06-07 CTS-V Opinion?

[edgemar]

Is the LS2 a decent car or a piece of crap? Seems like a 400hp LS2 sedan would be fun....especially under 20K. They seem fairly rare...i never see one in SoCal.

[kaisen]

They're only crap when compared to the 555hp supercharged 6.2L LSA new-style CTS-V

The engine and transmission are strong, very similar to what's in a C6 Corvette of the same era.

It's a lot of car for the money

[rouxroux]

Fine sleds.

[VincentVega]

The article in the latest GRM has be thinking about one too. Seems like a ton of car for the $$.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Nice cars, I'd happily drive one. Unlike the M5, I haven't heard of any scary reliability issues related to the CTS-V. Considering the tried and true SBC drivetrain, they should be pretty robust.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

The article in the latest GRM has be thinking about one too. Seems like TWO tons of car for the $$.

Fixed it for you.

My LS2 powered Corvette has been a great car I wanted my wife to buy the Cadillac CTS but she bought a X-type jag instead.

[slow&rusty]

I would take an '03-'04 E55 AMG W211 (Supercharged) for the same money.....anyday!

[RANDY P]

I think they blow rear ends. The earlier ones did.


The dash is ugly as sin- one owner put it: "IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE STOLE AN ATM MACHINE FROM THE DEATH STAR"

I agree.

rjp

[speeder]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

I would take an '03-'04 E55 AMG W211 (Supercharged) for the same money.....anyday!

Me too, if they are truly the same $$.

[EarlyPorsche]

There was a video on youtube that showed ignition problems that the dealers were having trouble fixing but I don't think the video is there anymore. The 04 E55 would be my pick too just wondering if that has the electronic servo calipers or not?

[SeanPizzle]

Pontiac G8 with the LS and 6 speed would be a pretty good $23-25K car now.

[JavaBrewer]

I can't get past the gaudy styling of the Caddy. The CTS-V has all the good stuff and sounds really nice - but then people would see me in it and that would be a deal breaker.

[edgemar]

I would probably go with the E55 amg too.... My buddy had an E500 W211 and that was a really nice car. The potential repair bills scare me though...

[David]

I drove one and was not impressed. It was only a couple years old and already falling apart.

[kaisen]

2003-2004 Mercedes AMG E55 are roughly the same price as a 2006-2007 Cadillac CTS-V

One difference that may be important to enthusiasts: The Caddy is available with a 6 speed manual transmission, where the AMG is automatic-only.

If the Caddy breaks it's $$, if the AMG breaks it's $$$$

Both are good choices

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by kaisen

2003-2004 Mercedes AMG E55 are roughly the same price as a 2006-2007 Cadillac CTS-V

One difference that may be important to enthusiasts: The Caddy is available with a 6 speed manual transmission, where the AMG is automatic-only.

If the Caddy breaks it's $$, if the AMG breaks it's $$$$

Both are good choices

This. I LOVED my XJR, my only criticism was the automatic gearbox. Same knock on my C36, same knock on the E55s that I've driven. All great cars, but a slushbox just isn't the same. There are a lot of super sedans, many of them now reasonably priced thanks to depreciation. But only the M5 and CTS-V have a proper manual gearbox. The 2004+ S4 is in the same ballpark with a manual, but is still down 50 HP on the Caddy and BMW.

A G8 GXP would certainly be worth considering as well, but I haven't seen them dipping into the low $20k range yet.

[Adam]

Speaking of G8s...

GM-Holden have only just recently sealed a deal to begin exports of the new Commodore (your G8), but marketed under the Chevrolet brand name in the next 18 months.

"... the company did not rule out exports of Chev-badged Holden Utes and Commodore Sportwagons to the US alongside the SS sedan at a later point, with Holden engineering executive director Greg Tyus telling journalists in a phone hook-up from Holden’s Melbourne headquarters: “We are discussing sedan at the current time.”

Here's the current car - the new one should be a lot more sleek. This design is quite elderly on our roads here.





El Camino, anyone?

Looks like they're going to call it "Chevrolet SS" and you'll most likely be able to choose from the LS2 or LS3 that they run around Australia with at the moment.

They'll probably be cheaper than dirt, too. Lots of weight reduction over the existing G8, with many vast improvements, I'm told. Should impact on existing GXP prices once these new VF-based cars start to arrive.

Last report says it will hit US showrooms as a 2014-model in Q3, 2013.