Got to try out a CTS today...

[DarkThinker]

So today I was on my way home from work, I spotted a lonely 2006 CTS at this Buick dealership, since I have been contemplating getting a CTS, I pulled in to look at it just to check and see if it was Manual.

A salesman approached me and I told him I was really looking for a Manual CTS to buy soon and I can't find any nearby and was checking if that CTS on the lot was manual but it was Tiptronic.

He told me tiptronic ones are plenty fun as well. I pretty much told him I would be a better judge of that, in a matter of a minute I had the key in my hand he told me I should take it where ever I want to as long as I need to and see for myself, I said why not....

I took a trip in it around town for an hour or so. I have to admit this has been the first American car I have really really enjoyed driving for a long while.

* Drive: It has been long since I drove a powerful RWD car (last one for me was a 94 E-Class), the drive was silky smooth, however the car didn't hesitate to throw it's weight around when action was needed with some minor yet noticeable oversteer during intense acceleration. With the power in this car and the RWD combo, wheel squeel, tail slides and all of that where one slip of the accelerator away. Also, It was very easy for the car to get me to slide off the freaking driver seat when I really pushed this thing. I was sliding left and right like a little kid, this car is crying for 5-series like side support hehe. The car is advertised to get 26MPG highway, not bad for the size I have to say, but that would take some light light driving fore sure, not my heavy foot business fore sure hehe

* Power: Plenty of it, much more than I would utilize on a daily basis, I loved the V6 sound, it could use a better exhaust though but that is easily taken care off.

* Interior: Excellent design, the car I drove was Black on Black just how I like it, however, the door panels could have used better material (smoother surface) and some panel buttons felt and looked cheap, very nice interior overall though, it had the wood grain trim, I would have preferred a plain black trim since the wood looks so darn cheap anyways heh.

* Transmission: Slow transmission response in manual mode. Sometimes it even ignored my forced downshifts and some upshifts despite me tapping the shifter multiple times in a row. It has a mind of it's own in the decision making process sometimes, perhaps there is an override for that business somewhere in settings...I really wish this thing was manual, but I guess, I can see myself living with tiptronic transmission without feeling bored out of my mind...Also, I would have loved to see the + and - switched around.The way they have it the, + is up and the - is down, it makes more sense to me to have the upshift down and the downshift up or is that just me?

Overall:

I loved the CTS, There wasn't much to complain about, I am now interested in driving the Second gen CTS and see if it's worth the price premium over the first gen.

After dropping the car off, I then discussed the price with the guy and details like that. This is a 1 owner, back from lease vehicle. It has 44K on it with a clean carfax, has new tires and brakes ...the works, no flaws I can spot. The dealership was asking $22K (too much) but after I gave the guy a little back and forth, he said if I were to make a final decision on this car soon he would let me drive it off the lot $17k total......I told him I will highly consider the car, but since am not in a hurry to get a newer car I will also want to shop around and check out what other deals are out there and other car models too.

He told me as long as the car is still around he would be willing to give me a good deal on it, I am pretty sure he would go even lower than $17K if I push the limits, but I will need to see what else is out there.

I guess I would be looking at either a new CTS or an almost new one. But I would hate to be the one footing the depreciation tax ouch!

 

[angry hampster]

17k is not a bad price for a 1-owner 3-year-old Cadillac.

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: angry hampster
17k is not a bad price for a 1-owner 3-year-old Cadillac.

Ya I was thinking like that and I think I can push him to the $16K area if I really corner him.
I am just wondering, had it been manual I could get it for even less.....

Also I am thinking, if I were to get a CTS, I would really like to get one with the built in NAV system, the one the dealer had didn't have it.

Is it a hectic process to obtain a NAV unit and install it in the car if it doesn't have it originally?

 

[Vette73]

You reminded me of my wife when you said you want the non-wood interior CTS. Problem is most have it. Not too hard to remove/replace the parts on the shift handle and doors. But the steering wheel is there to stay for the most part.

Also don?t get one and think of adding the NAV. Used ones go for over $500 and new was off the charts IMO. I just keep a GPS in my car and use that when needed. Also the company that made it for GM did a bad job on the paint. So the markings on the buttons wear off as its used.

Also if you get one buy some used CTS-V sway bars. They don?t mess the ride up but make it handle better when you get in tight corners.

My 04 has been great so far. Have about 35k on it.

 

[Doggiedog]

I saw the world's ugliest CTS this weekend. It was a pink Mary Kay CTS. Disgusting!!

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
You reminded me of my wife when you said you want the non-wood interior CTS. Problem is most have it. Not too hard to remove/replace the parts on the shift handle and doors. But the steering wheel is there to stay for the most part.

Also don?t get one and think of adding the NAV. Used ones go for over $500 and new was off the charts IMO. I just keep a GPS in my car and use that when needed. Also the company that made it for GM did a bad job on the paint. So the markings on the buttons wear off as its used.

Also if you get one buy some used CTS-V sway bars. They don?t mess the ride up but make it handle better when you get in tight corners.

My 04 has been great so far. Have about 35k on it.

Ya, I was looking online, I found this black chrome interior trim kit. That looks 10 times better than that fake wood trim IMO, if I decide on a CTS, I would replace the wood trim with something dark like black chrome or black wood / carbon and I would replace or paint the grill black to match the car color.

 

[halik]

Errr you test drove the first gen CTS and thought the interior is good?


And that tip setup is standard + upshift - downshift

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: halik
Errr you test drove the first gen CTS and thought the interior is good?

Well this is the 2006 CTS, spare the door panels having cheap buttons and the cheap trim it has (which is replaceable) it was decent.

Keep in mind, I am looking at this as a $15K give or take a few hundreds. That's what I would pay for that CTS I tested. I wouldn't feel so bad about the interior at that price point you know?
All I am really interested in is a good smooth drive with some RWD fun.

I am going to be looking at a second gen CTS however and I will compare points.

Additionally, I am a bit disappointed that Cadillac didn't use smoother material for the interior, especially the door panels. In all seriousness, I prefer the leather in the door panel of my 96 Accord to that material they have.

And that tip setup is standard + upshift - downshift

I know, I was just saying, it doesn't feel intuitive to me (their physical location)
Think about it, 1st gear is always upwards. When you are driving a manual, when your RPM gets high enough and you want to switch fast, you push that gear leaver as fast as you can downwards....hence why I think it makes much more sense to invert them.

Matter of fact, if I get a CTS with sports shift, I will personally reverse those two electrically and cosmetically. It would just feel much better to shift up the gear by pushing down.

 

[rh71]

Tiptronic / steptronic is no replacement for a manual if you're used to that. I don't drive a stick but I can tell you I rarely go steptronic just because it is more of a bother when auto shifts soooooo much smoother no matter how nicely you're minding the revs. I only use it when I don't want to be bored going through town - such a different car when used though - good way to show off . I am also used to the upshift pulling backward and the downshift pushing forward... I recently test drove a Q5 at an Audi event and I really hated it the other way around just like you describe in the CTS. That steptronic was also way too stiff... not practical for full-time use. I felt the same way about 3-series steptronic shifting.

There's also some craze about retrofitting paddle shifters from the X6 but meh... I'm not racing the thing and I won't have both hands at 9 and 3 o'clock. Steptronic is more fun on local roads where I definitely don't drive in that position. Manual shift for highways is such a non-factor.