Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

fjk57702 · June 2003

My Cadillac remembers where the radio/climate controls were set when last used by the key fob that opens the door - but the seat settings must be reset or the originals are used. And on my car the exit can be different than the driving position.

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

Traction control can also be disabled from the radio. Press the tuning knob, and then scroll all the way to the traction control function.

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

is wife-inflicted. This morning, she side-swiped a pole in a parking garage. $605 worth of damage in a nasty moon shaped series of scratches on the left rear fender just in front of the tail light.

*sigh*

I guess I'll still keep her. :-)

b4z · June 2003

If you disable it by the radio does it reset when you start it up again or is it permanently disabled until you reactivate it manually?

b4z · June 2003

1293 CTSs produced this week ending today.
Looks like the model changeover didn't slow things down at all.
Over 27,000 built YTD which is over 50,000 a year production.
And Cadillac was thinking they would only be able to sell 30,000 a year.

oldsman01 · June 2003

Other than the $399 a month lease deal which was in last Sunday's paper(and that isn't all that good considering it requires about $3000 down) Cadillac hasn't had to resort to all sorts of rebates and discounts to sell the car either. Unlike past Caddies(and other GM models) which are popular the first year or so then drop off, I think the CTS will actually increase in sales over time. With a new more powerful engine coming and the performance oriented V-series, Cadillac has a real opportunity to grow the brand. Maybe someday down the road they will offer a coupe and wagon variant.

b4z · June 2003

From time to time I like to post these, so here they are.

http://www.autonews.com/files/prod.pdf

cu95 · June 2003

To add to oldsman01's point, the CTS is one of only a handful of GM cars not eligible for the 0% financing. That is a strong indication to me that GM is quite happy with the level of demand for the CTS.

b4z · June 2003

My salesman was telling me that earlier in the year the CTS was eligible for low interest rate financing. I t might have even been 0%.
They couldn't keep cars on the lot.
They now have 5 at their main store and 3 at their
suburban store.
That is probalby just because the supply caught up with the demand and the '04's will be there in a couple of weeks.
Their quickest sales have been under 35K while the 37K+ cars with sunroofs, etc. stay on the lots for a few weeks.
I still think most of the buyer's are older.
Many probably don't care if it has a sunroof.

batmanscts · June 2003

I suspect that we all understand the emotional stress you are experiencing in this circumstance and the desire to "keep her". We all become attached to the ones we love. I encourage you to search your heart to see if there is a way that you might also consider keeping your wife. ;>)

automole · June 2003

I feel for you...a week after I bought my CTS my wife backed into a shopping cart in the Costco parking lot. Fortunately the damage to the rear bumper was minor. I decided to keep the wife but am considering trading my CTS on either the larger V6 or the V-Series when they arrive.

Does anyone know how the CTS is holding its resale value? I would guess quite well since I've only seen one used CTS for sale locally and it had a "carriage top" installed...YUCK!

ctsjerry · June 2003

I have been away from this site for a few days, and haven't kept up with all the great comments you folks have been posting. I wanted to agree with batmancts's comment: "My advice to anyone considering a CTS is to find one you like and buy it! I haven't heard anyone who owns one make a serious complaint about the car. If I found a 2003 that I really liked, I wouldn't wait on a 2004 that might not be exactly what I want and might also be considerably more expensive." Yes, my Luxury Sport 2003 model is just fine for my needs. Plenty powerful and rides great. The prices will be going up, I can see the handwriting on the wall.

I'm surprised to hear the 0% interest doesn't apply to the current CTSs on the lot. Guess I was lucky to buy mine in November of 2002 at 0% for 36 months (Do the math. As you can figure, the monthly payment is pretty steep! Yikes!) But as you guys say, it bodes well for the overall success of the car.

Dropped by the Dealership today to pickup some CTS brochures for our SoCal CTS Gathering June 21st. My dealer has about 35 CTSs in stock (20 had just came in and weren't prepped yet). All CTSs I saw had the new Temp Gauge we've all lusted for. I saw a black Luxo Sport CTS, with the Ebony interior. That is what I really would have liked, but my Dark Pewter is pretty nice too. The all Ebony dash and interior is a new option. Also saw some of the California Editions with the Machined 17" wheels. A new Dealer option was Dealer CHROMED factory 17" Aluminum wheels with neat chromed caps. Very nice touch!

One of the salesmen remarked that the CTS was their best seller by far, with Escalades trailing behind. The CTSs are definitely catching on here in Los Angeles. The L.A. crowd is very jaded towards BMWs and Japanese makes, so it's rare to get them to comment at all. But lately I get a lot more looks and nice comments. I notice women seem to really like the car. They comment the most.

About the ride, I agree the Luxury Sport is a bit firmer than the Luxury or Base Model ride. I test drove both. Probably a good idea for anyone considering one, to try both & compare. But I feel the extras included in the Luxo Sport Option are worth it and I love the "driving on rails" feeling in the curves. That car really hauls! I briefly had her up to 110 mph a few weeks ago. I was on a short section of Freeway and the end was looming up so I backed off. It was still pulling when I backed off. What a car!

By the way, thanks for all the posts on the tires. I still think my car has the V rated tires, but I think the newer ones have W rated tires as you stated. I saw it in a write-up somewhere.

Hope you folks are taking advantage of the 24 hour Test Drive. My wife & I RENTED a loaded CTS last October, to see how it fit into our lives. That 24 hour "test drive" sold us on the car, but we PAID to find that out (about $160). A FREE Test Drive would have been VERY nice!

Glad b4z finally test drove the CTS! Really makes you a believer, doesn't it? He'll have one soon. He has the fever too!

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

Thanks for the laugh. I really needed that one. My wife enjoyed that one too!

Yeah, my wife is due to deliver our first child in about 3 weeks (July 4th), so she's very hormonally challenged at this point. I can't get too mad at her. :-)

b4z · June 2003

Whatever happened to it? A year ago we were talking about it and it has simply disappeared off the radar screen.

b4z · June 2003

Spent last night and this morning going thru the archived CTS discussion.
Still have a long way to.
30-40 posts a day and sometimes 70 posts was the norm. 9 out of 10 posts had NOTHING to do with the CTS.
here is a gem some of you might remember:

Posted by me on February 26, 2002
"We are now almost 2 months into the intro of the CTS and I don't think anyone on this thread has bought one yet.

That has got to be some kind of record."

Some of you may remember that it took 2.5 months for an edmund's member to purchase a CTS.

After wading through about 1800 posts (most off topic)I am feeling a little nauseated.
LOL.

rsteph · June 2003

They were offering the 0-60 (Zero % financing up to 60 months) on the CTS a couple of months back. It ended on (I believe) April 30th. Bought mine on 4/27 so got in just under the wire. When the new plans came out on May 1st, the CTS had dropped off the "zero" list while other Cad models (not all of them) stayed on it. Since it seems Cadillac was straining to keep up with the CTS demand, maybe this was "designed" (odd as that may be) to try to slow demand a little so they could catch up. On the other hand, since they were selling hot 'n fast, GMAC probably saw the "cash cow" they were missing by offering 0%.
July "Consumer Reports" magazine rates the CTS #7 out of 15 tested and gave it an overall mid "very good" rating. Their issue seems to be lack of reliability info (since it's still a new model) so they "can't recommend it."

oldsman01 · June 2003

35 CTSs in stock, that must be a big dealer. BTW, how many Devilles do they have in stock, 100? The most CTSs I have seen in stock at the local dealer here is about 8 or 9. They don't seem to stay too long and any that are in really sharp colors like black, blue, or red are gone within a couple of days of appearing. Also, where did you rent a CTS from? I have yet to see any of the rental companies renting them.

0% financing, the CTS has been eligible for a couple of the 0% financing promos, but interestingly it has not been included in all of them.

oldsman01 · June 2003

Edmunds new car pricing now has the 04 CTS listed. Make mine Blue Chip with the 3.6 and required slushbox and XM radio. While I still wish a few other options were available without the packages, I am generally pleased with the pricing structure of the 04 CTS. I am VERY glad Cadillac didn't significantly raise the price of the car.

batmanscts · June 2003

b4z: The owners manual says that traction control automatically comes on whenever you start the car. The manual suggest that you always leave it on unless you are stuck in sand, mud, or snow and rocking the vehicle is necessary.
I'm sure the auto-on is a safety feature so that people don't forget that they have turned it off. I tested mine a few times when I first got the car and found that it does automatically come on when I start the engine after having turned traction control off (both with the button in the glove box and with the radio control).

sevenfeet0: A wife who's a "keeper" and a baby due on the 4th of July. Doesn't get any better than that! Makes all the discussion about cars seem very insignificant. Congrats to you and your wife.

necros · June 2003

Yeah, I know how to turn the traction control off by other means, but I was at the starting line, and otherwise occupied.

b4z · June 2003

Plus some '04 suspension change info.

http://www.60degreev6.com/index.php?p=newspost&nid=45

jpnmass · June 2003

Thanks for the reply about GMS. I work for a large telecom company as well. I didn't think about the connection with all the trucks we buy from the big 3. My company website said it is in effect until the end of this year. Maybe it will be renewed next year, but I guess that depends. I'm not in the market for awhile, so lets hope it's extended.

jpnmass · June 2003

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.

thebug · June 2003

In post #3429, you wrote, "The all Ebony dash and interior is a new option". I purchased in Nov of 02, and I have all ebony. What do you mean? Has something been added, or changed?

Further, you mentioned a SoCal CTS gathering on 21 June, please elaborate.

thebug...

thebug · June 2003

While in Cleveland, Ohio, in April this year, I made a visit to a Cadillac Dealer, and they must have had at least 35-40 on the back lot. Most of them were base models, and none with a stick. Even then, the salesman said they were moving pretty good. The CTS is a lot more sucessful than many thought it would be.

thebug...

b4z · June 2003

CTS sold 37,979 cars in the calendar year 2002.
Considering that sales started Jan. 2, 2002 that is excellent. We forget that there weren't any cars in the pipeline and the cars that were on dealer's lots were strictly demos and not for sale.
They were also only producing about 400 cars a week in January 2002.
Production started in November 2001.
It looks like about 25-27K 2003 CTSs have been produced YTD for 2003.
So there will be about 55-60,000(maybe more?) 2003 CTS's on the road.
Not too shabby.

mcgreenx · June 2003

I don't know what the "critical mass" is, that is, how many cars need to be on the road before they begin to lose their rarity, but I now commonly see CTSs on Chicago area roads, and in the parking lot where I work. It gives me a feeling of pride that I was one of the earlier "adopters," who saw what the car offered, and with over 15K I'm more and more delighted with the car every day. Now all I've go to do is get the leaky rear license plate surround replaced. But that doesn't affect the car's performance.

And 7ft., next year this time you will be a Father's Day honoree. A great feeling, and even better when you qualify because of being both a father and a GRANDfather. Do you know yet whether you are going to be a father or a mother?

cjs2002 · June 2003

just went to the edmunds pricing for the 04 CTS... how can an option package be nearly 10K is this a mistake or reality... I'm gonna go talk to dealors about getting an 04 or seeing about the pricing of it... I'm shootin for a new 03, though so I can get some discounts on the price since the 04s are comming out....

b4z · June 2003

There is a really sweet blue CTS on ebay right now. Only 800 miles. Looks like there are selling in the 22-24K range.
That might be an option for a lot of us.

dindak · June 2003

Not applicable to CTS or Cadillac up here either. Cadillac doesn't seem to need it these days. Cadillac seems to be back in vogue.

b4z · June 2003

What to do.....
Went back to the dealer again and looked at the cars under the blazing afternoon sun.
I took another look at the cars because I felt like I was changing my mind about the blue.
The blue is very close to the black, so I felt if I am going to go to that color I might as well do black.
Black is very menacing but clean. When you come up behind someone driving a black car they usually pull over.
I then looked at the silver which is a very European color.
I like the new silver better than the old.
The prob with silver is getting one that has good paint with no splotches or metallics that are grouped together.
I decide on the black, but as I was leaving, the sun was hitting the blue just right and you could really tell it was blue.
The metallics popped out and the creases were accentuated.
I still want to see the smoke silver. If it is a gray with a lot of metallics in it then I will go that way.
If it looks like the silver mist on the Intrigue I will go blue.
The cashmere is still the most elegant color though.

b4z · June 2003

The R-38s are my favorites, in 18" size of course.

http://www.ronalusa.com/cars/cadillac_cts.html

thebug · June 2003

Thanks for the wheels. Nice wheels are hard to find for the CTS. I think you're right about people pulling over (sometimes) when a black car approaches.
I notice it mostly when I'm at a full gallop, and it doesn't seem to happen as much when I'm in one of my other cars. Interesting.

thebug...

oldsman01 · June 2003

The dark blue is my color. Black is not bad either and your right about coming upon somebody while driving a black car:) My Intrigue is black with the dark grey interior, chrome wheels, and the gold emblem package. And when she is clean(which is rare with all the rain we've had this year) it is sometimes hard to take your eyes off her. My CTS color choices in order are dark blue, black, sterling(or whatever the new silver color is) and red(althought I haven't seen the new red being offered for 04). BTW, how did your Impala drive after driving the CTS?

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

The Ebony color was rolled into the 2003 production shortly after my car was produced (Sept 02). So yours is probably one of the first. The other dashboard changes (temp guage, etc) doesn't seem to have come until May '03.

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

Yeah, my wife can be a little clumsy (self-admitted), but she's my best friend and I'm extremely lucky to have her.

Speaking of the impending birth, my wife went into "early labor", which just means her system is starting to prepare for the real labor in a couple of days. It looks like we'll be a couple of weeks early of the original July 4th date. In the meantime, I've mounted the car seat to the CTS' LATCH system connections in preparation.

As far as whether I'm going to be a father or a mother...well..never mind...this one's too easy to make a joke out of. I think you're asking the sex of the kid. He'll be Richard Ewing V.

b4z · June 2003

Wheels are incredibly hard to find for the CTS.
I guess it is too new.
I am also wondering which GM RWD wheels will fit on it. Don't even know the backspacing.
RSM has a blue CTS with black painted Enkie wheels, but there is no confirmation from enkie that they fit.

The CTS is very squared off with sharp edges so I am looking for a wheel with square or rectangular spokes and a void that is squared off.
In other words, the spokes need to come into the both the rim and the hub at an angle with no radius to it.

What I would really like is a 5 spoke design where the brakes were visible.

I am also thinking of doing the gunmetal grey, or black ice as it is called with the dark blue.

I am disappointed in tirerack's offerings.
Too FWD econcobox looking.

I think certain BBS wheels would look great.

b4z · June 2003

Nothing looks better than a black car..... when it is clean.
If you can keep it clean for more than 30 minutes you are a better man than me. LOL.

I used to own a black '85 IROC. The first thing I did to it was get a blow dryer and pull the lower stripe and big "IROC-Z" decals off the door.

The car was stunning to say the least.

Talk about people moving out of the left lane for me! It was like parting the Red Sea on the interstate.

The downside of it was that people couldn't see the car as well and were constantly pulling out of paking lots and side streets in front of me.

If I had a black CTS coming up behind me at speed I would cetainly give him room.

b4z · June 2003

CTS has a firmer suspension but rides better than the Impala !!!
CTS is quieter, rigid body structure, heavier steering(maybe artificially so).
CTS is the bomb, Impala is the firecracker.
I don't guess I could have done any better for 21K 2 years ago.
Overall I don't recommend anybody test drive a CTS then get in a Impala. Quite a letdown.

rfdevil1 · June 2003

I just pulled out a CTS brochure that I picked up from a dealer last fall when I first went to look at a CTS and the interior color option is ebony, and the dash shows the clock in the dash. So they must have changed it early.

Re the number of CTSs on the roads, I took a trip to North Jersey yesterday, only 70 miles each way, and I saw 6 on the way up (yes I find myself counting) and 5 on the way back so a good part of those production number must be finding their way to the northeast! Around here it seems that the larger dealers are keeping 15 to 20 on the lots but that's the most I've seen.

dindak · June 2003

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/030614-1.htm

willngayle · June 2003

I saw a post a few pages back regarding GMS for Telcom employees. Can someone elaborate some more on this. What is required to qualify? Thanks, Bill

oldsman01 · June 2003

If I can keep my black beauty clean for a day, I'm doing good. I agree about people pulling out in front of you, but I think this is more just people being careless. As alot of newer cars do, my Intrigue has DRLs and they are the amber parking lamps rather than the typical headlamps(more visible IMO) and people still pull out in front of me. I just lay on the horn and give them a mean look. Speaking of horns, does the CTS have a decent sounding horn?

As for the ride, after I test drove a CTS my Intrigue felt like a golf cart it took bumps and asphalt patches so harshly.

sevenfeet0, congratulations to you and your wife. I'll guess you guys will be bringing him home Cadillac style:)

oldsman01 · June 2003

I posted about my company(which is a telecom) being eligible for GMS pricing. Being a telecom doesn't really have anything to do with getting GMS pricing other than we do alot of business with GM in buying vans, trucks, and SUVs for our engineers, field techs, and sales people. I don't work in corporate, by my guess is this is something that was worked out between GM and corporate as a benefit to our employees due to us doing so much business with them. GMS pricing is typically for companies who are suppliers for them.

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

I was brought home by my parents in their '63 Buick Riviera. Now that was a cool car!

bingoman · June 2003

Does your company perhaps supply telcom services or equipment to GM offices?

ctsjerry · June 2003

Hi all-
When I picked up a catalog on the CTS in mid 2002, the darkest interior was Dark Pewter. Ebony was not an option. I had not seen an ALL EBONY interior until last week, and I drop by the Dealer frequently to checkout the current stable of Caddies.

The Salesman TOLD me they had 20 in the back lot, still needing prep. I counted at least 12 in the Showroom and front lot. When I bought mine, they were rare. I think there were only 6-8 in stock and not many Luxury Sport models like mine. But I LOVE my car as she is. All Ebony would be great, but not enough to prompt a trade-in.

The number of other Caddies on the lot is not as impressive as the CTSs. Escalades are VERY popular so they are prominent. I wanted you guys to hear a comment made by one of the Salesman: He said "the CTS is saving us. CTSs are our number one seller, with Escalades trailing behind" I have noticed there are not too many NEW STSs or Devilles around on the streets. I'm now seeing at least one CTS a day, which is a good sign. Once again, this is in the Los Angeles/South Bay area. -Jer:>)

ctsjerry · June 2003

As I've posted here and at CaddyEdge.com, we are having a gathering of CTS owners and potential owners this coming Saturday, June 21st. Just for fun. Time: 11:00 till ?. Location: Del Taco/Pep Boys parking lot, SW corner of Manchester & La Tijera in Westchester, CA (Suburb of Los Angeles). 2 minutes north of L.A. Airport (LAX). From 405 Freeway, take Manchester Blvd WEST about 2 miles. Turn SOUTH (left) on La Tijera, and make an immediate right into the lot. It's adjacent to a Firestone Store on the corner.

We'll have CTS brochures to pass out. We'll talk CTS and compare notes on our cars. Lunch at Del Taco.

Our Flyers are available at Lou Ehlers Cadillac on Wilshire Blvd and Ronald Moran Cadillac in Torrance.

If this is a success, Lou Ehlers Cadillac says the next event they will bring out new Cadillacs for people to inspect & test drive. Wow!

If interested, email me at Jerry@laccc.com

cu95 · June 2003

I hit a very nasty pothole doing about 55mph on Saturday. I had someone following me to my house and was looking in my rearview mirror a lot and never saw the pothole until too late. For the severity of the pothole, I was very pleased with how the the car responded; it sounded violent but the car didn't react violently or lose its course. I passed two cars almost immediately that were in the breakdown lane, and at least one of them had a flat --I wouldn't be surprised if they were victims to the same pothole. Got home and found that I had lost one of the disks that covers the lug nuts on the wheels (base model 16"s). For those interested, that part goes for $16 (I just ordered it from my dealer).

b4z · June 2003

Check your alignmnet.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

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