Acura2010

I've seen alot of Threads regarding cross shoping alot of vehicles. However, one that seems to be left out is the Caddy CTS. Has anyone looked at the CTS before buying their TL? I did, and to be honest.....the CTS deserves alot of respect. The only reason i didn't buy it, was due to the price & re-sale value. Also, at the time i bought my TL, GM still wasn't Leasing. We've had some bad experiences with GM, and i refused to ever go back to GM, but this CTS is making it hard for me to stay away........

Just curious to see if anyone else thinks like me and looked at the CTS? I think the CTS is a sexy ass car!! Especially the CTS-V

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

The day I totaled my car, November 30th, I was on my way home from test driving a CTS-V :wink:

compewterbleu

There's a Caddy dealership around the corner from me. I pass by iy almost daily. I checked out the the CTS and the CTS-V as well as the new coupe a few weeks ago. Never owned a GM product although the new Camarao, Vette, and CTS had me stopping to check them out I wasn't sold on the products enough to invest in one. And I serious was considering the Camarao but was seeking 4 doors so I considered the Caddy. The Vette, they attempted to have this fine sales lady tempt me into one...wasn't working.

HawkI

I took some serious looks at the CTS before I bought my TL as well. You're right it deserves some respect for sure. However, I finally decided on the TL because I couldn't pass up the quality that Acura/Honda are known for in their vehicles as far as reliability goes, and thats not to say the CTS is not a quality vehicle. Also, I wanted AWD and the AWD system on the TL in my opinion beats the CTS AWD version. Other little subtle things like interior design also swayed me towards the TL, I just liked the way it was layed out better. I also feel like I got more car for my money in the TL. I'm with you though I think the CTS is also a sweet ride especially if you get your hands on a CTS-V.

omgthedonny

Actually I did, I was very impressed by the CTS-V speed and time at the nuburg ring but sadly I couldn't afford the CTS-V and I knew I would hate to have a CTS if I couldn't get the best model.

But I agree that is a bad ass car and I normally -hate- American cars even though I'm American hmm

JM2010 SH-AWD

I think the new CTSs are very nice looking cars, and the V is awesome.

I didn't cross-shop though because they have a pretty lousy reliability record (which translates into the rapid depreciation issue previously mentioned).

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

They're very good cars, although they get expensive fast.

winstrolvtec

The CTS resembles the TL with both having mid level size but lacking the positioning (for now) and both having unpopular cars above them in the STS and RL. I think the TL and CTS are the closest competitors in the combination of size, position and price, maybe even styling.

The reliability and quality issues always linger in my mind when it comes to a GM product although that is probably not as much of the case anymore but the resales are still not great. Ultimately the lack of 6MT and AWD kept me away but I did consider one while I debated waiting for the TL 6MT to be released.

Since it got up to the $50k mark, I thought that too many other cars became an option around that cost (specifically the 10' 535xi in 6MT), especially if I already had to worry about reliability, quality and resale, so I figured I would wait as planned and see how the TL compared. Nice car nontheless, the current 0% for 72 months and available incentives makes it hard not to seriously consider one.

SSGHutch

American Trucks = Good
American Cars = poor quality
just my opinion, don't get all uppity
Still proud to be American

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

GM still delivers the only V8 6sp for under 65k


IIRC

saturno_v

For me it will take at least 10-15 of very solid verifiable track record (both by official publication and "word on the street") about quality and reliability before I will ever consider buying an American car again from any of the 3 manufacturers.

It is unbelievable the kind of crap they were cranking out only few years ago and I'm not a believer of "turning on a dime" success story....much of the problem is in the typical American corporation management attitude affected by chronic short-termism.

Yes the CTS deserve a lot of respect (and Cadillac in general these days) however, as the old saying "once bitten twice shy"...I keep myself prudently at distance for the moment.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

Seems to me that the Volkswagen CC would also be a close competitor to the TL, in V6 form anyway.

Not intended to go off topic, just that it's hard to find serious competitors to the TL AWD in terms of size and performance AND price.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

what vehicle is that?

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

CTS-V I guess. Isn't the 550 RWD and V8 with an available triple pedal setup too though?

ostrich

I did look at the CTS before I bought my TL SH-AWD. I did not like the interior design very much - it just looked like things were scattered all over the place (I could not remember if they were or not, but that was the impression that I got). I thought the ride was OK but nothing spectacular. I also worried about resale value and reliability. However, the worst thing was that, the salespeople were not that great - the showroom was down market and the salespeople's skills did not match the high price tag either....

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I thought CTS-V's were auto.

Rocketsfan

I love the looks of the CTS and would consider one as a replacement for my 3G TL, except for :

1) GM reliability scares the hell out of me.
2) When I looked into it, everything seemed to be a part of a package and by the time I got what I wanted/liked, I ended up with a pretty pricey car.
3) I don't really care for the pop-up nav unit.
4) Something about the interior made me think they took a 1970's or 1980's GM interior and modernized it, but traces of the 70's/80's were still present. I couldn't put my finger on it. lol.

Rocketsfan

6MT is standard. There's a 6AT as an option, though.

jspagna1

My dentist tried to talk me into the CTS. He owns a V and he said it was a beast!
But as mentioned a number of times in this thread already, it all boils down to the poor reliability and resale value of GM vehicles. Just does'nt warrant my investment.

jangkai

Very nice car and great design but it gets pricey too fast, approaching 50k when optioned out. For that money I would save a bit more and go with the V

QuickRick

Guys,

As a former TL owner and new CTS Sportwagon owner I thought I'd chime in about how they compare. I want you all to know that I dearly loved my 06 TL, it was the best car I'd ever owned. When it came time to buy a new TL they restyled them into the cars you guys have. You either love the look or you don't it is so polarizing......I just didn't like the restyling. The dealer got mad at me explaining that Acura wants to be "distinctive looking".

The car I ordered is a Y43 performance, diamond white pearl with the 19" summer Continental tires, FE3 suspension, bigger brakes, limited slip rear axle, paddle shifters and larger radiator. I really like: the bluetooth operation, the pop up nav display, the fit and finish, wonderful backlit LED lighting, adaptive turning headlights, the 304 HP V6, HDD radio, LED light tubes on the exterior lights, heated and cooled seating, 6 speed automatic, 2 tone interior and best of all the terrific looking styling.......I keep finding neat angles and views.
What I don't like: winter time traction without AWD, *gas mileage isn't as high, things that you need to buy extra (like a German car) like underhood dress up panels etc. The storage compartments don't have much room in them are shallower than a TL, the high price of admission. No great place for my shades to reside.

As far as resale goes, don't dwell too much on it, I could not find a buyer for my always handwashed and Zainoed TL , I traded it taking a real beating. The good news was that my buddy is related to the dealer so I got a good deal on the CTS. The car has been a joy to drive so far, handles great and is as quiet as a mouse inside. I'm not too worried about reliability, having had 3 newer Corvettes that were just bulletproof, the latest a Z06.

Did you know that you can get a 6 speed manual in any CTS**, I could order a 6 speed manual CTS-V wagon. Imagine how rare that would be? I will let you know how the "great experiment" is going but so far so good. BTW, I went to a customer clinic,they fed me lunch, gave me $50 gift card for my suggestions and let me drive a 6 speed manual CTS-V 556 hp Coupe. You can hear the blower whine as it winds up--too cool!

QR
*regular gas however
**not AWD

JM2010 SH-AWD

I really like the CTS - thanks for you report. But the depreciation is just a killer. Our local paper has an ad today for a '10 CTS, new. Was 39,339; on sale for 29,339.

I'd hate to have been the guy who bought one a few months ago for 39.3!

QuickRick

JM,

All cars are losers at 1 year old, try and trade yours in and find out like me what a TL is really worth. Premium German cars are even worse. This last TL of mine was a disappointment in the depreciation dept., there were just too many of them on the market to demand a good price and mine was perfect!

Good luck to you when it is your turn.

QR

JM2010 SH-AWD

Mostly agree. I usually keep my cars 10+ years so first-year deprecation is not much of an issue for me. (And a lot of that depends on how well you negotiated the purchase price of the car in the first instance).

I'm more interested in how a car holds up over the long run. That's why I've been buying Honda/Acura products lately. (And I almost never trade cars in - of course, when they're ten years old dealers rarely want them anyway).

Enjoy the CTS. Great-looking car.

Six Shifter

Not quite true ... The CTS Coupe +4 does not come with a stick, and when I specifically asked the Head of Marketing about this being offered in either the '12 or '13 model year run, he indicated stated this would not happen. I replied by stating that if Cadillac were truely comitted to taking on it's European rivals, this omission might work against them. But I gotta tell you ... after tracking the CTS-V coupe on the track ... almost as much fun as tracking AMG's at Pocono back in '08. I personally found the interior (re: drivers position) a bit cramped when tracking the CTS-V Sedan as compared to the ergonomics of the TL.

compewterbleu

I'm with you about keeping a car for several years....

jspagna1

I buy cars and drive them at least ten years as well or till the wheels fall off. That is why reliability/dependability is very important to me.
My 1997 4Runner still running strong with 153,000 miles and the wife says why don't you buy a new truck. They just don't make them like they used to!

rkphillips

I crossed shopped the CTS, and bought a '11 CTS to replace my '06 TL. I liked the appearance of the CTS better than the 4G TL, especially the exterior. ymmv.

The CTS has some features that I like and not offered in the TL such as such as cooled seats, ultraview sunroof, adaptive forward lighting, heated steering wheel. Also, included maintenance for 50k miles and 6 yr/100k powertrain warranty.

My opinion is GM hasn't been building unreliable cars for the last 10 years, they just haven't built cars that I found exciting. I tend to keep cars for a while, so resale isn't a huge concern.

My local dealer has changed most if not all management in the last few years. It felt like the focus changed away from customer satisfaction, esp. in the service dept. From experience, I am not impressed with Acura Corp. customer support. If you have an extraordinary issue, you need a dealer to lobby on your behalf with Honda management. Perhaps if I still in some way felt connected to the dealership and felt the service dept. would back any problems, I would have bought a new TL or RL, which would have been my 5th Acura. Cadillac service as of yet is an unknown, but I doubt it will be worse than my recent Acura service experience. This is a long way of saying Acura and dealership experience has declined in my opinion, and ownership support was something that kept me coming back to Acura for the last decade.

I really liked my 3rd gen TL. Debated a lot on whether to sell it or keep it. I drove a few different Acura's but none of them enticed my to trade up. The CTS did.

This forum was a great source of good info for me over the last few years. Best of luck to all.

compewterbleu

Best of luck.

Glashub

I think you'll have a great experience. They seem to be on the ball now...but they've lost me.

There was a time when Cadillac was the most prestigous car in America. Their dealerships provided permium service. But then they rebadged the Cavalier as a Cimmeron. I can't get past my resentment for the crap they foisted on the American public with the slogan, "Made in America, Buy American."

Their cars look great and review great but my head fills with images of all of the really bad cars they made when they had the money to be a leader.

Franking50

I loved the look of the CTS coupe and was leaning that way until I got in it. The leather is like plastic,buttons on the steering wheel instead of paddle shifters, and the real kicker was when I got in the backseat, the center console came loose. My 2010 Crystal Black Pearl/Umber Sh-AWD tech was just too much great car to pass up. Traded in a 2008 BMW 335i coupe and never looked back.

Mr Marco

CTS has a transmission hump that intrudes into the passenger side footwell reducing the leg room to 1 size-twelve-wide for me. I take a wide stance.

neuronbob

As many regulars know, I bought a CTS-V to replace my Acura RL. I did briefly consider waiting for the TL SH-AWD 6MT but decided I couldn't live with the exterior design.

With that said: I have driven both the FWD and SH-AWD variants of the TL, and I have driven the V6 CTS when my V was in for service and frankly would rather have the TL if comparing those two (excepting looks).

a) The TL's interior is superior to the CTS as far as quality of materials used. It is damned near perfect. However, on all the V6 CTSs I've driven, the gaps are pretty good and in my V they are as good as in any Acura.

b) The exterior of the CTS is far better (to me) than the 4G TL. I have warmed to the look of the Acura but cannot get past the Power Plenum grille.

c) The V6 CTS's drivetrain, at least in the base, non-DI cars I've driven, is a bit unrefined. It tends to whine a little when in gear. The DI model's drivetrain is more refined, whines less, but you can hear ticking from the engine as is common in many DI applications.

d) for those worried about reliability...I have driven my V 21k miles in almost two years and have had no unexpected problems. I've had some front wheel clicking--known issue, fixed with aftermarket wheels or polishing the wheel hub. The only issue I am aware of with the V6 CTS is that some are reporting stretched timing chains on the DI model, but it doesn't appear to be a common issue.

Additional aspects to the V-series:
a) I bought the V because 1) it looks hot and 2) "affordable" V8s are leaving the automotive scene sooner than later IMHO so I wanted to try it. I was worried about American car reliability but as noted above, this has been a non-issue with my V. It is more reliable than my RL was at this point in ownership, and my RL was pretty darned reliable! I am as shocked as the rest of you when I say that.

b) The CTS-V's interior steps it up a notch above the regular CTS, with double-stitched panels and seats, very high-quality plastics with the exception of the V emblems on the shifter and steering wheel--those two look cheap. I don't have the Recaro seats but the standard seats are just fine in the V.

c) Of course, the V has more torque at idle (over 400 lb-ft) than the TL does at peak. After 20 years of owning primarily Hondas and Acuras, I now understand what low-end torque is. It is a little frightening knowing that at any time I am only a few seconds from felony speeding. Supremely fun to drive.