.
- Ray
Guilty of being an enthusiast . . .
My SRX has the 6 speed automatic (V8) and will not upshift if the current speed to deemed too low. It will downshift as the speed decreases. If you demand a lot of power in 6th it will downshift (probably to 3rd or 4th). What I would like is for it to return to the higher gear automatically but once it downshifts automatically you have to upshift manually. I use the normal D mode except for holding on steep hills usually.
To clarify:
In manual mode, the trans. in my Corvette does downshift as one slows.
All the way to second gear.
But.
It downshifts only when the road speed would result in the engine RPM being too low \ slow to effectively pull the weight of the car, even with full TCC unlock.
You are certainly correct in that with sixth gear ( a second overdrive ) and a final drive ratio of 2.56:1, starting in sixth would not be a good thing. It is perfectly happy staring in first ( obviously ), second or third gear.
It will never downshift based only on throttle position.
And it will always respond to an upshift command, again assuming that road speed makes such a shift ‘reasonable’.
- Ray
Who did test drive a BMW ( 535i ? ) in the early 1990s that did NOT downshift when slowing – resulting in rather slow acceleration, until I realized what was happening . . .
Edit . . .
From the C6 manual:
“Pg 2-29
The vehicle speeds required for Manual Paddle Shift up-shifts depend on several vehicle inputs, which will vary the allowed up-shift speed by a few mph (km/h).
• Up-shifts to fourth (4) gear require approximately
22 mph (35 km/h)
• Up-shifts to fifth (5) gear require approximately
28 mph (45 km/h)
• Up-shifts to sixth (6) gear require approximately
41 mph (65 km/h)”
These are approximately the speeds at which the trans will downshift, when slowing the vehicle. From sixth to fifth at around 40 MPH, etc.
As far as the side molding, I stressed over this for a couple of days, after buying a 2008 model. I went on line and found several places to get them custom fit....after several questions to the manufacture (aftermarket) I purchased a set from BrightTrim, you can find them at WWW.BrightTrim.com or call Ben Thurmond at 972-442-4619. By the way, I have over 40 yrs experience at body and fender work including show cars and I found the moldings they sell to be as good in quality as any you will find. I installed mine yesterday, took about an hour. They look great and the paint match is perfect. I used 1 1/4" width.
Good Luck
Chuck
I still don't see. I see the tire pressure sticker, I see the date code GVWR sticker and that is all on the b pillar.
Nothing on the passenger side, nothing in the trunk. I'll pull the car out of the garage and look under the hood again later.
As for the body side moldings, my wife insists she doesn't want them. I cringe every time we park the car somewhere other than our garage!
Thanks for the reply.
Matt
Then I crossed the street to the Caddy dealer. I had never liked the previous CTS, just on style. The profile was awkward and slabby and looked like it had been designed by an entirely different team from the team that did the front and back. And the center stack was terrible.
The new CTS has a great shape, just the right amount of fender bulge. I like the combination of straight edges and curves. The Performance wheels were gorgeous. I still don't like the cattle-catcher front end, but I can live with it. The back end is a little cluttered, but not too bad.
The interior, here in black and wood, was gorgeous. Just the right size for me at 6'0". The only bit I didn't like was the silver plastic on the center stack. It looks cheap and I don't think it will wear wll. I think real aluminum is in order here.
I took a DI Performance for a quick drive. The pick-up was more than enough for me. I drive a Miata and a BMW 325 with sport package so I have high demands for handling. The Caddy didn't disappointment. The steering was nicely balanced with crisp turn-in and the suspension was outstanding in it's ability to manage the car's weight without being harsh on the highway. It felt like a good deal less than 4k lbs. I was very impressed at the CTS's ability to perform without giving up refinement and highway ride. My only complaint from the drive is that the Performance tires were fairly loud.
The CTS is now on my short list for a new sedan this fall or next spring.
Sorry I mislead you...the paint code is on the bottom side of the spare tire cover in the trunk. Pull the cover out,turn it upside down and there you are. If that doesn't get you the paint code, let me know.
When I answered your request I was still living with my 05 Lexus RX330.
As far as the side molding, it does cause a bit of loss to the lines of the vehicle but, so does a big ding.
Hope this is of some help.
Chuck
GM knows how to develop poor customer relations.
The thread behind the square for an eye bolt seems like a good idea to me. It's a much more secure, accessible and safer location than anything under the car.
But I agree, it would seem that it should be on the centerline or matched on the other side.
I first saw the CTS at our auto show one year ago, and I was impressed. It was beautiful, which I couldn't say about the current BMW's. I visited a dealer this fall, after reading many positive reviews, and the car was quite promising in person. They offered me a test drive, but it was raining and there were no sticks in stock (or apparently produced yet) so I asked them to call me when one came in. Just before Christmas (and after the Car and Driver test of the stick, which wasn't that complimentary), I got a call that a loaded stick had come in and was available for a test drive. It was black/black and had all sorts of stuff I wasn't interested in, but it drove quite well (it had the summer tire package, too) aside from a tricky clutch uptake that made smooth shifting difficult to do at times. I also thought the shifter was placed too far back on the console, but the shifter was otherwise quite nice. I decided to look at some other cars, and thought that if I did get a CTS I would probably special order it.
There are not a lot of rear drive cars available with a stick, and I'm not wild about the styling and/or controls of the competition, but I wasn't sure about the clutch. I then found a local dealer that had THREE sticks in stock! I went to take another drive. The red one had just been traded to another dealer, but they still had a black/black and a silver/black, both totally loaded and with summer tires (are they all made this way?). I liked the silver one with the black interior better, so that's what I drove. The ride was a bit stiff at times, and I wanted to drive the FE2, but they didn't have one in stock. I then drove my M5 over the same route, and I couldn't believe how much smoother and more comfortable the CTS was. The clutch was still an issue, but I was already starting to master it. I also played with the luxury features, and decided that I kind of liked them. The dealer offered me a pretty good price right off the bat. I did some more research, and found that loaded it was still cheaper than a similarly equipped 328 (and much nicer). The dealer sharpened his pencil more, and with the "conquest cash" and 1.9% financing, it was a done deal! My first American car since 1980, and the first car I hadn't special ordered since 1990!
So far, It has been quite nice, and my car guy friends have been impressed as well. I fixed the shifter position by moving the seat and wheel back a bit, and now the driving position is perfect. The shifter itself is very nice, with moderately short throws, reasonably positive and with low effort. It is the same as the one I drove two months earlier, not at all like Car and Driver and others described. The clutch still has an unpredictable uptake, but it is getting better. The steering is nice and meaty ( maybe the FE3 is higher effort than the others), and becomes very communicative at the limit. It handles well for it's size, and the handling really perks up when you use the Stabilitrack "Competitive Mode". The brakes are strong and fade free, and I do tend to brake late ( I have the big brakes). The acceleration is quite good, except in 6th, which is to be expected considering the long legs of that gear. My mileage so far has been between 17 and 20 mpg, which is about 3 mpg better than my other cars, and it's not broken in yet (800 miles).
Car and Driver was right about some funny noises. The car does emit a groan and low level vibration when driven in 6th gear from 1400 to 1700 RPM while the throttle is applied. It does not happen in 5th at the same rev range and throttle position, and can be avoided by shifting later, but then the 'shift' light comes on. The automatic may be smoother, but I would still take the few warts of the manual for the extra control, performance, and fun with the stick. I do wish it had a hand brake, though. Overall, I'm very happy with the car, and it sure is pretty!
Like you, I was looking for RWD & a manual, plus a couple of other factors that are peculiar to my situation. Sounds like you had a very pleasant outcome; I did as well, but I had to pass on the RWD to do it.
Continued good luck & pleasure with your new car.
I know it's 304 HP and I have plenty of power BUT....................why not squeek out a few more if possible....right?
I dont see K and N selling any CTS air filters...I dont see any "CHIP" makers selling any chips except for the CTS - V.......anyone know of any proven ways of gaining a few more horses?
I just got an Ipod for my CTS, and I seem to be having a problem with it. When I plug it in, the car audio/Nav screen displays everything properly and all, but no music comes out. Music will play when I connect using the RCA jack, but then you have to control everything using the Ipod rather than the car controls. I checked the Apple website, and I do have a 5th gen Ipod, so I don't know what the problem is...any suggestions?
Not so cool. I received a phone call from my dealership a couple of days ago informing me that GM has decided to pull the Luxury Conquest incentive from the CTS and apply it to the STS. Which means the great deal I received when I signed the contract/order sheet is not so great anymore. In an instant, GM has renigged on their offer of $1000 for anyone trading in another luxury marque even after they have placed an order for their car. Is it just me, or does anyone else think this is an unfair business practice on GMs part? Whether I purchase the car off the lot or place an order for it from the manufacturer, any incentives offered at the time of signing should be locked in to the customer. Dropping a rebate is one thing. Pulling it back from a customer who has already ordered the car is just dirty business as far as I'm concerned.
Note: using a heavy foot seems to either muffle the ping or just plain eliminate it. GM rep will follow up.
AP
Thanks again!