Dangerous thing about wandering around the dealership when your own car is in for maintenance is that you start looking.

Anyhow to make a long story short, I'll be handing in the keys of my 2003 Cadillac CTS (Light Platinum) base model this coming Friday roughly 10 months before the termination of my GMAC lease.

I'm taking delivery of a 2006 Radiant Bronze V6 STS with 1SB package, eucalyptus wood trim throughout, power sunroof, 17" polished aluminum finished tires, light tint on front windows and darker tint on rears, with cashmere interior. When I inquired on if the dealership still had any 2006 left, I was shown to the showroom car. Absolutely gorgeous looking.

I was able to drive it right out of the showroom for a nice solid half hour road test with the sales agent. It had all of 11km on it, and I ended up putting on another 40km.

At the end of the day, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. The dealership is going to pay off the rest of my lease, (my CTS was in perfect condition), and I got an excellent lease rate and payment for the STS. I had a friend do a check against their dealer invoice cost from the factory and discovered that they were indeed trying to move this car. I got it for well under $2,000 cost, plus a few extras thrown in like undercoating, paint extras, etc. It was the last 2006 STS on the lot and apparently was 360 days old from the factory -- always sat in the showroom.

Anyhow, I'm quite excited to take delivery on Friday. While my test drive and poking about the interior was quite thorough -- I do have a question that I forgot to ask. Various sources on the Internet have stated that the STS and DTS have aux inputs for audio. I don't have the NAV system, but I was wondering if this car has the input for my iPod? If so, where is it. I remember seeing two small holes located at the back of the center arm rest console but didn't ask. It looked too short to be pen holders, so?

September is definitely an excellent time to go kick the tires depending on what you want. Ball is definitely in the buyer's court. My CTS was going to be coming up for lease return in June 2007, but I know at that point there was a few things that were going to work against me:
1. Right smack in the middle of the summer, some incentives but not many -- specially if I was looking at the new CTS 2008 model
2. I like the spyshots so far for the new CTS 2008 but I highly doubt I'd be able to get one the way I want it on the lot for delivery in time. Not to mention a new year refresh... so who knows about the issues yet
3. I'm starting to do more driving, so the comfort of the STS (and quiet!!) is far above the CTS.

Anyhow, I'm happy as a clam :) Cheers

Since when are the odometers on a Cadillac in the metric forms?

When you live in Canada and other nations that have made the change decades ago to a more scientific measurement scale.

lol ...

Open the center storage console and in the back of it you'll see some ports where you can plug it in.

You can see it in this video:
Video: 2005 Cadillac STS - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/2005_Cadillac_STS/4660-10863_7-6291119.html)

I would have two concerns about cars that spent a long time on the showroom floor:

- Paint scratches due to months of looky-loo customers with rings and porters dusting the car.

- Possible battery damage due to many recharges using battery chargers.

Are these reasonable concerns or am I just being anal?

Those are good points, though on the other hand, a showroom car would be kept in good cosmetic condition, since its used for show.

I would have two concerns about cars that spent a long time on the showroom floor:

- Paint scratches due to months of looky-loo customers with rings and porters dusting the car.

- Possible battery damage due to many recharges using battery chargers.

Are these reasonable concerns or am I just being anal?


Well, i'm not quite sure but... I believe they put something like a paint cover.. i tried once to scratch a car at the showroom with my nails but i couldn't :p


ammm for the battery ... I think they change the battery when somebody buy it... not sure...

If you can be absolutely SURE that you are the FIRST person who has FARTED in those leather seats, then go ahead and buy it - it will indeed, be brand-spanking-new!

I make it a point to sit in expensive foreign cars on showroom floors and let fly with a triple-fluted-thunder-clap, just to hear the cadence and reverbration of different types of leather. Plus, whoever buys that car will never be able to claim they were the first to do that in their "new" car.

Mind you, people who go around sniffing the seating areas of showroom cars are often apprehended and detained for questioning by local authorities.

Dealers don't go for that sort of thing, apparently,,,,,

Valid points, I actually asked the same thing. As a result, they assured me that the battery gets changed/switched before delivery. In addition, they showed me the documentation for a special paint guard that they did prior to the car put in the showroom. Its the one that eliminates the need for waxing, etc.

Well, i'm not quite sure but... I believe they put something like a paint cover.. i tried once to scratch a car at the showroom with my nails but i couldn't :
ammm for the battery ... I think they change the battery when somebody buy it... not sure...

Excellent, thanks Jesda! I'll have to find out what kind of cables to purchase to hook up my iPod Nano then.

Open the center storage console and in the back of it you'll see some ports where you can plug it in.

You can see it in this video:
Video: 2005 Cadillac STS - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/2005_Cadillac_STS/4660-10863_7-6291119.html)

Good grief!! This gave me a really good laugh! But you know, a few years ago when I was in an Acura dealership, I opened the door and was going to sit in a new showroom RL, there was this godawful stench that immediately made me close the door right away. I wonder how long that lasted, all the windows were closed too...

If you can be absolutely SURE that you are the FIRST person who has FARTED in those leather seats, then go ahead and buy it - it will indeed, be brand-spanking-new!

I make it a point to sit in expensive foreign cars on showroom floors and let fly with a triple-fluted-thunder-clap, just to hear the cadence and reverbration of different types of leather. Plus, whoever buys that car will never be able to claim they were the first to do that in their "new" car.

Congrats!! Good selection on the STS.

:welcome:

So, Frost, Big Tex, how far is from Ontario to Alberta? Do you suppose it was Big Tex that tested the acoustics of that RL before you visited the showroom?

And yes I got a great laugh as well