Got to Test Drive a CTS-V
02-26-2004, 05:40 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Got to Test Drive a CTS-V
Please hold the flames.
I have heard the ugly, cheap interior and all that.
Just go listen to one of these sing.
One of the local dealers called this week to tell me about the CTS-V he had available (Black on Black without the sunroof) and offered me a test drive.
Lucky me. This is a super car and you new owners are extremely fortunate.
Let's start with the drive.
The salesperson (a well informed professional) backed the car out of the shop (the sound is all you could ask for).
The car is easy to get under way and feels very tightly constructed.
Steering is direct with good feedback.
The motor sounds better as it revs and seems as if it can freely draw power from a bottomless well.
The brakes are certain and the pedal feel is solid at all pressures.
Cornering was flat.
I experienced a slight wheel hop when getting on the car some and going from first to second (not a problem).
The only thing that I did not like was the shifter. The throws are too long and had the rubbery feel described elsewhere.
Now for the amenities
The dash features were quite weel done.
The display showed tire pressures for all four wheels at once.
I saw the g meter but did not pay attention to it during the drive.
The nav was upgraded to include a thumbwheel like feature for scrolling through the alphabet.
The alcantara seating inserts were a nice touch.
The paint finish look great on this car.
Regarding the armrest alignment mentioned before, the piece is not centered and butts up to the driver seat and is one finger away fron the passenger seat.
The plasic tray in the trunk well was split in the center and looked useful for holding stuff like cleaning supplies.
More details
The salesperson had the new brochure which did indeed include Redline and Stealth Gray colors.
Dealer installed options are the Corsa exhaust, drilled rotors, forged alloy wheels and the carbon fiber underhood kit.
I have heard the ugly, cheap interior and all that.
Just go listen to one of these sing.
One of the local dealers called this week to tell me about the CTS-V he had available (Black on Black without the sunroof) and offered me a test drive.
Lucky me. This is a super car and you new owners are extremely fortunate.
Let's start with the drive.
The salesperson (a well informed professional) backed the car out of the shop (the sound is all you could ask for).
The car is easy to get under way and feels very tightly constructed.
Steering is direct with good feedback.
The motor sounds better as it revs and seems as if it can freely draw power from a bottomless well.
The brakes are certain and the pedal feel is solid at all pressures.
Cornering was flat.
I experienced a slight wheel hop when getting on the car some and going from first to second (not a problem).
The only thing that I did not like was the shifter. The throws are too long and had the rubbery feel described elsewhere.
Now for the amenities
The dash features were quite weel done.
The display showed tire pressures for all four wheels at once.
I saw the g meter but did not pay attention to it during the drive.
The nav was upgraded to include a thumbwheel like feature for scrolling through the alphabet.
The alcantara seating inserts were a nice touch.
The paint finish look great on this car.
Regarding the armrest alignment mentioned before, the piece is not centered and butts up to the driver seat and is one finger away fron the passenger seat.
The plasic tray in the trunk well was split in the center and looked useful for holding stuff like cleaning supplies.
More details
The salesperson had the new brochure which did indeed include Redline and Stealth Gray colors.
Dealer installed options are the Corsa exhaust, drilled rotors, forged alloy wheels and the carbon fiber underhood kit.
02-26-2004, 06:22 AM
#2
Registered User
It's got better power/weight than a M5 and it's cheaper than a Used M5. So it's a nice RWD MT V8 sedan. But C&D had a review and it was not good.
The car they tested was eating OIL and overheating. It had bad wheel hop on take-off. Shifter was not liked and it has the 1-4 skip shift "feature".
I'm not saying you'll get a lemon, but for gods sake don't you think the one C&D tested should have been tip-top?
The car they tested was eating OIL and overheating. It had bad wheel hop on take-off. Shifter was not liked and it has the 1-4 skip shift "feature".
I'm not saying you'll get a lemon, but for gods sake don't you think the one C&D tested should have been tip-top?
02-26-2004, 08:23 AM
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Great review, thanks for posting!
C&D did mention that the car they drove was a very early production car. Of course that is still not good, but it is quite common for early cars to have some bugs which can be completely worked in time. Besides that one or two issues they ran into, I thought their review was very favorable overall.
C&D did mention that the car they drove was a very early production car. Of course that is still not good, but it is quite common for early cars to have some bugs which can be completely worked in time. Besides that one or two issues they ran into, I thought their review was very favorable overall.
02-26-2004, 08:36 AM
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The C&D test that was aired on TV about a week ago had nothing but praise for it. Are you guys talking about an earlier test?
Why should the engine eat oil, isn't it just the same engine as in the Z06? I believe it is. There should be no problems with it at all.
Bad a$$ car.
Why should the engine eat oil, isn't it just the same engine as in the Z06? I believe it is. There should be no problems with it at all.
Bad a$$ car.
02-26-2004, 10:35 AM
#7
duff,
Once they' sort out the axle hop (if they haven't already) I would put quite a bit of money on the CTS-V outrunning both the E46M3 and E369M5 basically everywhere in the performance spectrum.
The car wasn't eating oil and the overheat issue with C&D was with calibration of a temperature sensor, the car wasn't overheating, though it said it was.
This car is going to be a beast. I saw pics of a black one at Barnes & Noble and it looked sweet. Some dark tinted windows, a mean exhaust system, and hell, a cam, and this thing is going to be the performance sedan to own for less (MUCH less!) than $70k.
Once they' sort out the axle hop (if they haven't already) I would put quite a bit of money on the CTS-V outrunning both the E46M3 and E369M5 basically everywhere in the performance spectrum.
The car wasn't eating oil and the overheat issue with C&D was with calibration of a temperature sensor, the car wasn't overheating, though it said it was.
This car is going to be a beast. I saw pics of a black one at Barnes & Noble and it looked sweet. Some dark tinted windows, a mean exhaust system, and hell, a cam, and this thing is going to be the performance sedan to own for less (MUCH less!) than $70k.
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02-26-2004, 11:15 AM
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My dad manages a dealership that sells, among others, Caddi's.... They just got a CTS-V in yesterday and I went out for a spin in it with him. Damn it's a nice car.