MT: E63 dethrones CTS-V

[Kilrsat]

Track times don't matter, the buys never take these cars on to the track anyway...and if they bothered they probably havea track car anyway!

Koing

I try to get my CTS-V to the track once every couple of months. The ability to be a beast on the track and still offer an extremely high quality ride on the street was a big factor in purchasing for me.

 

[theeedude]

The mere fact that a Mercedes E63 AMG has to PROVE itself better than a Cadillac and it's not just taken for granted speaks volumes about the progress that Cadillac has made.

 

[Arkaign]

The mere fact that a Mercedes E63 AMG has to PROVE itself better than a Cadillac and it's not just taken for granted speaks volumes about the progress that Cadillac has made.

QFT. Previous to the past few years, nobody would believe this was happening.

 

[Bignate603]

The mere fact that a Mercedes E63 AMG has to PROVE itself better than a Cadillac and it's not just taken for granted speaks volumes about the progress that Cadillac has made.

Or the fact that they considered the Cadillac the reigning champ going into the comparison.

 

[lurk3r]

Well the Caddy's engine is assembled in Mexico and the Mercedes' AMG Engine is handbuilt in Germany. I don't know, but to me, it speaks for itself.

Damnit, I was sure the engine was made in Oshawa, guess not:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_CTS-V

Why does GM insist on using crap in their high end cars, mexico's fine for the cheap junk, but the Caddy experience has become 'nice ride, too bad I need a $5000 transmission job for a broken mexican sensor'

 

[Fenixgoon]

Damnit, I was sure the engine was made in Oshawa, guess not:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_CTS-V

Why does GM insist on using crap in their high end cars, mexico's fine for the cheap junk, but the Caddy experience has become 'nice ride, too bad I need a $5000 transmission job for a broken mexican sensor'

so aside from the fact that it's assembled in mexico... what leads you to believe the rest is crap?

have you driven a 2009 cts/v? do you own one? are you really in a position to comment on its quality when practically every magazine/review has praised it?

 

[StageLeft]

I'd be surprised if even 10% of CTS-V or E63 owners will ever modify the car from stock in any way at all. Almost all cars regardless of price point or demographic stay stock.

 

[lurk3r]

so aside from the fact that it's assembled in mexico... what leads you to believe the rest is crap?

have you driven a 2009 cts/v? do you own one? are you really in a position to comment on its quality when practically every magazine/review has praised it?

Yes I have driven one, my neighbor works on the test track, I loved it, a little too tight for me, my comment comes from a friend here at work who has a check engine light on his 04 STS due to a crap sensor in the middle of the trans that will require a full rebuild to repair, caused by some freakin accountant that decided they could save a nickel by using a cheaper sensor.

As to my 'ability' to comment, my job is one that has had me on the floor of nearly every automotive plant and supplier, including the Saltio and Oshawa engine plants.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Yes I have driven one, my neighbor works on the test track, I loved it, a little too tight for me, my comment comes from a friend here at work who has a check engine light on his 04 STS due to a crap sensor in the middle of the trans that will require a full rebuild to repair, caused by some freakin accountant that decided they could save a nickel by using a cheaper sensor.

As to my 'ability' to comment, my job is one that has had me on the floor of nearly every automotive plant and supplier, including the Saltio and Oshawa engine plants.

If your friend is being charged $5000 for a transmission job he's getting hosed by an elephant with gigantic balls.

 

[lurk3r]

If your friend is being charged $5000 for a transmission job he's getting hosed by an elephant with gigantic balls.

You have to disassemble the whole trans to get at the sensor, 16+ hours of labor to get started, he's living with the idiot light and telling everyone that sees it why his caddy sucks. The point is on a $65k car you should not have issues with cheap sensors failing.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Yes I have driven one, my neighbor works on the test track, I loved it, a little too tight for me, my comment comes from a friend here at work who has a check engine light on his 04 STS due to a crap sensor in the middle of the trans that will require a full rebuild to repair, caused by some freakin accountant that decided they could save a nickel by using a cheaper sensor.

As to my 'ability' to comment, my job is one that has had me on the floor of nearly every automotive plant and supplier, including the Saltio and Oshawa engine plants.

so let me get this straight.. because your friend had 1 problem with an '04 STS, the all new, 2009 CTS-V, which is a completely different car, with a completely different engine and transmission, is crap?

1) wtf puts a sensor in middle of a trans?
2) a brand new trans installed shouldn't be more than like 2-3k

 

[StageLeft]

so let me get this straight.. because your friend had 1 problem with an '04 STS, the all new, 2009 CTS-V, which is a completely different car, with a completely different engine and transmission, is crap?

1) wtf puts a sensor in middle of a trans?
2) a brand new trans installed shouldn't be more than like 2-3k

I would be very surprised, very very very if a brand new CTS-V transmission could be put in the car at a dealership for $2-3k.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

You have to disassemble the whole trans to get at the sensor, 16+ hours of labor to get started, he's living with the idiot light and telling everyone that sees it why his caddy sucks. The point is on a $65k car you should not have issues with cheap sensors failing.

If it takes 16+ hours of labor to disassemble a trans, the person doing it must be using their feet instead of hands. I know a 700r4 is an older transmission, but I can get one out of a car and apart pretty damn quick.

So let's get something straight, He has an 04 Seville STS(FWD). As the Cadillac STS(RWD) didn't exist until the 05 model year.
The FWD transimission rebuilt is less than $2000.
http://www.automotix.net/transmissions/2004-cadillac-seville_sts-automatic_transmissions-4t80e.html
I can find 25K mile used transmissions out of 05-08 STS's for less than a $1,000.
Rebuilt units go for around $2000.
And if they were so horrible in the 05 and up's why is the 5L40E used in the STS, also used in BMW's?

 

[lurk3r]

If it takes 16+ hours of labor to disassemble a trans, the person doing it must be using their feet instead of hands. I know a 700r4 is an older transmission, but I can get one out of a car and apart pretty damn quick.

So let's get something straight, He has an 04 Seville STS(FWD). As the Cadillac STS(RWD) didn't exist until the 05 model year.
The FWD transimission rebuilt is less than $2000.
http://www.automotix.net/transmissions/2004-cadillac-seville_sts-automatic_transmissions-4t80e.html
I can find 25K mile used transmissions out of 05-08 STS's for less than a $1,000.
Rebuilt units go for around $2000.
And if they were so horrible in the 05 and up's why is the 5L40E used in the STS, also used in BMW's?

Its the V8 northstar FWD, not even remotely the same world as the 700R4 that can be dropped and replaced in a garage in an afternoon. The owner and I have swapped several of the same vintage RWD trans out, he's also had 5 vettes, we just swapped a 355 (blueprint) engine into my '63 vette, we're well aware of what is involved in a basic trans swap. The STS sensor is not worth the effort