Cadillac CTS - thoughts?

My in-law has one, and it's a good daily drive car. It does have a plenty of ahh-woo, too. (for large sedan) Very smooth (I expect that for Caddy), quiet, & there's quite power/torque when you need it. XLR is my choice for the current Caddy line-up, but I have no use or money for it... BTW, go w/ Lux. Sports Package.
I would take this car over M-B C class, but would debate hard for Audi A4 & Lexus ES or GS. You know, the price of CTS is very reasonable compared w/ other equivalent.
Are you considering to buy CTS or just wondering?

 

i've seen a convertible version before - it looked awesome!
I like the xlr better but the cts is pretty cool

 

I'm planning on getting a CTS-V in the next 2-3 months. As a dealership technician, I used my contacts to check up on the CTS. It seems they are pretty solid cars with the only known recurrent problem being water leaks at the front cowl. Kinda major, but they are known about so they can be easily addressed.

Dave

 

The CTX is a nice car. It's great that they offer a manual transmission with every engine choice. The CTS-V would be nice, but I'd probably go for the 3.6l V-6, manual trans, with the sport package.

The cars coming out of the Lansing plant have been very highly rated. Sounds like they are putting them together pretty well.

The only downside to the car is the interior isn't up to the standards of Audi, or even the new STS. The redesign should take care of that, but all in all, it's a good buy.

 

CTS does seem to have one glitch-a whining differential-that seems to affect quite a few cars. Check the forums-ttp://www.cadillacforums.com/index.html.

In addition there is going to be an '06 CTS Sport, which is to fill the gap between the CTS and V. 300 supercharged hp and V-type bodywork. I'm checking them out myself, along with some pre-owned (and certified) Jag S Type-Rs.....

 

All caddies are cr*p. I have had 2, and both were horrid. Seems like good value for the money up front, but the depreciation is mind boggling. They appear to be designed to go 40,000 miles before something really expensive goes - like the transmission.

Last one I had was a 99 deville. 44k$ new. Bought it when it was 6 months old for 31,000$. Drove it 2 years: had to replace exhaust, injectors, engine mounts, transmission. Traded it in with 30,000 miles for 8K$ in 2004. Full retail was 3,000$ more.

Do yourself a favor, buy a BMW or LEXUS, drive the snot out of it, and sell it for 60% of new cost in 5 years. DO NOT BUY A CADDY!

This is of course, a very biased opinion.

 

You'll be amazed by how they have come in six short years.

I know I was. The new deville is a fabulous car. The CTS-V IMO is better then the M5.

During those six years the german makes however have also degraded considerable making caddy look comparatively a lot better.

 

Old caddies are crap

New caddies are good cars




THE CTS only way to go is the V

the un V'd ones are lacking a little between the legs.
the V is a fantastic vehicle.

(the first time i tried to say that regarding a cadillac... It is not easy for me to admit that they hit it right on the sweet spot with this car.)

 

Yep, anything after 2001 is pretty safe, I think. I'm thinking about picking up a used 2001-2003 DTS at some point. Depreciation is still pretty steep on them, there are some good deals out there.

 

i agree, they still depreciate a great deal, the new ones are better, the olds one wereCR**....buy used and you can get a great deal... i still dont like the angular styling...just not my cup of tea but they are good cars for the money...will they hold up like the previous generation 5 series or current 3 series? only 8 years and 200k miles will tell....

 

Its funny the angular thing kind of works for me. It is the only GM dev that has gone far away from their old look. Pontiac is still trying to make everything look like an old grand am. Buick, well is buick.

The new stuff from Saturn is not so offensive as the old...

 

very true, it is bold step for caddy and very different and distinctive....i have found people on street either love it or hate it...my hats off to caddy,they are making luxury, 4 door vettes....at a reasonable price...now if add some depreciation and you have a steal!!!

 

Sorry, I don't buy the idea that the newer ones are better. They still are quite poor. I rented a 2002 deville - interior was horrible. Cheapest plastic this side of a TYCO toy. Horrible torque steer. Still has among the worst depreciation of any car.

When I was buying the 99, I tried to negotiate with the sales guy by pointing out that caddies have lousy reliability records. His reply? "Well, that might have been true in the past, but not with the 99's..." Uh, yeah.

Don't be penny smart and dollar foolish, get the BMW or the Lexus...

 

I don't think I would buy a BMW later than MY 2000 or so, their quality really started slipping after that. Lexus, is, well, Lexus.

I can see where the DeVilles can still be hit or miss, but the Sigma chassis that are built in Lansing (CTS, SRX, STS), are very, very good.

Depreciation is a good thing for those of us that like to buy used.

 

The rental models have cheaper interiors. I have driven both. Add to that the rentals get treated like trash and there you go.

Torque stear? It's a barge with passing power not a sports sedan.

My parents have an 01, my uncle has a new one. Not a single problem, ever.
Their 1998 was such trash.

A lexus is a lexus but BMW and caddy are sadly for bmwon even keal at this point.

Much of my opinion is that I find the stupid joystick in the new BMW's very annoying and gimicky.

 

What gets me with the Cts' styling is the doors. I love the front and back ends but if you look at a side view of the car it's like they just put the doors in with no thought at all it. They look very genetic.

 

Make that geneRIC! Actually they remind me of the doors from a K-car. It just gets me because I love the styling of the rest of the car.

 

The Deville is from the last generation of Cadillacs, don't expect it to be a winner like the SRX or CTS-V. BTW the new DTS comes out within the next 6 months. The presidential inaguration limo was a precursor.
http://www.cheersandgears.com/chimage.php?image=cadillac/dts_limo/4.jpg
http://www.cheersandgears.com/chimage.php?image=cadillac/dts_limo/2.jpg
It's obviously longer, taller, and wider than a regular sedan but that's what it should look like. The new STS is a great car but I was hoping the interior would be nicer, in the CTS however the interior works because it is a cheaper car. The CTS was also given more power and transmission models recently. Their only disappointing car in this generation is the unreleased (as of yet) XLR-V. The car is not going to have enough power at only ~460hp forced induction, it's looking like a failure already and I absolutely love Cadillac.

 

The XLR-V will weigh only about 3700 lbs, a relative lightweight for its class. They are expecting 0-60 in under 5 for the STS-V (4300 lbs), I think the SC Northstar may be stronger than reported. The XLR-V will definitely suprise people.

 

I hope it can suprise me or my money goes straight to a 930 porsche.