Im looking at possibly picking up a 2004-2005 CTS-V. They are in the low 20's with low miles. Just wanted to know what you all think of them and what to look out for? Pro's cons of the car? Possibly to use as a DD even the harsh Chicago winters. What other 4 door cars would be comparable that have a manual trans that are in the low 20's price range? Any info would be great thanks!


Below is a pic of a CTS-V (not the exact one im looking at)





"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me

cadillacforums.com

There are some problems with them...weak rear end i believe is one of them

G8 if you can find one. A mazdaspeed 6 will give you AWD which would be better in the snow. Impala SS or Grand Prix GXP would be in that price range.

e39 m5's can be had for low 20's common ly enough too

in 05 the rear end issue was fixed... it was a weak half shaft

I was also comparing CTS-V, M5, etc etc. CTS-V seems to have weak rear ends (diff, axles, etc). M5's are electrical problem prone that can total the car out. STS-V is nice but out of my price range. I could not stand the ugly dash/center interior of that model CTS-V (second gen is definitely a nice modern layout).

Ended up buying a C55 AMG and definitely has been an amazing, beautiful, jaw dropping, fast, fun, and most importantly reliable, automobile.....



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

Thanks for the tips. Yeah I have been reading and the rear end is an issue.






"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me

D.S.S. Cavalier wrote:G8 if you can find one. A mazdaspeed 6 will give you AWD which would be better in the snow. Impala SS or Grand Prix GXP would be in that price range.

most of those can't be had in a stick. The G8 can if you get the GXP, but it'll be more then the low 20s.

Audi S4? S60R Volvo? i think we're running out of options. Small niche you're looking for. Maybe a Saab?

I wanted one sooooo bad for the longest time.

Ended up getting a g8 instead, much more solid car.

my v6 cts was the biggest pos ever.

(I wont lie and say if I had the means to pick up a V for a weekend driver I would in a heartbeat still)



** FOR SALE** http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=24&i=110879&t=110879

i have 3 friends that have cts'
2 are 05 V's
and the other is a 10 cts 4

i drove both the V's and was very very impressed.
according to them they have been very reliable and they beat on them and i know
that one has approx 105k on it and the other is 70k

i wish they offered an awd cts v back then in that body style.
i would be all over it for my next dd

i say go for it.





My car was made with wrenches, Not chopsticks.

ive got several friends with them as well , and they all love um

the 1 big thing to make sure of is that the rear end was upgraded to the 06-07 , then get some of the aftermarket anti-wheel hop parts , 1 friend went from a 05 gto to a 05 V(LS6) , and while its a little slower , it does alot of stuff better other than the drag strip

Thanks fellas for the info. Love hearing the reviews from your friends. Good to hear that you can fix the rear end and upgrade it. I will keep you all posted.





"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me

all i can say about those is i really really want one, had a cts for a rental and i liked that can only imagine what the v brings to the plate

does it have to be a car??

if not 4 doors, hauls ass and can carry stuff, why not look into an srt 8 jeep?

LAFNGAS wrote:does it have to be a car??

if not 4 doors, hauls ass and can carry stuff, why not look into an srt 8 jeep?

Not at all....but the SRT8 are a bit more than 23K. I also was looking at the trailblazer SS as well. Either one of those cars/suvs would kick @$$.





"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me

E39 m5 or cls 500 Mercedes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, September 07, 2010 10:30 PM

My buddy also had one, seems like almost everyone knows a guy that owns/owned a CTS-V.

It was a nice car, got to drive it around quite a bit, very comfy and quite quick.

Rear end is a know issue, also they are notorious for sloppy shifters as well (I'm sure its an easy fix) my buddies felt like @!#$.

They can get expensive for maintenance parts, my buddy sank some money into his in the short time he owned it.


I'm surprised no one mentioned an older 4-door M3. Same buddy also had one, it was a much better car IMO, not quite as fast but would be a hell of alot more fun on a road course. You can pick them up now for much less than $20K which means more money for mods

Also that inline 6 sounds so good when you get on it

I picked up my 08 G8 GT w/ 18k miles for $18k (before extended warranty) last November. Looks like the deals like that aren't around any more though.

The CTS-V is a nice car, but I prefer my G8 by far.

24zeta wrote:

LAFNGAS wrote:does it have to be a car??

if not 4 doors, hauls ass and can carry stuff, why not look into an srt 8 jeep?

Not at all....but the SRT8 are a bit more than 23K. I also was looking at the trailblazer SS as well. Either one of those cars/suvs would kick @$$.

the tb ss has issues with the transmission even in stock form.

go to cherokeesrt8.com and see whats there for vehicles for sale, i know there have been good conditioned ones for the 20ish

Lurch wrote:I picked up my 08 G8 GT w/ 18k miles for $18k (before extended warranty) last November. Looks like the deals like that aren't around any more though.

The CTS-V is a nice car, but I prefer my G8 by far.

Damn that was a killer deal!!!


Thanks I will check out the SRT8 forums.



"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me