Hello All,
This is my first post, and I hope it receives some views from my fellow CT6-V owners. I purchased my 2020 from Long Cadillac in Massachusetts about two weeks ago and received the car on Saturday, April 8th, 2023, at 7:00 am in California. I named him "Edgar."
First, Long Cadillac did a great job at every turn - I have not left them formal feedback yet, but it was a great experience. The price was fair, the communication was excellent, the car arrived ahead of schedule, and everything mechanical on the car was perfect. There were a few more front-end chips than I saw in the pictures, but I anticipated doing some paint work from an east coast car. My example is Raven Black, which shows road chips more than most colors.
On to the first impressions:
Thanks, All! Let me know if anyone has experience on the Dyno with simple power modifications like K&N drop-in filters or downpipe/exhaust mods. I am not touching the engine or computer!
PS. You can see my 1985 Fleetwood Brougham "Duty" next to my 2020 CT6-V "Edgar" in one of the pics!
-eric
This is my first post, and I hope it receives some views from my fellow CT6-V owners. I purchased my 2020 from Long Cadillac in Massachusetts about two weeks ago and received the car on Saturday, April 8th, 2023, at 7:00 am in California. I named him "Edgar."
First, Long Cadillac did a great job at every turn - I have not left them formal feedback yet, but it was a great experience. The price was fair, the communication was excellent, the car arrived ahead of schedule, and everything mechanical on the car was perfect. There were a few more front-end chips than I saw in the pictures, but I anticipated doing some paint work from an east coast car. My example is Raven Black, which shows road chips more than most colors.
On to the first impressions:
- It's an American Car with American Spirit! This was a big one for me!
- The car is beautiful in person. Better than pictures. It is a big car but seems "just the right size" in person (if that makes sense). It is long and lean, with a great stance for a factory car.
- I love how the average person does not notice it, but those who know go crazy. At first sight, it's easy to see "just another" CTS, CT-6, CT-5, etc., but if you look closer, you see the difference - that is what attracted me to the car in the first place!
- Nobody gave me a second look until a guy pinned me down for 20 minutes of conversation.
- The features and driver's aids strike an outstanding balance of being helpful and appreciated without being invasive. I like analog cars and was a little nervous about this. No problem! Even all the drive-by-wire and computer-assisted features act in your best interest as a driver in the V.
- The all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering work well together. This thing has a fantastic combination of fast turn-in/direction change with incredible exit speed when you push the throttle on the exit.
- The automatic is slow for a 2020 car at this level. Entry-level Porsche Boxter PDKs from 10+ years ago are light years faster. I know it is supposed to be a luxury car, but this is one of a few things that would have made the vehicle PERFECT, in my opinion.
- The Interior is excellent but not as dialed in as the German brands.
- The seats are OK, but not comfortable for long drives. And they don't hold you in the corners. They could have struck a better balance here or Pick One! Make them firm and supportive or comfortable. They cheaped out somewhere in the middle. The CT-5 Blackwing seats look like an exciting upgrade if they fit.
- I have mixed feelings about the Bose "Panaray" system. On some high-format MP3s at high volume, it sounds great. But everything at low volume sounds terrible, and anything digital that is compressed sounds bad. In a way, I would say the system does "too good" at playing back the original content. They need a "Pop Mode" or "Disco Mode" to spice up poor formats (like home theater systems have THX, Dolby, and DTS up-scaling). I listen to everything from Mozart to 2Pac and feel well-qualified saying the system needs work – especially on the low end. It seems like they tuned it only with instruments and no human ears. Everyone wants an extra 6 decibels below 50 cycles (even the purists).
- The engine is remarkable, and the transmission is OK on upshifts, even if I feel it lags on engagement, downshifts, and manual input.)
- The car weirdly builds speed with the 10-speed tranny and the muffled growl from the exhaust: Brrr, Brrr, Brrr, Brrr... then you are going 110 MPH getting on the freeway. I always felt like I was going 75.
- My drive from Los Angeles to Sacramento today was more of the same. Bury the throttle, and you are at 100 in a few seconds from any speed (with the AC on). I gave the engine plenty of action, and it still averaged 23.4 MPG for the whole 350-mile drive. That was remarkable in a 4,500-pound car with the AC on in warm weather. It’s no accident that all ICE cars will be Turbo soon!
- Teslas, Tycans, Hellcats, etc., are still faster. But you feel "quicker than most" on the road, and the hand-built Blackwing motor (with Todd's signature) lends confidence on the reliability side. The drivetrain feels very solid.
- I will be purchasing rims/tires. Probably BBS CH-3 II 2-Piece wheels. 20x9 +25 with sticky 265s.
- I am also looking to "trim" the springs. I know this will be blasphemy for everyone on the forum. I want to do a light trim of the front spring ~0.75" and less on the rear ~0.5". The adaptive shocks should be OK with this minor adjustment, and it will give the car a perfect stance with a lower center of gravity. I feel it will check all boxes. If it causes problems, I will return to stock (I am experimenting with a replacement set of springs).
Thanks, All! Let me know if anyone has experience on the Dyno with simple power modifications like K&N drop-in filters or downpipe/exhaust mods. I am not touching the engine or computer!
PS. You can see my 1985 Fleetwood Brougham "Duty" next to my 2020 CT6-V "Edgar" in one of the pics!
-eric
