Just shy of 2 weeks and 400 miles on my ’08 DTS Performance. Dark cherry, shale interior. No Nav, sunroof or lane departure options. Keeping in mind that I’ve been driving a ’05 300C for the past almost 4 years:
The 300C was brutal power. The DTS is all about the ride. As soon as I stop driving like a little ole lady (in about 100 miles), I’ll probably miss the 300C less. What I don’t miss at all is the very firm, sometimes harsh suspension and the excessive rear suspension noise of the Chrysler.
Can’t say enough about the Cadillac ride. My first drive to work was almost amusing. My body would react in anticipation of a known rough part of the road…but it never came with the DTS. Very smooth, very quiet, yet on the highway very well controlled. No mushy wallowing. That magnetic suspension works. Precise steering. Excellent brakes. Had an issue with the fly-by-wire throttle response but either it’s learning my habits or I’m learning its because responsiveness definitely feels better than it did at first. Still fiddling with the seat/steering wheel position (what’s that line from a Joni Mitchell song: None of the crazy you get from too much choice….). Very comfortable seats, well supported, yet soft and cushy. Great back support—no chance of sloshing around during sharp maneuvers. Tried the cooled seats. Was kind of like sitting on cold cement with a wet bathing suit….but I’m sure I’ll appreciate it come Tulsa summers.
The car is striking in dark cherry. Really like the standard 18” chrome wheels. They add just the right amount of bling, and are pretty easy to clean. No need to look for aftermarket wheels. Like the shale interior too, but quickly replaced the floor mats with a set from USSpeed in dark brown, which matches the cocoa accents nicely. The mats (including one for the trunk) fit like they were poured in place, and the quality of the nap is about what you’d want in your living room. Definitely better than original equipment. Had an issue with the hook holes on the driver’s side not matching the hook positions on the floor. But one e-mail exchange with USSpeed and they said they’d send me a replacement set. Excellent service.
And the negatives:
---So far getting worse mileage than the 300C (19.5 vs 20.5) and the Chrysler used mid-grade.
---Miss the flash to pass headlight feature during daytime.
---Don’t like the headlight control. Can’t see the markings during the day, and you can’t turn off the Auto headlight feature. If the reason why they eliminated the flash to pass was to extend the life of the HID bulbs, then I’d like to avoid having the lights go ON when I turn the key, OFF as the engine cranks, ON when the engine starts, then OFF after I back out of the garage.
---Windshield wiper stalk requires a twist to get a one-time sweep, meaning you have to take your hands off the wheel. The 300C required a push on the stalk, which you could do with one finger.
---Limited storage in the interior. The glove box, map pockets and console are all considerably smaller than in the 300C.
---The console arm rest is too far back. Only the tip of my elbow touches it during routine driving.
---Why did they place the cargo net in the trunk so close to the edge? I’d like it back maybe 18 inches or so, so you can place items between the net and the edge of the trunk as well as in the net.
So far have tried all the systems and they seem to work as advertised. Took 20 minutes to finally program the garage opener (old style, single signal), primarily because it took me 18 minutes to realize I had copied one of the 9 codes wrong from the remote…. Also mis-programmed the radio presets first time. This is the first car I’ve owned where you could mix AM and FM (and XMSatellite) in the same row of pre-sets. The sound system is considerably better than in the 300C and since the interior is quieter, you really get to enjoy the music.
Did I mention I love the ride??? It is sooo impressive.
That pretty much covers it. I guess over time I’ll stop thinking I’m driving someone else’s car and realize this girl is all MINE…. Thanks for listening.
(Sorry for the poor quality photos. Couldn’t post the original so had to do the low resolution ones).
Vic......Beautiful car,I know you will be very satisfied with it.I got mine in late march and so far the dealer has had it more than I have.I'm sure the problem with the ACC will soon be solved and I will be enjoying it as you are enjoying yours.
I had weaned my color choices to 3 which included "Dark Cherry" and, after agonizing for a few days I chose to stay with "White Diamond" with a shale interior, just like the STS I traded.I am currently driving a lux 2(provided by my dealer) and there is just no comparison to the 1SE performance package.And as you have stated,the transmission always seems to be it the right gear and the final drive ratio of 3:70 provides great off the line and passing acceleration.
Good luck with your new car and as soon as I am driving mine again we can compare notes.One feature I believe we will see on most new cars very soon is the "Blind Side Alert",great feature.I can do without and did not order the "lane Departure Warning" if a person needs that they should not be driving........
Like the shale interior too, but quickly replaced the floor mats with a set from USSpeed in dark brown, which matches the cocoa accents nicely. The mats (including one for the trunk) fit like they were poured in place, and the quality of the nap is about what you’d want in your living room. Definitely better than original equipment. Had an issue with the hook holes on the driver’s side not matching the hook positions on the floor. But one e-mail exchange with USSpeed and they said they’d send me a replacement set. Excellent service.
Vic.....I also have the shale interior and I also ordered mats from USSpeed.I ordered the Lloyds "Dark Brown" I'm hoping for a close match to the dash How close does the "Dark Brown" match the dash.....?And.....How long did it take for them to arrive....?
Last edited by Rapid Roger; 04-23-08 at 10:06 PM.
Reason: Poor reading skill on my part
Roger,
The mats took about 9 days to make and then another 9 days till I received them (I specified no special handling). The dark brown mats are darker than the dash, some of that being just the difference in material and finish, but the shade or tint of brown, I think, is an excellent match to the cocoa. As I mentioned, there was a problem with the hook holes not matching up with the floor hooks. But they've since changed the template for the '08 DTS. Haven't received the replacement units yet. But have to say the first set they sent are such a good fit to the space that even without the hooks, I only have to adjust their position once a week.
So far only two, maybe a third discrepancies on the vehicle
1. Drivers door sticks, especially after locking the door. Have to hit the unlock button a couple of times before pulling on the handle unlatches the door.
2. The back massager on the passenger side sounds like someone's grinding a pound of sirloin.
And the maybe 3. At times the front end--suspension noise I guess--sounds like someone jumping up and down on bedsprings. Don't always hear it so maybe it's temperature related. Rubber bushings or something.
I plan on taking the car in around 1000 - 1500 miles to change the oil and filter (old habits die hard) and will have these fixed then. So far 505 miles, which means break-in is over. Should be a much quicker ride to work tomorrow!
Vic....Thanks for your response.They must have made an extra set when they made your replacement set as I ordered mine Monday and today I recieved a delevery date of 4-30.
As far as the car goes since they finally fixed the ACC unit I can find no faults.yesterday I took the time to detail it and the paint(White Diamond) is perfect and there were no blemishes anywhere.I took my bride for an outing today and she is impressed with the quiet ride.
I think(Maybe it's my imagination) I sometimes hear a sound like the doors unlocking once in a while,it may be coming out of the radio speakers but it is very infrequent so I can't be sure.
After all the posting about the ACC I have to say now it works exactly as intended and I am glad I ordered it.That's it for now,I'll keep you posted if anything develops and I hope you will do the same........
This morning had to reach from the passenger side to open the driver's door from the inside. Decided to stop by the dealer to make an appointment and they said, no, leave it now. Got a LuxII loaner, and it's definitely a different driver than the Performance. Softer riding yet not as smooth. Seemed noisier inside too for some reason. Anyway, at the same time getting an oil and filter change. Planned on doing that at 1000 miles but this is just as good. Service guy said totally unnecessary, but then added he likes to do the same thing with a new car.
Then showed him the USSpeed floor mats. He called over all the service managers and they all oo-ed and ahh-ed for several minutes.... Might have made a sale or two....
...Then showed him the USSpeed floor mats. He called over all the service managers and they all oo-ed and ahh-ed for several minutes.... Might have made a sale or two....
Hmmm. I was thinking of getting a set of these. So you think they are just as dense and durable as the mats that came with the vehicle?
Which logo did you get? (Cadillac crest or Cadillac script lettering?)
