2007 Cadillac CTS

[DarkThinker]

So in my quest for being an open minded buyer. I have been looking into something pretty strange, well strange for me.

I never looked into Cadillacs before for too many reasons. But in my non-serious quest to find an American car with a configuration I might like, I came upon the Cadillac CTS.


What I didn't know due to my lack of knowledge on Cadillacs, is that the 2003-2007 CTS not only is RWD (I knew that) but both the V6 and the V8 options came with a Manual option!

I had no idea of whatsoever that there exists an American sedan that offers a V6 and a manual in one package!

The interior doesn't look all that great in comparison to the newer generation CTS.

But I like the industrial-rugged-like look of the Center Console though, you can say that looks GM-Saab'ish to me and I don't mind Saab interior design too much.

So what do you guys think of the CTS?

For the sake of being open minded, I am trying to locate a dealer that has a manual V6 Cadillac to check out how good that car drives and to see of the interior is as cheap as some say. But it doesn't look I can find one anywhere near here....

 

[Bignate603]

It got good reviews when it was new and really was a big step for GM when it came out. I'd seriously consider it.

As for the interior, forget what everyone says. If it works for you that's all that matters. Some people would have thought my '93 cherokee came with a crappy interior but it had exactly what I needed and I personally didn't care about getting anything more than that. It's all in how well you like it and think it will meet your needs/wants.

 

[DarkThinker]

I see.

I also like the fact that there are several options for the V6 with the manual trans:
2.8 L LP1 V6 (210 hp)
3.2 L LA3 V6 (220 hp)
3.6 L LY7 V6 (255 hp)

And a 6-speed manual is an option too!

Do they offer the 6-speed with the 2.8L too? That would be fantastic.

 

[MikeMike]

the 2.8 is a rental fleet engine.

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
the 2.8 is a rental fleet engine.

Well that may be, 210 HP sounds good enough for me.

I have a very heavy right foot. If I was to drive the V8 I am more than certain I would be spending a night with Bubba on the first day heh.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

You'd be suprised to know the Lincoln LS from 2000-2002 was offered with a RWD V6 manual trans option as well.

The 2.8L is a bulletproof engine. It is being used in a myriad of cars now including turbo configurations.

 

[DarkThinker]

How about maintenance. How much more expensive is maintaining a Cadillac vs your run of the mill GM car?

I hear from many that parts and service prices are high for no reason on Cadillac cars vs GM cars. Is that true? Do service and parts cost much more just for namebrand?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

if you're going to look at a CTS, you DEFINITELY need to test drive a similarly equipped BMW. the 50/50 weight balance and pure driving experience of driving a BMW threw me off my feet.

you should only make your choice after driving both cars. you are NOT being open-minded if you're limiting yourself to "American" cars

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
if you're going to look at a CTS, you DEFINITELY need to test drive a similarly equipped BMW. the 50/50 weight balance and pure driving experience of driving a BMW threw me off my feet.

you should only make your choice after driving both cars. you are NOT being open-minded if you're limiting yourself to "American" cars

You're talking about being open-minded?!?

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
if you're going to look at a CTS, you DEFINITELY need to test drive a similarly equipped BMW. the 50/50 weight balance and pure driving experience of driving a BMW threw me off my feet.

you should only make your choice after driving both cars. you are NOT being open-minded if you're limiting yourself to "American" cars

hehe LOUISSSS, easy there buddy. I have driven my fare share of BMWs, matter of fact BMWs are my top favorite cars no doubt.

But I made a decision that instead of getting myself a nice shiny BMW, I want to put that extra cash into personal investments that are a much higher priority to me now than getting a BMW. So I am going to get anything that isn't too pricey but still offers me RWD+ manual and 4 Doors + 6cyl engine.

A CTS isn't a BMW by far, but it's not a pile of crap either. It's not going to have a I6 with Twin_Turbos and the best looking on interiors in town. It's not going to be revving like hell is coming, but a non-BMW will have to do for now.

i wanted a 335i bad, but though I have the capability of pretty much paying cash for a 335i, that extra money can go to so much more in my personal finances.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
if you're going to look at a CTS, you DEFINITELY need to test drive a similarly equipped BMW. the 50/50 weight balance and pure driving experience of driving a BMW threw me off my feet.

you should only make your choice after driving both cars. you are NOT being open-minded if you're limiting yourself to "American" cars

The cost of buying and maintaining a BMW is significantly more than it will be for this CTS. I think the OP had considered many different types of vehicles and narrowed it down to this one based off what he wants vs. what he can afford.

 

[Vette73]

The 2.8 and 3.6 are the same motor for the most part just one is smaller. DON'T get the 3.2L. It is based on the Saab design and has a timing belt. Not a bad motor persay but just not as much power as the 3.6 and has higher maintaine needs.


I have a 2004 3.6L with Auto. A manual trans shoudl really be fun. BUt you will also need to upgrade the sway bars. I got a used set from a CTS-V and out them on my car. Ride is still very good but grabs much better in the corners.

Also 2005 and up had a recall for the rear diff seal. So if you get one make sure that has been taken care of. The maker of the seal changed the design and it had problems. So they just install a 2004 style seal and that fixs it.


Oh and ignore LOUISSSSS, he is s troll.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975



Oh and ignore LOUISSSSS, he is s troll.

shut up.

 

[halik]

Save your money and go for a 2008, all in all a much better car (especially interior).

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: Marlin1975



Oh and ignore LOUISSSSS, he is s troll.

shut up.

I know, truth hurts does it not.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: halik
Save your money and go for a 2008, all in all a much better car (especially interior).

yeah im curious what the price difference is. may be worth going to the 08 if they're close enough together. plus i like the new front end

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
if you're going to look at a CTS, you DEFINITELY need to test drive a similarly equipped BMW. the 50/50 weight balance and pure driving experience of driving a BMW threw me off my feet.

you should only make your choice after driving both cars. you are NOT being open-minded if you're limiting yourself to "American" cars

The cost of buying and maintaining a BMW is significantly more than it will be for this CTS. I think the OP had considered many different types of vehicles and narrowed it down to this one based off what he wants vs. what he can afford.

there's no doubt that a similarly equipped bmw would be a nice car, but which bmw? the cts is closest in size to a 5 series, but how watered down would a 5 series have to be to be close in price to a cts? probably a couple of years older and with more miles if nothing else. add in the expense of maintaining the bimer, which is quite likely to be higher than that of the cadillac, and you might end up with one that's 3 years older and with 40k more miles on it just to get an equivalent value. I've driven a few old body style cts's and like them a lot, though not as much as a bmw of the same year/miles obviously. but if you add a few years and a lot of miles to the bmw, plus you throw in the ability to have an american car that can be serviced at any gm dealership after the original 4/50 expires on it, I think that it's tough to justify going with the bmw.

Just so you know, I'm not an american car snob by any means. I drove an 01 m5 for 7 years and loved every minute of it. However, my local bmw service dept also loved every minute of it. I went through 2 clutches in the first 12k miles, spent TONS of time in the shop with ac problems, etc. If I didn't have access to a company car it would have been a nightmare for me; as it was it was merely inconvenient. When it got out of warranty it also became very expensive to maintain, and other than the clutch, almost every other item was common to other 5 series.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: Marlin1975



Oh and ignore LOUISSSSS, he is s troll.

shut up.

I know, truth hurts does it not.

this

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: Marlin1975



Oh and ignore LOUISSSSS, he is s troll.

shut up.

Excellent retort there Louie.

 

[HannibalX]

Both the LS and the CTS have near 50/50 front/rear weight ratios. The LS is almost perfect (something like 50.5/49.5). Both cars have their engines mounted BEHIND the front wheels so handling is superb on both cars. Both cars are RWD and have front/rear independent suspension. The LS has something the CTS doesn't and that's all cast aluminum suspension components. Having owned an LS V8 myself and driven the first gen CTS I prefer the LS. The steering is quicker and the car feels more agile. I thought the CTS's steering felt heavy. Again though, that's just my personal preference and the both are great cars and great performers.

If you are set on a manual you will be limited with the LS to 2000 and 2001 models and the 3.0L V6. Like I said, I've owned an LS V8 with the 5-speed auto with "select shift" which if you have driven any car with this you know it's basically an auto that can be shifted in sequence manually via a bump shifter. Honestly, I've grown to prefer this over a traditional manual as there is no manual clutch to deal with. Of course, if you want a true manual the CTS is there and does a VERY good job.

As for engine options, if you prefer a V6 the CTS is the clear choice as the 3.0L V6 in the LS isn't worth having. However, the V8 in the LS is actually the Jag Y V8 and is super smooth. The engine is slightly smaller than the variant used in the LS' Jag S-Type cousin. Still, at 3.9 liters and 280 HP (and 280 torque) it's a very nice engine. Trust me, you won't have any problems getting around, passing, merging, etc. Nail the throttle at 55 and 100 comes in about 3 seconds.

Overall both the CTS and LS are great cars, both have their strong points. I wouldn't hesitate to buy either of them. The LS of course ended production in 2006 but there PLENTY of sub 20k/mile cars around. As for the BMW option mentioned by the resident garage troll, yes, keep them in mind. Also consider you can grab a low mile LS V8 or even a CTS-V for around 20k and eat V6 5-Series for breakfast in the straights and curves for much, much less $$$.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: iFX
Both the LS and the CTS have near 50/50 front/rear weight ratios. The LS is almost perfect (something like 50.5/49.5). Both cars have their engines mounted BEHIND the front wheels so handling is superb on both cars. Both cars are RWD and have front/rear independent suspension. The LS has something the CTS doesn't and that's all cast aluminum suspension components. Having owned an LS V8 myself and driven the first gen CTS I prefer the LS. The steering is quicker and the car feels more agile. I thought the CTS's steering felt heavy. Again though, that's just my personal preference and the both are great cars and great performers.

If you are set on a manual you will be limited with the LS to 2000 and 2001 models and the 3.0L V6. Like I said, I've owned an LS V8 with the 5-speed auto with "select shift" which if you have driven any car with this you know it's basically an auto that can be shifted in sequence manually via a bump shifter. Honestly, I've grown to prefer this over a traditional manual as there is no manual clutch to deal with. Of course, if you want a true manual the CTS is there and does a VERY good job.

As for engine options, if you prefer a V6 the CTS is the clear choice as the 3.0L V6 in the LS isn't worth having. However, the V8 in the LS is actually the Jag Y V8 and is super smooth. The engine is slightly smaller than the variant used in the LS' Jag S-Type cousin. Still, at 3.9 liters and 280 HP (and 280 torque) it's a very nice engine. Trust me, you won't have any problems getting around, passing, merging, etc. Nail the throttle at 55 and 100 comes in about 3 seconds.

Overall both the CTS and LS are great cars, both have their strong points. I wouldn't hesitate to buy either of them. The LS of course ended production in 2006 but there PLENTY of sub 20k/mile cars around. As for the BMW option mentioned by the resident garage troll, yes, keep them in mind. Also consider you can grab a low mile LS V8 or even a CTS-V for around 20k and eat V6 5-Series for breakfast in the straights and curves for much, much less $$$.

Very good info. Also around $20k are E39 M5s, which usually have 50k-90k miles on them, and will outperform the LS V8 by a good bit, and be a pretty good match for the 1G CTS-V, but admittedly they are a lot pricier to maintain. Things like brakes, suspension, all the little bits cost a lot more. And if something big goes south, like a tranny or whatever, take out a 2nd mortgage.

EDIT : Just an example so nobody thinks I'm crazy :

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...ist=809&standard=false

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Arkaign


Very good info. Also around $20k are E39 M5s, which usually have 50k-90k miles on them, and will outperform the LS V8 by a good bit, and be a pretty good match for the 1G CTS-V, but admittedly they are a lot pricier to maintain. Things like brakes, suspension, all the little bits cost a lot more. And if something big goes south, like a tranny or whatever, take out a 2nd mortgage.

EDIT : Just an example so nobody thinks I'm crazy :

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...ist=809&standard=false

This is why I don't think I'll buy a German car that's not covered by warranty. Amazing vehicles, but the cost of ownership can be astronomical when they get older.

 

[HannibalX]

Yup, high mile M5s can be had for decent cash and are in a different league than the LS V8 or the non-V8 CTS - but, M cars are typically driven hard and tend to break. The repair costs can be quite high. So on top of high miles, high repair costs and being driven hard you also have to buy an ten year old car. You can grab a 2005/2006 LS V8 Sport with Sat-nav, THX sound system, heated and cooled seats, sunroof, etc, etc for about $20k with 20-40k miles.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Arkaign


Very good info. Also around $20k are E39 M5s, which usually have 50k-90k miles on them, and will outperform the LS V8 by a good bit, and be a pretty good match for the 1G CTS-V, but admittedly they are a lot pricier to maintain. Things like brakes, suspension, all the little bits cost a lot more. And if something big goes south, like a tranny or whatever, take out a 2nd mortgage.

EDIT : Just an example so nobody thinks I'm crazy :

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...ist=809&standard=false

This is why I don't think I'll buy a German car that's not covered by warranty. Amazing vehicles, but the cost of ownership can be astronomical when they get older.

Not any more than any other luxury car if you have to pay someone else to do the work. My last 3 cars were all used and German and cost of maintenance was less than a 50K mile focus. DIY FTW

The only example on the contrary is the Audi RS6, only given how rare they are.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Arkaign


Very good info. Also around $20k are E39 M5s, which usually have 50k-90k miles on them, and will outperform the LS V8 by a good bit, and be a pretty good match for the 1G CTS-V, but admittedly they are a lot pricier to maintain. Things like brakes, suspension, all the little bits cost a lot more. And if something big goes south, like a tranny or whatever, take out a 2nd mortgage.

EDIT : Just an example so nobody thinks I'm crazy :

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...ist=809&standard=false

This is why I don't think I'll buy a German car that's not covered by warranty. Amazing vehicles, but the cost of ownership can be astronomical when they get older.

Not any more than any other luxury car if you have to pay someone else to do the work. My last 3 cars were all used and German and cost of maintenance was less than a 50K mile focus. DIY FTW

The only example on the contrary is the Audi RS6, only given how rare they are.

BMW and Mercedes //M and AMG are a little to a lot pricier to maintain than Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, Cadillac 'V', or Lincoln. Only the Audi RS models are more of a pita, as you not only have to deal with all of the usual stuff, you also have an expensive, complex, and crowded drivetrain.

It's not that they're unreliable, it's just that buying a set of oem brake rotors or a transmission for an M5 is going to be a notably higher price than for something to match on a Cadillac. Hell, even batteries for BMW's are expensive.