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Contemplating V purchase

7K views 47 replies 18 participants last post by  Cadillac Customer Service 
#1 ·
Its a bit of a story. I currently drive a 2012 CTS 3.6DI AWD, fully loaded except the recaro seats. Fantastic car. I bought it new, and it currently has 30,000 miles on it. Prior to this, I was driving a 2004 SRX V8. I honestly miss driving an SUV, and also miss driving a car with a V8.

What I am considering:

Sell my CTS, assume I get 35k for it by the time all this happens. I'm 22 and in grad school, so if I were to go for a loan, I would be comfortable with a 15-20k car loan. So i would have roughly 50-55k to spend.

I drive 22k miles a year, and need to get to work and school through the snow, therefor a V wouldn't be able to be my only vehicle.

Would consider buying a used 2010 or 2011 V for 35-40k. And then go and find another old SRX, say 06-08 V8 for less than 15k.

Would you guys justify me selling a "new" car for 2 used ones? Any other suggestions are also appreciated.

When I went to purchase the CTS a year and a half ago, I also looked at the Escalade and Escalade EXT. GMC Sierra Denali, Mercedes GL. I was not happy with the 5 series or E class, and have been completely satisfied with Cadillac in the past. So that would be the other option for me to consider, is since I don't really like driving a sedan all the time, for me to pretty much swap for a Used one of those. The GMC would be closest in price, and the rest i would probably have to come up with another 10k cash if I found them in a 2012 model with 30k miles. Back then I wasn't making as much money, and wasn't 100% sure that I would be able to maintain the bigger car. Now that I am making more money, Its worth considering again.


Thanks guys
 
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#4 ·
jeremy stanke said:
To be perfectly honest, I don't see you getting anywhere near $35k for your 2012. I think I was offered $30k for my 2012 coupe with 8,000 miles.
Dealer offered me 36 already. Would ask 40 if I sold it privately.

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VMoose said:
You sure you want to drive 30,000 miles a year in a CTS-V?
It's only 20-22k miles per year, and would be the V plus the other car. So maybe 15 and 5?

Are you saying that you don't like to drive your V that often?
 
#12 ·
Dealer offered me 36 already. Would ask 40 if I sold it privately.

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I'd take that offer and run! There are many used AWD 3.6's with 1/2 the mileage selling for thousands less. You could probably find a new left-over 12 for that price.

If you've got the cash to do it, you only live once, go for it... but I think your numbers are pretty far off. You're not going to find an 11 for $40k that's worth a shit; I search 10 sites daily; they aren't out there. For a great deal on a decent 11 you're looking at being in the $46k range. You could probably find a decent 10 for around 40 (I'm not looking that far back, so I don't have a feel for what they're going for).

You'll also need to factor the extra $7-8k a year in fuel and the bump in insurance for going from a the 3.6 to the V and an additional V8 SUV.

No way to rationalize the decision in to making sense, but then the V doesn't make sense to start with... so that leaves this as a solely emotional decision. If you are tired of the 3.6 and want a V, go for... but find a great deal, because when you get tired of it in another year, you'll just keep digging a deeper hole if you don't!
 
#6 ·
KevinWP said:
Doesn't totally make sense to me to have two cars to care for, just for the sake of having a fast car. Get a barely used or new s6 or something.
Not an Audi fan. Looked at s5- couldn't fit. Don't like a/s6. It's not any difference to me having more than one to care for. I've had 2 in the past and always enjoyed having a spare car. But at least this time around I was trying to make one of them the car I would really enjoy

Thanks for the suggestion though
 
#8 ·
Not to be harsh, but I think maybe your eyes are bigger than your wallet. You want a V and an AWD V8? Your numbers seem very optimistic, and trying to make them work just buys into higher-mileage worse-condition rides with more cost later.

Why not a V and a cheap slow AWD beater for the harsh weather?
Why not just slog a V through your harsh weather? Snow tires and good driving goes a long way, and if you plan to put a lot of miles on a V you must not be planning to be precious about it.

Why not just go back to an AWD V8? I can appreciate just wanting a V8, and if you're considering giant V8 SUVs (which really aren't fast) the performance of the V seems more a "why not" than a "must have." So maybe just go back to a nice low-miles SRX 1.0? Or maybe a 300C/Charger/Magnum AWD V8? Or a Grand Cherokee or Durango V8?

Or maybe it's time to add forced-induction to your current ride, if the drivetrain is considered stout enough.
 
#9 ·
Jinx said:
Or maybe it's time to add forced-induction to your current ride, if the drivetrain is considered stout enough.
If I keep the car, that's probably what I would do, but probably after the bumper to bumper warranty is up. I have had, and other family members have had bad experience with dodge so I wouldn't even consider on of those.

But your right, the v8 SUV wouldn't be for performance, but to get back into what I was used to.

The simple way to put it is that the car I have now just doesn't seem to do it for me as much as it used to. Which I suppose happens to any car after a certain amount of time, but I didn't expect it so soon. So now, while the numbers work, and the opportunity is there, why not look into such options?

I do very well for someone my age and since the main bills are only tuition and a roof over my head, why not go out and enjoy myself with the cars while I don't have any kids and what not. I outright own my current cts so all I'm paying there is gas and insurance

Just weighing all the options you know.
 
#10 ·
You might find that a V8 SUV doesn't do it for you anymore, either. Especially if it's not as plush as the CTS.
If you own it outright, why wait until the warranty's up to hop it up? If the drivetrain's solid at 30,000 miles... are there bits on a non-V CTS that tend to fail after the 50K mark?

And if you're single and moneyed and bored with your ride and looking for something happier, why not try to move forward instead of retreat to the familiar? Try something out of character or a little bit nuts. STi and Evo are cliche for a reason and that reason is banzai fun. Try a near-new Chrysler. Try an AWD Juke or Mini. A BMW-engined Land Rover. (How'd that get in here?) Hell, get a Unimog.

Honestly, picking something familiar is what you do when you're past 40 and the list of things you know you don't like is as long as your arm and as prickly as your ear hair.
 
#13 ·
+1 on the nay-sayers. If the dealer is offering you $36K on trade, then that's best-case scenario for your ride but that doesn't mean you have to take it. I wish the dealer offered us anything north of $30K on our loaded 2011 CTS Wagon...

Anyway, honestly, I think you need to sit tight and enjoy the car as-is. Is the V a totally different animal? Yup -it's worth the trade. But the financial side of things is IMHO more than you're ready for unless your independently wealthy or Mom&Dad are helping out. Fuel might be a big issue, but personally I think the car is reasonable for all-weather driving if it saves you thousands in maintaining/insuring another vehicle. It would be cheaper having two sets of wheels than keeping two different cars.

I think it's just a bad move to take on tons of debt before you get a real job (I kind of did the same thing with a project car when I was in grad school - it was fun at the time, but that car and a LOT of money is long gone; it was also a convenient distraction from what I should have been doing with my time). It's short-sighted impulsiveness if only because you're talking about a $20+K loan to make this happen, but I don't know your personal situation either.

Simply put, your goal should be to live comfortably while taking on as LITTLE debt as humanly possible right now - save your money (and interest payments) for the next Hot Rod in 3-4 years after you've settled into a job, location and living arrangement. Used cars are always a bit of a gamble and/or a money pit, and that's before you start modifying it. :D
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the input guys. As for the suggestions on the other cars, I'm gonna pass. I'm pretty set on sticking with gm(Cadillac). I didn't see it as taking on a lot of debt, if I traded it and got the 36, I would need no more than a 20k loan,which is nothing. I don't think my numbers are that far off, I've gone to a few dealers, done my homework. The only thing I didn't do my homework on yet is on the warranty for a certified pre owned. They change all the time, but if it extends the b-b warranty to a decent mileage, then it's a win there also.

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IBMike said:
If you've got the cash to do it, you only live once, go for it... ---that's why I'm even thinking about it, the opportunity is there, who knows if it will be there again

You'll also need to factor the extra $7-8k a year in fuel and the bump in insurance for going from a the 3.6 to the V and an additional V8 SUV.
I'm 4-500 on gas now, assume it would almost double. Insurance would be less with just an SUV, but adding the v it would definitely go up, but I don't see it going up sp much it wouldn't be do able, but again, before I pull the trigger on this, geico would get a call and I would make sure

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Jinx said:
You might find that a V8 SUV doesn't do it for you anymore, either. Especially if it's not as plush as the CTS.
If you own it outright, why wait until the warranty's up to hop it up? If the drivetrain's solid at 30,000 miles... are there bits on a non-V CTS that tend to fail after the 50K mark?
The shop that as the experience doing it is 2500 miles away and probably costs close to 10k once all said and done. Waiting until 50k is only waiting a year, so it times out well for me since I'll be out of school by then
 
#15 ·
To be fair, my wife has the CTS and I have the CTSV - I'd pick the V all day long any day of the week, for any weather. IMHO they are both similar in bad weather; driving style and tires make all the difference. Recaros are mandatory, and used prices can be pretty competitive so it's not a bad trade at all.

It's up to you as to how much that $20K (or $26K+ including interest, taxes and fees) is worth over the next few years relative to your situation. If you can wait a year to supercharge your existing CTS, then it makes me think you can wait a year to trade-up for the V.

My hesitation really comes from your driving requirements, your age and school situation: you're at a point in life where things will look vastly different in 1-2 years, so I hate to encourage people to take on debt payments for a depreciating asset that will only depreciate faster with the mileage, wear/tear and economy.

Good luck!
 
#18 ·
Ive had a very good experience with my awd cts in the snow, but from the rwd rental cts's i've got, I wouldn't want to do it, which is why I would want the suv to play it safe for the winter and to haul the bigger stuff around.

I plan on driving the car into the ground, so for me to take on 20k over 4 years, is not an issue, and i understand that when I'm done with the cars they wont be worth anything, I'm buying the car to drive it and enjoy it, not to make money.

I really appreciate the positive post as most of the previous have been negative

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With as many miles as you are driving, the V or a V8 SUV isn't going to be double the fuel cost. The V can get 20-21 on the highway. The cars you are currently used to driving are not making 40+ mpg.

There is nothing wrong with driving a V in the winter or 20,000 miles per year. It doesn't make you a bad person to actually DRIVE the V as daily vehicle, and not treat it as a garage queen. The car was MADE to be driver, and it does so well. It does so, both as a fast car, and a comfortable car for long trips. Unless you live out in the country, with huge hills and roads that are not maintained, where the snow fall is going to dump 24" of snow regularly, getting some snow wheels/tires will work just fine.

I have driven 2 trans ams, 1 corevette, 2 SRT8 in the winter, and have had little to know trouble with any of them unless I left the summer tires on.....

The CTS-V might continue to hold value pretty well, but the year of the car is going to depreciate the value worse than the miles. In 2018, just the fact that the V is 8-10 years old is going to have taken its biggest hit. At that point the difference between having 80,000 miles and 150,000 miles on the car might not be insignificant, but its not like you're going to have left it in the garage with 3000 miles either....thats the ONLY way a 10 year old car is going to keep that value. I guess my point is, why buy any car if you're worried about putting miles on it? Cars are expensive to own, insure, keep fueled etc. Cars like the V make it more of a finacial stretch. In the end you don't buy a V, in order to save money on gas, or be practical.

My vote is, if you want a V get it. Throw some snow tires on it before you worry about another expensive car. Why get an SUV anyway, why not some small cheap FWD car? I think you will find that owning the V will make you not want to drive anything else anyway!
I get 20 on average in my current CTS, and used to get 16 on average in the old SRX. You don't buy a cadillac for gas mileage and there's a lot of people that don't understand that.

As for why not a small fwd car? just doesn't float my boat. I miss the space of the suv, and being able to toss large items in the back. I never had to borrow someone else's car with the suv. Now if I want to buy a decent size tv, I need to borrow a buddies car. I know, little problems, but they seem to occur more and more often so having a spare suv would be nice, and again, why not make it a cadillac also if I have the chance.

I can say right now that I am not buying the car thinking about what it is going to be worth when I put 100k miles on it myself. I'm going to drive it until its dead and then start from scratch. The situation I was in when I had to buy the CTS i have now was not the best to go out and buy a car. Out of nowhere I had to get something within 3 weeks and didn't have time try the market. Again, thanks for a positive post
 
#20 ·
Thanks, that's roughly where some of the numbers where on the ones I looked at.

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If you want the V and can afford it then get it.

It's a great car and you won't be sorry.

Just drive the thing like it was meant to be driven and enjoy it while you can.

My only suggestion is to get the coupe if you don't have a family to drive around, it is a much better looking car if you ask me.

Yep I've said it before and I'll say it again life moves pretty fast if you don't stop and enjoy it you could miss it.

End of story.

Snotty Boom Body
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Much appreciated. I probably would get the coupe as long as my golf bag fits in the truck. I dont think the back seat in my sedan has ever been used. my drivers seat is so far back noone can sit behind me anyway.
 
#22 ·
Would you guys justify me selling a "new" car for 2 used ones? Any other suggestions are also appreciated.

I really appreciate the positive post as most of the previous have been negative

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Again, thanks for a positive post
So anything not telling you what you want to hear is considered "negative?" Why did you bother asking the question if you already had had all the answers? :hmm:
 
#25 ·
No, I didn't really think yours was negative. The ones before you i didn't really care for. The "To be perfectly honest, I don't see you getting anywhere near $35k for your 2012. I think I was offered $30k for my 2012 coupe with 8,000 miles." wasn't appreciated, since i was already offered more. and also the "You sure you want to drive 30,000 miles a year in a CTS-V?" posts after those have contradicted them also. They kind of seemed like a "hater-ish" type of posts. Perhaps I had my guard up a little expecting some bad comments since it wouldn't be the first time people have make those kind of remarks out of jealousy and hate because they are not in the situation I am. Even when I went to purchase my CTS, the car salesman told me I don't deserve a cadillac because of my age, that a 21 year old should be driving a beat up camry. So i told him to take a walk, and purchased it elsewhere.

Maybe using "negative" and "positive" were the wrong words.


Regarding your post, I believe it was a non-biased answer, but I disagree with the numbers you put up, both in cost of the V, and how much more money for gas and insurance. it certainly wouldn't be 7-8k more than what I'm paying now.

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Clearly you need a CTS-V wagon and a spare set of wheels with snow tires :)

.Jinx
wagonwagonwagonwagonwagonwagonwagon

To be honest with you. I didnt even consider the wagon. maybe, just maybe, you're on to something.... haha Its really not a bad idea though. I think i need to get some local people's opinions about how they manage in the winter with rwd and stuff before I am comfortable with that. Definitely worth considering. Thanks
 
#27 ·
Thanks. I just got an email from the guy at one of my dealers. They attached a list of about 10 V's either coupe or sedan, that are 2010-2011, with prices from 35-48, all with miles less than 50k. also had a list of 5 SRX V8's on it. He only had 1 V on his lot so some of these cars are a few states away. but he said that they would all be cars that they would purchase and with the right combo, would probably be able to get me both for 50-55, given that he is able to work the prices with the other dealers. So my numbers are close, but this certainly isn't going to happen overnight. I'm going to have him do another search for Wagons as Jinx has a very good point. Someone else also suggested for me to check out repo auctions and try to get lucky on a V or truck that someone else couldn't afford. Seems a little risky to me and I have no where to begin looking for those kind of things
 
#28 ·
As far as prices, a 2011 with 35-40k miles on it really is a lot of miles, and that is why the cost is in the low 40k's.

Most likely, only way you are going to find a CTS-V under $40k, is going to be a 2009-2010 sedan without Recaro, and at least 30,000 miles on the odometer. I'm not saying there isn't a diamond in the rough, so i don't think we need 5 posts about who got some smoking deal. I realize they are out there, but particularly if you have a limited search area, you need to be realistic.

Sedans cost the least. The Wagons and Coupe seem to cost the most. Coupe prices have come down a lot in the last 6months to a year.

I was somewhat lucky and found a 2011 with all options but the premium paint for $46,900 and only 17,000 miles in May. That wasn't a steal but its a good price. It also was actually built well into 2011 model year so has a lot of factory bumper to bumper on it - this was a factor in deciding on this particular car.

If you want a good chuck of warranty in a low mile (15k or less) V, there is no way you're not going to spend in the mid 40's. I think its worth it to spend a little more. While I was searching there were a number of V2 in the $35-40k range, but all of them were 2009-2010, higher miles, and some even had questionable titles. Watch out for fleet cars and warranty blocks. My guess is you're not going to pay the car off, most people wont, so you're better off paying a few thousand more for a car with a warranty that has options to keep up its resale. Its certainly possible the prices have continued to drop.

Until you have driven a RWD car with actual snow tires, and I don't me all-season performance tires, you really have no idea how much difference it will make. A RWD car with aggressive blizzaks and some weight in the back with out plow a 4x4 on all-season tires. AWD, and 4x4 will not help you on ice, they will not help you with a light car, and they will not help you if the tires are garbage. Most importantly, power to all wheels doesn't do shit to help you stop. The biggest limitation to driving sporty RWD cars with snow tires is snow depth because the cars are generally low to the ground. Again unless you live somewhere, where dealing with deep snow daily is a concern during the winter, the snow tires are all you need. In those cases maybe you do want 4-wheel drive and snow tires on top of it!

As far as storage, I drive the coupe. Obviously its not as roomy as an SUV; however, a lot of SUV's really don't have that much cargo space. Sure by the numbers they might, but the hatch design, dimensions, and actual usable space is quite different depending on the model. With the seat folded down, and the full back seat will fold down in the coupe, I can put a lot of stuff back there if I need to. Of course, I don't haul a bunch of home improvement goodies on a regular basis either, so for me there isn't an issue.

A V2 wagon, with a 6 speed manual could be the answer. They are very unique, and even though I don't think they are as cool as a coupe, they have a certain mystique about them, and some real life practicality. I would bet a V2 with some fresh Blizzaks and a couple of 50lb sand bags in the cargo area would do fine in the winter, and have plenty of space for whatever it is you need cargo space for. Particularly in that beautiful blue color, the Wagon makes for a pretty eye catching car. Instead of buying the second car, you'll have money to throw on headers and whatever else that will for sure be on your mind the more time you spend on forums!
 
#29 ·
Thanks Ravenous,

The thing with me is that I am not paying all that close attention to miles, just as long are they are close to the 30k i have on my current car. I did that 30k in 18 months, so no matter what car i get, even if its brand new, the warranty is up in 2 years tops.

But i'd think i'd stick with black over the blue :p
 
#34 ·
That's right the seat back folds down in the coupes so your golf clubs will fit no problem

Get a COUPE

Wagons are unique and all but in the end it's still a Wagon
Not cool for a 22 year old to show up at his dates house to pick her up in a wagon no matter how unique it is ;)

Show up in a bad ass COUPE and you'll have her sliding all over those recaros
Been there done that

SBB

PS. Not to sound like your dad or anything but if you have the cash now put some away in a IRA while your young, compound interest will be your friend when you get older, and you will trust me. :)

.
 
#43 ·
And the target audience has spoken.

Coupe it is

SBB
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Hi pat2t2f,

I am happy to hear you and your family love the V Wagon. It is a great vehicle and I am sure it is awesome to drive. If you ever have concerns or issues, please private message us. We are here to help!

Sincerely,

Laura M.
Cadillac Customer Care
How come no love for me Laura

Is it because I only drive a Thunder Gray COUPE ?

I love my car too and even if I did have kids I would still drive a Coupe. Cadillac hit a home run on the design of the car in my opinion.

SBB

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