ES EF ED

im planning on getting rid of my e55 to get one of these. how do you guys like compared to the e55, will i eventually want a 55 again?

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

I'm a future owner as well. I'd have bought one a year ago instead of the 55 if the price were about 10k lower. The interiors were what I didn't like about the older Caddies.. However the current generation is on point !

60nomad

I borrowed my buddies automatic CTS-V for the day about 2 months ago and I just didn't really like it as much as the E55. The main reason was the leg room for me...I am 6'5" and 285 and believe it or not I was a little cramped. I have much more leg room in the E55. Also, the power in the ctsv was good but different than the E55, I would think that the E55 is faster and I never looked at the times and speed comparisons but it just seemed smoother and faster in the 55. At low speed it seemed like the V had a hard time getting traction but maybe I needed to get used to it or possibly the tires were a little weak. Cant really put a finger on it but I just like the e55 more aside from the leg room issue. Keep in mind, this is coming from a BIG fan of the caddies. I had an 04 ctsv with mods and thought it was the best car I ever had...I loved it!!! I raced a cls55 on the highway from a 40mph roll about 8 times and he was beating me by only a car length or length and half at the most up to around 130 or 140mph until his governor stopped him each time (this was 2005 so I do not recall exactly)...I had mine eliminated. At that time, he and his friend had never seen a V and they were shocked, to say the least, that this 'thing' was almost keeping up with them with no supercharger or interals done. We pulled over and chatted for 15 minutes after the runs. Fun times on empty Florida highway at the time!!! lol

moosejaw

I did the same and i feel the same way
My good buddy C55asleep? just picked one up
He loves it, Im pretty sure he loves it more than my E55.
He's 5'5" tall so im sure he could care less about the interior issues. Hes also Cuban so even though it has cheesy interior, he loves every bit of it.

Im only 5'8" but the interior of the CTSV feels very cramped to me. Like BMW 3 Series cramped. I swear that car is no bigger inside than my old C32. I have a freind who is 6'2" and he cannot get comfortable in that back seat.
Anyways C55asleep?'s ride has a redline tune, exhaust, and i think a pulley. His car came with the recaros which is nice. He puts down 530 to the wheels. Hes very happy with it.

PM him and ask him about it.
He'll give you his totally unbiased cuban opinion.

Blown_V8s

What was done to your V at the time?

60nomad

This is 7 years ago now so I can try and remember as I did litterally everything that you can do without adding spray or doing heads etc. I was taking care of my Dad at the time in Ocala FL and was soooo bored. All I did was work on tweaking the car and picking up local Ocala girls as there is very little work in Ocala! lol Anyway, long tube headers, pully or pullies, exhaust of course which does nothing imo, removing weight without anyone noticing of course. Then there were little tiny tweaking stuff that my tuner did or told me about (he was, and maybe still is, one of the best tuners in Florida...he was in Tampa) and the car ran well. I just can't remember everything but there were other minor stuff that just all came together. At the time it went 12.82 and anyone who knows the old V's, they didn't get out of the hole for nothing between the wheel hop and the stick shift...you pretty much had to be John Force to make them run well at the track. This was done with something like a 1.97 0-60 time, I remember it being just under 2.0 because I couldn't get it under 2.05. I think the mph was 116 or 117. Again, this was like 8 years ago so I am going on my poor memory...getting old! lol The car had no sunroof so it was a bit lighter also and my friend ran that 12.82 who weighed 90lbs less than me. I had fun, banged every decent looking girl in Ocala (which is about 4-5...lol), spent way too much money and took care of dad who miraculously made a full recovery! Ahhhh...the good old days!

johnnyblaze

You cannot compare the build quality to an E55 versus a CTS-V. Mercedes Benz build quality in the interior (fibers, leather, trim) is better than the new CTS-V. The only upside to a CTS-V is a more potent V8 and updated electronics. I was seriously considering a CTS-V but test drove both the coupe and the sedan and still went back to Mercedes for a C63. 2 out of the 6 I test drove had squeaky seats. And the one that was the best bang for the buck (2011 coupe with everything and 8k miles) had the stupid baseball mitt interior . To each their own, but I walked on a killer deal only to pay a bit more for a C63 that I wanted.

60nomad

There is a decent deal on a 2009 E63 near me in white but I really want an E55 believe it or not and not because of the money difference. Just thought the e55 was faster and more proven than the new engine 63's.

On to the C63, I heard they are the fastest! Is that true? How much smaller is that car? I think it looks cool.

tscales

I suspect the build quality of the Cadillac gas tank is better.

BBBSS

Zing!

HeissRod

If I could get out of my car within the next year, without being upside down, I'd move into a 6-spd wagon, but with prices dropping I don't see that happening.

Bamaster supposedly just picked up an '09 automatic V sedan and is selling or has sold his '04 Renntech E55.

BonnettsE55AMG

I'm getting out of my 05 E55 and getting an 09+ CTS-V. I'll never buy another MB again just because of the fuel leaks and issues I've had with my E55. The materials might be better but the quality and craftsmanship on the E55 is shotty at best. MB lost my business for good with this car. I'd rather sacrifice a little material quality to know that gas isnt going to leak in my car and be a hazard to myself and the ones I love.

60nomad

Is this a common thing with the gas tanks? Same problems with 06 cars?

moosejaw

yes
have you been folowing the three active threads with gas leaks?

efiftyfizzle

I have an 06 and yes, same problem. It left me stranded one day when my car wouldn't start... $1600 repair bill from stealership.

60nomad

BTW...your name is great fizzle! lol

I didn't see the threads on the gas tank but I will look now...you guys are scaring me to death with these cars! lol

theunderlord

ehhh, they're not that bad man! All expensive cars have their quirks, but ya the gas tank thing is pretty lame. (wagons never had the problem however, as I'm told)

the CTS-V is a pretty bada$$ car tho, the Delphi magnetic shocks are pretty great.

much better than say, oh an air suspension system we might know about....

efiftyfizzle

Well, I think my situation was on the worse end because I have never checked my car when I bought it. After a few fill ups (ones that I most likely topped off.. bad habit, I know)... I went somewhere and came back out only to find that my car wouldn't start. Really strange... turns out that the fuel leak shorted the harness inside. Had I paid closer attention to it and pulled the rear seats and cleaned up a bit of that mess, it may not have happened. That, along with my idiotic topping off craze, is what made mine so severe.

BonnettsE55AMG

My fuel pump relay burned up while I was driving on the highway and I'm betting the fuel leak is the culprit. This is the 2nd time my fuel tank has leaked after supposedly being fixed.

60nomad

Not to get off the subject but look tot he left under my name where it says posts, under that it says drives: How on earth do you change that? I wrote that because I was buying this 2003 car that was junk and didn't buy it. Help if possible but not THAT important! I tried everything! lol

Bottom line with the gas tank...I will NEVER fill it all the way up now when I get this car!

theunderlord

go to USER CP, edit your details, vehicles I drive.

60nomad

I think I tried everything else or somehow just didn't see it! I get a big DUH! Thanks Lord!

theunderlord

it's hidden in there that's for sure !

Hotrod-Realtor

I owned and sold two E55s' plus an S55. They are great cars. Power delivery is smoother with a little more bottom end grunt with the MB. Top end of the Cadillac is more aggressive.
I just bought a 2011 CTS V 2 months ago. It is a manual transmission car with Recarro seats, back up camera, PDC and no sunroof. I took it to the 1/8 mile and ran a slightly faster time than my MB. The cars are pretty similar stock.
The reasons I think the Cadillac is better, revolve around dependabillity. The car, like most, have some common issues but the Cadillac's issues are minimal and easy to overcome. Rattling supercharger is fixed with 1 hour labor and $75. The squeeking seats are something everyone complains about but mine are fine. Clicking wheels are the other common problem but that is cured by cleaning and lubing the contact surface between the wheel and rotor and torqueing the updated lugnuts down (my car doesn't do this).
So you can get a car that is just as fast / faster, newer styling, newer electronics, handles way better, made in America and can be bought new for $65,000 and used starting around $37,000-$40,000.
The really cool part of this car is the ease of modding. $240 Cold air intake, $100 pulley for the supercharger, bigger Idler pulley (optional) to wrap the belt more on the pulley $100, tune $400, HP Tuner (optional) $650, labor around $500 (easy DIY).
With these basic mods, many are seeing 550 whp with the manual trans.
I took my car with this setup to the 1/8 mile track and ran 7.5x at 97 mph.
Lot's of them are running 10's in the quarter with a few more basic mods.
Heads, cam, valve springs, blower port, lower pulley, heat exchanger, ice box will get you near 700 hp.
Nitrous is an option too.
Take it a few steps farther with a whipple and it gets better. Here is a video of the fastest one I know of.

Bottom line is the interior isn't quite as nice but it's close with the Recarro seats. The drivetrain is very reliable. It's cheaper to maintain and WAY cheper to mod. I agree that it's a little tighter than the E55 but just as comfy. I'm 6'1'' and 190 lbs, there is plenty of room.

bamaster

Yes sir. Sold the car today. It was weird. He was test driving it and opening her up. I was like, damn this car pulls hard! Then I started second guessing the decision. Alas, I sold it.

I traded it for an 09 CTS-V with 4,500 miles on it. Pretty much brand new, stock. It can't hold a candle to the E55 from a stop. Not even close. Maybe it was the RENNtech but it launches hard. The Caddy just doesn't have that kinda brute force. If the Caddy is Evander Holyfield, the E55 is Randy Couture.

As for the interior, the Caddy is much better to me. Nice accent lighting, better tech, quieter and more of a cockpit vibe. The Merc has better materials and fit and finish but not by much. And the suspension is far better in the Caddy. The magnetic suspension is fantastic.

I'll have to mod the CTS-V for sure. But for now I'm enjoying it stock.