Talk me out of a Cadillac CTS-V ? ...

James331 said:
That Audi just looks like 80% of all the other cars on the road :dunno:
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You must live somewhere that has diffrent cars than we do here.

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I really like the Caddies produced the past 10-15 years. The new V models I definitely like. If you can afford it and don't mind the price tag, go for it.

I don't like the Audis produced since 1990. Wouldn't buy one. Drove a TT about 5 years ago that was brand new, boring.

I would go for a Hellcat before a CTS-V, but if you want the CTS-V and your wife will approve it, go for it.
 
Buy a sportbike, learn how to [really] ride it, then do some trackdays. Every car will seem slow at that point and you'll be satisfied with a station wagon.
 
I owned a 05 CTS-V for several years. Other than horrible 0-60 times in the snow, I loved that car. Its one of the those cars that I will always miss. Mine was black, and just looked mean. I "only" had 400hp, so I guess I had to make due with not having over 550hp. It drove fast very well, it handled like it was on rails, it got decent mileage on the highway, it was comfortable, and it was pretty reliable. And my Caddy dealer was extremely helpful and nice. The only downside was the tires would mysteriously wear out pretty fast. :)
My thoughts on Audis- You gotta look really hard to see the difference between regular and hi-po models.

I vote is go for it..
 
Personal preference...

I can have a lot more fun with something like a Miata or Honda S2000 or something.

Maybe it's the roads around here. With 500 hp it's like a gun with a hair trigger - you're always one tiny slip away from getting in serious trouble.

With something simpler and less powerful but that still handles well, you can wring a lot more performance out of what you've got, and for me, the grin factor is higher.

Same with bikes. Guys tossing 400cc DRZ400M's or even scooters around on Deal's Gap seem to be having a boatload of fun. The guys on the GSXR1000's and Hayabusa's maybe just a bit less.

If they survive! :hairraise:
 
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FastEddieB said:
Oh, and best of both worlds...

My Miata was endowed with a V8!
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Two questions:

1.) How badly did it understeer with all the weight on the nose?
2.) How was it at getting the power down? I'd imagine it would be hard to get it to hook up.
 
Yup. More fun operating less powerful stuff closer to 100% then losing with power you can't use.

FastEddieB said:
Personal preference...

I can have a lot more fun with something like a Miata or Honda S2000 or something.

Maybe it's the roads around here. With 500 hp it's like a gun with a hair trigger - you're always one tiny slip away from getting in serious trouble.

With something simpler and less powerful but that still handles well, you can wring a lot more performance out of what you've got, and for me, the grin factor is higher.

Same with bikes. Guys tossing 400cc DRZ400M's or even scooters around on Deal's Gap seem to be having a boatload of fun. The guys on the GSXR1000's and Hayabusa's maybe just a bit less.

If they survive! :hairraise:
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RotorAndWing said:
FWIW, if you want a Cadillac (or any high end car) buy used. These things depreciate horribly, you can get good deals in the used market.
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That's the one thing that has me hesitant.

I ran some used Caddy scenarios on Edmunds and the depreciation is horrible. I took a brand new CTS-V and put 15,000 miles on it and it lost over $20,000 in value.

Someone mentioned a Dodge Hellcat. My son tells me the ~$60,000 price tag is BS. You can't touch one for under a hundred grand because all the dealers are marking them up ~$40,000 for I guess 'rarity'. :nonod:
 
I got one from Hertz a couple weeks ago somehow. Drove it a couple days, rides very nice.

But I hated, hated, hated the nav/audio system. I suppose you could figure it out after a while but it really turned me off.
 
txflyer said:
Someone mentioned a Dodge Hellcat. My son tells me the ~$60,000 price tag is BS. You can't touch one for under a hundred grand because all the dealers are marking them up ~$40,000 for I guess 'rarity'. :nonod:
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I know of guy who buys and sell ferraris because used versions fetch more than new. I guess Maranello won't allow for dealer gouging like this
 
Why would anyone buy a crappy overpriced car when 1/2 the value is gone in a year.
 
txflyer said:
Please somebody drop kick my middle age crazy senses before I do something stupid!
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I'll try...

Overpriced.

Poor assembly quality relative to the competition, especially inside. The last-gen CTS was horrible (the materials are nice, but the fit is sloppy) and the new CTS doesn't appear to notably improve on that.

CUE is awful.

Little to no market respect for the brand given its many, many past debacles.

Overpriced. (It bears mentioning again. Caddy has no business charging BMW and Benz money for a gilded GM product.)

Bailout stigma. Do you really want to drive a taxpayer-supported luxury brand?
 
NJP_MAN said:
A POAer sold her Z06 for CTS-V so I guess that means it's pretty good
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That would be me :D


It's been a year now since I sold the Z for the V. Not a single regret. The V is hands down the best vehicle I've ever owned, in fact I may go drive it now just to drive it. I searched for over a year for the "perfect" V for me and I did find it. 2012 Opulent Blue manual sedan w/ Recaros. The manuals are very difficult to find in a sedan.

Yes, it's slower than the Z06 was. But it's also comfortable, it doesn't rattle, and you can do things like go to the mall with it without being scared you're going to high-center it on a speed bump. The car is an absolute pleasure to drive. I daily drive it rain or shine, and I love that mine is a manual!

I can't say enough about the V. It's seriously such a great car and so far Cadillac service has been top notch. I haven't owned a car with a warranty in years so being able to go to the dealer and say "Hey my clutch pedal is traveling too far." or "Oh the suede on my steering wheel is peeling." and getting a loaner car for a week while they fix it is awesome. These aren't your Grandpa's cars anymore.
 
flightwriter said:
Poor assembly quality relative to the competition, especially inside. The last-gen CTS was horrible (the materials are nice, but the fit is sloppy) and the new CTS doesn't appear to notably improve on that.

CUE is awful.
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Obviously you haven't spend much time inside of the 2nd gen V. It's a totally different car. The 1st gen V's are rattlecans compared to the new ones.

Not all V's have CUE. Mine doesn't and it's a 2012.
 
Z06_Mir said:
Obviously you haven't spend much time inside of the 2nd gen V. It's a totally different car. The 1st gen V's are rattlecans compared to the new ones.

Not all V's have CUE. Mine doesn't and it's a 2012.
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Yours is the second gen. They're now on the third, and that's the one with CUE. And yes, I've spent time in all three and stand by my comments; I wouldn't accept the same quality issues in a Honda. To each their own.
 
If you are looking for an automatic, may I also suggest a Jaguar XFR? The car is unbelievable. We beat them up on the track for a week at a time, and they held up amazingly well. We replaced nothing but tires and gas. Our professional drivers thought more highly of them than similar BMWs, Audis, etc. While a new XFR is above your 70k limit, I bet you can find one, 1 or 2 years old with low miles that is below the 70k number.

That said, nothing wrong with the Cadillac. Its one of my favorites.
 
flightwriter said:
Yours is the second gen. They're now on the third, and that's the one with CUE. And yes, I've spent time in all three and stand by my comments; I wouldn't accept the same quality issues in a Honda. To each their own.
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Last I checked you can't even order a 3rd gen yet. :dunno:
 
I think the new Corvettes are fantastic cars but I don't care for the visibility from the driver's seat. If I buy a sporty car today it's a Lexus RC F. That's a nice ride. Wife drives an Audi Q5. What a sleeper little car. Nimble and quick. And room for the dog. When I take a step back the answer for me is always the same. I'm a pickup truck guy.
 
Z06_Mir said:
Last I checked you can't even order a 3rd gen yet. :dunno:
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For the -V model, no (though there is a "V-Sport" with a twin-turbo V6.) You can find a dozen third-gen regular CTSs sitting on the lot at your friendly local Cadillac store. They all have dust on 'em, weeds growing through their wheels.
 
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An observation, but, for some reason, people in Texas still like Cadillacs, for some reason.

I don't know a single person outside of Texas that owns them. People around here aspire to Mercedes and BMWs, Lexus in that order for, "luxury" performance. Nobody would buy a Caddy that I know. (Friends in Calif own the Tesla, and, if I wanted to drop a ridiculous amount of coin, it would be on a Tesla.)

Something unique in Texas.
 
Ya'll know to never buy new, right?
 
Why don't you go for a SRT Grand Cherokee?
*I have no experience in any of the vehicles at all but if I wanted to buy a 'sleeper' vehicle it would be an SRT or dodge or what ever they want to name them now.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Sure, we'll all buy used cars form each other like they do in Cuba.
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Lol

I paid for most of my flight training by selling cars, frankly buying "new" is for suckers. Go find a certified used car with 10k on the clock, better warrenty and someone already took the stupid hit.

You know the only difference between new and used is paperwork right? The second you sign those papers with the F&I dude, it's a used car.

Also buying the first year of any new design isn't too smart.
 
James331 said:
Lol

I paid for most of my flight training by selling cars, frankly buying "new" is for suckers. Go find a certified used car with 10k on the clock, better warrenty and someone already took the stupid hit.

You know the only difference between new and used is paperwork right? The second you sign those papers with the F&I dude, it's a used car.

Also buying the first year of any new design isn't too smart.
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I always find it entertaining when other pilots are critical of the "frivolous" purchases of other pilots.

Buy what makes you happy, pay for it with any legal means you chose. Life is too short and most of us work to hard for it to really matter whether the choices we make are entirely logical.
 
farmerbrake said:
Why don't you go for a SRT Grand Cherokee?
*I have no experience in any of the vehicles at all but if I wanted to buy a 'sleeper' vehicle it would be an SRT or dodge or what ever they want to name them now.
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I'm thinking of buying a new SUV. The SRT-8 GC is at the very top of my list. My Jeep Commander has 6.4L like the SRT8 (It's been through three engines...) and it's a hoot. The SRT8 is awesome though, finishes are great.. awesome vehicle.

I'm a car person.
 
txflyer said:
Thanks.

I'm glad to hear the wife likes it because mine's out of town right now and I wanted to surprise her with it.

She'll either kiss me or kill me. :lol:
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No. She'll kill you for buying it without asking her. Then she will kiss your dead body in the casket for leaving it to her.
 
txflyer said:
Please somebody drop kick my middle age crazy senses before I do something stupid!

Any CTS-V drivers here? :redface:



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I drove an older one, nice car, Corvette like performance and handling, but a bit softer. It will out drive a BMW M5 for sure, I'd even run it against a Aston Martin DB9. A 360 Ferrari will be in the mirrors. If you have a good line on a used one, I wouldn't talk you out of it. However if you are looking at new, I would hold off as this http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/cadillac-launch-posh-new-sedan-2015-n207381 will change either your choice, or the market value of the CTS-V.
 
Henning said:
I drove an older one, nice car, Corvette like performance and handling, but a bit softer. It will out drive a BMW M5 for sure, I'd even run it against a Aston Martin DB9. A 360 Ferrari will be in the mirrors. If you have a good line on a used one, I wouldn't talk you out of it. However if you are looking at new, I would hold off as this http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/cadillac-launch-posh-new-sedan-2015-n207381 will change either your choice, or the market value of the CTS-V.
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The caddy is still steel unibody right?
 
Henning said:
I drove an older one, nice car, Corvette like performance and handling, but a bit softer. It will out drive a BMW M5 for sure, I'd even run it against a Aston Martin DB9. A 360 Ferrari will be in the mirrors. If you have a good line on a used one, I wouldn't talk you out of it. However if you are looking at new, I would hold off as this http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/cadillac-launch-posh-new-sedan-2015-n207381 will change either your choice, or the market value of the CTS-V.
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They are going to charge $120k for that, forget it.
 
RotorAndWing said:
FWIW, if you want a Cadillac (or any high end car) buy used. These things depreciate horribly, you can get good deals in the used market.
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Yeah, until you get into the very top end, these things are horrible for value holding. Anything in the $120k range you'll buy in 3-4 years for $12k, and it won't have crap for miles on it either.

However, as a continuous cash customer, you can usually work an annual trade in deal that keeps you in a new car for a pretty reasonable deal. Basically you would pay what you pay on a lease minus the finance charges. If you want to always drive a new car under full warranty, it costs some extra, but not an excessive amount.

Once you get into the $300k+ range cars though, depreciation doesn't work quite the same. It goes on condition. Basically your cost of ownership is opportunity cost on the money, insurance costs (significant), and maintenance and repairs (holy ****). Even basket cases of run down ones will still sell for $100k.
 
MSPAviator said:
Yeah, go drive an Audi S6.
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Have you driven the high performance Caddies in the last decade? They aren't bad, in fact, they surprised the **** out of me. I remember 69 Sedan DeVilles and 72 Eldorados, and 77 Fleetwood Broughms. Those were excellent training for boat driving.:lol: When I got into the Batmobile looking thing that was basically a Corvette with a hotter engine, I was pretty impressed driving it. I was using a DB-7 as my daily driver at the time, and it would compete well against it. It had serious horsepower and torque out of a corner and would hook it up quite well with really tight handling. It was not the Cadillac of old.
 
The CTS-V hear in this little town down at the dealer is a 2013 model. Sitting in the show room. I guess that's a generation 2?

It's Caddy's white diamond color and an automatic which makes it a lame duck I guess because most of the reviews on utube the guys were all wanting a black one with manual transmission. It has Recaro ventilated seats, and a few other minor upgrades. ~$72K on the sticker.

I may talk to them and see how bad they want to sell it. But I'm over the teenage gotta have it phase. I'll walk if I don't like what I hear, and they don't offer me decent money on my '07 Escalade with only 55,000 miles on it. I think they take my car, and I cut them a check for $30K and we're good. :dunno:
 
txflyer said:
The CTS-V hear in this little town down at the dealer is a 2013 model. Sitting in the show room. I guess that's a generation 2?

It's Caddy's white diamond color and an automatic which makes it a lame duck I guess because most of the reviews on utube the guys were all wanting a black one with manual transmission. It has Recaro ventilated seats, and a few other minor upgrades. ~$72K on the sticker.

I may talk to them and see how bad they want to sell it. But I'm over the teenage gotta have it phase. I'll walk if I don't like what I hear, and they don't offer me decent money on my '07 Escalade with only 55,000 miles on it. I think they take my car, and I cut them a check for $30K and we're good. :dunno:
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I'll bet you can can either steal it, or the owner is just going to hang on to it since it's already off his floor plan by now. I would wait until the Wednesday before the end of the month when he needs to make payroll and his reduction payment, and he may let it go to free up some cash to pay the bills.
 
I can't talk you out of it. I just can't. If you like the styling, I say go for it. I personally am not a fan of the "Art and Science" design theme Cadillac has adopted and stuck with. It's polarizing. You either love it or hate it.

If you love it, go for it! The car itself is awesome! People that out of hand tell you to just buy a German car either are heavily biased by the past, or some anti GM hatred, haven't been paying attention to developments in the car biz for a decade, or really don't know much about cars at all.

If you like the looks, this car will light up your world! :yes: The ATS-V is no slouch either!
 
txflyer said:
The CTS-V hear in this little town down at the dealer is a 2013 model. Sitting in the show room. I guess that's a generation 2?

It's Caddy's white diamond color and an automatic which makes it a lame duck I guess because most of the reviews on utube the guys were all wanting a black one with manual transmission. It has Recaro ventilated seats, and a few other minor upgrades. ~$72K on the sticker.

I may talk to them and see how bad they want to sell it. But I'm over the teenage gotta have it phase. I'll walk if I don't like what I hear, and they don't offer me decent money on my '07 Escalade with only 55,000 miles on it. I think they take my car, and I cut them a check for $30K and we're good. :dunno:
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You are ~ $15k shy. They have almost $60k invested depending on what trim and options the V has. Most the V cars are heavily optioned, like nav and those seats. Your car trade is close to $15k, maybe a bit more. If they take your $30k and car, grab it and run for the hills.
 
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