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You will also be able to really shake the car down for noises, rattles, how it rides, etc. You will get a sense for whether it's a solid car or not, and you will get a sense for the gas mileage it's getting.
Also, again, remember to ensure that the car will be a Certified Cadillac. That will really be your "insurance" policy and help to make the decision. If Cadillac certifies it, then they are taking on the real burdens of it being a lemon.
Rob
I don't have any expectations but from all of the problems I see in print,I'd rather not be surprised if thisis the general character of the car.
I like the way the car drives and I can compare it all day longto my vette and to other cars more in it's class tha tI have owned..like the BMW 530i but that only validates that the CTS is it's own animal and doesn't mimmick the traits of any other of these cars anyway.
,
It doesn't bother me that it has created a class of it's own because that is, under the best of circumstances, a pleasant experience. It is the apprehension of more than reasonable, shop visits that makes me hesitate.
Have you personally experienced any of the problems I mentioned from the gathered comments of CTS owners on these boards?
Excess tire wear? Could it be due to the car having sport tires and people driving it in a rather sporty fashion that would contribute to the tires wearing faster than on previous model year CTSs? Keep in mind that '06 was the first year of the sport model with the sport tuned suspension and this model came from the factory with these specific tires that are different from the other CTS model trims. I think they are designed to be more "sticky" and thus these types of tires do wear out faster than regular everyday tires.
Gas mileage: Perhaps also because it's the Sport model, and on the Sport model the transmission is tuned to sporty driving and it has engine braking built in and I believe a gear algorithm designed to keep the car in the right gear if driving in a sporty mode around corners so when you accellerate it is already in the lower gear and doesn't have to down shift. It is intended to mimick having a manual transmission for sporty driving.
Oil: I don't know yet. I've only driven about 4,000 miles since getting the car. I frankly have not yet checked the oil level. I suppose I should do that. For some reason Caddy's tend to be oil drinkers. My previous two STSs also liked oil. The CTS Sport uses Mobil 1 synthetic oil for longer life.
Rear end: No problems on my car.
You car would have a sunroof and the Bose stereo with 6 CD which mine does not have, which are two options I would have liked to have gotten.
Yes, this CTS looks great and has all the equipment you can get on one but all that I am reading about reliability isn't good. FORBES and consume reports gave every year but 04, a lower than average reliability rating. AND BEWARE. There are recalls on the rear end seals and an issue with fuel distribution to the engine. Both are MAJOR issues that could be very dangerous while you are driving.
I am still contemplating this trade but still on the hesitant side especially when I saw an "expert" say, A Toyota Camry would be well on to it's second and third lives when a CTS was done for good.
Other than these expectations, I like the car and thee way the 3.6 performs.however, the reason for my trade dictates that I make the best choice for longevity and low maintenance in the life of a car.
I guess I have always been fortunate to have had cars that didn't give me much trouble, were pleasing to look at and fun to drive. I just don't care for many other cars right now. They all look pretty much the same or are much to pricey for what the are.thus, my dilemma with the CTS
What a LOT of people don't know or think of is the FACT that the average age of Toyota owners is OLDER than the average age of Cadillac owners. This age issue is one of the reasons Toyota came out with the Scion brand to market toward younger people.
Having recognized the above, I often wonder if Toyota and, say, Buick which just got a #1 JD Power rating, both have fewer owner complaints for reasons including the general fact that most older citizens don't drive their cars as much or as far per year and perhaps they also don't hear some of the creaks and rattles that younger car owners become aware of. It's an interesting thought to ponder...
Next time I am in for service I will ask of the two recalls you mentioned have been addressed on my car.
Rob
I guess, in this equation for me, I have to cover the possibility that I may not be able to trade this car for a long while so whatever car I decide on, it's got to be one that lasts longer than 50k before I have no choice but to rebuild and engine or something else major.
To build a car on the premise that the less you drive it, the fewer problems you will encounter, is a philosophy that I do not wish to purchase a car on, knowingly.
I can compromise with cheap interior materials from GM, but not purposeful lack of mechanical integrity. Even the Corvette deserved to be dressed out like a Ferrari inside - instead of a Mazda but to get a performance car with high quality mechanical build, I overlooked it. It won't be in the shop every five thousand miles and will last as long as my reasonable care of it.
This said, I wouldn't buy a Toyota Camry anyway. The quality of those cars has decreased markedly over the past few years and Hyundai is passing them by. Sitting on your laurels at number one will always be a major downfall in any game
I was amused to read a review of the 09 IMPALA the other day where the writer was trying t find something good to say about the SS and ending up saying something like, "despite GM's over-corrected front wheel over steer that made the correction worse than the problem, step on the gas for an Jekyll-Hyde personality surprise and experience the thrill of 3700 pounds of garbage thrust to adrenaline pumping launch.".
I knew what he was saying. I have also owned garbage cans with big engines and not much of any other kind of character but certain eventual scrap iron.
To reiterate, I LIKE the car and I want to think that it is not what I read. Unfortunately, I can not afford to pay the dealer for an extended warranty so I have only the remainder of the 4/50k as a comfort zone.
So --- you sound like a meticulous person who appreciates your CTS ....reading of problems and recalls and a lower than average reliability rating as well as an unattractive resale value, what would you do in my case?
Need advice. Thanks
You should be able to order replacement units from the dealer or from an after market supplier.
No, they are not dangerous to remove - just do it with the trunk lid fully open. But do not damage or try to open up the strut itself.
Mark
Sorry I can't help further with this one. Does the owner's manual not show where it is? It's probably not the actualy "radiator cap", but rather a separate opening so that the radiator cap doesn't have to be openened to add coolant.
Mine is an '06 CTS with the sport package option including 18" wheels and different Bridgestone tires. (Just under 16k miles and the tires do not have excessive wear).
I notice the "rubbing" noise when leaving home in the morning and when pulling into the parking spot at work. I actually believe it might, and I repeat the word "might", be caused by the inboard rear tire (i.e. when turning to the right; the right rear tire) rubbing on the epoxy-type painted surface of the parking garage floor of the building I work in. Then when i get to work - they recently re-sealed the whole parking lot with blacktop sealant - I think that's causing the rubber tire to make that rubbing noise at slow speeds over the epoxy sealant when turning sharply into a parking space.
Sounds strange, but I believe - or at least I want to believe - that is the cause. The CTS has a very tight turning radius compared to most vehicles (which is a really convenient thing). When turning sharply at low speeds, that means the inside rear tire is actually turning somewhat on its axis rather than just rolling forward over the road surface. Hence, this could be the cause, or at least "a" cause, for the rubbing noise, because the tire rubber is actually being rubbed against the surface its on with these tight turns. Very few vehicles of this size have the tight turning radius the CTS has (not sure if the '08 and newer CTS' have the same tight turning radius).
Rob
June
Do you have you copy of the the dealer service form/receipt from when you had the fluid added 6 months ago? I am curious if they wrote in what fluid they added. The more details I have, the more I can just tell my dealer "do this". I'm assuming it'll be a warranty job...
Rob
If you are able to find the work order in your files it would be helpful to know what they wrote down that they did (although the fact that it only lasted 6 months is discouraging).
If the guy at the dealer knew what it was then it's apparently a relatively common issue with the pre-'08 CTS model.
Thank you.
Rob
the rear difs were a weak area in the early model CTS's....and carried over into the 06-07 MY Pontiac Solstices...which use the same rear diff.......08 and beyond seem to correct the problem.....Im betting it is the rear differential.....
So, we added doing the rear end fix job to the list. He said it works on 8 out of 10 vehicles, and if not, then the rear diff. needs to be replaced (all warranty).
Obviously a known issue, and at least they own up to it and will address it under warranty. Driving a brand new DTS loaner car in the interim...
There was a rear end differntial recall about a year ago, because some had worse noise or even locked up. Everyone with that recall notice should get it done. After the recall was done, the noise was better but still there.
Recently I mentioned it to a different dealer and they were more aware of the problem. They added more lube to the rear and it's quiet now.
It seems the dealers are quite aware of this issue and there is no fuss or stress about performing the "fix" work on warranty. That's good.
Rob
if you are experiencing that grinding sound at low speed while making a sharp turn...try figure 8s in the parking lot.....its the clutch packs grinding.....and the dif needs to be replaced at this point....first TSB is replace the seal and fluid.....second is drain fluid and replace as needed....and third is replace the dif.....
09 CTS owner here with no problems...as well as 06 Solstice owner...three trips for the dif for warranty repair....on the 3rd trip the dif was replaced with an 08 MY version...and fixed the problem.....
Any input would be appreciated.
June
I am not sure why they are quoting you a charge at all.
Cars are ridiculously expensive to maintain these days. And who can we trust? I mean, look at the problems Toyota is having...and I knew before this whole gas pedal issue came to light that Toyota was bad about covering up problems with their cars, such as the problem a couple of years ago with oil turning to sludge in Camrys. I lot of customers had problems with that and Toyota denied it was a systemic problem...just like the unintended acceleration issue.
I don't notice any smoke anywhere and can't detect any leaks. If I add it it would probably be fine, but you shouldn't have to add that much oil to the car between each oil change......something is wrong!