Caddy V series

[Steve Viegas]

Is anyone here familiar with the reliability of the V series Cadillacs? I am thinking about getting a used one for my daily driver, specifically the STS-V. They appear to be pretty good deals at this point 469 HP and less than $40K with 20,000 miles on them.

Thanks for any input.

Steve

[TerryBPP]

Our secretary has the CTS V6 and its been in and out of the shop 50 times since new. Replaced everything under the sun, from oil leaks to bad window regulators. I can't imagine putting a HO V8 in there is going to help matters.

[Jim Bremner]

My chevy's have been the most reliable cars that I've ever owned!

158k on my 2002 truck driven like a fricken taxi cab, 20k of towing trailers dirt roads, etc. only failures so far

1. parking brake release cable broke.

2. tranny failed.... the day after I towed a 22' x 8' x 7' trailer up the grape vine 2 speeds up to 90 mph! (It also got the diff hot enough to melt the paint off of the diff cover - yes, I changed the grease)

3. the plastic trim that covers the handle broke.

I've moved several people with it and at least 20 people have borrowed it.

it still has the original brakes and rotors. oh and the first time it got a real service other than oil and fluids was @ 100k


The che'vette. 2006 now with 48k and two track days.

1. warranty service on the diff ( I used it to replace the diff fluid after a track day.)

2. the roof delaminated covered under warranty ( they had a bad bunch of roofs)

3, drivers window was chipped by a loose screw that a teck messed up during the roof exchange.

4. it got hit by a stone into the a/c condenser



I have replaced the brakes and rotors

[Jim Bremner]

tu

[Oracle]

I had it and it was the most reliable car I've had... to the point that was boring cause nothing ever broke - nothing.
I would just wait for months for the computer to show when the oil was up and that's it! I only put fuel into that car..

But living in Canada is not a great car because of the snow/ice, I had to buy winter wheels and tires to drive the car, so the car looked like a taxi for 6 months while the steelies were on.

Would I buy it again? Yes absolutely.


And about handling?? Some corners I was far more confident in the caddy than in my 911

[MysticLlama]

I was considering a CTS-V about a year or so ago, but couldn't hang with the gas mileage for a daily driver, and that was before the current prices.

Just something to check out.

[dd74]

My folks have Caddys - currently a CTS and STS. They've owned M-Bs and BMWs, but swear by the Caddys. They haven't had a single problem with either of them for close to three years. The V-series is a Corvette engine in a four-door sedan. Given the reliability of both brands (Caddy & Corvette), I'd trust a used V-series as much as a used M3 or M5.

[dd74]

To OP - I see you live in N. California. My dad has driven his V6 CTS from L.A. to Monterey on a little more than one tank of gas. He averages about 75-80 mph.

Also something to consider if you're frightened of the V-series gas mileage:

If you can find one - and they are rare - Caddy, for just about a half-year before the current CTS, produced a CTS sport, which had a 6-speed with the more powerful of the V6s. It also had big tires/wheels (18-inch, IIRC), sport suspension, sports seats, and a different grill that was body colored. I think it was Road and Track or Car and Driver who wrote a review of the car, saying it was as performance oriented as the V-series CTS (0-60 was in the high 5s), except the CTS Sport didn't have the massive V8 grunt, though it did have much better gas mileage.

[dd74]

Of course, if you want the most powerful Caddy yet, with this engine, you'll have to buy it in Europe.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/chevy/0706dp_2008_cadillac_cts_v6_diesel/photo_01.html

[RANDY P]

the original V had an LS2. I have that engine in a 4600 LB SUV (Trailblazer SS) and it's a scary ride. They aren't known for anything except spinning rod bearings if you beat them.

With a 6 speed tranny your milegae should be firmly in the 20's especially on the highway. I say go for it.

rjp

EDIT- I meant CTS-V not the STS. Dunno anything about those, sorry.

[Porsche_monkey]

My father has the V6. Zero issues in 50,000 miles. Radio is weird, but zero trouble from that car.

[peppy]

I'd buy one!!

[Zef]

Still a GM product....crap.

[legion]

I had confidence all of the haters would come out.

Funny thing is, if Honda or Toyota had released the exact same car, they'd be all over it.

GM is not the same company it was 10 years ago. Their racing program runs the Corvette division. (Look at the GT1 class in ALMS--the Corvettes have driven everyone out of that class.) They are trying to position the Solstice as a legitimate competitor to the Miata in grass-roots motorsports. Ferrari has leased shock-absorber technology developed by Cadillac. My 2007 Silverado has displacement-on-demand that actually works. GM has made significant changes on the engineering side. I expect dramatic changes soon on the manufacturing side--they will emerge lean and with a score to settle.