Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

Yeah, I'd check the alignment and make sure that nothing else shook loose. Potholes like that can easily bend suspension bits. You don't want to mess around with something like that. If your dealer is like mine, they won't charge you for the peace of mind if they don't find anything wrong. I'd still ask them to align and balance car though.

vcjumper · June 2003

CTS 5-speed review

tomcat630 · June 2003

Good to see the CTS selling in La La Land, too.

I'd like to hear from those who predicted it would flop, simply because it was not an imported car.

b4z · June 2003

Probably the most unbiased review I have read. Thanks.

jemiller · June 2003

That's nasty. Check the wheel, even bet it's at least somewhat bent now.

wwhite2 · June 2003

The linked 3.6 engine article stated that the 0-60 for the 3.6 engine will be 6.7 thats 2 tenths quicker than the now available 3.2 engine with the 5 spd manual .....interesting

I had few choices for wheels on my 95 Eldorado ETC seems Cadillac uses its own bolt circle specs

rob35cts · June 2003

I got my clock fixed today. They put a new instrament cluster in. It was very easy. I could have done it myself. The cluster cost $700. I was in and out in 35 min. As you guys know most of the time was talking. He only had two bolts to remove.

mannytranny · June 2003

Great review - thanks!
I also thought that it was quite fair.

fjk57702 · June 2003

The reviewer thinks the Opel V6 is some kind of northstar engine???

ctsjerry · June 2003

Nice review article on the 2003 CTS. I do agree that the CTS 3.2L engine is certainly not a Northstar, but neither is it "just an Opel V6". It's a totally new beefier design. Yes, same "V" angle as the old Catera engine, but other than that, it's all new. And a real performer (and this is coming from a big time V8 fan!)

One comment: The reviewer complains about the horn honking when the alarm is set or turned off. I hate that too in other cars, but that's a programable feature you can opt to turn off in a CTS. Very clever those Delco engineers! It's in the least read book in the world: THE OWNER'S MANUAL. But for the CTS, the Owner's Manual is an absolute MUST READ. There is far too much stuff to learn about all the new computerized goodies NOT to read the Manual. You'll find that you'll learn something new EVERY time you read it. -Jerry:>)

rsteph · June 2003

I had a 2000 Impala LS prior to the CTS. Not sure I totally agree with ya on all of your comparisons though. I currently have a 2002 Impala as a work car so still get to drive both frequently...my opinions:

"CTS has a firmer suspension but rides better than the Impala !!!" (I agree on the firmer suspension but I think the Impala rides better..softer anyway (I said "rides better", not "handles better"). But then, that's to be expected..Impala is a family sedan.)

CTS is quieter, rigid body structure, heavier steering(maybe artificially so). (For the most part..yes...but while CTS is quieter road noise wise, engine on the Impala is much quieter.)

"CTS is the bomb, Impala is the firecracker." (Ok, but the Impala (LS anyway) is pretty snappy for what it is.)

I don't guess I could have done any better for 21K 2 years ago. (No disagreement.)

Overall I don't recommend anybody test drive a CTS then get in a Impala. Quite a letdown. (This is totally objective and depends entirely on what it is you're looking for in a car. I remember when I first got my Impala, you were hardpressed to see them around. Now they're getting to be like the VW bugs of old...they're all over the place. I'm not saying the Impala is better than the CTS. CTS is certainly superior. But, there is that $10k price difference which, for probably a majority of people, can be a big deciding factor. I am a fan of both cars though. The Imp is holding it's own very nicely in it's "niche". Had I not found the CTS I was after, I'd be in a 2003 Impala LS today.

fjk57702 · June 2003

Opel is using the 3.2 V6 too. This is not an exclusive CTS engine. The CTS gets some additional intake manifold tuning that gives it a couple of extra horsepower.

ctsjerry · June 2003

Hi fjk57702- That's intersting news. My point is to folks who think that the CTS engine is just a mildly reworked Catera engine. It isn't. Cadillac did a lot of work to make it something special. The new 3.6L will be a very nice upgrade, but the 3.2L ain't bad! I was pleasantly surprised. -Jer:>)

fjk57702 · June 2003

Actually, Opel did the work. The 3.2 was out before the Catera was out of production. As near as I can tell, Cadillac bolted the intake manifold they used on the old Catera engine onto the new engine. Now I realize the the larger engine probably needed some additional tuning, but the new intake looks exactly like the old one.

ctsjerry · June 2003

Yep, it can do that. For pictures and instructions see: http://cadcts.com/. Click on WEB PAGE NAVIGATION. Pretty cool! -Jer:>)

ctsjerry · June 2003

From the Motor Trend CTS Review & Drive Comparison article: "The CTS' 3.2L/220-hp DOHC V-6 is an enlarged and upgraded version of the '02 Catera's 3.0L/200-hp engine. However, because it's undergone many changes (newly reinforced cast-iron block with new connecting rods and a forged-steel crankshaft), one could say it, too, is new. Due to the fact that this narrow GM V-6 is used in both transverse and longitudinal applications, it has an unusual 54° bank angle that's not as smooth or smooth-sounding as either the Infiniti's oversquare 60° V-6 or the ultra-placid I-6 of the BMW. The combustion chambers in the CTS V-6's aluminum cylinder heads have been improved, as well as the intake and exhaust manifolds, and the engine now achieves an EPA Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) rating. Combined with improved lubrication, better cooling, higher fuel pressure, and throttle-by-wire technology, horsepower and torque gains are dramatic despite not utilizing variable timing."

Ref: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0208_sedan/index4.h- - - tml

fjk57702 · June 2003

http://buypower.vauxhall.co.uk/showroom/search/technicalSpecifica- tions.jhtml?driveCode=VM69&driveCodePack=ZCAS&description- =MV6+3.2i+V6+24v+auto.&brand=Omega

jemiller · June 2003

It is an Opel V6, and is also used in the Omega in 3.2L form.

The only changes are those which you'd expect would be needed to take it from 3.0L to 3.2L.

jemiller · June 2003

Hmm. I'd never consider the CTS and Impala to be remotely comparable.

As for driving a 2003 Impala vs the CTS - there's a long, long list of vehicles out there superior to the Impala that undercut the CTS on price, everything from Accords to Camrys etc. Even the Altima is a far nicer mechanical package, though the interior's about as rude as they come.

bigdaddycoats · June 2003

Drove through the lot of the local dealer today and saw they just got around 10 04s in stock. No stickers on them yet. Looks like a few base models (auto), some with the 1SB and maybe two with the sprt pkg also. Wide range of colors but no red. I think in a day or two I'll call and go drive one. The new 3.6 should be pretty sweet. The new 17" wheels look great. I'll let ya know how the test drive goes.

b4z · June 2003

Does your Impala LS ride hard over small bumps?
Mine does. Chevy put too much jounce in the shocks.
The CTS was firmer but handled small bumps like expansnion strips, bots dotts, etc in a more composed way than the Impala does.
I have enjoyed the heck out of the impala and it is one hell of a highway car. 41K miles in 24 months.
Impala has a corser sound than CTS.
Impal will stay until the Summer is over because i will be taking older parents to the mountains, and the iMp has more room.

b4z · June 2003

First with the '04 info once again.

Are the 17s available in mirror polish.

How about some pics?

Let us know if there is a smoke silver on the lot and what you think of it.

b4z · June 2003

Electrical room fire quickly contained.
No stoppage in work.

http://www.lsj.com/news/local/030616_fire_1b.html

I was surprised to find that only 800 workers build the cars!

b4z · June 2003

Due to demand for the CTS the plant will operate the 2nd week of the normal 2 week shutdown.

CTS plant info is in the last paragraph of the story.

http://www.lsj.com/news/business/030612_gm_1a.html

Good news. CTS continues to be popular.

automole · June 2003

rob35cts,

Did the new instrument cluster fix the clock problem?...and is your dash rattle free?

I'm thinking of trying to get my dealer to replace mine but am still paranoid that I'll end up with the same clock problem in addition to a rattling dashboard.

tomcat630 · June 2003

"Due to demand for the CTS the plant will operate the 2nd week of the normal 2 week shutdown."

Another nail in the "CTS will fail" coffin!

tyler80 · June 2003

Where in Michigan are you located?

b4z · June 2003

Great! Just what we potential buyers need, a more expensive CTS.
Wagoner says they have raised the CTS' prices $790 since it was released.
While I can't come up with the $790 increase he seems pretty sure about it.
Read about halfway down the story.

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/walsh18_20030618.htm

jpnmass · June 2003

If I remember correctly, the base price started at 29,350 plus freight. Including freight it was under $30K. So the current price is 30,695 with freight versus, say, 29,995. That's $700, so I must be off a bit somewhere.

Can't really kill GM for the increase, especially with the 3.6L only $500 more for next year. And also, the way I see the options on Edmunds and KBB, I'd be able to spend considerably less and get the car I want (don't need to get one of the $2000+ packages just to get the Bose stereo) Now, lets hope the data is configured right on these websites!

b4z · June 2003

I was thinking it started at $29,900.

The people I have talked to have said that the Bose is not that big of an improvement.

jemiller · June 2003

If the CTS is selling better than expectations, why wouldn't GM raise prices?

GM needs cars they can sell at BMW/Audi profit margins.

bigdaddycoats · June 2003

b4z- From what I read the 17" are available with the mirror polish finish, the two cars with the 17's on the lot did not have the mirror polish finish. There was one CTS with the silver smoke finish - it looked to me to be a dark gray, it was parked next to a silver one and you could definatley tell a difference. Looked pretty good. I wish I had a digital camera, but not yet.
tyler80- Rochester Hills, MI
Pricing- I believe that now the base 04 with manual and 3.2 starts at $30835. So the base price has gone up since the CTS launched and many of the option prices have increased as well. $995 for the white diamond paint seems a little much in my opinion (think this was originally a $550 option).

b4z · June 2003

Is it similiar to the light grey metallic that was available on many GM cars around '83-84?

Most colors aren't new, just recycled.

I think the base price is up about $140 over the late 2003's now on the lots.

zman21 · June 2003

We (my dad & I) got a CTS last night. It's the Blue Onyx with Auto Tranny & Rear Spoiler as options. We got it from Southern California area (Riverside). Sticker was $31,895 + $695 for the dealer installed spoiler = $32,590. Got it down to $30,577 + $300 for spoiler = $30,877. Tax=$2,392.97 Doc Fee=$45 DMW=$244 CA Tire Fee=$5 for a Grand Total of $33,563.97 We qualified for 3.9% financing and the manager threw in 2 years of free GM SMARTCARE. Fair deal IMHO, what do you guys think? We live in an area where demand is high. Word of advice...if you want to buy a Cadillac, stay away from the Ontario, California area :-)

bingoman · June 2003

What's wrong with Ontario, CA

Bingoman, San Fernando Valley

rob35cts · June 2003

It appears it is fixed I need to do some reseting to make sure that it will be ok. That is how my last one went bad. It is extremely easy to replace the cluster. I actually took it apart before I went in just to see if I should. I had it apart in about 5 min. Their is no way you could have rattles. The dash stays in tact. On top of the stering column is a piece of plastic that must be seperated and pulled to you. Then push down on the piece of plastic in front of the cluster and pull to you. Take it out. Under that is 2 screws that hold the cluster in. The cluster has a single plug in the back. Without even taking the cluster out or any parts off you can see all the clusters edges except the bottom where the bolts are. It is really easy. Do not sweat any rattles.

ctsjerry · June 2003

Someone posted message to me asking where I rented a fully loaded CTS to test drive. They are very hard to find. As I stated in my original post, I HIGHLY recommend the FREE 24 hour test drive GM is offering. Please take advantage of it, even if you are planning on buying next year. FREE is always good. However, back in October of 2002 there was no free test drive. The only test drive was with the salesman around the block. So my wife and I rented a fully loaded Sable Black CTS, with NAV and moon roof. It had the Luxury Option, so it had the 16" wheels. As I recall it had about 5500 miles on the odometer. We rented it from the local branch of Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car here in Los Angeles. See: http://www.bhrentacar.com/ (they even rent Ferraris!) It was very expensive for only 50 free miles ($165.00 or so), but I felt it was worth it when buying a $38,000+ car. I was able to drive it night and day, park it in my garage to check for clearances, check-out the features, show it off to friends and relatives, and get the general feel of the car. We liked it! Within a month we had one of our own. -Jer:>)

wesley1der · June 2003

Can you get the 17 inch wheels on all 04 CTS models or just the sport? I hope you can get them on the Luxury Models.

fjk57702 · June 2003

On kbb they are included with the sport pkg - not available without sport pkg. Mirror polish is included in luxSport pkg.

b4z · June 2003

or is the 2003 16" wheel a better looking design than the 2003 17" wheel?

I am not talking about the size of the wheel but the design.

17" wheel is a STS design but the 16" wheel was clearly designed to go with the car.

I wonder what the 16" wheel would look like in the 17" size?

bingoman · June 2003

My dealer here in the San Fernando valley (Rydell) gave me a black CTS for a 24 hour test back in Feb. '02. My wife and I drove it up to Ventura and back and kept it overnight. My wife said that the Ebony interior was not her idea of a luxury car, so we waited a few weeks until the dealer got in a car with a light neutral interior. We then ordered the car and waited until May for delivery. I even had to postpone a vacation trip until the car was delivered. It now has 16k miles on it.

b4z · June 2003

Looked through the Archives and found this.

It was almost 3 months before one of us bought a CTS.

madjack1 was the first to order on February 8,2002, but shifty4 was the first to take delivery. Way to go shifty4!

5998 of 8120 Am I the first? by shifty4 Mar 27, 2002 (7:34 pm)
Took delivery today of my CTS. After I figure out how to set up all the gizmos and options I will provide a list of likes, dislikes, and minor annoyances. Out the door quality appears excellent. I have yet to find any flaws visually.

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#5999 of 8120 by fjk57702 Mar 27, 2002 (7:37 pm)
As far as I know, you are the first to take delivery and report her

#6000 of 8120 Shifty 4 by wwhite2 Mar 27, 2002 (7:45 pm)
How is the car speced out?

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#6001 of 8120 Way to go, Shifty4! by peachtree103 Mar 27, 2002 (7:48 pm)
Glad to see someone take the plunge. I hope the CTS works out great for you with many happy miles. Hope your prepared for your role as Cadillac's ambassador to the "interesting" group that has assembled here. Enjoy!

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#6002 of 8120 YEAH!!! by b4z Mar 27, 2002 (9:37 pm)
We finally have a taker. Congratulations shifty4!
3 months after the CTS came out somebody has finally taken the plunge.
Keep posting, and let us know how it works out.

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#6004 of 8120 by teo Mar 27, 2002 (9:50 pm)
Congrats Shifty! Enjoy!

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#6008 of 8120 Woohoo! by vcjumper Mar 27, 2002 (10:04 pm)
A buyer.. One week short of a year after this topic started.

batmanscts · June 2003

When I was shopping, I had similar thoughts about which wheel design looked best on the car. As discussed in prior postings, I bought the Lux Sport for various reasons and have the 17" mirror polished wheels. When I ask myself your question about which wheel design I now think is better looking on the car, my answer is that I wouldn't trade my 17" design wheels for a another set with the 16" design for a thousand dollars (roughly 1/4th of the Lux Sport Package cost).

That doesn't mean that I'm right or that you might be wrong in what you are thinking. It just means that I'm happy with what I got. When I see a few CTSs on a lot, I still think the 17" wheels are the better looking design.

I believe you are still in the shopping mode. I'll give you a variation of my previous unsolicited advice on this thread... If you see one that you really like... whether it is a 2003 or a 2004... or whether it has 16" or 17" wheels...

If you really like it, buy it! The minor variations are just that... minor.

mcgreenx · June 2003

Richard Ewing V!!!! Wow, the Fifth!!! I predict he will be called "King Richard" around the 7ft0 household, and will rule the roost.

Our grandchildren's car seats are usually strapped into my wife's Accord, but I tried the LATCH system in my CTS and it's really a great improvement. Makes installation and removal a snap.

b4z · June 2003

With all the recent talk of the new 17" wheels we've been having, I thought i would repost thecarconnection.com article with the best pic of the new wheels I have seen yet.
All the other '04 articles have used '03 pics.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6071&sid=18- - 3&n=157

cu95 · June 2003

I have felt that the '03 16"s where aesthetically more pleasing and consistent with the CTS's look than the '03 17"s, but the 17"s do seem to "fit" the CTS better. When I dragged my wife to the dealership early in my shopping effort, she didn't like the 17"s, commenting that she thought that "they look like they belong on a truck". I'm not sure I agree, but it was an interesting observation.

I'm reserving my final opinion on the '04 17"s until I can get a good up close look, but I do like how they've gone to a center cap --I think hidden lug nuts goes better with the rest of the car's look (I suspect the exposed nuts on the '03's were a big motivator for my wife's comment.) Unfortunately, center caps can be lost (see my earlier post). :-)

sevenfeet0 · June 2003

Looks like the CTS is going to China...

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_cod- e=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=01610554

ctsjerry · June 2003

In looking at the new 2003 CTS Brochures currently available, the 17" polished wheels are an OPTION on the Luxury Sport package. They were standard when I got Luxury Sport CTS in November of '02 (Built September 20th, 2002). The brochure did not show the 17" MACHINED finished wheels at that time. Apparently they are standard on Luxury Sport now. Things change!

ctsjerry · June 2003

Back in 2002 my Salesman, who I've known for 12 years, never mentioned a 24 hour test drive. He knew how interested I was in the CTS for months. BingoMan mentions an BLACK interior. Insofar as I knew, that was not available back then. It came later. Only Dark Pewter was available then. Are you sure you did your free 24 hour Test Drive in February 2002? If so, my Dealer will hear about this one. :>)

Ironicly, BingoMan, my 2003 CTS was originally delivered to Rydell Auto Group in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. It became a Dealer trade to my Dealer when Rydell wanted a car in their inventory (my car was built 9/20/2002).

Like Jesse James on MONSTER GARAGE, I sure wish I could have had a FREEBIE!!! -Jer:>)

ctsjerry · June 2003

Hey BatmanCTS- I agree with your last post 1000%!!! Those 17" POLISHED wheels are by far the best. I'm EXTREMELY happy I got mine too. The look is great. Wouldn't have the 16" wheels for anything. By the way, those "exposed" lug nuts are actually metal COVERS that screw on to cover the real lug nuts underneath. They are 19mm like the cad plated lug nuts they cover. You might want to tighten them a bit. A couple of my car's covers were a little loose when I bought the car.

Insofar as the look of the car, I get most of my positive comments from the ladies out there. They REALLY like the MACHO and AGGRESSIVE look of the car. I agree! It ain't for the faint hearted!

And I agree with you that these folks who are going back & forth over what year CTS to buy, should look at the current crop. They are getting all the little bugs out like the Clock/Temp Gauge thing. I really liked the Sable Black with Ebony interior CTS Luxury Sport I saw the other day at the Dealer. I've always liked the STSs & DTSs in that color combo, and boy does it look good! But hey, buy the color you like. You'll love that CTS like the rest of us who bought one. Fantastic Car! -Jer:>)

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

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