First, I'd like to preface that I've been a loyal Acura TL owner for many years. I loved my 3rd gen, and still love my current 4th gen 2012 SH-AWD with tech. However...I am approaching 100k miles, and I am pondering if I should trade-in the vehicle while its value is relatively solid. I IDEALLY would like to stay Acura, but I regret to say the latest offerings by their brand are weak (subjectively speaking, I do not see any "passion" instilled in their design. Also, I feel the interiors in the car like the TLX look markedly cheaper than my current 4th gen).

I moved from Michigan to Texas about a year ago. Lately, I've been feeling that Detroit pride, especially since I don't see many Cadillacs on the road down in Dallas (All German mainly, peppered with some Japanese luxury).

What some of the member's thoughts here on the new CTS? I know it may be somewhat polarizing, but I really do enjoy how the car looks. It seems every angle has a sharp cut or crease, something I do like. I am however not familiar with the current generation Caddys and how they ride, behave, creature comforts, etc. I plan on doing a test drive soon, but figured I'd get some opinions, as well as maybe alternatives?

 

If I could afford it, I wouldn't hesitate to get a new CTS or even ATS (V - ) over any new Acura sedan.

 

I love the new cts. It was one of the cars I was looking at when I was car shopping. I say go test drive it and see if you like it.

 

Wrong forum. Nevertheless, it's still a POS GM.

 

I bought my CTS-V new 3 years ago in August and regardless of what some people think, in my experience actually owning one, I can say that Cadillac has come a long way. It is far from a POS and has been fantastic. IMO the reason why you don't see many of them has nothing to do with them not being good cars.

The problem is Cadillac for some ridiculous reason decided to go upmarket, and ended up pricing themselves out of a market they did very well in with the previous generation CTS.

While I understand the CTS V-Sport shown in the pic really doesn't compete with the 4G, and I will say that our TL has been great in the five years we've had it, it doesn't compare to a CTS V-Sport. Go take a test drive and you'll see.

 

Dont listen to this guy, he probably thinks tie dye shirts are still cool, Cadillac has made huge strides I wouldn't hesitate to check them out.

 

I had a 2016 Caddy XTS for about 6,000 miles while my airbag was being fixed. The XTS is the big cruiser and it was set up Enterprise style with some nice option packages. It drove big, but the kids loved the back seat. The interface including the nav and climate controls are all touch screen operated. The good was the car was solid on the thruway. It was comfortable to drive, nice driver's seat and the interior materials were high quality. I was not a fan of the cue system at all. Caddy's Bose stereo was at least 2 steps below the ELS system. Otherwise, the technology in the Caddy was two generations ahead. I personally wouldn't drop the $60K they want for fhe XTS. Driving impression of the XTS was that it was a big, comfy highway cruiser but not a fun back road car. I don't have any interest in Acura's current line up either. Ive had some GM products over the years and they've been solid, well built vehicles. A CTS-V is on my dream car list. I would have a CTS on my list of cars to consider if I was in the market. The idea that GM is building substandard cars doesn't match up with my personal experience of owning GM products nor does it nice with family members who have newer GM stuff and are having great experiences. That all said, the TL drives better than the XTS. It's tighter and more responsive. The seats are better in the TL as well IMO. I'd check out the CTS tho. I'd also drive the 5 series if I had the cash. The new Infiniti looks nice as well. Good luck.

 

If you want to downgrade, go ahead.

American cars will never be on par with the Japanese and German

 

Lotsa bang for your buck. I know a neighbor that traded his 2012? RL for 2015 CTS AWD (Not sure if it's ATS Atm) and loves it. Great offers and deal with tons of feature however the tradeoff you get GM quality

 

Long term quality of Cadillac isn't the best, neither is the resale and as said above they've priced themselves out of a good market. Almost got a ATS but the dealership didn't want to budge from MSRP. Driving dynamics are pretty good, interior is not all my cup of tea like the ATS's gauges and plastic.

 

Funny, as a 3G owner that's had a hard on for a "V" for a while...I'm thoroughly considering it.
Wife has an SRX4 she's had for 4 years and it's been solid...only a "service rear axle" and a front wheel bearing have needed addressing in the 45K miles.

 

GM's marketing is doing a terrible job at positioning and pricing. V version offers too much performance for most at a very good price, and the regulars are too expensive maybe not for what they are but expensive... This results in lose at both ends of the market. That is the halo is not a halo, but the regular is not making a strong candidate for the entrance.

I play things safe when purchasing a daily beater... When I go to Vegas, I stay on the strip to enjoy the shows and eat buffet. Likewise, I will also never win lottery because I never buy...

Personally, if I were you, I'd be looking forward to the new E class before making the dive.

Never-the-less, if you don't mind paying more to get a nicer car and willing to take a little more risk, the purchase can be rewarding [size of the reward differ among individuals]. Finally, for living in TX, Caddy's AC performance should make you plenty happy!

 

I think Cadillac hit a proverbial home run when it comes to their current design language and overall vehicle lineup. SERIOUSLY good looking vehicles, with performance to boot. This ain't your grandpa's Cadillac anymore.

I I must admit though, their pricing is crazy these days. An ATS-V crossed my mind. Until I saw the starting price tag. I could likely get an RLX and TLX for the same price.

 

I know it is just me but I can't get over the old man car feeling they give me (even though I clearly fit the "old man" description now!). I looked at them before deciding on Acura but I just couldn't shake that feeling. I know they are not the same car as they were but still, those old feeling stopped me from even considering a Caddy.

 

Yeah, they're insane with their pricing. Gotta wait until the used market gets more reasonable for a V.

 

I know what you mean because I have had that feeling when I drove a CTS and XTS. However, I didn't get that feeling when I drove the ATS, CTS V-Sport or CTS-V..

 

Had 2 CTS's as rentals (fully loaded) through Hertz and put ~5k miles on them. I can say that they are actually really nice cars, especially the way that the ones I had were spec'd. However, when looking up the pricing, IIRC, it was over $60k! Also, with the CUE system, although it looked very nice, it did seem to get progressively less sensitive (I had one CTS from ~800 miles to 3300 miles) - In the beginning, it worked great, but I feel like it was less sensitive and less accurate closer to 3k miles... Then again, it could have been me just getting used to the system. Not sure if I would buy Cadillac though (Would lease if I got a good deal on it though) - That car has a TON of tech (ie huge LCD guage cluster) that could potentially go wrong... And all those shiny computers look awfully expensive to fix out of warranty.. Also my track record with GM hasn't been the best.

 

I don't think Cadillac is POS and "downgrade" from Acura. I actually like them (the new CTS, ATS) but they are a little more expensive than I'd want to pay for the brand particularly. Because at that price, I'd go with Germans.

 

...every thread nees a umb uninformed comment and in this case it's yours, congratulation!!


To the OP, the CTS is a fantastic midsize sport sedan (outside and inside), make sure you get a great deal (lease or buy) and i you keep it a bit long slap an extended warranty on it.
I drove the V-Sport, simply sublime.

 

for the OP Cadillac | Truth + Dare cadillac ride and drive event coming to DFW in August

 

I've driven the ATS4 and it is very nice. Too much gloss on the center console but the ride itself was very tight. I test drove the Ford Fusion AWD right after and it felt like a Fisher Price toy in comparison.
I wouldn't mind the CTS4 if it weren't so expensive.

 

Can't you just disagree without insults that you wouldn't use in person, to my face? I guess if you don't have facts to prove me wrong that was you're only recourse. And if you don't agree then go sped you hard earned money on a GM. I don't care.

I'm an engineer and I read data produced in my field and the auto industry. I work on cars (many makes and models) all the time for friends and family. Have you ever worked-on or tried to change a part on a GM, old or modern? I have; and they suck. Although you are correct GM has made great strides and they "look" cool; mechanically and electrically they are still POS. Every person I know that has purchased a old or modern GM car has the same opinion.

And tie-dye was before my time

Anyway, this is a forum for Acura TL 4G, not Cadillac.

 

...well from an engineer I do not expect calling modern GM cars "POS"....do you actually know that Cadillac has the most sophisticated chassis and suspension tuning in the sport sedan market at the moment?? German cars can be hard to work on too and they can be unreliable but I would not call them POS....did you actually drive a new CTS?? Do yourself a favor and do it.....and report back....if you use the term "POS" for current Cadillacs I cannot imagine what kind of terminology you would use to define, for example, the old W body based Pontiac Grand Prix....you would run out of words....

 

I always enjoy when someone comes in and says they're an engineer, as if to bolster their credibility

 

sounded more to me like he was just stating a fact
Like, I generally like spooning with overweight men.
I don't expect that you'll find my opinion on Cadillac to be more valid because of it, it's just the truth.

 

I couldn't agree more, and as they say "ignorance is bliss". What I always get a kick out of is when people make comments about a particular vehicle yet they never even owned one. Or they had problems with one particular Chevy and now all GM sucks.

Bought my Caddy in 2013 because I got hooked on the looks and power of the "V" coupe and in my three years of REAL WORLD experience the car has delivered. And if anyone reads any of the "V" forums these cars are bullet proof as most of the problems usually occur after the cars have been modded. I had a 2011 6MT Grand Sport Vette before the Caddy and that was trouble free also. My dad (who's 72) had a 2012 V coupe that he recently turned in off lease after 3 1/2 years and 35K miles and his car was trouble free. His biggest regret is that he didn't keep it, because be loved that car. My mom has a 14 SRX that aside from a couple of CUE updates has been trouble free. So based on some of the comments here I guess my family has been the only people to ever own a reliable GM product. Go figure, LOL.

I have owned Japanese vehicles primarily since the early 1990's, Mitsubishi, Infiniti, Lexus and Acura and for the most part they were trouble free, except for the 1997 Mitsu Diamante that had a hammer shifting problem. And as of now both of my GM purchases match right up with them, in MY real world experience. And believe me I have no problem expressing my displeasure of a vehicle. I bought a 2011 ML350 for my wife that was the worst vehicle we ever owned, and I even wrote about it on several forums. Yet not once did I ever say that all MB's and all ML350's are pieces of sh*t because of my personal experience.

Now of course GM's past is horrible, and would I have bought a GM product 15 years ago, no way. But again, in my experience since 2011 GM IMO has come a long way.

 

I'm dying to get into a V2 V sedan...White Diamond, Black interior Recaro...auto or manual. Caliper color doesn't matter to me cause I'll probably change it.
Wife has an SRX which is why I even considered a Caddy...definitely love the fit and finish and how solid it feels.

Not sure it'd be easy for me to give up my TL-S or S2000 though...

 

Jesus, it was a joke, it's not like I insulted your family or something.

The fact that you claim you're an engineer and are so involved in the auto industry just makes your opinion seem even less valid. Even if you haven't driven a new Cadillac It doesn't take much time to research and see that the Cadillac CTS and ATS models are getting great reviews by people who actually drive cars and review them for a living. Car and Driver did a good job of summing up the new CTS-V when they said "A very scary sedan, but only if you happen to be employed by Mercedes-AMG, BMW’s M division, or Audi’s Quattro". Just because Cadillac used to make junk doesn't mean they do today, just look what Kia and Hyundai have done recently, huge steps in progress in a very short time.

 

The reality is that GM is also establishing itself as a brand that is reliable and durable in the Consumer Reports ratings. And an engineer would know a particular failure rate is set for every component as is a design life. I personally believe that the design life of most components is long beyond anyone would realistically keep a car. I do think the German and Japanese cars felt "tighter" for more miles than in the past. Caddy's cue system needs some work IMO. Overall though, among the mid to top tier vehicles, there is very little statistical spread on initial quality (JD Power rankings which are pretty meaningless unless you lease). The CR data and other data sets which track vehicles over time are more meaningful to someone like me who buys their cars. Resale values still reflect that in used Accord and Camry prices vs. used American brands. But it is more perception than reality. Heck, the 3.8, 5.3 and 5.7 GM motors are legendary for outliving the chassis of the cars and trucks they're in. I know the ranking aren't truly random and may be skewed, but they're the best we've got and if we want to weight opinion over data, fine, Internet away. But the reality is different in the real world.

 

That's all very true...
I think a lot of brands have a bad reputation but that shouldn't carry over to eternity.

That's like your wife still giving you a hard time for what an ahole you were to your hs girlfriend!

 

You guys are comparing apples to strawberries...

Cadillac V models have nothing to compete against with acura, only their normal models. If we were talking about M's, AMG's, S-line, etc I could understand all the comments. A CTS-V and ATS-V may be amazing, but it doesn;t change the fact that they are different than the typical models that are sold to sustain a company.

 

I'd agree if it wasn't for the fact that the non-V models are getting rave reviews as well.

 

right, and as such, that bit of information serves no purpose whatsoever to the conversation at hand. Thanks for confirming

 

most car get great initial reviews, what counts to most folks including myself is how the car is after 5yr/100K miles rather than when it's new.

 

Not sure why, but the (CTS) wagon has the highest customer satisfaction in the industry. The ATS, not so much. Hard to say where GM dropped the ball, but reading all the shit written about them in the Caddy forums I wouldn't own one.

 

^ Exactly, I was looking at a CTS in 2009 and after driving one and reading the boards I walked away from it. Drove the ATS and liked it but the boards also made me walk away along with a local dealership that wanted 2K above MSRP for one...

 

If my wife didn't have the SRX, I wouldn't have even thought about Caddy...but having tinkered on hers a bit (removing bumper etc and seeing how they are put together, simple yet solid and well thought out) it actually changed my mind. It may have the basic GM bones (probably good for cheap parts and ease of diy) but the lipstick they slap on that pig is pretty nice.

 

In 2008 i went to the auto show with the in-laws. They were looking for a new vehicle for all around/grandma duties. They were impressed with the CTS wagon and it became a contender in my Mother-in-law's car search. Sadly, she chose the Buick Enclave as her next vehicle. Mainly because it was much less expensive. Big mistake. What a gutless POS. Ugly to start with and then needed thousands of dollars worth of repair work right after the warranty expired.

 

Damn, are you serious?
My neighbor has a Chevy small SUV (can't recall) and she said the same thing...and it sucks cause they're not mechanically inclined so they get it over a barrel every fkng time.
Wife's has been under warranty but front wheel bearing failed...45K miles...and the rear diff axle clutch kept giving a warning on the dash...so they replaced that. Not bad for 45K and almost 4 years IMO. I've honestly had to address more on my TL (even if you don't count the self induced repairs )

I think those wagons are cool btw...Jlo drove one in some cheesy boy next door movie i just saw. I fell in love. With the car too.

 

I think Cadillac has a lot of cool stuff going on with the CTS and ATS, but I also think they are overpriced and that reliability is still a question mark. Their depreciation is still sub-standard, even by luxury car standards. Maybe pick up a used CTS-V with an extended warranty?