Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Home at last! What a weekend. Gabe at Van Horn Dodge was great to work with. The dealership was pretty nice too. They had a pair of Vipers on the showroom floor, two of a set of four executive leases that they are selling. (I sat in one. The windshield is surprisingly small.) Everything went really well. I got $2K more for the STI than CarMax offered and a better interest rate as well. It's too bad they're 8 hours away or I'd recommend them highly. I really enjoyed the ride home today. If you're going to drive 400+ miles in a day, a Cadillac is not a bad way to do it. Overall the comfort was much better than the STI. No surprise there. Interior: This is definitely a luxury car, there's no question there. But I did get a sense that ergonomics weren't exactly priority #1. The armrest is in the way of my elbow when I shift; I have to learn to shift with my elbow on the arm rest. Unfortunately, the cup holders are in the way of shifting also. I wish there was more storage space too. All of the little areas for stashing stuff are just too small to be really useful. http://cdn.meme.am/instances2/500x/1616741.jpg The controls are good, and the suede-wrapped steering wheel is nice. I do think I'll change the shifter and shift knob though. The seats are comfortable. Lots of adjustment means you can get them to fit the way you like. However, lots of adjustment means it might take a while to get them to fit the way you like. My Fiancee managed to get her seat comfortable in a couple minutes. I, on the other hand, was fiddling with the controls for a good couple hours. When I stopped for gas, I somehow confused the entry/exit motion and the seat and wheel ended up in the fully withdrawn spots. When I moved everything back, suddenly everything felt right and I didn't have to mess with the seat again for the rest of the trip. I kicked on the ventilated seat half way through the trip and wish I had done that sooner. So nice! But this is a GM vehicle, so there are a couple items under the WTF column. No Bluetooth streaming. Really? My 2011 STI could do that. The sunroof doesn't slide back, just pop open. But then, the Audi was the same way so I guess that's normal for a luxury coupe. The seats only seem to have one release to rock them forward and it's on the back of the seat. It take a little bit of contortion to get my hand on the release and it always feels like I'm breaking it when I pull it. Now, I'm not saying I don't like the interior, it was a nice place to be on this trip, it just has some issues. Ride comfort was good. There wasn't the Caddy "float", but that's a good thing in this car. The Fiancee enjoyed the ride, so it hit the right note there. I still can't tell much of a difference between Tour and Sport modes. Compared to the STI though, this is a plush comfortable car that will be great day in and day out and for any road trip I take it on. MUCH less numb-butt! Driving: The power! This thing is a freakin' cruise missile. The big LSA engine just HURLS this car down the road. Even in 6th I could just give it a little throttle and make a pass without the boost gauge even twitching. I do wish the gas pedal was slightly more aggressive, but I'll get used to it. The brakes are fantastic, which is no surprise. A car this heavy with that much power has got to have brakes to match. I may go to my favorite rotor/pad combo in the future though, the stock pads are really dusty. The clutch is what I would expect on a luxury manual; soft without much communication. I took a lot longer than usual to get used to it. I wonder if there's a return spring mod for the V... The steering is accurate and well weighted. Being a hydraulic unit helps, I'm sure. I haven't been able to really toss it around yet. I want to get a bit more familiar with it first. But what little pushing I've done, it seems like the suspension is pretty well set up for what it is. With the A/C on and staying up around 79mph, I managed to get a bit better than 20mpg. That kind of sucks compared to the STI, but with nearly twice the power and more than twice the displacement, it's not bad. It'll certainly suffice for my trip to MA and back. The only downside to driving this thing is that for some reason it seems like people don't like letting Cadillacs pass. I was expecting that with the BMW (even happened on the test drive) but not the Caddy. Ah well. This car just eats up the miles effortlessly. Exterior: Black Diamond Tricoat is awesome. Subaru's blacks always have some nice flake in them, but nothing like BDT. Any more flake and the car would look like it was painted in the 70s. Oh my god, it's full of stars! (It also needs a detailing..) In person, this is a sharp looking car. It even looks menacing, which is an odd thing to say about a Cadillac. But nothing's perfect. There will be some tweaks; LED upgrades, tint, wheels, maybe some discreet aero.. I've dubbed this one NightHawk since the origami styling reminds me of this. Some more pics (as promised): I'm really liking the car and I'm happy I chose it. It should stay in my stable for a long time to come. Bonus: Woke up this morning and discovered we had some company at the hotel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 very nice, congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 very nice, congrats Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 That's a pretty accurate analysis of the car. I never used sport mode, just touring. If you want to easily tell the difference, change between the two modes while going 80 on the freeway with tons of seams on it. Aside from my Audi, I've never been in a car that was more comfortable to cruise the freeway at 80mph. 20mpg is damn good. The small gas tank and poor mileage is a knock on the car, as Is the lack of Bluetooth. My only regret with the car was not adding a pulley, and putting a catback on the car that droned. Congrats. And I agree with the car looking menacing for a caddy. It will definitely get some looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 That's a pretty accurate analysis of the car. I never used sport mode, just touring. If you want to easily tell the difference, change between the two modes while going 80 on the freeway with tons of seams on it. I tried that and.. ehh.. It's not a big deal, I'm happy with it. Aside from my Audi, I've never been in a car that was more comfortable to cruise the freeway at 80mph. 20mpg is damn good. The small gas tank and poor mileage is a knock on the car, as Is the lack of Bluetooth. 18 gallons is one of the larger tanks I've had (S5 = 16.1, STI = 16.9, BRZ = 13.2). It should give me enough range to make the two stops between here and MA that I prefer to stop at. The lack of Bluetooth streaming is just silly. I know I can get an adapter, but I won't be able to control the phone with the radio. I'll figure something out.. My only regret with the car was not adding a pulley, and putting a catback on the car that droned. The pulley will come in the future. As for exhaust, I want to keep as much of the comfort as possible. My plan is for a replacement x pipe (non-flattened) and cut-outs just before the muffler. I'm hoping that will keep it close to stock levels of noise except when I want more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 <-- Jealous. NICE car man, glad to hear you're enjoying it! Congrats to you and many happy miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I still can't tell much of a difference between Tour and Sport modes. Haha! That's likely because you came from driving the STi and BRZ which have flattened and numbed your ass. From my MS3 to even my Fusion Sport was night and day and even still I the Audi's Dynamic mode feels cushy to me. Looks like it was a great weekend man! How was that drive up in the STi ? OMG 6hrs in the Speed was painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigOxley Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 when you decide to sell this one, lmk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I love the newer V's. Any interior shots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 <-- Jealous. NICE car man, glad to hear you're enjoying it! Congrats to you and many happy miles Thanks. Haha! That's likely because you came from driving the STi and BRZ which have flattened and numbed your ass. From my MS3 to even my Fusion Sport was night and day and even still I the Audi's Dynamic mode feels cushy to me. Looks like it was a great weekend man! How was that drive up in the STi ? OMG 6hrs in the Speed was painful. The drive up was ok. Numb butts and a lot of noise. Danielle was a LOT happier with the ride home. when you decide to sell this one, lmk I'll try to remember. I love the newer V's. Any interior shots? Not yet, but I can get some later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafunk13 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Awesome car! If I could ever be convinced to dump my G8 I'd be looking at one myself. I had an '05 CTS (non-v) as my last car and loved it. An updated version with 500hp seems like a swell idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQdDude Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I do wish the gas pedal was slightly more aggressive, but I'll get used to it. Ported throttle body? On my 2010 Camaro 2SS it was very noticeable when I replaced it with a ported throttle body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Ported throttle body? On my 2010 Camaro 2SS it was very noticeable when I replaced it with a ported throttle body. That's in the initial plan. That plus an AirRaid intake should help quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I'm a big fan. Congrats again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Time to go see Kevin and Jessie at Auto Spa for tint. They did my sunroof today. Car is completely done. Temp inside was down 35 degrees today compared to the black on black 335 that was there to be done. Not bad for a day like today where it wasn't even that sunny or hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Time to go see Kevin and Jessie at Auto Spa for tint. They did my sunroof today. Car is completely done. Temp inside was down 35 degrees today compared to the black on black 335 that was there to be done. Not bad for a day like today where it wasn't even that sunny or hot. I might go there. They did a good job on the STI. I want to get clear bra on the front as well as tint, so it will need a good detail also. I may wait until the BRZ is back on the road.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Proof that CR has gone topsy turvy, Aaron in a Mustang. Jones in a BRZ. Draco in a Cadillac. Edited August 31, 2015 by Jones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Dracoin Edited September 2, 2015 by zeitgeist57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Proof that CR has gone topsy turvy, Aaron in a Mustang. Jones in a BRZ. Draco in a Cadillac. http://www.quickmeme.com/img/58/58b60830d26ef5b1f63fd4edb732fe5c220cba41465f207836d5bf861c5ece40.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Proof that CR has gone topsy turvy, Aaron in a Mustang. Jones in a BRZ. Draco in a Cadillac. Brian is :gay2:batman FTFY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted September 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Tried to take another picture of the V but some Volkswagen got in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 CR be getting crazy lately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Tried to take another picture of the V but some Volkswagen got in the way. That's what happens when you do your photo shoots at the grocery store Parking lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdyguy2k Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Nice ride. Welcome to the V club. Have to try to make it out to cars and coffee. It would ba nice to have 5 or 6 of us out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted September 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Nice ride. Welcome to the V club. Have to try to make it out to cars and coffee. It would ba nice to have 5 or 6 of us out there. It would be interesting to see a few in one place. It always seems like that when I get a new car, or even start researching one, I start seeing them everywhere. The V is the first time that I've seen almost none. I've seen a couple CTS sedans, one wagon, but no coupes, and none were Vs. I've never had this happen before. It's kinda cool and weird at the same time. (It was also a cool surprise to find out I have more HP stock than that R8...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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