Been Driving a 2010 CTS All Day... Nice Car

[Texas Jim]

I had to put my 2006 DTS in the shop this morning.

It had a real slight "CLICK" in the front end when you turned the steering wheel back and forth.

They gave me a 2010 CTS for a loaner.

The new 2010 CTS is head and shoulders above the last one I drove... I think it was a 2007.

I have criticized them a little about being hard riding and underpowered when they have the base engine.

I take "MOST" of it it back. :D

This one has the 3.0 engine and is (I think) one level up from the base model.

It has memory seats...panoramic sunroof... wood trim on the doors and all in all, is a real nice driving, nice riding car.

I put about 150 miles on it today, mostly here around town on the freeways.

I have to take a little 125 mile trip, first thing in the morning, which will be mostly highway driving.

I really wish it had the 3.6 DI engine, because I know in my own mind, I would never be happy with the 3.0.

It doesn't have any "PUNCH" when you get on it.

It "GOES" ok...but nothing like my N*. :D

I have thought about a CTS wagon, because of all the room it would have for all the "STUFF" we take with us on trips...but had never got serious about it, because of my previous experience with driving other CTS's.

They just didn't "FIT ME"

This one fits me a lot better.

Now...I reckon I need to go and actually look at one up close.

I found this one ... it is not too far from me.

Ext: Crystal Red Tintcoat Exterior

Int: Cashmere/Cocoa

$50,735.00

Any and all comments are welcome.

[Bruce Nunnally]

The test of the pudding is in the tasting, so I am glad you got another chance to test the new CTS.

I would shop for a lightly used 2009/2010 model, since the 2011s are on the way out this fall. For the 2010 models the nomenclature is 1SF for a Performance Model 3.6L or 1SH for a Premium Model 3.6L CTS. So I suspect you are looking for a 1SH CTS, which includes the luxury packages

Luxury Level One Package, includes (UA6) Theft-deterrent alarm system, (U2R) Audio system and (TSQ) Accent lighting

Luxury Level Two Package, includes (KB6) heated/ventilated front seats, (AM9) split-folding rear seat, (N38) power rake wheel and telescopic steering column, (ATH) Keyless Access-Passive Entry, (BTV) Keyless Access-Remote Start (not available with [MN6] 6-speed manual transmission), (BTM) Keyless Access-Keyless Ignition, (K14) Automatic cabin odor filtration and (UD7) Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist

Audio system with navigation, AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation with XM NavTraffic/Real Time Weather, 8" pop-up screen, Radio Data System (RDS), 40GB Hard Drive Device (HDD), USB with audio connectivity with steering wheel controls

Or you can start with a 1SF model and then add items a la carte.

Performance Sedan CTS Rear-Wheel Drive Starting at¹: $42,105

Premium Sedan CTS Rear-Wheel Drive Starting at¹: $47,405

[JohnnyG]

The test of the pudding is in the tasting, so I am glad you got another chance to test the new CTS.

I would shop for a lightly used 2009/2010 model, since the 2011s are on the way out this fall. For the 2010 models the nomenclature is 1SF for a Performance Model 3.6L or 1SH for a Premium Model 3.6L CTS. So I suspect you are looking for a 1SH CTS, which includes the luxury packages

Luxury Level One Package, includes (UA6) Theft-deterrent alarm system, (U2R) Audio system and (TSQ) Accent lighting

Luxury Level Two Package, includes (KB6) heated/ventilated front seats, (AM9) split-folding rear seat, (N38) power rake wheel and telescopic steering column, (ATH) Keyless Access-Passive Entry, (BTV) Keyless Access-Remote Start (not available with [MN6] 6-speed manual transmission), (BTM) Keyless Access-Keyless Ignition, (K14) Automatic cabin odor filtration and (UD7) Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist

Audio system with navigation, AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation with XM NavTraffic/Real Time Weather, 8" pop-up screen, Radio Data System (RDS), 40GB Hard Drive Device (HDD), USB with audio connectivity with steering wheel controls

Or you can start with a 1SF model and then add items a la carte.

Performance Sedan CTS Rear-Wheel Drive Starting at¹: $42,105

Premium Sedan CTS Rear-Wheel Drive Starting at¹: $47,405

[JohnnyG]

I hit the "back" button before typing anything (above) but my reply was posted anyway. Might be a glitch.

Anyway, I was going to ask how the 2010 CTS compares to the DTS in highway noise level. Some of you probably know that I am not thrilled with the high road noise of my 2008 DTS LuxIII at highway speeds.

[Texas Jim]

I hit the "back" button before typing anything (above) but my reply was posted anyway. Might be a glitch.

Anyway, I was going to ask how the 2010 CTS compares to the DTS in highway noise level. Some of you probably know that I am not thrilled with the high road noise of my 2008 DTS LuxIII at highway speeds.

JohnnyG,

Actually it is "QUITE A BIT" quieter than my 2006 DTS.

But remember that I have the Performance DTS with the big aggressive 18 inch tires.

My main complaint / pet peeve, about my car is the dadgum "ROAD NOISE"

It drives me nuts...driving a $54,000 dollar Cadillac and you have to turn up the radio at highway speed to hear it clearly over the road noise.

My son's 2007 GMC pickup is quieter than my Cadillac...and "THAT" ain't right.

I sometimes wish I had a decibel meter to measure sound levels.

Took Darling Wife out to dinner last night.

She agreed that the CTS was quieter running down the freeway than our DTS.

I drove a 2008 DTS LUX ll for a few days last year... including a 800 mile trip.

It was a little bit quieter than my car...but not by a lot.

The CTS is quieter than either of the aforementioned cars.

[JohnnyG]

My son's 2007 GMC pickup is quieter than my Cadillac...and "THAT" ain't right.

I sometimes wish I had a decibel meter to measure sound levels.

Thank's Jim. I realize that it's very difficult to make one of these "unibody?" cars as quiet as a full frame vehicle, but for the price, you are exactly correct these leave a lot to be desired.

I wasn't going to post this, but my new 2010 Jeep Wrangler (JK4) is quieter than my Caddy up to about 55 mph, then the "flying box's" lack of aerodynamics takes over and wind noise becomes excessive. That says a lot for the Jeep, and makes me want to look at other Daimler products. And THAT ain't right either.

Check into some apps for your Droid, maybe somebody can turn it into a decibel meter!!

[Texas Jim]

My son's 2007 GMC pickup is quieter than my Cadillac...and "THAT" ain't right.

I sometimes wish I had a decibel meter to measure sound levels.

Thank's Jim. I realize that it's very difficult to make one of these "unibody?" cars as quiet as a full frame vehicle, but for the price, you are exactly correct these leave a lot to be desired.

I wasn't going to post this, but my new 2010 Jeep Wrangler (JK4) is quieter than my Caddy up to about 55 mph, then the "flying box's" lack of aerodynamics takes over and wind noise becomes excessive. That says a lot for the Jeep, and makes me want to look at other Daimler products. And THAT ain't right either.

Check into some apps for your Droid, maybe somebody can turn it into a decibel meter!!

Thats a good idea.

I did notice a couple of things that were not so great about the CTS.

I took it on a little road trip today.

Driving the 2010 CTS at my normal 80/85 there is a good bit more noise than at 65/70 like I was driving it yesterday.

It is still pretty quite, but at 80/85 it would be close to a toss up between my DTS and the CTS.

My DTS is as noisy at regular 65mph freeway speeds as it is at my normal 80/85 highway speed.

Going from 60 MPH to 80 MPH doesn't make much difference in the noise level ... at least in "MY" particular car.

Going from 60 MPH to 80/85 MPH in the CTS... "DID" make a difference in the noise level... but it still was not quite as bad as "MY" car.

The CTS had Michelin Pilot 17 inch tires.

My DTS has Bridgestone 245x50x18 tires.

The CTS is a good handling car.

It is nicely balanced, and obviously, has none of the NOSE HEAVY "PUSH" on hard cornering like our FWD cars have.

One other thing... as the speed increased... the mileage went down dramatically.

At 80/85 the CTS was getting about the same mileage as my DTS... "MAYBE" 1 mpg better than the DTS.

I have my DTS back now....I am thankful for the GMPP warranty.

It has now paid for itself.

[Texas Jim]

Well... got my DTS back yesterday afternoon.

They replaced both front strut towers and all of the bushings and mounting hardware... if I understood correctly. (WARRANTY)

It is quieter and smoother going over speed bumps and rough, potholed streets.

The steering gear was also replaced. (WARRANTY)

Now the little "CLICK" that it had when you turned the steering wheel back and forth is gone.

They removed both front calipers and freed up and lubricated the stuck sliders. (NO WARRANTY)

The front end was also aligned. (WARRANTY)

I also had the oil with changed with full synthetic oil.

I am very glad I bought the GMPP Major Guard warranty a couple of years ago.

This repair alone pretty well paid for the warranty cost.

The total bill was over $2,300 bucks.

My out of pocket cost was $244, and $100 of that was the deductible on the GMPP.

[Bruce Nunnally]

I am very fond of dropping the Cadillac off to be fixed and not worrying about cost due to extended warranty. Gives me pause about modifying the next Cadillac however, since GM has been fairly aggressive about negating power train warranties if the car is retuned, etc.

[Texas Jim]

I am very fond of dropping the Cadillac off to be fixed and not worrying about cost due to extended warranty. Gives me pause about modifying the next Cadillac however, since GM has been fairly aggressive about negating power train warranties if the car is retuned, etc.

I have read about the voiding of powertrain warranties also.

"IF" I got a 3.6 CTS... looks like I wouldn't have to worry about it. :D

The newer 3.6's are not supported by HP Tuners or EFI Live.

The 6 speed transmissions are supported, but the 3.6 is not supported.

On a brighter note...."ALL" engines in "ALL" of the "V" cars are supported. :D

Depending on your feelings about it, there is always the option of buying another ECM and TCM ... then tuning the new modules and keeping the original modules stock.

I am not advocating doing that... just saying that there "IS" another option other than using the original modules.

Your conscience would have to be your guide on that.

[Bruce Nunnally]

I suppose it will depend on what is available: a 2007 CTS-V makes 400 hp, but with cam/heads/tuning could get to 500hp, albeit with no powertrain warranty. A 2007 CTS-V has little warranty left in 2011 anyway however. A 2008 STS-V starts at 469hp and would have a powertrain warranty through 2012. So I am kind of thinking it depends on what looks good next spring. The STS-V has more luxury features and a longer warranty, the CTS-V more mods and possibilities but fewer standard features.

[KHE]

I hit the "back" button before typing anything (above) but my reply was posted anyway. Might be a glitch.

Anyway, I was going to ask how the 2010 CTS compares to the DTS in highway noise level. Some of you probably know that I am not thrilled with the high road noise of my 2008 DTS LuxIII at highway speeds.

JohnnyG,

Actually it is "QUITE A BIT" quieter than my 2006 DTS.

But remember that I have the Performance DTS with the big aggressive 18 inch tires.

My main complaint / pet peeve, about my car is the dadgum "ROAD NOISE"

It drives me nuts...driving a $54,000 dollar Cadillac and you have to turn up the radio at highway speed to hear it clearly over the road noise.

My son's 2007 GMC pickup is quieter than my Cadillac...and "THAT" ain't right.

I sometimes wish I had a decibel meter to measure sound levels.

Took Darling Wife out to dinner last night.

She agreed that the CTS was quieter running down the freeway than our DTS.

I drove a 2008 DTS LUX ll for a few days last year... including a 800 mile trip.

It was a little bit quieter than my car...but not by a lot.

The CTS is quieter than either of the aforementioned cars.

My son's 2007 GMC pickup is quieter than my Cadillac...and "THAT" ain't right.

I sometimes wish I had a decibel meter to measure sound levels.

Thank's Jim. I realize that it's very difficult to make one of these "unibody?" cars as quiet as a full frame vehicle, but for the price, you are exactly correct these leave a lot to be desired.

I wasn't going to post this, but my new 2010 Jeep Wrangler (JK4) is quieter than my Caddy up to about 55 mph, then the "flying box's" lack of aerodynamics takes over and wind noise becomes excessive. That says a lot for the Jeep, and makes me want to look at other Daimler products. And THAT ain't right either.

Check into some apps for your Droid, maybe somebody can turn it into a decibel meter!!

What changed between the '05 Deville and the '06+ models that made them noisy? My '05 is very quiet very, very little road noise. Do the tires have an aggressive tread or some other attribute that makes them noisy?

[Texas Jim]

What changed between the '05 Deville and the '06+ models that made them noisy? My '05 is very quiet very, very little road noise. Do the tires have an aggressive tread or some other attribute that makes them noisy?

Boy oh boy....

NOW you got me started...

This may be long, so most people may not read it...but oh well...

This is mostly speculation on my part, just based on 50 years of driving.

I drove a few 2005 DTS's before I bought my first 2006.

I had only driven the 2006 models a short distance on test drives from the dealer.

In retrospect, I should have taken much longer test drives...especially in the 2006.

The 2005 (in my opinion)...was quieter than the 2006.

It could be a combination of a "MUCH" more aggressive tire tread and maybe/possibly, less sound deadening for weight reduction.

Remember mine is the Performance Model, with wide, low profile tires and the MAG RIDE suspension...

From sidewall to sidewall, the tires are about 10 inches wide...with a low profile... 245x50x18 tires.

I have almost "ZERO" wind noise.

If not for the road noise...it would be an ULTRA QUITE automobile...just as a Cadillac should be.

I would guess that close to 90 percent of the "IN CAR" noise is from the darn tires.

I remember riding in some of my previous Cadillacs... cruising down the interstate... in almost total silence... thinking... "Man..this is "THE" way to travel." ..."Cadillac style."

Alas...the 2006 does not give me the same thoughts.

Most of the time, I just block it out of my mind, but sometimes it really bothers me.

I have even considered pulling out all of the seats...taking out all of the carpet...taking off all 4 door panels ...taking the mat out of the trunk, and covering "EVERYTHING"... including the inside of all 4 wheel wells, with DYNOMAT, just to eliminate the road noise.

The only time mine really sounds like a Cadillac...(inside the car)... is if I am on a smooth asphalt road.

On the normal concrete of a normal interstate, it is just too noisy to be a Cadillac... and I love long road trips.

My cheap 2006 Chevy van has MUCH LESS tire noise than my Cadillac does.

It has more wind noise and all other kinds of noise... and is more noisy in general...but the tires are nowhere near as noisy.

So...My quest at this time is research for the least noisy tire I can find with halfway decent wear characteristics and traction.

Don't get me wrong... I absolutely "LOVE" my car.

I take very good care of it.

I maintain it well...I keep it clean.

I really like the way it rides and drives.

It runs VERY WELL, for a car that weighs almost 2.5 tons.

It handles curvy roads very well. (THAT can be fun)

It gets pretty good fuel mileage... (depending on my right foot)

It has all kinds of bells and whistles that I enjoy very much.

All in all...it has about everything I would want in a car.

The only big complaint I have is the dadgun road noise from the tires...

OK...I will shut up now.... :D

[JohnnyG]

What changed between the '05 Deville and the '06+ models that made them noisy? My '05 is very quiet very, very little road noise. Do the tires have an aggressive tread or some other attribute that makes them noisy?

In the case of my 2008, I feel that nothing has changed. The road noise is just as bad in this model as it was in my 1999 STS. I may just be being picky, but I got the Lux III version in an effort to get a quieter ride, otherwise the 1999 was perfectly servicable and well maintained. In my case the tires on both cars were Michelin Pilot MXV4 ('99) and this one the Michelin Energy (Green X)MXV4, very similar tires, but of "standard" size.

The noise from both models is very similar to Jim's explanation, road noise at high speed seeming to eminate from the rear suspension or internal body structure in the rear wheelwell/rear seat/trunk area. Since the suspension design and body platform is identical to the '99, I don't know why I would exoect different results. And much like Texas Jim, I should have taken a much longer test ride when I bought the car. And yes, the car is OK on smooth asphalt, but concrete....forget it.

I also realize that Bruce once pointed out the many changes in the suspension from 99 to 2008, but those items focused mainly on the engine and transmission mounts and design. Those improvements were significant, and addressed things like sensitivity to tire roundness, torque steer reduction, engine/transmission movement under acceleration and as a result the car IS nicer to drive. However, none of those items had a noticable effect on road noise. The rear suspension seems to be identical to the '99.

All of this, and I have significant hearing loss in my left ear. I sometimes wonder if I had two good ears, would the car be quieter...or for sale!

BTW, found two free apps for the Droid that turns it into a Db meter....not good enough for scientific comparisons, but OK for a general idea or comparing two cars as long as you use the same phone. Calibration of the device is the weak point.