Hello everyone!
I'm considering picking up a used Cadillac CTS4 Sport Wagon (Not the CTS-V Wagon...I wish...) and I've got some questions for owners of these beautiful cars.
Long story short, I'm thankfully in a position where I may be able to get a fair chunk of cash for my current vehicle, and I've always loved the second-gen CTS, and the Sport Wagon even more so. I'm an average dude who's honestly just kinda tired of driving my orange toaster (a Jeep Renegade) and having a driving experience that lacks any form of enthusiasm, and the cards might be right for me to indulge a little in doing something different for new daily driver.
I'm surprised, when searching them out, that they are surprisingly affordable given how rare they are, and that even high-mileage examples are in seemingly great shape in a lot of cases. Some even appear to have pretty thorough service records.
About half of the wagons for sale have the 3.0L V6, and the others have the 3.6, and I've been told by about half the folks I've talked with to avoid either engine, almost evenly, as one is supposedly more reliable than the other. I'm aware the 3.6L can have timing chain issues if not properly maintained, but have there been significant issues otherwise with either engine?
Many of these wagons are also sitting at or just above 100,000 miles. At a firm I previously worked at, the owner of the company had a 2010 CTS sedan with the 3.6 that he got 295,000 miles out of, with it being a generally reliable, low-maintenance vehicle until around 250,000 miles, when it began stacking major issues upon major issues. It's my understanding that it was running when he sold it, but needed likely $6,000+ worth of work, so he offloaded it cheap to someone who was interested in it. A few people I've talked to have told me they have anywhere from 90-150K on the odometer with almost no issues, and I've had others say the cars are absolute money pits that cost $3-5K per year to keep on the road. I 100% understand there will be maintenance costs on older cars, so I expect to have to have things worked on here and there, but I've found that the testimonials from people I know personally are generally positive, and the ones on the internet much less so.
Is there a general rule of thumb when it comes to when to walk away from a potential deal on one of these cars? Are they generally really that expensive to keep on the road? I'm just getting a lot of mixed opinions, and I totally understand they're used cars and at the mercy of their previous owners and the environment. Are there typical issues to keep an eye out for such as electronics issues that are less reported but growing in frequency due to age?
Just looking for some insight as to whether or not it might be a good idea to consider one of these beautiful machines as my next car. My intent would be to hang on to it as a daily for about 5 years and either garage it afterwards or replace it, but I honestly drive pretty gently and don't really abuse my cars. I also only drive about 10-12,000 miles per year, with about half my driving being on the highway.
Thanks!
I'm considering picking up a used Cadillac CTS4 Sport Wagon (Not the CTS-V Wagon...I wish...) and I've got some questions for owners of these beautiful cars.
Long story short, I'm thankfully in a position where I may be able to get a fair chunk of cash for my current vehicle, and I've always loved the second-gen CTS, and the Sport Wagon even more so. I'm an average dude who's honestly just kinda tired of driving my orange toaster (a Jeep Renegade) and having a driving experience that lacks any form of enthusiasm, and the cards might be right for me to indulge a little in doing something different for new daily driver.
I'm surprised, when searching them out, that they are surprisingly affordable given how rare they are, and that even high-mileage examples are in seemingly great shape in a lot of cases. Some even appear to have pretty thorough service records.
About half of the wagons for sale have the 3.0L V6, and the others have the 3.6, and I've been told by about half the folks I've talked with to avoid either engine, almost evenly, as one is supposedly more reliable than the other. I'm aware the 3.6L can have timing chain issues if not properly maintained, but have there been significant issues otherwise with either engine?
Many of these wagons are also sitting at or just above 100,000 miles. At a firm I previously worked at, the owner of the company had a 2010 CTS sedan with the 3.6 that he got 295,000 miles out of, with it being a generally reliable, low-maintenance vehicle until around 250,000 miles, when it began stacking major issues upon major issues. It's my understanding that it was running when he sold it, but needed likely $6,000+ worth of work, so he offloaded it cheap to someone who was interested in it. A few people I've talked to have told me they have anywhere from 90-150K on the odometer with almost no issues, and I've had others say the cars are absolute money pits that cost $3-5K per year to keep on the road. I 100% understand there will be maintenance costs on older cars, so I expect to have to have things worked on here and there, but I've found that the testimonials from people I know personally are generally positive, and the ones on the internet much less so.
Is there a general rule of thumb when it comes to when to walk away from a potential deal on one of these cars? Are they generally really that expensive to keep on the road? I'm just getting a lot of mixed opinions, and I totally understand they're used cars and at the mercy of their previous owners and the environment. Are there typical issues to keep an eye out for such as electronics issues that are less reported but growing in frequency due to age?
Just looking for some insight as to whether or not it might be a good idea to consider one of these beautiful machines as my next car. My intent would be to hang on to it as a daily for about 5 years and either garage it afterwards or replace it, but I honestly drive pretty gently and don't really abuse my cars. I also only drive about 10-12,000 miles per year, with about half my driving being on the highway.
Thanks!
