Author Archives: Bruce Nunnally

Performance cost in MPG

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My current 2005 Cadillac CTS has a 3.6L V6 and is EPA rated for 16 city and 25 highway MPG using their current measure.  For argument sake this yields a mixed-driving target of 19 MPG.

I drive 15,000 miles a year, more or less.  So with my 2005 Cadillac CTS I might expect to need 15,000 miles / 19 MPG = 790 gallons of fuel in the next year.  The 3.6L CTS uses regular unleaded fuel, so let’s say $2.50 / gallon for a total of $2.50 x 790 gallons = $1,975 in fuel costs.

Here are the replacement performance V-Series cars I am considering:  the 469 hp 2008 Cadillac STS-V, or the 400 hp 2007 Cadillac CTS-V.

2008 Cadillac STS-V:  EPA rated 13 city 19 highway, 15 MPG combined.  With my expected annual mileage of 15,000 miles per year that would mean 15,000 miles / 15 MPG = 1,000 gallons of fuel.  Noting that the STS-V however requires premium fuel, which might cost $3.00 / gallon, that makes a total of 1,000 gallons x $3.00 / gallon = $3,000 in fuel costs.   So the Cadillac STS-V would cost an extra $1K/year, or $85/month in gas compared to my 2005 Cadillac CTS.

2007 Cadillac CTS-V: EPA rated 14 city 22 highway, 16 MPG combined. It also requires premium fuel.  15,000 miles x 16 MPG = 937 Gallons.  937 Gallons x $3.00/gallon = $2,811 in fuel costs.  So that CTS-V would cost an extra $836/year in fuel, or $70/month compared to my 2005 Cadillac CTS.

I plan to keep the next Cadillac for 5 years.  Comparing the new cars, STS-V will cost $200/year more than the CTS-V, or $1,000 over the 5 years.

On the other end of the spectrum, the current 2010 Cadillac CTS 3.6L DI V6 engine is rated at 18 city 27 highway for combined 21 mpg.  The current 2010 Cadillac CTS 3.0L DI V6 engine is rated at 18 city 28 highway for combined 22 mpg.  Either engine can use regular unleaded.  So replacing my CTS with the new 2010 Cadillac CTS 3.6L would yield a projected fuel cost of 15,000 miles / 21 MPG x $2.50/gallon = $1,785/year.  Although the new 3.6L has more power at 304 hp than the 2005 non-DI 3.6L at 255 hp in my car, the DI engine also gets better MPG, and is boosted by the 6-speed automatic vs 5-speed automatic.

Replacing my CTS with a 6-speed DI 3.6L instead of a 2007 CTS-V or 2008 STS-V model would save $1,026-$1,215/year.   However, the CTS DI 3.6L has respectable performance of 0-60 in 6.5 sec, while the 08 STS-V or 07 CTS-V will both accelerate 0-60 in under 5 seconds, out-brake, out-corner, generally out-perform the CTS 3.6L.  What cost performance?  Besides the initial price of entry, about $100/month in my case.  Is that worth the thrill of the added performance potential?  Would you pay another $1200 a year to drive a Super car versus a ‘normal’ sport sedan?

Cadillac STS-V a Cadillac made by Craftsmen

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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.

2006 Cadillac STS-V

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.

Cadillac CTS Seat Experiment – conclusion of part 1

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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!