Cadillac CTS-V

[drvai]

Looks like a nice car, (despite been a Cadillac). A lot of grunt...

Anybody has any experience with it?

[Crazy Bimmer]

Its an incredible car just not a fan of the styling on the sedan. Interior is nice though.

Love the wagon.

[Kartelli]

Just traded my 08 M3 for a z06 this weekend.

Had an opportunity to view the new cts-v coupes. My opinion is the coupe version has really ruined what the sedan had to offer. Sitting in the front seat in a comfortable position did not give much leg room for the rear passangers, and the trunk room was about the same size as the m3. The interior has a strange shape that contours around you ineffectively, it has a weird feel to it.

For the value, the CTS-V sedans are where its at with the utility access, and I believe the sales will continue to hold strong over the coupes.

[bmw-nj]

Are you happy with the Z06 and is that your daily driver?

I know its fast but how comfortable is it for everyday use?

[M_BYEEE]

Originally Posted by bmw-nj

Are you happy with the Z06 and is that your daily driver?

I know its fast but how comfortable is it for everyday use?

sorry to thread jack op...but I was going to head a similar route and go with the Z06 what are your thoughts so far? I would also be DDing this

[SamS]

I have some good experience with both 2011 CTS-v Coupe and Wagon. A few weeks ago, GM had a "Supplier Event" at my work, where they brought 40+ vehicles for us to drive, unsupervised. As a result, I was able to take both Coupe and Wagon out for ~20 minutes each.

I took the Coupe first. Sitting in it, it feels rather comfortable, although the bulky "high" rear always feels like it is crouching over you. And rear visibility is limited. The interior is odd. The seats had yellow center accents, and the dash was (cheap) leather, with yellow contrast stitching. The pop-up Nav had a 3D feature that was rather nice. Also on the dash was some cheap-looking wood trim, along with lots of chrome. This made for a very discordant theme with the "sporty" leather accents and seats.

From a driving perspective, it pulled very hard, with a lot of torque. First gear did not seem tall enough. I did not know how to modify the traction control, but it was very aggressive. It was almost impossible to spin the tires, even making a hard right turn. I typically left it in automatic mode. The shifters are big "buttons" on the backside of the steering wheel that are hard to reach. I guess I have short fingers? As mentioned in some online reviews, the transmission is the weak point. The motor sounded good, and brakes worked fine. I would say the suspension is the highlight, as it felt stable, but not too heavy, nor harsh on bumpy roads.

I drove the wagon next. The GM guys insisted the wagon and the coupe were practically the same. That may be true from a motor standpoint, but the driving experience was very different. The seating position the wagon was much higher than the coupe, making it feel more like a traditional car. Also the sheer length of the car was obvious, and distracting. Felt like a long tail hanging out there. I did have two passengers with me when I took the wagon, but the extra weight of the wagon vs. coupe made it feel like it had 100hp less!

Overall, I thought the Wagon was a dud. Not agile, too long, sat up too high to feel sporty. The Coupe was definitely fun to drive, and would make a fine daily driver IF you can get over two things: the crazy interior styling, and the weak automatic transmission. I just never felt like I could maximize the motor with the auto.

[Muffnbluff]

I've driven the CTS-V on the track as well.

Luckily I got my hands on one of the few manual CTS-V's at the event. The car has insane amounts of torque. The first time I did the 0-60-0 test I unintentionally did a burnout trying to launch the car. The next time I feathered the throttle all the way through and pulled off a really fast launch.

It's a great car, good brakes, good handling (for it's size) and tremendous power. I was able to drive the coupe and sedan, not much difference in driving demeanor from what I remember. I drove the coupe on the road course, it handled itself very well for a 4,000lb car. That's exactly what the CTS-V is, it's a big ass car that can haul ass and handles really well.

All I know is if I had one of those cars I'd be going through a lot of rear tires because it's just too much fun to launch that beast.

I'll be very very interested when the ATS-V comes out in another 3-4 years, if Cadillac can make the CTS that much fun I'm keen to see what they'll do with a car closer in size to a 3-series.

[Sean91]

Originally Posted by drvai

Looks like a nice car, (despite been a Cadillac). A lot of grunt...

Anybody has any experience with it?

yea i drove my friends its very fast.

[CAPSGOD]

Fast as hell. The sedan looks great in black although I find the coupe to be hideous.

The build quality is not the same as BMW/MB/Audi though. And the automatic was lifted from a diesel truck to handle all the torque. Manual was more satisfying to drive.

[nick3753]

Am I the only one who thinks the CTS looks better than the CTS-V, especially the front end with no license plate? It just flows so much better IMHO. I did drive it once and thought it was a great car and great value, just couldn't get by the looks. Should be compared to M5 though, not M3, even though they are similarly priced.

[M_BYEEE]

funny thing I just read this thread today and saw the CTS-V wagon for the first time. Then I was driving home from school about an hour ago and saw this out testing it had temporary plates on that you can kind of see in the pictures. This guy was hauling ass and he was playing with me and eventually dusted my 135 haha.

Are these even out yet? Why the temporary plate? The brakes/wheel setup look super beastly

[H Bomb]

we had one at work for a little while. amazing car. i love my M but this thing is a beast

if anyone is gonna get one if you don't want to use me at least let me check your numbers so i can make sure nobody gets screwed over

we have a Shelby GT500 there too and i liked this one better. i really hope we get a Boss 302 LG

Originally Posted by drvai

Looks like a nice car, (despite been a Cadillac). A lot of grunt...

Anybody has any experience with it?

[H Bomb]

no need there is a black diamond version now

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/...px?mmysid=3987

Originally Posted by blipit

CTS-V coupe is near the top of my list when it comes to american cars. Just have to black out all that chrome.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

no need there is a black diamond version now

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/...px?mmysid=3987

That's the version I drove, reviewed above. Note the crazy yellow seats combined with the burl wood dash and chrome.

[Muffnbluff]

This article:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/04/c...urbo-v6-power/

combined with this article:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/16/c...-bmw-3-series/

makes me hopeful for the future of Cadillac.

[Kartelli]

PM Me for any questions on the z06, don't want to highjack the thread.

In short, the z06 is absolutely amazing for soo many reasons, I daily drive the car, and have 0 regrets on my decision. For anyone who is considering this move, you won't be dissapointed.

[I M STIG]

Originally Posted by amg135i

funny thing I just read this thread today and saw the CTS-V wagon for the first time. Then I was driving home from school about an hour ago and saw this out testing it had temporary plates on that you can kind of see in the pictures. This guy was hauling ass and he was playing with me and eventually dusted my 135 haha.

Are these even out yet? Why the temporary plate? The brakes/wheel setup look super beastly

That's a manufacturer plate, which means it's either a Cadillac test vehicle being tested for some type of "new" feature that'll be available in the future, or a member of the automotive press is borrowing it.

[AngelinIsRich08]

I also drive an '09 CTS 3.6L Direct Injection with AWD and I love it. The steering is a bit numb like Mercedes's but it's a great DD and its plenty fast. I would have gotten the V but it's only RWD. The only RWD cars I'd get are the M3, M5 and any Ferrari.

[TunedM2C]

Originally Posted by AwesomeBMW2

That's a manufacturer plate, which means it's either a Cadillac test vehicle being tested for some type of "new" feature that'll be available in the future, or a member of the automotive press is borrowing it.

Yeah, look at that driverside tail light assembly compared to the passenger side. Something is def. not right there.

[H Bomb]

yeah they are great cars. 2 of our caddy loaners are with the 3.6 DI engine, one is AWD and the other is RWD. the 3.6 with the manual tranny and the LSD perf pack is a fun car

Originally Posted by AngelinIsRich08

I also drive an '09 CTS 3.6L Direct Injection with AWD and I love it. The steering is a bit numb like Mercedes's but it's a great DD and its plenty fast. I would have gotten the V but it's only RWD. The only RWD cars I'd get are the M3, M5 and any Ferrari.

[signes]

Anybody driven a 6MT CTS-V wagon? Just for the rarity and practicality I was considering one. Not a Carry fan but hard to ignore the car for my needs (DD with family.) I hear they will only build one with an order and that dealers are not stocking the 6MT - can anybody verify that (H Bomb)?

[H Bomb]

i have only driven the reg wagons but i can check for you on the 6MT CTS V Wagon. i have to bring an ESV to one of my good customers in the city tom but if i get back early i will make a call. if not then i will find out fri for you. you got me curious now lol

Originally Posted by signes

Anybody driven a 6MT CTS-V wagon? Just for the rarity and practicality I was considering one. Not a Carry fan but hard to ignore the car for my needs (DD with family.) I hear they will only build one with an order and that dealers are not stocking the 6MT - can anybody verify that (H Bomb)?