Cadillac Conversations

In 2006 Cadillac introduced the STS-V, an all-out, no holds barred assault on the world’s luxury performance cars.  Sporting a hand-made, supercharged 4.4L Northstar V8 engine, and hand-cut and sewn interior leathers, the STS-V exceeded initial estimates of 440 hp and with tuning achieved 469 hp.  This made the STS-V the most powerful Cadillac made up to that time; the emergence of the 556 hp 2nd Generation CTS-V in 2009 has since grabbed the most powerful crown.

Supercharged Northstar

Press info:

STS-V

The supercharged 2007 Cadillac STS-V is GM’s most intense expression of Cadillac power and performance. It carries all the sophistication of its STS sibling, yet elevates the performance and luxury attributes of the brand’s V-Series lineup to their fullest extent. The STS-V represents an historic combination of performance technology and hand-crafted elegance.

The 469-horsepower (350 kW)* STS-V is the most powerful Cadillac ever, and is capable of exceptional performance for an automobile of its size. Each 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine is hand assembled to exacting standards at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich., and is built from start to finish by a single expert craftsman. Production is limited to ensure exclusivity in the marketplace.

The engine is paired with the GM Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission with driver shift control. This powerful combination enables 0-to-60 (mph) acceleration in less than five seconds. The STS-V includes numerous chassis enhancements, including massive Brembo brakes with air cooling, larger wheels and tires for better grip and larger front and rear stabilizer bars for better performance.

The interior features extensive use of leather wrapped surfaces, created by craftsmen who cut, wrap and sew leather around components individually. Kinetic aluminum accents adorn the steering wheel and instrument panel. STS-V features deep-tinted Olive Ash Burl wood accenting the center stack and door trim.

All STS models are built at GM’s state-of-the-art Lansing Grand River assembly center in Lansing , Mich.

STS-V Interior Tango Red option shown

What makes the STS-V Special?  It is after all on the Sigma platform, similar to the CTS.  Besides the great engine, it also has Brembo brakes front and rear for high performance, fade free braking.  It has tuned Sachs performance struts/shocks front and rear FE4 suspension as well as high precision ZF Steering gear and limited slip differential.  So from a performance view, it is a complete package.  But what the STS-V also brings is luxury features not found on other V-series models.

Lane Departure Warning senses if the STS-V has crossed over a lane border line and alerts the driver.

Memory Package, recalls 2 driver “presets” for 8-way power driver seat with easy exit, outside mirrors, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel with easy exit and audio system/climate control settings

Head-Up Display, (2008-2009) 4-color, reconfigurable, with digital readouts for vehicle speed, selected gear, Adaptive Cruise Control indicator, audio system information, high-beam indicator, fuel level and 5 language capability (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish)

Heated driver and front passenger seats, as well as heated outboard rear passenger seats. Seat trim, Nuance full-leather with perforated Preferred sueded fabric material inserts.

Steering wheel, heated and leather-wrapped with kinetic aluminum trim.

Wood trim, Olive Ash burl on doors, shifter knob and center console with Kinetic aluminum accents

Compared to the 2009+ CTS-V, the STS-V lacks the newly tuned MR suspension.  MR suspension was available in 2006, but it did not give the performance level at the time that the Sachs adjustable shocks offered.  That has since been corrected for the CTS-V, but the STS-V was not updated.  The CTS-V receives the Supercharged OHV 6.2L LSA engine for 556 hp vs the LC3 32V DOHC Supercharged 4.4L Northstar engine in the STS-V; each engine is specific to that model.  Both cars are approximately the same weight due to all of the high performance equipment.  The CTS-V has more raw performance, the STS-V has more luxury features and is a bit larger.

The STS-V was phased out of production in 2010, so it ran from 2006-2009, with very few 2009 models produced.

Tags: Cadillac STS-V
Posted in STS-V, Site Info / News | No Comments »

Got my 2005 Cadillac CTS back from  Crest Cadillac in Plano, Texas today with the Service Air Bag light corrected from The Great Cadillac CTS Seat Experiment.

Literally drove the Loaner CTS in to the Service Drive, was whisked in to the Cashier, and my Cadillac CTS was pulled into the Service Drive almost immediately.    Could not have been faster service unless we practiced together a lot more lol.

I enjoyed the 2010 Cadillac CTS loaner car; it gave me pause about my plan to purchase a Generation 1 V-Series model, but I think I am still planning on the V.

The air bag light is fixed.  The diagnosis was it needed new seat belt pretensioners.    The seat belt pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device that takes the slack out of the seat belt immediately before the airbags fire.  In my experience seat belt pretensioners are electronically sensitive or fragile, so I am not that surprised anytime one needs replacement.

The receipt lists part number 89024402 Belt Kit and 89024405 F-Belt Kit and 1.8 hours of labor.

On to the next part of the Seat Experiment — now my Driver’s seat thinks it is part of a memory seating system, but my CTS doesn’t have a control panel to select the memory seat positions.  So in part 2 I plan to add this control panel from a CTS that does have one.  Stay tuned!

Tags: Cadillac CTS Seat Experiment, seat belt pretensioner
Posted in Test Info, Warranty and Repairs | No Comments »

Cadillac replaced the LY7 non-direct injected 3.6L V6 as the base engine in the CTS Family in 2010.  The new base engine is the LF1 3.0L direct injected V6.  How do these two engines compare?

The LY7 V6 was used by Cadillac from 2004-2009.  Originally it made 255 hp, but was improved to 263 hp in 2008 in this application.  To be specific, 263 hp (196 kW) @ 6400 rpm and 253 lb-ft (342 Nm) @ 3100 rpm of torque.

The LF1 V6 is a 3L variant of the direct injected 304 hp 3.6L V6 in the CTS Performance or Premium models. In the CTS family it makes 270 hp.  To be specific, 270 hp (201 kW) @ 7000 rpm and 223 lb-ft (302 Nm) @ 5700 rpm.

It is sometimes said that people buy horsepower, but they drive torque.  The 3.6L non-DI LY7 V6 in this case makes more torque than the LF1 3L V6, and it makes it much lower in the rpm band.  Both these engines are variable valve timing engines, so although it looks like the 3L is ‘tuned’ for power at higher RPMs, the technology should allow for both low-end power and high-end power.

The difference in displacement, in this case 20%, from 3L to 3.6L, allows the 3.6L to make 253 lb ft of torque at 3100 rpm where the LF1 3L appears to be making around 215 lb ft of torque.  That is a big difference in how these two engines would feel in the CTS.  The LF1 is making good power, but it will need to be wound up a bit to do so.

There may be other advantages to the 3L direct injected engine over the 3.6L non-DI engine in terms of emissions.  Direct injection’s high pressure fuel delivery system allows for partially stratified operation, helping to reduce emissions up-to 25%, on cold starts – the time when most engine emissions are typically created.    Having both engines in the CTS use the same type of fuel injection may also help simplify the configuration of the vehicle — same fuel pumps for example — over producing variants with non-DI and DI engines together.

The clear boost for the 3L LF1 engine would be to introduce a supercharged or turbocharged variant of this power plant.  This engine family was originally developed to be well suited to work under pressure.

Tags: Cadillac Engines, LF1, LY7
Posted in CTS, Cadillac Engines, Site Info / News | 2 Comments »

Took my 2005 Cadillac CTS over to Crest Cadillac in Plano, Texas today to see about the Service Air Bag light on from The Great Cadillac CTS Seat Experiment. I had emailed and called ahead to make an appointment, and my Service Adviser was waiting for me when I arrived.  We briefly discussed the situation, and then I worked with the Loaner Car desk to get the Loaner car setup and I was off.  In and out around 20 minutes total.  Everyone was very nice and helpful, especially since I arrived at the extended hours opening time of 7 am.  Crest’s service hours make it super easy to drop off your Cadillac for service and still get to work on time.

The Loaner CTS appears to be a 2010? Cadillac CTS 3L with 9k miles or so.  Light platinum exterior, neutral leather (now called cashmere?) interior.

UPDATE:  the loaner car is a 2010 CTS 1SD 3.0L Luxury Model.  So it has Luxury Level One Package, including (ARH) heavy-duty pet guard cargo net, (RYJ) retractable cargo area shade, (UA6) theft-deterrent alarm system, (U2R) audio system, and (TSQ) accent lighting, 6 disc CD player, leather upgraded seats, and bluetooth.  The wood trim accents are also part of this package.

No insignia on the rear left which I think indicates this is the 3.0L model and not the 3.6L model.

These wheels are a 1000% improvement over the 08-09 base model wheels. I love these, although I suppose they are difficult to clean. Certainly worth the trouble though.

Engine compartment shot. No markings on the engine cover, which seems uncharacteristic. I would have expected the cover to say VVT, DI, 3L etc. Look at that strut brace! Here is a closeup:

This has a very ‘aftermarket’, serious look to me with the exposed weld. I like it, but surprised to see it as the ’stock’ piece.

I am a sucker for the wood trim steering wheel and shifter.

Overall this CTS drives very well. I am jealous of the manual-shift option on the 6-speed automatic transmission, and it holds selected gears which is perfect.  The 3L seems to have plenty of power for the CTS.  This combination has gotten a lot of mixed reviews from the buff books, but I am not sure why.  The 3L and 6-speed automatic seem to work very well together to me.

Hopefully I’ll get my 2005 CTS back today; God willing and the creek don’t rise they just need to run a diagnostic to correct the airbag issue.  I have ordered a new control panel for the driver’s door to address the new discovery that the new driver’s seat is a memory seat.  In other words, it wants to move to the position that I select when I open the door with my remote so it is ready for driver 1 or driver 2.  Unfortunately, my CTS does not have the position selector switch, so I have ordered one.

Tags: Cadillac CTS, Crest Cadillac, Loaner Cars, Seat Experiment
Posted in CTS, Peformance Mods, Site Info / News, Test Info | No Comments »

General Motors Repair Technicians use a hand-held computer called the “Tech 2″ to diagnose and tune modern vehicles.   It is called the Tech 2 because there was originally a Tech 1, and this is the update.

Tech 2

The Tech 2 is like a scan tool on steroids, with some additional tuning options thrown in.  As a scanning tool, the Tech 2 excels.  While an off the shelf scanner will read the Engine Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), the Tech 2 will read and report information from all the car’s systems, including ABS, Air Conditioning, Air Bags, and other systems a standard scanner will not read.  For example, in my CTS Seat experiment after the seat was replaced the Tech 2 must be used to run a Passenger Presence System relearn.  There is no other way to run this tuning step other than with the Tech 2.  Similarly some vehicle customizations or radio resets require a Tech 2 to perform.

Bosch has this informative video on the Tech 2: Bosch Tech 2 Video

Vetronix made the Tech 1.  The original GM Tech 2 was made by Hewlett Packard and used Vetronix software.  Vetronix purchased the Tech 2 manufacturing rights from HP.  In 2003, Vetronix was acquired by ETAS, a supplier of standardized development and diagnostic tools for electronic control units. In 2006, the Vetronix Aftermarket division merged with Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, responsible for supply, sales and logistics of automotive parts for service of the vehicle.  So today the Tech 2 is ‘made’ by Bosch.

The Tech 2 is used for GM Vehicles from 1992-present.  It is kept up to date by updating the 32  MB Pcmcia memory card with the latest diagnostic software.  Current cars with the CAN bus require the CANDI interface for the Tech II to communicate with the vehicle.

A Tech 2 costs — pick a number.  New models appear to cost as much as $4K, and the retail price is shown as even higher — as much as $8K or $9K depending on the site.  Discount new units are available for as low as $2300 on ebay for example, and used units run a bit less.  There appears to be a market in Chinese clones for the Tech 2 and software, although I am opposed to piracy of intellectual property.  My impression from shopping is that you should budget around $2K for an authentic Tech 2 in good condition with all accessories, 32 MB card, and CANDI module.

In the future GM appears to be moving to a laptop based scanning and diagnostic tool using the GM Multiple Diagnostic Interface (MDI) EL-47955.  The GM MDI will replace the Tech 2 for diagnostics in the future, but will not replace the Tech 2 for 1992-2009 vehicles.

The GM MDI is a compact communication module that manages the transfer of data between a vehicles onboard ECU network and a PC.  The GM MDI offers faster programming speed at a lower cost. Depending on the vehicle architecture, the MDI can be 20%-70% faster than the Tech2.  The GM MDI allows the user to perform Pass-Thru programming procedures using software running on a laptop or desktop PC.   Any PC can be used.

Tags: Bosch, diagnostic tools, GM, HP, Tech 2, Vetronix
Posted in Site Info / News, Test Gear, Test Info | No Comments »

AOL Autos covers the latest JD Powers Customer Satisfaction Survey for Auto Dealer Service results here: Study Reveals Which Car Dealers Treat Customers Best.

Cadillac scored very well, coming in 4th across all auto manufacturers. (Lexus, Jaguar, BMW, Cadillac, Acura were the top 5).  The Service survey measures:

• Overall service quality
• How the service experience was initiated
• The experience with the service advisor
• The overall impression of the service facility
• The experience picking up the vehicle from a service appointment.

This thought gives one pause:

“Toyota dealers lead the industry in sales per franchise, so that means they have a huge volume of customers to deal with at every dealership,” Osborn said. “Their survey performance tends to reflect the fact that they have service capacity issues.”

Toyota as a brand tends to rank fairly low on Customer Satisfaction with Dealer Service.  Although Toyota and Lexus are viewed as a benchmark for fewest Dealers and most sales per Dealer, which drive dealer profits, obviously those profits are not going back into customer focus and support.

GM and Cadillac have been in an ongoing push to reduce the number of Cadillac dealers across the US.  The thought is that a lower number of dealers will reduce the overhead of Dealer interface for the Factory, and raise the sales per store and result in higher dealer profits.  Higher dealer profits can then result in a better customer experience at the Dealer.  Based on Toyota’s poor dealer performance, once would have to say this is not always the case — and take this type of study as a cautionary tale of the dangers of sub-optimizing the number of Dealers.

GM often points out that Dealers are independent businesses, not under the control of GM.  I think the main question on whether a GM Dealer should remain in business is whether they are profitable or not, including perhaps a benchmark of whether they are as profitable as other dealers in similar markets.  Closing profitable locations just in the name of having fewer locations to supply seems poor practice.  Closing profitable locations on the other hand that could and should be even more profitable in the hands of different Owners seems reasonable.

One input I hear from Dealers is that no one at GM is listening to them.  Hopefully that is changing with the new management in place. The voice of the Customer should be coming in the most clearly on the sales floor and in the service bay.  The sooner Cadillac can tune in and hear from Buyers or from current Owners the better Customer Satisfaction will be.

I get the impression on vehicle launches and Dealer interface that Cadillac is stretched thin — that they don’t have the staff or management processes in place to manage the business smoothly.  Certainly ongoing changes in staff and management can make for waves.  I would be interested to see Cadillac evaluate their organization and approach in a clean sheet organizational infrastructure design approach.

Tags: Dealer, Dealer Management
Posted in Quality or Satisfaction Surveys, Site Info / News | No Comments »

Ever need a small part for your Cadillac, but wonder if they even offer that part separately, or if it is part of an assembly?

Ever reach into your car to move something, and manage to break a part off in  your hand?

The nice people at CompNine.com have a solution for you.

At their site from the home page on the left under the heading “vehicles” you can click on Cadillac.  Then drill down to your year and model of Cadillac.  Finally, choose the diagram that seems to contain the part or section of the Cadillac that you are looking for.  For example, let’s look for the lean-back lever on the manual passenger seat in a 2005 Cadillac CTS base model.

Drilling down to 2005 CTS, we can see that the seats are on diagram 14.

Drilling down through the images within that section, we can see the manual seat leaver is on 2005-2007 DM,DN69 SEAT ASM/PASSENGER (EXC POWER ADJUSTER AH8)

Comp Nine Seat Lever Image

In this diagram the seat lever is marked as item #14.  In the table below the diagram we can identify item 14 as HANDLE,P/SEAT RECL(INCLS 15)(NEUTRAL)

There are actually several #14’s, one for each interior color.  The GM part number is 88897411, and clicking on that part number in the table tells me which other vehicles this part is used on.

Finally, I can see that CompNine offers this lever for sale for $44.89.

All in all these diagrams are a nice service, as they give another source of information for how the vehicles are put together, which parts are available separately as opposed to part of a larger assembly, and the approximate cost of each individual part.

CompNine has become one of my favorite reference sites.

Tags: Cadillac Parts, Finding Parts, Parts Diagrams
Posted in Site Info / News, Uncategorized, Warranty and Repairs | No Comments »

I am constantly car shopping, but here are my current thoughts on narrowing the search for my next Cadillac.

I am excited about the 2006/2007 CTS-V with 400 hp LS2 V8, or the 2007/2008 STS-V with the 469 hp LC3 Supercharged 4.4L V8.  The CTS-V’s tend to be somewhat less expensive due to the year model and original pricing.

Advantages of the 06/07 CTS-V:

• Easier to modify for more power — throw in a cam and heads
• Lighter vehicle – 3850 lbs for the Gen 1 CTS-V vs 4233 lbs for the STS-V
• More visceral / sporty

Advantages of the 07/08 STS-V:

• More features / Higher standard luxury
• More room / backseat space
• More power ‘out of the box’

Both cars are low production and high performance.  Both are ranging near $25-30K based on condition and mileage.

I will be shopping for a model with around 25K miles.  I drive 15K miles a year, so over 5 years I drive 75K miles.  If I purchase at 25K miles, then I can drive a vehicle 5 years and still just be at 100K miles, which is in my experience a bit before higher maintenance/repairs kick in.

Ideal at this point would be a low-mileage 2007 CTS-V with some performance mods already professionally done at a great price.  As the new CTS Coupe and CTS-V Coupe arrives this summer there may be a lot of V Sedans on the market — here’s hoping.

Tags: Cadillac Shopping, Shopping, V-series
Posted in CTS-V, STS-V, Site Info / News | No Comments »

Cadillac redesigned the Cadillac CTS in 2008.  Using an advanced, Cadillac unique Sigma II architecture and the new direct injection V6 engine, the 2008+ CTS Sedan is an attractive sports sedan.  Engine options in 2008 were the 3.6L DOHC VVT V6 with 263 hp, or a similar engine with direct injection and 304 hp.  We’re looking for the DI model.  In general, in a used CTS I would shop for one that is truly ‘fully loaded’ — the maxed out examples.  Now that the 2008 models have been on a road for a bit and had a chance to ‘cure’ (depreciate), which are the best options to search for in a used CTS?

First of all, there was no CTS-V in 2008.  The updated CTS-V arrived in 2009.  However, the 2007 Gen 1 CTS-V with LS2 engine is definitely in a good bargain zone.

But the newer 2008 CTS sedan has the new interior and the new chassis, so let’s stick with it a bit to see what is what.  How can you tell what options a used CTS has on it?  This is one of my pet peeves, as often used car ads have very little information.  But if you have the VIN for the vehicle, there is a VIN decoder at CompNine that can help.  If you have access to the actual vehicle, under the spare tire cover in the floor of the trunk is an RPO list that shows all the items installed on the vehicle.

The key option we are looking for in this case is PDW — Performance Luxury Package, which includes the Luxury 1 and Luxury II package, and the Performance items.

Referring to kbb.com, an Automatic 2008 CTS with DI V6 and under 30K miles should cost around $25K from a private party.  The same CTS with under 20K miles from an individual should cost $26K, so I would shop for the fewer miles all in all.  A certified pre-owned example from a Cadillac Dealer will be a bit more, at around $32K for an example with 20K miles, but offer an extended warranty.

Here is more info on how to decode other options you might find:

S = Standard Equipment   A = Available   – (dashes) = Not Available   D = ADI Available = Included in Equipment Group    = Included in Equipment Group but upgradeable Codes listed in the shaded column titled Ref. Only RPO Code are for internal use only and should not be ordered.
Free Flow RPO Code	Ref. Only RPO Code	DESCRIPTION	6DM69	6DP69
			1SA	1SB
PDP		CTS Luxury Collection, includes (Y40) Luxury Level One Package and (Y44) Seating Package 1 – Not available with (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (PDR) CTS Performance Collection, (PDW) Performance Luxury Package, (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package, (Y42) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire or Fleet order types. 2 – Not available with (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (PDR) CTS Performance Collection, (PDW) Performance Luxury Package, (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package, (Y42) Performance Package 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire, (Y43) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) Summer Tire or Fleet order types.	A1	A2
PDQ		CTS Premium Luxury Collection, includes (Y40) Luxury Level One Package, (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package, (Y44) Seating Package, (UAV) audio system with navigation, (C3U) UltraView sunroof, (B19) Wood Trim Package and (B20) Wood Trim Package 1 – Not available with (PDP) CTS Luxury Collection, (PDR) CTS Performance Collection, (PDW) Performance Luxury Package or Fleet order types.	A1	A1
PDR		CTS Performance Collection, includes (Y42) 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire Performance Package and (Y44) Seating Package 1 – Not available with (PDP) CTS Luxury Collection, (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (MN6) 6-speed manual transmission or Fleet order types. 2 – Not available with (PDP) CTS Luxury Collection, (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (MN6) 6-speed manual transmission or Fleet order types. Available with (Y40) Luxury Level One Package and (Y43) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) Summer Tire . (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish and (QKE) P235/50R18 V-rated all-season blackwall tires are upgradeable to (P63) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with high-polished finish and (QUR) P235/50ZR18 Y-rated summer only performance blackwall tires when (Y43) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) Summer Tire is ordered.	A1	A2
PDW		NEW! Performance Luxury Package, includes (Y40) Luxury Level One Package and (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package 1 – Requires (PDR) CTS Performance Collection. Not available with (MN6) Aisin 6-speed manual transmission, (PDP) CTS Luxury Collection, (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (UAV) 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 or Fleet order types. Can upgrade (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish to (P63) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with high-polished finish. 2 – Requires (PDR) CTS Performance Collection. Not available with (MX7) 6-speed automatic transmission for AWD, (PDP) CTS Luxury Collection, (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (UAV) 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 or Fleet order types. Can upgrade (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish to (P63) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with high-polished finish. Also, can replace (Y42) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire with (Y43) Performance Package, 18″ (45.7 cm) Summer Tire .	A1	A2
PDZ		NEW! Hot Lava Edition, includes (PDQ) CTS Premium Luxury Collection, (Y42) Performance Package, exclusive exterior color (56U) Hot Lava and interior trim (194) Ebony 1 – No longer available to order.	A1	A1
Y40		Luxury Level One Package, includes (UA6) Theft-deterrent alarm system, (U2R) Audio system, (CE1) Rainsense wipers, (TSQ) Accent lighting, and (P62) 17″ x 8″ machined-faced wheels 1 – Requires (Y44) Seating Package. (U2R) AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 playback is upgradeable to (U2S) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback and Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system or (UAV) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation. (P62) 17″ x 8″ (43.2 cm x 20.3 cm) machined aluminum wheels replace (P61) 17″ x 8″ (43.2 cm x 20.3 cm) painted aluminum wheels when (Y40) Luxury Level One Package is ordered. (P62) 17″ x 8″ (43. cm x 20.3 cm) machined aluminum wheels will be upgraded to (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish and (QKE) P235/50R18 V-rated all-season, blackwall tires when ordered with (PDR) CTS Performance Collection. If desired, (P75) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with premium multi-coat painted finish can be upgraded to (P63) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3 cm) aluminum wheels with high-polished finish with (QKE) P235/50R18 V-rated all-season, blackwall tires when (PDR) CTS Performance Collection is ordered with (Y40) Luxury Level One Package. Must order (P63) 18″ x 8″ (45.7 cm x 20.3cm) aluminum wheels with high-polished finish separately.	A1	A1
Y41		Luxury Level Two Package, includes (KB6) heated/ventilated front seats, (AM9) split-folding rear seat, (N38) Power rake wheel and telescopic steering column, (UG1) Universal Home Remote, (UHA) EZ Key passive entry system (automatic transmission version with remote start. Included when equipped with (MX0) or (MX7) transmissions), (UHF) EZ Key passive entry system (manual transmission without remote start. Included when equipped with (MN6) transmission), (UD7) Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist 1 – Included and only available in (PDW) Performance Luxury Package (except for Fleet order types). Requires (Y44) Seating Package. For Fleet, requires either (U2R) AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 playback, (U2S) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback and Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system or (UAV) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation. When (Y41) is ordered with (U2R) audio system, you must also order (Y40) Luxury Level One Package.	A1	A1
Y44		Seating Package, includes leather seating surfaces, (AH8) 10-way power passenger seat, (AL2) 2-way power driver and front passenger lumbar control, (A45) Memory Package, (KA1) heated front seats, (UPF) Bluetooth for phone and (XA7) heated windshield washer fluid 1 – Not available with Leatherette interior.	A1	A1
	AY0	Air bags, dual-stage frontal driver, dual-depth frontal passenger with passenger sensing system, seat-mounted driver and right-front passenger side impact and front and rear outboard head curtain 1 – Head curtain side air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of head and neck injuries to front and outboard rear seat occupants on the near side of certain side-impact collisions. Always use safety belts and the correct child restraints for your child’s age and size. Even in vehicles equipped with air bags and the Passenger Sensing System, children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat. Never place a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of any vehicle equipped with an active frontal air bag. See the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual and child safety seat instructions for more safety information.	S1	S1
		Armrest, front center	S	S
		Armrest, rear center with dual cup holders	S	S
	U2R	Audio system, AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 playback with Radio Data System (RDS) and Bose 8-speaker system 1 – Included and only available with (Y40) Luxury Level One Package. (Y40) requires (Y44) Seating Package. Includes 6-disc in-dash CD changer when (Y40) Luxury Level One Package is ordered. Upgradeable to (U2S) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback and Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system or (UAV) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation.	A1	A1
U2S		Audio system, AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback and Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system with Radio Data System (RDS), 40GB Hard Drive Device (HDD), USB and audio connectivity with steering wheel controls 1 – Requires (Y44) Seating Package. Not available with (UAV) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system and HDD-based navigation.	A1	A1
	U2T	Audio system, AM/FM stereo with single-slot CD player and MP3 playback with Radio Data System (RDS) and Bose 8-speaker system	S	S
UAV		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, Radio Data System (RDS), 40GB Hard Drive Device (HDD), USB with audio connectivity and steering wheel controls 1 – Requires (Y44) Seating Package. Not available with (PDW) Performance Luxury Package or (U2S) AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 playback and Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound 10-speaker system.	A1	A1
	UPF	NEW! Bluetooth for phone, personal cell phone connectivity to vehicle audio system 1 – Included and only available with (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	U2K	XM Satellite Radio. With a wide variety of programming, XM has something to excite any driver. Whether you want to be entertained or informed, to laugh, think, or sing, XM has the perfect channel for you – coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. 3 trial months – no obligation 1 – Available in the 48 contiguous United States. Required $12.95 monthly subscription sold separately after 3 trial months. All fees and programming subject to change. Subscription subject to customer agreement. For more information, visit gm.xmradio.com.	S1	S1
	AT8	Child seat restraint system	S	S
	CJ2	Climate control, dual-zone automatic with individual climate settings for driver and right-front passenger	S	S
		Console, floor with floor shifter, integral armrest, storage compartment and cup holders	S	S
		Cruise control, electronic with set and resume speed	S	S
		Defogger, rear-window electric with front and side window outlets for the driver and right-front passenger	S	S
		Door locks, power programmable	S	S
		Door locks, rear child security	S	S
	UHA	EZ Key, passive entry system with remote start 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. (Y41) requires (Y44) Seating Package, (MX0) 6-speed automatic transmission RWD or (MX7) 6-speed automatic transmission AWD.	A1	A1
	UHF	EZ Key passive entry system without remote start 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. (Y41) requires (Y44) Seating Package, and (MN6) Aisin 6-speed manual transmission.	A1	A1
		Floor mats, carpeted front and rear	S	S
		Fuel gauge, analog	S	S
	U30	Instrumentation, analog with speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, engine water temperature gauge and Driver Information Center	S	S
	TSQ	Lighting accent, LED spotlights with lighting pipes 1 – Included and only available with (Y40) Luxury Level One Package. (Y40) requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	A45	Memory Package, recalls 2 driver “presets” for 10-way power driver seat, outside mirrors and driver personalization 1 – Included and only available with (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	DD8	Mirror, inside rearview auto-dimming with OnStar controls	S	S
	UE1	OnStar, 1-year of Directions and Connections plan. Includes the innovative easy to use Turn-by-Turn Navigation services which provide voice-guided directions (where available). Also includes Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment, Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, Emergency Services, Roadside Assistance, Remote Door Unlock, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, Hands-Free Calling, AccidentAssist, Remote Horn and Lights, Information and Convenience Services, and Driving Directions 1 – OnStar services require vehicle electrical system (including battery), wireless service and GPS satellite signals to be available and operating for features to function properly. OnStar acts as a link to existing emergency service providers. Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance and Remote Door Unlock success varies with conditions. OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics available on most 2004 MY and newer GM vehicles. Diagnostic capability varies by model. Turn-by-Turn Navigation requires ABS and is not available in certain areas. Visit onstar.com or call 1-888-466-7827 for system limitations and details.	S1	S1
		Remote Keyless Entry	S	S
		Safety belts, 3-point, driver and right-front passenger	S	S
		Seat, rear pass-through, center armrest	S	S
		Seat adjuster, front passenger manual recline	S	S
	AH8	Seat adjusters, 10-way power driver and front passenger with power recliner and 2-way power lumbar 1 – Included and only available with (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	AL2	Seat adjusters, 2-way power driver and front passenger lumbar control 1 – Included and only available with (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	AM9	Seat, rear split-folding 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. Requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	AQ9	Seats, front bucket, includes 8-way power driver seat adjuster and articulating head restraints	S	S
	KA1	Seats, heated driver and front passenger 1 – Included and only available with (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	KB6	Seats, heated/ventilated driver and front passenger 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. (Y41) requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
		Steering column, manual rake wheel and telescopic	S	S
	N38	Steering column, power rake wheel and telescopic with memory 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. (Y41) requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
	NP5	Steering wheel, leather-wrapped	S	S
	N30	Steering wheel, leather-wrapped with wood trim 1 – Included and only available with (B20) Wood Trim. Package. Requires (B19) Wood Trim Package.	A1	A1
		Steering wheel controls, mounted controls for audio, HVAC and cruise	S	S
C3U		Sunroof, power UltraView double-sized, tilt-sliding with express-open and power sunshade	A	A
	UA6	Theft-deterrent alarm system 1 – Included and only available with (Y40) Luxury Level One Package. (Y40) requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
		Theft-deterrent system, vehicle, PASS-Key III	S	S
	UJ6	Tire Pressure Monitor System	S	S
		Trunk release, power	S	S
	UG1	Universal Home Remote, includes garage door opener, 3-channel programmable 1 – Included and only available with (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package. Requires (Y44) Seating Package.	A1	A1
		Visors, driver and front passenger illuminated vanity mirrors	S	S
		Windows, power with front and rear Express-Down, front Express-Up and rear passenger lockout	S	S
B19		Wood Trim Package, real Sapele wood on the instrument panel, center console and door trim	A	A
B20		Wood Trim Package, real Sapele wood on the steering wheel and shift knob 1 – Requires (B19) Wood Trim Package.	A1	A1

Ext

ext

Tags: Cadillac CTS, cts, DI 3.6L V6, Gen 2, Shopping for a used Cadillac
Posted in CTS, Site Info / News | No Comments »

I suggest we mirror the Europeans and turn our mpg upside down, and start tabulating gallons per mile.  More specifically, gallons per thousand miles.

The problem with MPG is that it is not really very good for comparison.  As MPG goes up, the difference between changes is progressively less important.    For example improve a 20 mpg car by 5 mpg and it saves 10 gallons in 1000 miles.  Improve a 50 mpg car by 5 mpg and it saves 2 gallons in 1000 miles.  Sounds like the same gain, but is a very different improvement.  Flip it upside down though, and it becomes more clear.  Improve a 35 Gallons / 1K Miles (G/1kMi) car by 5 G/ 1kMi and has a similar effect to improving a  50 G/1kMi by 5 G/1kMi.  Both save 5 gallons in 1K Miles.

The Cadillac CTS is rated at 27 mpg highway.  So over a course of 1,000 miles it would require 1,000 miles / 28 mpg = 35.7 gallons of fuel, or 35.7 G/1kMi

The latest Chevrolet Cruze may be rated at up to 44 mpg, or 22.7 G/1kMi.  Clearly by comparison with the CTS, the Cruze will require around 13 G/1kMi less, and I know that gas costs around $2.50 this week, so I can surmise that the Cruze would cost around $32 less to drive 1K miles.  For my annual 15K miles the Cruze would save me 15 x $32 = $480 per year.

On the other hand, a Cadillac Escalade gets around 20 mpg highway, or 50 G/1kMi.  So it would require 24 gallons more than the CTS to go 1,000 miles, at $2.50 around $60 more per 1K.

Why choose 1K miles instead of 100 miles?  So that the variance between models is very clear.  Also it makes it even easier to consider total monthly usage.  If you drive your vehicle 15K miles a year, multiple by 15, etc.

We would still want to measure City G/1kMi and Highway G/1kMi perhaps, and Mixed G/1kMi.

Adoption of G/1kMi as our fuel efficiency standard would help people understand and strive for better fuel economy.

Tags: Fuel economy, metrics
Posted in Site Info / News, Test Gear, Test Info | No Comments »