Thinking about a Cadillac CTS, thoughts?

[nickdrinkwater]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Cougs -- we don't have the Acura brand here and we have only just got Infiniti.  However there are a few of the G35s for sale here for about ?7-8k, only difference is they are badged as Nissan Skylines.   Will check them out and see if they are worth the extra ???.

Vin, thanks for the pictures and engine info.  We're limited to either the 2.8 or 3.6 here it seems and I keep reading that the smaller engine uses more fuel for less performance.  However with that information I might steer clear of the bigger engine and go for a 2.8.  Which motor is in your car?

Colin, that is what is putting me off the Caddy, it's rarity.  However there is very little else I can get for the money that compares?  I've thought about the VW W8 but all signs point to that being more unreliable and costly to maintain than the CTS!

[omicron]

Actually, a Skyline of that era isn't a silly idea at all.

[cawimmer430]

How about a Morris Marina? 

[68_427]

Actually, a Skyline of that era isn't a silly idea at all.

Agreed.

[Vinsanity]

Vin, thanks for the pictures and engine info.  We're limited to either the 2.8 or 3.6 here it seems and I keep reading that the smaller engine uses more fuel for less performance.  However with that information I might steer clear of the bigger engine and go for a 2.8.  Which motor is in your car?

Anytime. I have the 3.6, which I believe is in about 70% of the 1st-gen CTS's in N.America. I also seem to recall that the 3.6 is somehow derived from the 2.8, so you might want to double-check for yourself to make sure the 2.8 doesn't have the timing chain issue. Because otherwise, you're right; you will just be using more fuel (actually, the same amount of fuel) for less performance.

[nickdrinkwater]

Anytime. I have the 3.6, which I believe is in about 70% of the 1st-gen CTS's in N.America. I also seem to recall that the 3.6 is somehow derived from the 2.8, so you might want to double-check for yourself to make sure the 2.8 doesn't have the timing chain issue. Because otherwise, you're right; you will just be using more fuel (actually, the same amount of fuel) for less performance.

Thanks.   Forgot to say, I like your rims!

[Vinsanity]

Thanks.   Forgot to say, I like your rims!

Thank you sir. Picked them up, along with the grille, from a guy who put them on craigslist. Those two things really complete the car's look.

Next up on the list, if I ever get around to them, are window tints and and HID kit.

[Submariner]

The only thing putting me off the Lexus is the look of the interior.  Shallow I know.  I've no doubt about the quality but I don't really like the "busy" appearance of the buttons and gagues.  Trying to warm up to it though.

That CTS has a rubbish interior, if I'm honest.  I've driven in one, and it seemed alright, but I wasn't blown away.  Then again, I wasn't driving, so...

[Colin]

Had another idea.

One of my best mates has a Mondeo ST220......... I know some might think that it's just a Mondeo, but I have to say that it is a supremely capable car. Goes well, handles well, fun to drive, comfortable, roomy, well finished, rare but not so rare that if it goes wrong you will not be able to fix it.......... it's a cracking car. The ST TDCi 2.2 was also a belter. I rented them a few times and really rated them.

Mazda 6 MPS is another car of this sort of class (albeit with only 4 cylinders) which has to be worth consideration.

[hounddog]

I was just, about an hour ago, reading an article about how poor it is to buy a used car at this time.  Of course, I cannot find it now. 

Basically, it said that people are holding onto their cars about 14 months longer than normal, which has caused a shortage of used cars and as much as 40% higher prices than two years ago.

The article pointed out that used cars will go down in price within a few months as people begin replacing.  I wish I could find it again, interesting article.

[Xer0]

I was just, about an hour ago, reading an article about how poor it is to buy a used car at this time.  Of course, I cannot find it now. 

Basically, it said that people are holding onto their cars about 14 months longer than normal, which has caused a shortage of used cars and as much as 40% higher prices than two years ago.

The article pointed out that used cars will go down in price within a few months as people begin replacing.  I wish I could find it again, interesting article.

Funny you mentioned that.  I actually recently got a letter from the dealer that I bought my Civic back in 08 giving me an offer on it.  Surprisingly, the offer was exactly what KBB put the car at in a private transaction.  It?s certainly something that I had never seen before or would expect.

[nickdrinkwater]

Had another idea.

One of my best mates has a Mondeo ST220......... I know some might think that it's just a Mondeo, but I have to say that it is a supremely capable car. Goes well, handles well, fun to drive, comfortable, roomy, well finished, rare but not so rare that if it goes wrong you will not be able to fix it.......... it's a cracking car. The ST TDCi 2.2 was also a belter. I rented them a few times and really rated them.

Mazda 6 MPS is another car of this sort of class (albeit with only 4 cylinders) which has to be worth consideration.

I've always liked the ST220s.  Great exhaust note.  Not sure they come with an auto box though?  Likewise with the Mazda... Real stealthy car, although I guess insurance might be a problem for a 24 year old...

[SVT32V]

I was just, about an hour ago, reading an article about how poor it is to buy a used car at this time.  Of course, I cannot find it now. 

Basically, it said that people are holding onto their cars about 14 months longer than normal, which has caused a shortage of used cars and as much as 40% higher prices than two years ago.

Perhaps this is also a symptom of the cash for clunkers fiasco, an artificially low supply. The dollar has also lost considerable value, I am sure that contributes.

[ifcar]

Right now, fuel-efficient used cars are in high demand; otherwise, prices are steady or down. Nothing to do with C4C, which didn't touch cars with decent mileage.

[Raza]

I drove one years ago, the 3.2 though, I believe.  I thought the engine was a bit rough and the transmission was a prehistoric.  No manual shift function?

[Vinsanity]

I drove one years ago, the 3.2 though, I believe.  I thought the engine was a bit rough and the transmission was a prehistoric.  No manual shift function?

according to Wikipedia, it's the same one used in the E39 5-series and E46 3-series

[Raza]

according to Wikipedia, it's the same one used in the E39 5-series and E46 3-series

Hmm....maybe they just didn't utilize the manual shift feature for it.

Just to clarify, when I mean manual shift, I mean a modern tiptronic, not a PRNDL4321 type shift. 

[Raza]

Had another idea.

One of my best mates has a Mondeo ST220......... I know some might think that it's just a Mondeo, but I have to say that it is a supremely capable car. Goes well, handles well, fun to drive, comfortable, roomy, well finished, rare but not so rare that if it goes wrong you will not be able to fix it.......... it's a cracking car. The ST TDCi 2.2 was also a belter. I rented them a few times and really rated them.

Mazda 6 MPS is another car of this sort of class (albeit with only 4 cylinders) which has to be worth consideration.

Top Gear loves the Mondeo ST220, so does Evo, as I recall. 

The Mazda6 MPS, the Mazdaspeed6 here, tended to get lukewarm reviews oversees, but I dig it.  I see them on the roads now and then, and it's a bit of a treat.  Not as handsome as the standard 6 was, but still a good looking car.  Oddly discreet. 

[Vinsanity]

Hmm....maybe they just didn't utilize the manual shift feature for it.

Just to clarify, when I mean manual shift, I mean a modern tiptronic, not a PRNDL4321 type shift. 

well, they did eventually. 2005, I think.

[Raza]

well, they did eventually. 2005, I think.

This was before that.  Probably 03. 

[Madman]

Nick, if you really want a modern rear-drive Yank Tank, how about a Chrysler 300C?  They're plentiful enough in the UK (307 examples listed nationwide on Autotrader UK right now versus only 19 Cadillac CTSs) and can be had with a much more Euro-friendly 3.0 Mercedes Benz OM642 turbodiesel V6.  It seems to me a diesel 300C would give you the best of both worlds.

[2o6]

X-Type?

[CALL_911]

Nick, if you really want a modern rear-drive Yank Tank, how about a Chrysler 300C?  They're plentiful enough in the UK (307 examples listed nationwide on Autotrader UK right now versus only 19 Cadillac CTSs) and can be had with a much more Euro-friendly 3.0 Mercedes Benz OM642 turbodiesel V6.  It seems to me a diesel 300C would give you the best of both worlds.

Oh wow, that totally slipped my mind. Good call.

[nickdrinkwater]

Have found a 3.6 model CTS for ?5k , might go and have a look when my work bonus comes through 

Madman I have just been looking at the 300C , seems like they are roughly a third to twice as expensive for something in comparable condition/mileage.  Albeit for a bigger car.

Also going to check out the ST220 Ford although we will see whether it drives any better than the Passat bar acceleration.

Mazda 6 is a nice car but in this type of car I'd want a self-shifter.

[mzziaz]

Get the CTS. A Caddy is infinitely cooler in UK than in the US.

[SVT32V]

Actually prices are up across the board, although the increase is higher among more fuel efficient cars. Even if sales are down among pickups, that doesn't mean they are going for less.
C4C probably has some impact according to some sources.

[cawimmer430]

Here's what I am thinking. 



Now ^THOSE^ are Cadillacs. 

I'm not really a fan of the new Cadillacs or Lincolns.

[Madman]

Here's what I am thinking. 



Now ^THOSE^ are Cadillacs. 

I'm not really a fan of the new Cadillacs or Lincolns.

The one in the middle is a Cadillac.  The other two are typical 1980s GM shitboxes.

[cawimmer430]

The one in the middle is a Cadillac.  The other two are typical 1980s GM shitboxes.

I have a soft spot for the 1970s Seville and the slantback Seville. I always thought they looked very handsome and elegant.  

[Submariner]

I have a soft spot for the 1970s Seville and the slantback Seville. I always thought they looked very handsome and elegant.  

Drive one and get back to us.

They're horrible, horrible vehicles.  My grandma had an 86' Rivera (similar to the Seville) and aside from it being relatively large on the inside, it had absolutely nothing going for it.  What a wretched, vile piece of refuse.