Did anyone order or test drive a DI car without the auto tranny? I am pondering ordering a car and can't find any dealers in So cal that have a 6 speed manual on the lot......probably because I am the only person that would buy it!

Just curious if anyone drives a 6 speed? How is the tranny with the 304 hp motor? How is the clutch and shifter action?

I have driven a number of CTS-Vs and am curious if the tranny is an upgrade from the sigma based V.

Thanks!

Mike

Did anyone order or test drive a DI car without the auto tranny? I am pondering ordering a car and can't find any dealers in So cal that have a 6 speed manual on the lot......probably because I am the only person that would buy it!

Just curious if anyone drives a 6 speed? How is the tranny with the 304 hp motor? How is the clutch and shifter action?

I have driven a number of CTS-Vs and am curious if the tranny is an upgrade from the sigma based V.

Thanks!

Mike


I test drove a DI RWD FE3 6 speed manual last month and had mixed reactions. Not so much from powertrain issues but more from driver's position, stiff suspension, steering input, and summer rate Michelin Pilot tires.
The gearbox amd shifter action is quick and precise at least in my humble opinion and driving manual tranny cars for the last thirty some years. I seem to remember clutch was a bit vague in feel and got it to "smell" a little till I got used to it. This was a limited test drive on a Saturday morning in a busy shopping district so I didn't get an opportunity to run the box through the gears. Car only had Lux 1 package so couldn't "telescope" steering column to accomdate my "wide stance" :histeric: and my thigh would contact steering wheel when I left off the clutch. If I had spent more time with seat adjustment might have been able to clear that up. Lux 2 package would certainly have helped but this was what was on the lot. A-n-d it still
is on the lot (I go by nearly every day). It's stickered a bit over $43K and thedealer low balled my Kelley blue book trade by a thousand. I offered $40K and bring my trade up by $500; haven't heard back form them yet.
"Oh we'll sell it" they said...:annoyed:

The gearbox amd shifter action is quick and precise at least in my humble opinion and driving manual tranny cars for the last thirty some years. I seem to remember clutch was a bit vague in feel and got it to "smell" a little till I got used to it.

I own a DI manual. The smell that he's referring to is burning the clutch. If you rev too high and let the clutch out too slowly, it'll smell a few times in the first 1000 miles. It never does that to me anymore unless I'm in reverse trying to back up a hill. The clutch is pretty sporty. It's not like an econobox where you can just pop the clutch into second gear and keep going. You have to ease it into second a little bit to keep the car a little smoother.
Throwing the shifter into a specific gear is very easy because of how the shifter is designed. It has fairly stiff springs that keep the stick in the center of the shifting tree when it's in neutral. This provides a good home, and it's easy to go right and up for 5th, straight down for 4th....you get the idea. Basically, you always have a reference point.
I was playing around with some rev matching this weekend on a back highway around some turns. It's not too hard, but the engine is a little bit slow to react when you hit the gas to get the revs up. Still a lot of fun though.
The car is clearly not designed, aesthetically, to have a manual transmission. Drinks get in the way if you have them in the holders. The shifter design doesn't match the rest of the interior. The 4 pedal design is a little awkward to use (although the ebrake never actually gets in the way).
The bottom line is that I have a blast driving the stick, and I don't think you'd regret buying one. Go test drive an FE3 with an auto, then test drive an FE1 non-DI with a stick and you'll pretty much see exactly what you're going to get. Have a blast.

As far as the telescoping steering columb, I know even the base model (no packages) has manual telescoping and up/down. I know because I rented one for a week. See "New guy test drive" thread.

As far as the telescoping steering columb, I know even the base model (no packages) has manual telescoping and up/down. I know because I rented one for a week. See "New guy test drive" thread.

You mean tilt (up and down), not telescope (in and out)

Thats an interesting comment about the manual not ergonomically working in the car. I initally thought that I'd need a manual, but I'm starting to think the car was designed to be an auto and may be more satisfying as one. Please feel free to correct me if you feel I'm wrong, I'd still sway to the manual if I felt it was a good fit for the car. Although it may be a moot point because I'm a little apprehensive over the depreciation curve of a new one , and may just buy used (which would probably be an auto.) Could anyone elaborate on the feel of the manual? Does the car feel sporty at all, i.e. nimble, or does it feel like a big car with a stick? If I make the move, it'll be from a '07 c6. Thanks.

You mean tilt (up and down), not telescope (in and out)

No, I mean telescope and tilt. I know, I changed it several times during the week rental.

When you release the tilt lock (manually) it raises up/down & pulls out and pushes in. Call Enterprise in OKC at Bob Moore Cadillac/Saab and ask Ashley to try it for you. Lewis

Well I can say that it in no way feels as sporty as a c6. I drove my old boss's c5 with a stick before I owned the CTS, and from what I remember, that was a lot sportier. That being said, I was not proficient at working with the clutch then because I've never owned a stick shift before the caddy. Here's my official stance on feeling of sportieness vs. heavy car with a stick:

It's sporty when you drive it that way, and feels great in the curvy back roads and when accelerating with the pedal on the floor, but when taking off lazily from a stoplight or launching uphill, it feels a little forced. By forced I mean, you kind of have to coerce it unlike a true sports car that wants to just hop off the line every time. My basic impression of how that works could be that the sportiness comes from the great suspension (FE3) and tires (summer tire package) around the corners, and the more than decent horsepower in the straights. Laziness when starting is probably solely due to weight. Don't get me wrong though, when you're in the mood, and hit it out of a stop light, it really feels like a sports car.

My recommendation: find a stick and test drive it. Hell, I'll even let you test drive mine if you're around virginia and can't find one on the lots.

Getting 4000lbs moving with 275ft.lb of torque would explain the feeling off the line. The torque peak is also waaay up there on the DI motor. I suspect you really have to stay up in the revs to keep things lively. I'll definitely try to hunt a manual down in the N.W. to test before I order one. Thanks for the offer though. I wonder how these gas prices are gonna effect cts sales this fall. Maybe invoice pricing by thanksgiving.

I have had manual transmission vehicles almost exclusively since I started driving in 1965. Had the manual in my 2003 CTS and enjoyed it, although I was disappointed with the acceleration and mid-range response. I've really been happy with the manual in my 2008 D.I....it seemed to take me a while longer to get smooth with the clutch, and gear selection. It has now become second nature to know what gear to select for what I want the car to do. This is a fairly heavy vehicle, and to get it to respond the way I like, it requires frequent gear changes. I often drive on mountain roads, and I do love the way the car will pull through some of the curves. I don't anticiapate that the "summer tires" will make it much past 20,000 miles though. The F3 suspension really gives the car a secure feel through every curve in the road. Bottom line is how you want to drive the car.......if you are in a lot of traffic, or want a smoother luxury ride, I would not recommend the manual package. If you want to go out and just drive for the pleasure of driving and really become one with your car, then go for the manual.

Thanks for all the comments guys....

I still can't find one to test drive.

They are going to be very difficult to locate for a test drive, from what
i am told. 30000 CTS built in MY2008, 250 MN6. I am not positive if those
numbers are accurate, but what I was told at the dealership.