hgerhardt

On the sales end, I found our local Cadillac dealer about equal with the MB dealer. They were both more knowledgeable about their product than I expected. And I was allowed to beat up on both cars equally. In fact, the Caddy sales guy even suggested we go on the freeway to "really open it up"... which, of course, I did. Service, on the other hand, SUCKS at my MB dealer. My dad has had a great service experience with his '09 CTS, but then it's only been back for an oil change. It's had NO warranty issues whatsoever. Of course, it's not a -V.

Absolutely correct. And if my car had been "trouble-free", as the OP said of his car, then I would never have had the "pleasure", if you will, to experience that service first-hand.

How's this for a gap:



Here's how it should be:


And this one's on the outside, both sides:



Sure, I can do that. But after 10 min of sedate driving, it's right back to lazy shifting. A quick small stab at the gas should wake it up enough to downshift once, to shoot into a hole in traffic. If I go deeper, all heck breaks loose, as it should, but you can't really do that in heavy traffic. This is just an annoyance, but a $99K car shouldn't do that. Especially when the GM trans works better.

The OP had complained about that on his -V, and I simply said the W211's also do it.

The CTS-V has better steering feel than the current Corvette. It's accurate and communicative. The Vette's is accurate, but not communicative. And what do you mean, the E63 isn't a sports car? What the heck is it then? A modern-day '66 GTO, straight-line tire burner? ANY sporting car should have excellent steering, no matter how many doors it has.

I don't have the active seats in my E, so I can't comment on that. To me, the Recaros and the standard AMG seats are about equal.

As do I, and for the same reasons.

Look, I didn't intend to bash the W211 '63. All I tried to do was point out to the OP that these things are not "trouble free". His problems with his -V are obviously much worse than anything I've had trouble with on my E63.

My other point was that in the 2nd and 3rd model year of the W211 ('02-'04), which is where the current CTS is, those early W211's had plenty of service bulletins and warranty issues. And certainly contributed to ADAC (German AAA), calling MB 2nd-most unreliable car in the early 2000's. Only VW was worse, at very last place. That was 8 years ago, and some of the details of who did the rating are fuzzy now, but I'm fairly certain that's correct. That's just one of those factoids that sticks in your brain. My mother had a '99 Passat up until last year and that was easily the WORST car our family has ever owned, from a reliability standpoint, and caused me to have serious doubts about buying my E63.

220S

I'm curious why did you buy one if you had "serious doubts." I'm sincerely curious (personally, I would never buy a car I had any doubts about, especially "serious" ones.)

I would like to say that the E63 is NOT a sports car. It's not even a "sporting car" (not sure what that means) nor is it a GT car. AMG calls it their "business class" AMG sedan. In the book about AMG's history (Under the Stars) they categorize all the AMG models. E Class isn't under "sport" anything. It's a sedan with a big motor and a few tweaks here and there.

edit: The book is called, "AMG:Reaching for the Stars" (not 'under the stars'); I just pulled it off my bookshelf to take a look. Great book, btw, with excellent pics and history.

TMC M5

The funny thing is that my wife has dibs on the CTS-V when I get "tired" of it. My wife currently has an '09 Pontiac G8 GT which we have had for 1 year. That car has had zero...absolutely no problems/issues (I just knocked on wood). The fit is really...really good....the finish not so much. they cut some corners with the quality of materials, but you can't expect high end materials in a car that we got new for about $30K. The G8 GT has pretty decent handling and performance. I was so impressed with GM's (or should I say Holden Australia's) effort in the G8 that it was the catalyst to opening up the possibility of getting the CTS-V. With typical GM logic, Pontiac G8 production was killed here in the US. The G8 GT was quite possibly their best built car for the money...

Tom

mikeevo

I too looked at the G8 GT before I got the EVO X , but it wasnt out yet and every dealer was trying to add 2K to the price. wit all options. The sad part is it does look like a great car for 30K. to bad they dumped it. Another great GM move. Who runs that company. I have seen some nice modded version put down good numbers. I even thought about finding me a nice well cared for unit , but for 30K plus the E55 was a much better buy . I am thankful a friend decided to sell his or I would have missed out. I hope the New TT model comes out soon. I would like to swap out in 3 years and the TT AMG may be the next great buy.

thtguy

C.H.E.V.R.O.L.E.T.
Cheap Heap Every Valve Rattles Oil Leaks Every Time
C.A.D.I.L.L.A.C
Crazy And Demented Idiots Like Large American Cars

that is all I have to say about that.

Worth the wait

I almost bought a new G8GT, it is a nice car. Quick and nimble, plus you can add a $10k Eaton blower kit and the thing is knocking on 500hp. This is further highlighted by the fact that they were giving DEEP discounts on leftover models last year...like $26k OTD for a GT.

In the end it was the lack luster interior and the positively abysmal GM dealership experience that kept me from pulling the trigger.

And lets not confuse things, the G8 is a re-badged Holden...period. The smartest thing GM did was decide to import it. The worst thing they did was kill it.

vegas55amg

Another vote for almost bought a G8.

really nice package for the money, hell it only costs a bit more than a Camry or accord!

and again, only GM, in it's infinite wisdom, would cancel such a car.....

hgerhardt

I'm not doubt-free about ANY car out there... but for me, the E63 is overall the best combination of all traits I want in a car. And my 2009 was the last year of the W211, and probably has the best chance of having the bugs worked out of it by now. All the reliability surveys seem to say MB's are pretty good these days. Those same surveys did NOT say that about the early-2000 MB's. The CTS-V came in 2nd on my list of most-desirable cars.

And if it's NOT a sports/sporting car, then why the stiff suspension, big seat bolsters, heavier and quicker-than-non-AMG steering, huge brakes, big anti-sway bars... I'd HATE to be chauffeured around in a car as stiffly sprung as this. This car is for DRIVING in a very, ahh, spirited manner, especially non-straight roads... and that, my friend, is the definition of a sports car. How old is that book you're quoting from? That's what AMG's USED to be... a long time ago.

Exactly. I almost bought one too, but got tired of the "Japanese video game" exterior styling that Pontiac was still doing at the end.

06E55

Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. are sports cars. The AMGs, -Vs, SVTs, etc. are vehicles that have a "sporting" edge to them. This is different than a sports car! I surely would not want to drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. as a daily driver. That is what the AMGs are meant to be. A luxury vehicle with a sporty side to them. Sure, my E55 can beat a Ferrari F430 off the line; it still doesn't make it a sports car...

220S

Stiffly sprung? Seriously? You have to be joking! It rides on a pneumatic suspension, as in 'air.'

This car built for the twisties? Man, I'm sorry but you must have never driven an actual sports car in your life. You want stiff suspension? I'll give you a ride in my Porsche. Your bones will snap.

The E63 (and yes I have a 2009) is a marshmallow. It's a couch on wheels. But a nice fast comfortable couch.

Sorry grandpa, but I'm calling you clueless on this one.

The book? It's new. Why do you think the E63 is even listed in it?

mikeevo

I would call the E55 or E63 a sporty Sedan , but never a sports car. I have to many real sports car. Vette, EVO , Shelby Cobra, 300ZX. not to sound old but its nice to see so much power and performance in something you can really drive , use and carry passengers in thats fun to drive everyday. I do like the Idea of Business car. serious business.

220S

fwiw, the dictionary of automobiles:

Sports car models

A car may be a sporting automobile without being a sports car. Performance modifications of regular production cars, such as sport compacts and sports sedans are not considered sports cars, yet share traits common to sports cars. They are sometimes called "sports cars" for marketing purposes for increased advertising and promotional purposes.

A sports car does not require a large, powerful engine, though many do have them. Many classic British sports cars lacked powerful engines, but were known for exceptional handling due to light weight, a well-engineered, balanced chassis, and a modern suspension. On tight, twisting roads, such a sports car can perform more effectively than a heavier, more powerful car.

shchow

Yes, I picked up a 2010 CTS-V about 6 weeks ago.
Just got through my break-in miles and starting to open her up.
There were several reasons I chose the Caddy over the w212 E63. At the time, MB stopped production of the 2010 E63, so I couldn't order my car, and I had a deadline to pick up a new car.
Also, the uncertainty of the economy for 2011 made the Caddy seem like a no-brainer.
Some observations...
The CTS-V is a monster. The steering feel is not as crisp as the E63 or the M5, but it is a beast nontheless.
Build quality is not on par with the Europeans, no question. I've already got 2 paint chips in areas that shouldn't happen. But I find the interior layout better than the M5, which was rather spartan.
The M5 just feels much more "high strung" and a livelier, smaller car.
The CTS-V feels like a bigger car.
The Caddy definitely gets more attention/looks than my M5.

Overall, I am pleased with the Caddy. I have a smile everytime I get behind the wheel, so I can't really complain.
Maybe next time I'll try something Italian...
It's great to be able to experience these great cars first-hand...

shchow

I don't know where you are looking, but the CTS-V fully loaded with every option is around 70k.
I ordered/built mine (not one sitting on the lot) with essentially every single option and paid 65k for it.

ItalianStallion

I paid $66k I think back in April of '09 on one with every option. You can get some very heavy discounts now. I also hear about 0% financing and some attractive leases.

way2evil

Wow you guys got raped. I paid 55k.

TMC M5

Brand new?

Tom

way2evil

Yep. It was invoice minus all the rebates.

WhitePano

if you guys are on cadillacforums.com - plenty guys are paying $55k-60k fully loaded

shchow

Wow, great deal!
Did you pick up an existing car or did you build it out?
I have this bias against locating existing cars/taking one on the lot.
Don't know how it was treated/abused during customer testing, and the build date may have been from quite awhile ago.
Usually I'd like to custom order the car. Got mine in about 6 weeks from time of order...

chawkins2001

Hold on there buddy, FORD is light years ahead of Chevy in terms of plushness and making sound cars. One of the best sports cars ever made in terms of cheap bolt on power and reliability comes from FORD, namely the 03/04 cobras.

They are only a few cars in modern history that have got iconic status, the SUPRA always comes to mind and now you can honestly start saying the 03/04 cobra's nicked named the terminators. There are tons of 700rwhp and up lurking the streets.

msheredy

Dayum! It must be a regional thing where demand plays with the pricing Here in SoCal dealers are always hiking up the stickers of performance models with their "Dealership price adjustments"

way2evil

I bought it off the dealer lot. I dont get why people are so worried about taking one off the lot. It only had 7 miles on the clock. So what is the worst that could have been done to the car in 7 miles?

mikeevo

78,000 was out the door cost last year. I did hear about the discount but I wasnt pushing hard to buy it just wanted to know my cost. it had the usual dealer BS. paint protection, interior guard, dent free crap. but was real close to 78K. glad here you can get one for 55K. I think its a much better buy for that price.

way2evil

The highest sticker for a V is 70k.