best used sports sedan?

I think you're right on a lot of this but not all. For the money, there is very little out there off the showroom floor for the same price that can easily beat it in a measurable test.

The chassis have different feels to them. The BMW is more sport oriented and the CTS-V is more comfortable around town at slower speeds. At higher ones, the M5 seems to get the nod. The M5 fills its niche well because its less of a compromise than the CTS-V.

Why does it have 4 piston calipers, 2 piece rotors with alum. hats and it only manages to outbreak my car by less than 10ft? 126-128ft vs 121ft. I've got single pot calipers and 300mm disks all the way around in addition to being 150lbs heavier. How do you explain that? Its easy. For a "Brembo" brake package, its unusually pathetic. I didn't suffer brake fade or failure at Big Willow during our 100 degree day, even with others pounding on my car while I recovered in the 85 degree shade. In fact, the only issue I had was not taking an additional cool down lap after a long run for the tranny cooler and it almost overheated.

Small amounts of exterior and interior finish may be the only true way to decide between the E39 and the CTS-V. Why the CTS-V doesn't get as much love as the E39 comes down to personal preference. No matter how loud we scream about a particular car, the only true way to decide is to drive both and make a choice.

After all, if this is a contest to see who screams the loudest to spend someone else's money, you're at a huge disadvantage.

Sunny

 

For 65K, the Z06 makes a very compelling case.