pmsteinm Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 I drove 500 miles in a week to break my new CTS-V in, and now its ready to go. Bruce has posted my pictures at CTS-V. Before this car I had a 2000 STS (which is still for sale at $23k, BTW), so I'll compare the 2: The STS and CTS-V are totally difference in character, which is what you would expect. I'd say the STS is a "nice" car to drive, whereas the CTS-V is a "fun" car. Here are the pros/cons of the CTS-V: CTS-V Pros: 1. More Power 2. More Torque 3. The engine sounds so much better than the NS (I just can't get enough of that sound) 4. Huge Brakes 5. RWD (lots of fun) 6. Manual (my 1st, and my friends were right: manuals are a lot of fun) 7. NAV system (not really useful considering where I drive, but still very cool) 8. More comfortable seats 9. The G-Meter 10. Tire Pressure Monitor 11. Oil Temp/Pressure Guage 12. HID headlights (they might be inconsiderate of other drivers, but they sure are nice) 13. Firmer ride (this is something I used to think I wouldn't like, but now that I'm used to it, I love the firm ride) CTS-V Cons: 1. No automatic wipers...what was GM thinking? 2. Foot brake instead of hand brake (gotta be in neutral or engine off to set it) 3. No wood trim (although the metal is nice) 4. Plastic surfaces...altough they are nicely done 5. Instruments don't look as cool as the STS's 6. No steering wheel controls for the HVAC and audio 7. The 6-disc changer is in the dash (I'm sure that will last less than a year before breaking) However, when driving this car, any time you don't like something about it you can just press the right pedal and items 1-3 on the pro list will correct any dislike. Unless there's a car in front of you, in which case press the middle pedal and item 4 on the pro list will correct any dislike. And if you're boxed in by stop & go traffic...well...you are SOL. At least the Bose sounds as good as the STS's did. The CTS-V makes me want to do something that the STS almost never did: go for a drive just for the heck of it. The car really is a blast to drive (as long as you don't get stuck in traffic). This is my 1st manual, so I'm still not all that smooth. But that's part of the fun in getting to know this new car. I haven't lit the back tires up (other than a little spin on the 1-2 shift sometimes) because I want to get a feel for things gradually. Because of an incident where I had the back-end come out (not on purpose), I now have a healthy fear and respect for 395ft-lb of torque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg P. Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 Man that CTS-V looks like a sweet sweet car. Nice! I was wondering how would you rate it terms of overall driveability? No doubt it is fast as hell and a great performance car. But is it smooth enough to be a good daily driver for someone like me? To give you an idea of what I mean, I really was thinking about buying a Corvette, but after taking one on a 1000 mile roundtip business trip a couple years ago, my butt and back were kind of sore from the bumpy ride. I came to the conclusion that The Corvette wasnt going to be a good choice, at least not for me. The CTS-V looks like it might offer a little more in the way of creature comforts, while still giving the hairy-chested performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsteinm Posted April 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 Drivabilty is going to depend on the road. On the nearby section of interstate (which has a fresh coat of pavement) its nice and smooth. But get on some of those secondary roads with lots of patches and your fillings will come loose. But occasional bumps and dips are soaked up pretty well (but not as good as an STS). However, I drove the -V for 2 hours at a time around town (longer than I ever drive the STS) and I felt fine when I got out. My back would always get sore in the STS after 40 minutes or so. I haven't been on the bad section on interstate west of me yet, but I'll post how it feels next time I'm out that way. If you like to make lots of long drives, I think car wouldn't be a good idea. For one thing, those F1 Supercar tires aren't going to last, so they would just go to waste on a long drive. But if you only make 30 minute trips on decent roads, then yes, it is an everyday driver. It will be "softer" than the Corvette, but probably not by much. For long drives I'm not really the best person to ask since I hate making any car trip over 2 hours (that's what the airplane was invented for). Except when I'm in Europe, in which case I love long drives because I can go 120mph without having to worry about a ticket--I just worry about getting killed... The interior of the CTS-V is a lot nicer than a Corvette, and there are more luxury features. In stop an go traffic the car is fine, and the clutch doesn't tire me out (like I've heard the M5's does). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg P. Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 Drivabilty is going to depend on the road. On the nearby section of interstate (which has a fresh coat of pavement) its nice and smooth. But get on some of those secondary roads with lots of patches and your fillings will come loose. But occasional bumps and dips are soaked up pretty well (but not as good as an STS). However, I drove the -V for 2 hours at a time around town (longer than I ever drive the STS) and I felt fine when I got out. My back would always get sore in the STS after 40 minutes or so. I haven't been on the bad section on interstate west of me yet, but I'll post how it feels next time I'm out that way. If you like to make lots of long drives, I think car wouldn't be a good idea. For one thing, those F1 Supercar tires aren't going to last, so they would just go to waste on a long drive. But if you only make 30 minute trips on decent roads, then yes, it is an everyday driver. It will be "softer" than the Corvette, but probably not by much. For long drives I'm not really the best person to ask since I hate making any car trip over 2 hours (that's what the airplane was invented for). Except when I'm in Europe, in which case I love long drives because I can go 120mph without having to worry about a ticket--I just worry about getting killed... The interior of the CTS-V is a lot nicer than a Corvette, and there are more luxury features. In stop an go traffic the car is fine, and the clutch doesn't tire me out (like I've heard the M5's does). Thanks for the great input. Yeah 2 hours used to be my cutoff for flying vs driving. Now with the increased security, longer lines, etc., I'm more inclined to drive longer distances. I didnt think about the tire issue. I guess those tires are quite expensive to replace huh? I sure do like the look of that CTS-V though. I might have to drive one and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 What a beautiful car. If I'm lucky I might own one someday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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