2008 CTS Ride Quality

fordyfordconv · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-09, 08:41 PM

Our new 2008 CTS V6 DI Performance Sedan rides like a log-wagon! Is there anything that can be done with the CTS suspension to improve the ride?
Maybe it's because we came out of a 2004 Sedan DeVille. We had a 1998 Eldorado prior to that and it rode just like the Deville, like a boat. The ride on this $41,000 car is ridiculous!

muschany · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-09, 09:31 PM

I'm wondering why you bought it. Didn't you take a test drive in it first?

fordyfordconv · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-09, 10:22 PM

It was my wife's turn to pick out a car .... she thought it was pretty! I have a lot of other dislikes about it too. I guess that Eldo & Deville spoiled me!

Southern · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-09, 10:29 PM

Well, you can play some games with wheels and tires. That is, put tires on it with a higher ratio and tires that have softer sidewalls (Non performance)
Smaller tires (17") and fatter tires could help.
I would advise you to talk to a kind and considerate tire guy.
You might try one of your local guys. But I am going to warn you.................the car was not designed to be a replacement for a boat...............many things other than tires and wheels are involved.

But Muschany's question is valid.
What did you do on the test drive? Check the radio?
Bottom line, you bought a performance car and are complaining about the performance characteristics. It's not the car that is wrong.

jcr_CTS · #5 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordyfordconv

It was my wife's turn to pick out a car .... she thought it was pretty! I have a lot of other dislikes about it too. I guess that Eldo & Deville spoiled me!

Why does she get a turn? Why do you drive the car she picks out? Isn't it her car? How does she feel about the ride?

Northern SRX · #6 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 08:01 AM

If you already have the FE1 suspension (the softest), you already have 17" wheels. If you have an FE2 or (heaven forbid) an FE3 suspension (the firmest), you have 18" wheels and a ride that would be at the opposite end of the spectrum from your DeVille. It is also possible for you to have the FE1 suspension and 18 inchers.

So - first things first: If you have an FE1 suspension with 18" wheels, swap the wheels for 17" wheels and get "softer" tires (such as the Bridgestone Turanza "Serenity"). If your tires are already 17 inchers, then you only have to do a tire swap.

If you bought a CTS with an FE2 or FE3 suspension, you could always try to get an FE1 swapped in - but this is a fairly big job and, frankly, I'd be reluctant to do this.

Before you do any of the above, my advice to you is to make an appointment with a Cadillac store to test drive a CTS with an FE1 supension and 17" wheels. Drive it and keep in mind that this is about as soft and compliant as it's going to get. If it still doesn't tickle your fancy, then consider trading it off for a DTS. Considering the prices of used 2008 DTSes these days, this might cost you less than any modifications you may have to make to the CTS.

TSS · #7 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 08:44 AM

Double check your tire pressure with a handheld gauge. Other than that, you may just not like the sporty stiffer susension, inherent with the new CTSs. I don't consider it a defect, but likely an intentional design for the target audience. I have driven several, and am not crazy about the ride. Therefore, I am probably not a candidate to buy one depite its good looks.

corvette00 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 09:26 AM

I got my wife an 08 CTS4 with 18 inch wheels, I drive an 07 1SG STS. The CTS ride and seats are definately firmer and the STS. However, that is the design of the car. It's too bad Cadillac did not continue the old style STS/Seville along with the new STS. I think some of their long-time customers would still buy this car. However, I enjoy the new versions of the CTS and STS.

fordyfordconv · #9 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 05:01 PM

It has the FE1 suspension with Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 17" tires. Yes, we test drove it and it rode okay on good streets and highways. Didn't realize I needed a test track! Nobody to blame but myself. It's our family car but my wife drives it most of the time. I drive a pick up that rides just like it but at least it's what I expect, comfortable, and half the price! She loves the "sporty" look. And I have to admit I like the design. They did a super job of advertising! My beef is the great reviews it gets. If the reviews had been more accurate and honest, I could have been more persuasive about not buying it. There are other things I don't like about it too: uncomfortable seats (no cushion), hard to get in and out of, steering wheel blocks vision of where to insert key into ignition, difficult to ingage and ungage seat belt (no room), harmonic vibration in transmission (they all have it, even the 09's). This car is not what it's hyped up to be! Sure miss my Eldorado and Sedan DeVille! Oh well, my turn to pick out our next car, if this one doesn't make a hadicapped person out of me!

**The Tony Show** · #10 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 06:13 PM

You should be able to get a very good trade-in toward a DTS, which sounds like the car that will suit you if you were a fan of the Deville and Eldorado. Bite the bullet and trade it while there's still good incentives and you have low mileage on the CTS.

Lesson learned.

Zymurgy · #11 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 08:26 PM

There is nothing wrong with the ride of the CTS. It was not designed to ride like a boat. It is a performance sport sedan.

z06bigbird · #12 (**permalink**) 08-04-09, 10:47 PM

An extremely smooth ride is a direct function of the length of the wheelbase.

I too went from a SDV to a CTS sport. I rode in the back seat, and I thought my filling would fall out. Fortunately, I knew that when I bought the car--for my wife. She loved it, but she too noticed the stiff ride.

I am not convinced that changing tires and/or wheels will solve the problem.

My next car: 95 white Fleecewood Brougham with 25k miles on it. Nice wheelbase. Smooth ride. I have been trying to buy that from a little old lady for the past 3 years. No luck yet.

markbinkc · #13 (**permalink**) 08-05-09, 10:06 AM

Wow. I don't think the reviews are misleading. If you ride in any of the cars that the CTS competes with, such as the BMW 5 series, Jaguar XF, or any Infiniti sedan, the rides are all comparable. You need the DTS, a Buick, Lincoln or a Lexus. If you think this car jars you try any sports car. I have a GT-R but love the contrast of the ride my Cadi with the FE3 (on 20's, no less) gives me. My other car will shake the teeth out of your head. Whatever you decide, good luck!

Mark

C "T" ess · #14 (**permalink**) 08-05-09, 10:20 AM

Welcome to the whiner's club. Another dissatisfied customer wanting to shift the blame for something completely with in his own control.

Argent55 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-05-09, 10:53 AM

The key here is that the CTS is a "sport sedan". As such the suspension will be tuned to give greater control on the road. That means stiffer shocks, spring rates and such. The FE1 will give the most compliant ride, but it still will be a little stiff. I have the FE2 and love it. Do I feel bumps when I drive over them? Yes, but the vibration is damped pretty quickly. My last car was a Grand Prix GT and it could jar you when you went over a bump and wouldn't hold a turn anywhere near as well as the CTS. This car is head & shoulders above that car in terms of ride quality and comfort. I drove my brother's BMW 3 series and I thought my spine would break! You could feel every little thing on the road through the seat. My wife has an Impala that rides quite nicely-no jarring over bumps and relatively quiet. But you would never mistake it for a "sport" sedan (in spite of the spoiler!). Now, I don't have occasion to regularly put to use all the "sport" features of the CTS, but there have been times & I'm happy that the car is tuned the way it is.

Lesson is, drive any prospective car on as many different road conditions as possible and know what the the car is intended to do.