johnny--2k

So, took a new position with GM Financial and get some insane deals on any GM product. For ****s and giggles, I decided to stop by my local Caddy dealership and drive an ATS-V.

WOW! That car is NUTS! There are a few small things I'm not too fond of, the main thing being the lack of sound in comparison to my C, but outside of that, the 6MT is buttery smooth, the car pulls like a freight train, and the magnetic ride control is phenomenal from a comfort standpoint in Tour mode, and feels just as good as my car in Sport. Then there is still Track mode beyond that.

On paper, it's comparable to a stock C63 from the hp/tq standpoint, but figures put it anywhere from 3.8 - 4.1 sec 0-60, with launch control. The 6MT also gets No-Lift Shift and active rev matching on downshifts. With nothing but a tune, they are already running mid 11's, add downpipes and they are hitting 550WHP!

So, now my question to you all is this, would you consider it as a viable replacement for the W204 platform? From a price perspective, I can't even come close on a new C63, which I would love, and in most reviews, this car and the W205 are kicking BMW off their high horse!

ENV²

They are great performers. My issue with the thing was the interior. It was awful IMO. But if you can get over the interior it is an incredible car. I think scat pack Charger/Challengers are a lot fo car for the money too or SRT392.

rentzington

I've always been somewhat skeptical of the caddy quality myself, but I've got to say the new cts-v looks interesting but also costs about what the new c63 does which is a bit high imo since you can get a 1yr old e63s for the same

I've been eyeing the competition recently as well to see what my options are since my c is feeling dated and having interior bits breaking ....m4 leases are quite reasonable

If you get good employee pricing on the v line id jump to one if you like it, I know those gm employee pricing are killer and it's good for family members as well

m a x i m u s

I would definitely consider it, especially with the deal you are getting. The W204 C63 is a fun car, but is not the best. The W205 looks weak to me, and the interior is too Japanese car-esque, especially the hokey COMAND graphics and the stupid-looking giant compartment that houses the ashtray, lighter, cup holders and cubby. It's like a cabinet. I'm personally probably gonna move to an M next.

layzie12g

The 205 interior is nice. Especially compared to a 204. The plastic filled interior on that car is as bad as any Japanese car I have ever seen.

ArmoE55

Get one of the blown CTS-V cars. If I get a Caddy, it'll be one of those. I don't care for interior as much, car moves.

Pulley and tune - 10s like butter.

johnny--2k

True, but deals for me are on new only, and I can lease the ats-v on a 39 month 15k per year for slightly less than what I'm paying now for my C.

ab0bab0i

CTS-V. That thing is an absolute monster and it uses the Z06 LT4 motor. Not sure if they fixed the overheating issues though.

Bardman

Absolutely - check out the motor trend review of it. Looks like an awesome car, and I would be grabbing a manual car while you still can. I quite like the Shelby gt 350 also - na v8 and a manual, but would be tough driving one of those into the GM car park...

xxaarraa

Where have you been living? The W205 interior is widely recognized as one of the best interiors currently available in any car, and the W204 interior always got a bad rep for being cheap.

I have been mildly curious about the ATS-V and CTS-Vs myself. But it's going to be hard to pay German car money for an American car. Reputations in engineering are built over decades and I can't convince myself that just because Caddy is building good cars for the last 3-4 years means they can charge M3/C63/M5/E63 money for their products. I need many more years of data before I fork out that kind of cash for a Caddy.

Now the new GT350 Mustang... that has me very interested. I wouldn't get the GT350R, as I still need a sober everyday car that doesn't beat me up. I'd probably get the GT350 with the track pack. For $60K OTD, that's a bargain.

rentzington

Ats was recently in consumer reports least reliable list, but the v is completely different so I won't hold that against it but it again makes me think the same thing..German money for American car, do I want to do that ?

The gt350 looks like a great car on paper, though completely different category of machine than the amg/m/v I just hope fords redesign is better than the last one , we had numerous suspension issues they couldn't fix and it was a widely known issue ...the fix was actually the new design

rentzington

What's the maintenance like on them? These amgs can be pricey when you hit scheduled service points, been curious if maintenance is less on the v line. I know performance parts are much much cheaper

xxaarraa

Yeah, reliability and build quality is one part of the equation. It would be annoying to get a $60-80k car and have to go back to the dealership for small stuff that's always going wrong.

What I would be more critical of with new comers (i.e., non-German cars that cost the same money) is whether they have thought through everything - ergonomics, feature set, tranny. The tranny is a HUGE deal that people often overlook. Just because a car has a manual doesn't remotely make it a good manual. Besides the Honda/Acura 6 speed and the 911 6 speed I owned, I have never enjoyed the stick shift in any of the other cars I have owned (including an e46 M3). Just because a car has a DCT on paper doesn't automatically make it a great DCT. Just because a car has an LSD doesn't automatically make it great at cornering... and that sort of thing, you get the idea.

Bottom line: chassis tuning, suspension magic, tranny and engine mating, general engineering refinement... this stuff takes a long time. Just because caddy is making great cars on paper recently, doesn't in my book mean they can charge German money for them right away. I'd never buy a Caddy for the same price as an M or AMG. Not for many more years. Period.

That's just me though.

johnny--2k

So there seems to be a common theme here, AMG money for an American car. That's the thing, loaded out properly this car is a good $15-20K less than a new C.

The CTS-V is out of the range on what I'm willing to spend, although the car is a beast, I can't justify almost $100k. If I'm doing that, I'd just get a new C instead.

As far as the tranny, the 6-speed is great, and GM has been doing manuals for a long time. I've had an S2000 and 2 6-speed Acura TL's, so I'm familiar with those as well as the T56 that was in my 03 Cobra. This car's trans was butter smooth, shifts were short and precise, and clutch feel was great. I've heard the 8 speed auto is the same unit in the new Corvettes, just tuned a bit softer but still chirps on a 1-2 shift, but I really miss driving stick and I don't deal with traffic too much on my drives.

m a x i m u s

Where have I been living? Been living with a w205 loaner for the past 3 weeks. Hate the interior.

rentzington

At least for me when I say German money I'm thinking more along the line of the m3/4 and the 2014 c63 though I'm seeing w205 63s in the upper 80s but the one I built out was damn near 100k which is crazy for a c

From reading your posts I think you have already decided on the atsv, I'd just do it you will likely enjoy it more than your c and won't miss any power plus get new tech which the w204 greatly lacks.

manuals are so brutal in the city..even off peak driving I always run into traffic

rentzington

I had one for about a month and I loved the interior, the command system wasn't quite as easy to navigate but apart from that I found it quite nice . But the one I had was practically brand new hardly any miles on it so I'm curious how it holds up after wear and tear

m a x i m u s

Dunno, not for me. I just find it too much like a Japanese car interior. For some reason it distinctly reminds me of a lame Lexus rental I was stuck with before.

johnny--2k

Yeah, I'm really thinking hard, just trying to figure out what to do with my car. Sell it private or trade it? Then there is the wrap; leave it on or take it off? The tuner, CF Diffuser, and warranty? This is the part I hate!

As far as maintenance on the Caddy, all 2011 and newer come with 4 year 50k included maintenance, so there is that!

rentzington

Didn't know that, hmm may have to add them to the Mix with bmw if I leave mb
I want a new c63 or e63 but the prices are just too high when the m3/4 lease is around what I pay now

What id do is move the car back to stock and sell the tune and diffuser warranty I think they give you prorated money back. How much would it cost you to put the secondary cats back? Or just say forget it and leave them off ?

Private sale could be tricky because you might end up sitting on it for a while, and trade in on a lease doesn't seem to make a lot of sense

johnny--2k

secondary cats are gone, so that's a no go. As far as trade, the only advantage would be the tax savings, and the Caddy dealership is going to just take the offer from Park Place anyways. I may have PP appraise it, then trade to Caddy and go that route if I can break even.

Clark Kent

I saw an ATS-V at the last Dallas Auto Show. It sure looked impressive but it hadn't been released to the public back then so it wasn't real-world just yet. But I was intrigued. Hurry up and get that thing, my last track day at CoTA was rescheduled because of the flooding. They have Novice+Instructor openings available. You can make the new toy work for its room and board.

If you decide on the private sale then almost certainly that awesome orig color would be a standout. It's been wrapped for all this time and well protected. Don't hide that natural beauty.

And, I'd probably help you depart with the diffuser as I need to better diffuse some air

johnny--2k

Haha, well I'll see what happens. Got some feelers out there right now.

NateDog07V

Congrats on the new gig. My father worked for GMAC / Ally for years so I have access to GMS pricing myself and have been looking very hard at a new ATS-V. I'm curious if you've run any lease numbers on a potential build and don't mind sharing. Over on cadillacforums, one gentleman said he just leased a Coupe at 62% residual and 1.6% lease rate (which is lower than BMW's base MF of 3.1%), but I'm hoping to find some more concrete info as my local dealer isn't exactly transparent with the numbers. GMS pricing gets the sedan down to 55k before options and the coupe is 57k before options which lends itself to awesome lease deals if the residual is north of 60% of MSRP. Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not post here but good luck with your transition to a new beast!

rentzington

Gotta say I've started looking at leases on new cars even though I've always hated leasing ...and bmw and others have very very attractive leasing compared to mb