These cars are great and under appreciated. It’s a shame they are going away. [emoji17]


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These cars are great and under appreciated. It’s a shame they are going away. [emoji17]


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Going away?

 

And it's all wasted on a married man.
Unless of course this road trip is a threesome with the wife.

 

Some more impressions:

This car is quiet. Very quiet. The insulation, thicker glass, or anti-noise canceling is very very effective. And the cabin is tight. Super tight. It's not fair to compare with my 13 year old CTS but I've been in a lot of new cars these past two years and can say that in terms of build quality, this CT5 is right up there.

The trunk is definitely smaller than my old CTS's but the back seat is far roomier. Interesting choice of where to devote the space as it seems to suggest that the back seat passengers matter but heated rear seats isn't even available as an option

Oh, the seats. These are WAY more comfortable than those on my old CTS. So, yes, they are more fully-featured and include extendable thigh support and massage. But it's not about those things. These seats have better bolstering AND are softer. Mine has semi-aniline leather surfaces but I've driven CT5s without that option and they are just as comfortable.

Modes. I can feel the differences from mode to mode and Track Mode is definitely going to be a favourite. I have not settled on my go-to. I wouldn't go so far as to say that going from Tour to Track transforms the car but it makes a huge (and welcome) difference.

Tires/Wheels. Mine has 19s. Just these few days of driving have convinced me that I will not swap in 20s. The roads up here are only occasionally decent. With the 19s, the ride is comfortably firm and I can feel the road - but just. I'm good with that.

Night time illumination is excellent - the headlights project well and cut-off where they should. I have no nits to pick here.

That camera/mirror thing. My mind isn't made up if it's a good thing or not. The sight lines out of the CT5 are good but those C pillars are indeed thick so the camera option is handy. I expect that I will go back and forth on which mode to use. Wish it was a tad bigger...

Speaking of pillars. Fingerprints on the piano black used on the outside of the B pillar? Not nice. My old CTS had a more matte black that hid prints quite well. I wonder if a PPF wrap would help solve this. It's a minor gripe on an otherwise excellent car.

Living with this car is (so far) easy. Don't like that it must take premium fuel but that's the price we pay for premium cars these days.

Finally, the car gets a lot of attention in parking lots. It's unfortunate that Cadillac calls this one a "V" because some of the questions I get are from enthusiasts who think that this is the successor to the CTS-V. It's happened twice and I've set them straight but I wish I didn't have to. Almost makes me feel like my car is an imposter.

Those are my initial impressions of this car.

 

Great read. The trunk is definitely one of my concerns. That’s why I’m still holding on to my 2021 Accord. The trunk space is craziness!!

 

After going for a test drive in a CT5-V, I was less than impressed. There are many cars in this price range that are better. The Audi S4 is one of many examples. The acceleration is anemic (zero to sixty 4.8). The steering is good, but it could be better. The steering in the CTS V Sport was better. The handling is good, but not great. Car and Driver's lateral acceleration of .99 seems too high for this car. I like the looks, but I won't be buying it.

 

I agree, wholeheartedly, but....none of those cars have the wow factor of a murdered V. It blows my mind. People just really gush and get excited about the car. Everybody, everywhere, everytime. Performance is, like you say, 'meh.' But...driving or riding, the general population (maybe OP) have no idea what a 4" 0-60 or 150+ is like and hp and tq are just numbers.

 

Just a thought. The muscle cars of the 60's were such that "big horse power" V8 engines were putting out 375 to 425 horse power and were crude machines with not a lot of anything else regarding electronics to deal with. Emissions standards were basically zero compared to today. Most cars did not turn or brake very well. Today even a basic KIA small sport utility is a better overall performance vehicle than most of the cars from that era. Now today it is easy to find SUVs and cars of a variety of types and brands that will have enough thrust to make 0-60 runs in the high 4's and low 5's, yet get good to great gas mpg, are reliable, generally quiet unless they are developed not to be, and many have multiple personalities based on the settings you chose as the driver. So to characterize the CT5V s anemic from a performance perspective may be a tad harsh. Shoot my Volvo does 4.8 sec to 60mph and on the current tank of fuel the system says I have gone 532 miles with an average of 69.1 mpg and I have more than 1/2 a tank of fuel left. And it weighs about 5,100 lbs to boot with more than 400 hp and nearly 500 ft/lbs tq. It is definitely very fleet of foot. Had it been teleported back to the 60's with the CT5V next to it, they would have beat just about anything on the street at that time, and that includes Ferrari.

So while I appreciate the sentiment, context is important. Is the CT5V a perfect car? No. Is any car? No. Compromises are made in the design process for a huge array of reasons. If I had it my way everything we look at in a screen on the dash would be visible in the bottom of the windshield like a fighter plane. But I understand the reasons for not doing that. Speech control of most of the commonly used features like radio and temperature are nice, but who uses them? It isn't a standard protocol of instructions as they are different for each manufacturer. Thus they are not likely used that often. I like the temperature controls better in the CT5V Blackwing than I do for the Volvo. Does that make it a more functional vehicle? They are completely different from each other so it is not fair to compare them.

Just a thought to consider.

 

Just a thought. The muscle cars of the 60's were such that "big horse power" V8 engines were putting out 375 to 425 horse power and were crude machines with no a lot of anything else regarding electronics to deal with. Emissions standards were basically zero compared to today. Most cars did not turn or brake very well. Today even a basic KIA small sport utility is a better overall performance vehicle than most of the cars from that era. Now today it is easy to find SUVs and cars of a variety of types and brands that will have enough thrust to make 0-60 runs in the high 4's and low 5's, yet get good to great gas mpg, are reliable, generally quiet unless they are developed not to be, and many have multiple personalities based on the settings you chose as the driver. So to characterize the CT5V s anemic from a performance perspective may be a tad harsh. Shoot my Volvo does 4.8 sec to 60mph and on the current tank of fuel the system says I have gone 532 miles with an average of 69.1 mpg and I have more than 1/2 a tank of fuel left. And it weighs about 5,100 lbs to boot with more than 400 hp and nearly 500 ft/lbs tq. It is definitely very fleet of foot. Had it been teleported back to the 60's with the CT5V next to it, they would have beat just about anything on the street at that time, and that includes Ferrari.

So while I appreciate the sentiment, context is important. Is the CT5V a perfect car? No. Is any car? No. Compromises are made in the design process for a huge array of reasons. If I had it my way everything we look at in a screen on the dash would be visible in the bottom of the windshield like a fighter plane. But I understand the reasons for not doing that. Speech control of most of the commonly used features like radio and temperature are nice, but who uses them? It isn't a standard protocol of instructions as they are different for each manufacturer. Thus they are not likely used that often. I like the temperature controls better in the CT5V Blackwing than I do for the Volvo. Does that make it a more functional vehicle? They are completely different from each other so it is not fair to compare them.

Just a thought to consider.

Well reasoned.

While my initial impressions are all positive, I've never pretended it's the ultimate vehicle. There's always something better or nicer or whatever. I can't fit inside an A/S-3 or A/S-4 for example and even an A/S-7 puts me in what is for me an awkward driving position. Coming from a car with a 0-60 rating of 6.4 seconds, I am more than happy with sub 5 and I am certainly not going to get all bent out of shape because somebody else's car is faster to 60 because (as you point out) there are a lot that do.

The interior on the Platinum trim on the V is very very good. I prefer how the current A6 and A7 set up their screens but I prefer the arrangement of physical buttons on the Caddy. I've spent a lot of seat time in 5ers, A6s, and E-Class and there are some nicer materials and features in those but they are thousands more - for the price of my "V", I'd get a base engine in one of those. So I get more headroom, legroom, and better performance for less money? Sounds like a win to me.

It's important to note that GM's prices in Canada are comparably better (against the competition) than they are in the States. In Canada, for I paid less for my CT5-V with platinum trim than I would have for a 530i or an A6 with none of the options boxes ticked.

 

I don't define a car by it's 0-60 time. That's just mostly for bragging rights. It is a good indication of power, but not the most important thing for me. I can say that even with trunk and back seat fully packed with vacation stuff, it handled spirited driving on curvy mountain roads with amazing poise and confidence. I was suitably impressed and have no real world reason to doubt any lateral g claims. The Alpha 2 chassis lives up to it's reputation, IMO.

It fits my needs with size, comfort, tech and performance so far. If you don't like what it brings, find something else that makes you happy.

 

Another initial impression: I like the auto-locking feature when walking away from my vehicles and activated that feature on my CTS. I also like the audible confirmation via the horn's chirp. The one on the CT5 is rather loud - louder than the one on my CTS.

Oh, and the umbrella pockets on the front door is a cool little feature. I have a mini umbrella and a few inches of it protrudes from the pocket - will likely look for a smaller one at some point. Anyway, it's a nice little feature.

 

Can you disable the horn chirp? Can't you just hear the car locks "lock" for your reassuring confirmation?

 

It is very difficult to observe the "under 4,000 rpm" break-in advice and I'm only 1/4 of the way into the 1500 mi break-in period. This car really wants to play.

Reminds me of a scene in the movie Goldfinger when a blonde driving a Mustang roars past Bond in his DB-5. His first instinct is to chase but he mutters the word "discipline" to himself. I've done that more than once. The HUD projecting the speed limit helps.

 

It is very difficult to observe the "under 4,000 rpm" break-in advice and I'm only 1/4 of the way into the 1500 mi break-in period. This car really wants to play.

Reminds me of a scene in the movie Goldfinger when a blonde driving a Mustang roars past Bond in his DB-5. His first instinct is to chase but he mutters the word "discipline" to himself. I've done that more than once. The HUD projecting the speed limit helps.

Hmmp. I've apparently always missed that little bit. Just conjecturing though but I certainly recall the blonde and might offer Bond simply assessing that's what she could use a lengthy session of. Again, just spitballing here.

 

I'd chase that blonde.

 

There's a bourbon for that.

 

One week and 700 kms later...

The small-ish trunk doesn't bother me too much: I don't have small children and I won't be going on road trips with rear passengers. I also don't run a taxi for my golf buddies and this isn't a grocery getter. The trunk on the CT6 is much larger but then again, the CT6 doesn't have split fold-down rear seats.

The gas mileage is not amazing but it's pretty good. So far, I'm getting about 23.5 mpg (US) in mixed driving and I'm leaving the auto-stop feature active. Because I'm still in the break-in period, very little of that is spirited driving but I'm not disappointed by what I'm seeing. This is RWD and it is getting about 10% better fuel economy than my old AWD CTS with the 3.6.

This thing carves! The transition in the twisty bits of the road is very very good. Credit to MRC 4.0 I guess but everything stays nice and planted and the tires are nice and sticky. Rounding a corner the other day (I've been up in cottage country of late), a deer's presence was a good test for the brakes and I'm happy to say that the brakes chomp quickly with very little dive.

Getting people coming up to me asking me what it is - there aren't many around here yet.

 

You made me look.
Mustangs back then, eh - I could take'em or leave'em. But a handsome lass hefting a sporting arm and now you've caught my eye:

Tania Mallet - deceased a few years back at 77. 1st cousin Helen Mirren called her "impossibly beautiful and kind".

What is this thread trying to be about again?

 

Returning to my car after late afternoon errands, I was inspired to harness the opening lyrics to Springsteen's Cadillac Ranch...

Man, do I love this car.

 

Let me bring us back here gents. I gave a friend of mine a ride in the beast this morning and let me just say he hardly spoke during the ride. When he got out of the car, he need to sit down on his driveway to collect himself. Then he let out a woo hoo followed by a WOW!!!!! That is crazy!!!! Now that is an experience!!!! I followed a McLaren 765LT in burnt orange on the highway while heading home. We both did a little brief cat and mouse run ups to illegal speeds and we both said to the other one "that is awesome!" when we slowed down." He followed me for a while and when I got off the highway he jumped off too to try to chat for a second. Well I obliged and found a gas station. We talked for a while and he was ecstatic to see a Blackwing in person. I said that is stout coming from someone with a $375,000 McLaren. He said his car is a nightmare. He would gladly get a Blackwing if he could get an allocation. He said the Blackwing is so stealthy that nobody but car people will recognize it for what it is. He said his gets the attention of the police even when he is at a traffic light. The Blackwing might not get a second look. He said that is cool. Honestly I know I am bias, but the exhaust and intake/engine sound is better in the Blackwing than in the McLaren. His sounded exotic. The Blackwing just sounds angry. I love it and so did this guy. He lives not to far from me so I am sure we will run into each other again, maybe at car shows.

 

First place - 5V.

Acura TLX Type S vs. Cadillac CT5-V, Genesis G70 3.3T Comparison Test: Looking Beyond Europe

The TLX Type S, CT5-V, and G70 3.3T all make a compelling case for sport sedans—but which one should you take home?

www.motortrend.com

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I got approached in parking lots twice more today by people asking about the car. There aren't many on the road up here and this is turning heads. Zero regrets.

 

Hot chicks?

 

Lots of love for this new CT5V owner who is definitely enjoying his new whip! [emoji3]

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Constructive attitude goes a long way in life.

 

This is getting borderline unfriendly OK ? lets keep it nice and civil, or a short forum vacation could happen, another nasty post and the thread will be closed. This is the worlds best caddy forum and NOT pirate 4X4

 

In the spirit of keeping an actively productive and interesting thread open, posts of an argumentative nature have been vanquished.

Keep it civil or simply keep it to yourself. First and last warning.

 

I had a ~500 mile (800 km) road trip a couple of days ago and have the following observations:

• Comfort: The seats are very comfortable. Semi-aniline, ventilated and massage FTW for sure. Notwithstanding the above, the left foot rest is so off to the left that when I used it, my left thigh was uncomfortably against the bottom cushion left bolster whereas the right leg is super comfortable. I am going to look into aftermarket dead pedals because the built in one is useless to me and uncomfortable when I use it.
• Highway driving: The adaptive cruise on this car is the best I've ever used.
• Sight lines: I find them to be pretty good - despite those massive C pillars. It's because of those pillars that I am using the camera mirror pretty much 100% of the time and am impressed how well the feature works at night.
• Night driving: The headlights do a great job of illuminating the road - as good or better than my 2010 CTS with factory xenons. I haven't activated the intellibeam yet.
• Parking: when I back into confined spaces, I have to turn off the parking assist button because the thing just slams on the brakes and refuses to trust me. And the alarmist visuals I get - it's as if I am trying to kill pedestrians in my own garage! In those (and other) situations, I find the 360 graphics to be very reassuring. Turning on this feature when parking is a real help given how new this car is to me.
• Features: Loving the fold-up mirrors when the car is locked. Cool feature. Am finding that the kick-to-open trunk works for me 100% of the time - two other cars in the family fleet have this feature and I don't have the same luck with those two.
• Breaking good: Closing in on the end of the 2400 km (1500 mile) break-in period. I should be free to try launch control as early as Tuesday of this week! Will schedule an oil change for the following week.

 

Parking: when I back into confined spaces, I have to turn off the parking assist button because the thing just slams on the brakes and refuses to trust me.

If I recall correctly, the braking feature can be turned off in CUE but still retain the park assist.

 

I went to a car show this morning. Lots of Corvettes of every vintage and type. Lots of other exotics too. No other Blackwings there, and even though I was next to a orange ZR1, the eyes of onlookers were not drawn to it, but to the Blackwing and the interior caught most of the expressions of "I like that" the most. I will be back to it again. Fun to be around other enthusiasts.

 

The mirrors automatically unfold when you open the door, but if you happen to fold them back in for some reason, they will unfold themselves after you are moving forward a few mph.

 

Please keep this thread non-political according CF's requirements.

 

How is my reply political? Can't we have an open discussion without politics? Can't we have an open discussion about electric vehicles since Cadillac makes electric vehicles?

 

More night driving and I have to say that I find myself to defaulting to the regular (auto-dimming) rearview mirror. The camera works okay but the regular mirror is clearer.

Still doing 30 mpg or better on the highway (at 70 mph+) and averaging 25 mpg in mixed driving over the break-in period.

Have finished the break-in period and will be trying launch control in the coming days. I will update here.

 

One of my friends is in the financial business and he got a crazy idea to capitalize on the emerging interest in electric vehicles among other battery operated devices that use lithium batteries. Instead of his firm jumping on the lithium aspect of these batteries, they focused on the cobalt that is used to control the temperatures of batteries. He and his firm went around the world buying up old gold mines where the cobalt was piled in heaps of slag after the mining was done. The locals thought these were crazy Americans buying mines that had no gold in them. Well they were not after the gold. So they basically own the cobalt market and have some huge investors who are in on it. Personally he thinks EV cars are a joke but he is making a fortune doing it this way. He has an original Shelby Cobra and a customized Mustang GT500 also by Shelby. He and I will get the cars together of a photo op next spring.

But the range anxiety aspect of EV cars (even Teslas) with charging networks as they are today, just isn't as convenient for long trips. When we took our Blackwing to Ithaca, NY soon after we got it, when we stopped to stretch our legs along the way, there were a dozen Teslas charging at the same spot. I thought to myself in the moment, boy I'm glad to have the freedom to gas up anywhere in 5 minutes and be on my way. Sure the EV charging is much less expensive, but they are missing all of the visceral experiences that accompany the ICE engine driving. I love out plug in hybrid SUV, but its purpose is entirely different from the mind bending ridiculousness that the Blackwing is.

I think the government is attempting to mandate what customers can buy under the premise of saving the planet. That is wrong for a million reasons and they should stay out of it. But when the real carbon footprint is calculated on when an EV becomes "cleaner" than a typical ICE engine automobile, you have to drive something like 60,000 miles to just start to pull ahead. There is a video on this through TedTalks on the topic. Interesting perspective. I like options. I don't want to have someone else's mandates dictate how I think, how I live my life, or what I want. That is what the free economy is for, or at least whatever we have of it left at this point.

The Blackwing is my personal avatar. What it says about me is bad ass! Its American through and through! And if I was offered a Tesla free of charge or I could buy a Blackwing, I would buy the Blackwing in a freaking second.

 

One of my friends is in the financial business and he got a crazy idea to capitalize on the emerging interest in electric vehicles among other battery operated devices that use lithium batteries. Instead of his firm jumping on the lithium aspect of these batteries, they focused on the cobalt that is used to control the temperatures of batteries. He and his firm went around the world buying up old gold mines where the cobalt was piled in heaps of slag after the mining was done. The locals thought these were crazy Americans buying mines that had no gold in them. Well they were not after the gold. So they basically own the cobalt market and have some huge investors who are in on it. Personally he thinks EV cars are a joke but he is making a fortune doing it this way. He has an original Shelby Cobra and a customized Mustang GT500 also by Shelby. He and I will get the cars together of a photo op next spring.

But the range anxiety aspect of EV cars (even Teslas) with charging networks as they are today, just isn't as convenient for long trips. When we took our Blackwing to Ithaca, NY soon after we got it, when we stopped to stretch our legs along the way, there were a dozen Teslas charging at the same spot. I thought to myself in the moment, boy I'm glad to have the freedom to gas up anywhere in 5 minutes and be on my way. Sure the EV charging is much less expensive, but they are missing all of the visceral experiences that accompany the ICE engine driving. I love out plug in hybrid SUV, but its purpose is entirely different from the mind bending ridiculousness that the Blackwing is.

I think the government is attempting to mandate what customers can buy under the premise of saving the planet. That is wrong for a million reasons and they should stay out of it. But when the real carbon footprint is calculated on when an EV becomes "cleaner" than a typical ICE engine automobile, you have to drive something like 60,000 miles to just start to pull ahead. There is a video on this through TedTalks on the topic. Interesting perspective. I like options. I don't want to have someone else's mandates dictate how I think, how I live my life, or what I want. That is what the free economy is for, or at least whatever we have of it left at this point.

The Blackwing is my personal avatar. What it says about me is bad ass! Its American through and through! And if I was offered a Tesla free of charge or I could buy a Blackwing, I would buy the Blackwing in a freaking second.

A.M.E.N! And you touched upon a point I meant to and forgot in my last comment...MADE.IN.AMERICA!! If you're old enough to remember when the USA lead the world in the automobile market then you know we cornered the market with the great American Iron with Detroit Michigan the shining star! Back when we didn't need to worry about someone telling us what we can drive!