[Michael 514]

Hi guys,

I had an interesting thought/question:

It seems like a lot of threads are devoted to making our CTS's look and ride more like CTS-Vs (more power/more noise/mesh grill/etc.)

As a member of the LS1/LS2.com forums, us 350HP+ V8 Trans Am owners are often the envy of the 6 Cylinder crowd. (A Trans Am ain't a Trans Am without a V8, if you ask me! )

When I was looking for a second car, it was primarily as a more calm daily driver and winter beater. Hence the CTS. (Too bad it's rear-wheel drive, but what can you do!)

Even if the price of a CTS-V was $1,000 more than a CTS, the LAST thing I would want in my garage is another loud, Gas Guzzling, Rear-Wheel Drive, V8 Car.

I was wondering what you guys think? Is almost every CTS owner a wanna-be CTS-V owner (but shunned at the price tag), or do any of you (like me), truly want a calmer, more fuel efficient, quieter, less powerful, easier to drive in the winter, 6-cylinder car?

...just curious...!!

(Now, having said that, I think I feel like taking the Convertible Trans Am for a spin today! )

 

[J.E.T.]

Having visited here for about four months now I've come to the conclusion that most of the posters here are baby boomers (or the younger type guys) who would love a fast V8 car but just can't come to buying it, so they're "settling" for the V6 CTS. Like they say in Texas, "all hat and no cattle". With that being said I want to qualify that statement by saying there are still very few, new, fast V8 cars available now. GTO, Mustang, Charger, that's about it. After having unlimited access to my son's new Mustang GT I'm very glad I didn't buy one. They don't ride worth a crap, not that the earlier ones were any better mind you. Personally the only reason I now have a CTS is because the salesman that I dealt with talked me into it. I had no intentions whatsover of buying this car, even though I did like its "look". After reading about the the "V's" problems I'm VERY glad I didn't entertain one.......and I did think hard about it, especially right after I bought the CTS and finding out the power just wasn't there at all. Hopefully we'll see a "re-birth" of the muscle car era. That would be my dream come true.


JET

 

[71sx]

Much as I love muscle cars (I have a '71 Cutlass Supreme SX ragtop with a big block), I have no interest in one as a daily driver. I'm at the age where I need a quiet, comfortable, well-balanced, and attractive family sedan. The CTS Luxury fits the bill nicely. Unless I want to sully a spotless driving record, I really wouldn't wring any benefit out of all that additional performance. Different bites for different likes... BTW, great looking drop top. I thought about doing one instead of the Olds but decided to go for a little nostalgia.

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Having visited here for about four months now I've come to the conclusion that most of the posters here are baby boomers (or the younger type guys) who would love a fast V8 car but just can't come to buying it, so they're "settling" for the V6 CTS. Like they say in Texas, "all hat and no cattle". With that being said I want to qualify that statement by saying there are still very few, new, fast V8 cars available now. GTO, Mustang, Charger, that's about it. After having unlimited access to my son's new Mustang GT I'm very glad I didn't buy one. They don't ride worth a crap, not that the earlier ones were any better mind you. Personally the only reason I now have a CTS is because the salesman that I dealt with talked me into it. I had no intentions whatsover of buying this car, even though I did like its "look". After reading about the the "V's" problems I'm VERY glad I didn't entertain one.......and I did think hard about it, especially right after I bought the CTS and finding out the power just wasn't there at all. Hopefully we'll see a "re-birth" of the muscle car era. That would be my dream come true.


JET

I know you've had alot of problems with the CTS. But all the problems with the V? Give me a break. Who has more problems, a CTSV or an M3. Look at the facts, don't just give an opinion from personnal experience. This is a CTS forum afterall, lots of problems will be posted. If you read a 3 series forum, you'd think it's the shittiest most unreliable car ever. IMHO, you should be more worried that a salesman talked you into buying a car. I've never bought a car that I didn't want, and I doubt I'm older then your son.

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Hi guys,

I had an interesting thought/question:

It seems like a lot of threads are devoted to making our CTS's look and ride more like CTS-Vs (more power/more noise/mesh grill/etc.)

As a member of the LS1/LS2.com forums, us 350HP+ V8 Trans Am owners are often the envy of the 6 Cylinder crowd. (A Trans Am ain't a Trans Am without a V8, if you ask me! )

When I was looking for a second car, it was primarily as a more calm daily driver and winter beater. Hence the CTS. (Too bad it's rear-wheel drive, but what can you do!)

Even if the price of a CTS-V was $1,000 more than a CTS, the LAST thing I would want in my garage is another loud, Gas Guzzling, Rear-Wheel Drive, V8 Car.

I was wondering what you guys think? Is almost every CTS owner a wanna-be CTS-V owner (but shunned at the price tag), or do any of you (like me), truly want a calmer, more fuel efficient, quieter, less powerful, easier to drive in the winter, 6-cylinder car?

...just curious...!!

(Now, having said that, I think I feel like taking the Convertible Trans Am for a spin today! )

Personally, I don't think the mesh grill is a way of trying to make it look like a V. I think it just looks better. I personnally don't want a V, but as there's no high-powered V6, I'll be gettijng a V when the '06's come out, with the new LS2. Most people on here don't try at all to make it a V, or even pass for one. Where do ya get this idea? Because they buy a ridiculously cheap V exhuast that bolts right on with little work? Or a V grill that most dealerships put on anyhow? Isn't it possible that people just wanna do up their car?

The stock V isn't loud. The new LS2 will get pretty close mileage to our CTS's unless you go WOT alot. And just curious, why (Too bad it's rear-wheel drive, but what can you do!)

 

[Blekk0]

He included mentioning having the cts as a winter car, so I assume that hes critisizing the RWD in favor of AWD

 

[jteolis]

SOME peope are just afeared of stump pullin Chevrolet torque. IMHO.


ME? ...Yeah, I'm a V-Wannabe!

 

[AsAkAs]

It comes down to what people want, if they wanted a V, and could've afford it, they would've.

Is my 3.6L V6 255hp a stop gap measure? Nah. It's got enough power to keep me happy when i'm feeling the need for speed?

A V would be nice... but maintaining it, paying the insurance... maybe in the future when I can afford it, but i'm more than content with 255 ponies

 

[Michael 514]

Hey there,

I said "too bad it's a Rear Wheel Drive", because, as Blekk mentioned, the CTS will be primarily driven in the rain and in the snow.

My previous two winter cars were a FWD Bonneville and Grand Am. Let's face it... although rear wheel drives are way "cooler" , when it comes to rain and snow, God bless a front wheel or all-wheel drive car!

As for my "Wanna be V" comment, well, those are the posts that I just a lot of. V exhaust. V rear bumper. V grille. V front bumper. I'm not saying it's ALL people post here -- certainly not -- but it just seems like something I see a lot of.

So I was thinking about it.. And was wondering if anyone else, like me, just feels that a CTS is perfect and a V is "overkill"...

Don't get me wrong.
I love my RWD V8 Trans am! LLLLLLLLove it!
The noise. The power. The rush.

But in this Caddy, oh gosh, I'll take a 6 instead of an 8 anyday!

 

[Finn McCool]

I just sold my 437rwhp '01 Trans-Am Firehawk. I would love to have a CTS-V but anything I buy will feel weak as water after my Hawk so why waste all the money on the V? Not to mention the fact that CTS-V's are hard as hell to find, at least where I live. The CTS-V would be a summer only car and would probably sit in the garage most of the time just like my Firehawk did. Then I'd be stuck in my '96 Honda Civic Ex every day again, which is a 5 speed and a PITA in rush hour (I get out of class everyday at 4:50).

The V6 CTS just makes more sense for me. I've got a new drag car project started for going fast, I'll save the CTS for daily driving in comfort.

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Hey there,

I said "too bad it's a Rear Wheel Drive", because, as Blekk mentioned, the CTS will be primarily driven in the rain and in the snow.

My previous two winter cars were a FWD Bonneville and Grand Am. Let's face it... although rear wheel drives are way "cooler" , when it comes to rain and snow, God bless a front wheel or all-wheel drive car!

As for my "Wanna be V" comment, well, those are the posts that I just a lot of. V exhaust. V rear bumper. V grille. V front bumper. I'm not saying it's ALL people post here -- certainly not -- but it just seems like something I see a lot of.

Don't get me wrong.
I love my RWD V8 Trans am! LLLLLLLLove it!
The noise. The power. The rush.

Reasonable enough! I'm gonna have to disagree on the rwd vs fwd idea. AWD? Yeah, that's the best in poor conditions. But fwd is only better in the snow when starting off, and even then it's not that much better. I've lived a winter in Newfoundland,Canada and another 2 winters in sweden and I've always had more problems with fwd vs. rwd. Fwd always pushes through the snow and even at slow speeds, doesn't want to turn. At least with rwd, I can counteract a loss of tra tion with power oversteer. In rwd, if I get on the brakes hard in snow, I won't fishtail as easily as a fwd. A rwd with a competent traction control is always better then a fwd.
I'll be in snow this year with a 6spd rwd CTS and no winter mode, and I have no worries!

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Off topic, do you have anything done to the trans am? They can get quick pretty easily, and you say you have 350 hp. Exhaust? Intake? Tune?

 

[thefred]

Its funny that this subject was just brought up because I was just thinking about this. When I bought mine, I didn't even consider the V because of the price difference and I really didn't want to drive a stick around Atlanta's traffic. But, now that I have the CTS, my Dad has decided that he may want one (No, I'm not another 16 year old-I'm 41-not that there is anything wrong with a 16 year old driving a CTS). Anyway, I was thinking that maybe I would give my Dad mine and then I'd buy a V. So, now I'm past the price difference, can easily get out of my CTS and it really just comes down to whether I want to drive a stick around Atlanta. I already have a go fast 911 that I rarely drive, so I think it just gets back to the driving a stick around a city that has heavy traffic...and I just don't think I'm up for it.... So I guess my answer is that I'd like to have a V but I'm not sure it would be as appropriate for a daily driver for me....unless they make one with a transmission that you can elect to drive as an auto or manual..and then, I'm all over it...

 

[J.E.T.]

Just how old are you APRR?.........


JET

 

[onephatguy]

I love the style of the V, but wanted the 6 cylinder and comfort of the regular CTS. It is my daily driver and I commute about 80 miles a day. Comfort, gas, and ease of use was my primary reason for buying my 06 CTS. I don't believe the V is meant to be a daily driver, but that would be a personal decision. The V8 and six speed manual would tempt me too much on a daily basis. After I buy my house and get a larger garage, I plan on buying an M3 convertible for my fun car.

 

[tenax]

a) at 78K canadian for the V versus the 38K canadian i paid for my cts, i don't see the justification in spending that money. i get as many looks with my cts from the "uninformed" as i would for a V so from a curb appeal standpoint, spending that much money would be just plain dumb..

b) see gas prices

c) if i was going to spend 78K canadian, then i'm into "dream car" land and i would have to be considering a lot more cars for that kind of money. where i used to live in saskatchewan, canada, you can buy a 3 bedroom house for that kind of money..matter of fact, i probably would and rent it out as a revenue property.

d) put 50K this year instead into diamond mine stocks..and i still get to drive a caddy!

 

[Michael 514]

Reminds me of a quote:

"The rich buy assets. The poor only have expenses. The middle class buys liabilities they think are assets." - Robert T. Kiyosaki


Other comments:
1 - Rear Wheel drive in the winter: Should be interesting. I just know that my Bonerville RIPPED through snow. Heavy engine + traction control + FWD + Winter tires was simply remarkable. Maybe RWD is better. I only speak from first hand knowledge, and what I've read.

2 - My Trans Am - Didn't modify it much at all. Unless you count painting the calipers , putting on reflective Trans Am decals , Halogen fog lights , and so forth... But I did install an electric exhaust cut out (LS1s LOVE to breathe), a K&N air filter, and the usual quick mods...

3 - Believe it or not, I found some reaaaaaaaaly cheap used CTS-V's. Unbelievable. Whereas the non-Vs seem to hold their value nicely, the V's depreciate around here like wildfire.

5 - Speaking of the grills, I think I am one of the few people that actually really prefers the non-V grille. I just don't like that V-mesh at all (but I know I am in the minority..!)

Interesting thread... Glad to see that quite a few others here just really do not deem the V to be what they want...

 

[1500cc]

What's your screen name on LS2.com? I'm quite active over there too. In fact, there's a pretty good chance that if you were to guess the screen name of a person over there who now drives a CTS, it would be me (different name than I use here).

Anyhow, I can tell you from first hand experience that you're not going to like the CTS in the snow. I drove my Z28 through 3 winters with the stock RS-As, and then a similare tire from BFG. I survived. Last winter in my CTS with RS-As, it was a nightmare. The biggest problem is no posi in the Caddy. I'm definitely getting snows for it this year.

 

[pjohnesq]

I'll be gettijng a V when the '06's come out, with the new LS2. Most people on here don't try at all to make it a V, or even pass for one.

Maybe 07 or 08 for me. I wanted a V...didn't want to wait for the V to come out when I bought my CTS in 11/03 because I worked for a firm that did litigation for GM, so I got a supplier discount...Now I've had my CTS and didn't even feel the need to trade in for the V during the recent employee discount...plus with insurance and gas prices and everything else, (my driveway) see thread, I will wait for the V....maybe by then I will have moved..I'm looking to buy another spot anyway...wife talking 'bout dropping some babies...

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Just how old are you APRR?.........


JET

I'm glad you didn't respond harshly. I just reread my post, a bit of a dick, I was. But that's me, a 24 yr. old opinionated *******. On the flip side though, I'm very open-minded. Maybe that equals everything out.