Category Archives: Site Info / News

What will $30K buy you?

Posted on by
Reply

The average new car sold in America goes for over $30K these days.  What will US$30K buy you in a used Cadillac?

A 2004 Cadillac XLR with 16K miles, or a 2006 Cadillac XLR with 56K miles would both go for just under $30K.  The Cadillac XLR was made from 2004-2009 and features the RWD Northstar V8 engine making 320 hp, a retractable hardtop, and every option Cadillac could fit on a convertible.  They are fun cars to drive, and unique on the road.

The 2009 CTS Sedan choices are pretty wide at $30K.   In the order book for 2009 the CTS was split into 1SA for the standard model, or 1SB for the more highly equipped 3.6L DI model.  The fully loaded model was the CTS Premium Collection, but used cars are seldom advertised as a “CTS with Premium Collection”.  The key components are: CTS Premium Collection, includes (Y40) Luxury Level One Package, (Y41) Luxury Level Two Package, (Y42) 18″ (45.7 cm) All-Season Tire Performance Package, (Y44) Seating Package, (UAV) Audio system with navigation, (C3U) UltraView sunroof, (B19) Wood Trim Package and (B20) Wood Trim Package.  I would ask first for the Nav, then Ultra View, since those are likely to be mentioned in the ad, then investigate further to determine if a particular example is a Premium Collection, or instead if it offers the features you are shopping for.

One can also find a 2010 Cadillac CTS 3L Luxury Collection for under $30K.  And of course there are a lot of choices in 2008 Cadillac CTS’ under 30K.

A 2008 Cadillac STS V6 is an interesting choice for under $30K.   The STS has more rear leg room than the CTS.  The V6 is the 3.6L DI V6, and was judged by contemporary magazine writers to be the better choice than the V8 Northstar based on the relative prices of the sedans.  One can find the 2008 STS V8 for under $30K as well.

A 2008 Cadillac DTS can also be found for under $30K with 11K miles.  Offering plenty of room and front-wheel drive for all-weather convenience, the DTS has V8 luxury with lots of trunk room and luxury appointments.  The DTS likewise was split into different luxury levels, so one will have to examine each offering for the desired features.

For even more space, a 2008 SRX tall wagon is not hard to find for under $30K.

I did find one Escalade, a 2008 with 74K miles, or an EXT, a 2008 with 109K miles, for under $30K.  So one would have to look earlier than 2008 to fit under the 30K budget.

Searching hints:  For my survey, I went to cars.com and used this search:

You Searched For

Make

Cadillac

Year

2011

2010

2009

2008

Price

$26,001-$27,000

$27,001-$28,000

$28,001-$29,000

$29,001-$30,000

And even with these limits the search had 50 pages of results with 22K automobiles.  Adding a lower limit seems counter-productive, but it does filter out selections that are not as desirable.

There are some terrific Cadillac selections out there for under $30K.  Good hunting.

Best Options for the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe?

Posted on by
3

Hands down the Saffron interior — Ebony Leather Seating Surfaces with Saffron inserts is the best option to pick if you are only picking one. This is a no-additional cost signature interior option only available in the Coupe.

The single disadvantage is that it is not available with the Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior.

Wood Trim Package $600:  This adds Midnight Sapele Wood trim pieces to the interior on instrument panel, center console, and door.  They do look terrific.

Recaro Performance Seats – $3,400:  Recaro with heated/ventilated sport performance driver and front passenger seats.  This is the only way to get ventilated seats in the CTS-V. These are terrific seats; I loved them when I tried out a CTS-V Sedan with them.  They seem to be a matter of taste, so please test drive a car with them prior to ordering.

You also have to order the Recaro Performance Seats if you want the Sueded Steering wheel and shift knob, a $300 option.  These give a different feel/texture to the steering wheel and additional control for high dynamic driving.

Wheels, polished (instead of standard painted) $800.  These will really make your V Coupe ‘pop’.  Skip if you plan to add aftermarket wheels of course.

Sunroof $700.  Adds some weight, but also adds some fun.  The V has way more than enough HP not to worry about the ~100 lbs weight addition.

I think the Saffron interior is the must have, because it is a ‘signature’ interior.  I would really love the Crystal Red Tintcoat however, so may be willing to fore-go the saffron for red.

The Recaro Seats and Midnight Sapele wood accents are worth the money, if you have the money. I know the polished wheels seem expensive, but they will make your V stand out among others;  once consideration of course is that they are easy to add later.

Certainly the base V is already a supercar with no options added, so no worries if you are stretching to get into the V and don’t want to add any extras.

New refrigerant as cool as R-134 but safer if released

Posted on by
Reply

So why is GM switching from R-134 to HFO-1234yf?  The new refrigerant provides lower “global warming potential” (GWP), which is to say it is better for the environment.  It cools as well or better than R-134.

Current automotive air conditioners use hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a, which has a GWP of 1430. The European Union’s Mobile Air Conditioning Directive requires that, starting in 2011, all new vehicle models use a refrigerant with a GWP below 150, and by 2017, all new automobiles sold in Europe will be required to use a low-GWP refrigerant. The new refrigerant, developed by DuPont and Honeywell, has a GWP of 4, which is 97% less GWP than the new regulation requires.

Remember the old R-12?  It had a GWP of 8100.  So yes, R-134 was better than R-12, but HFO-1234yf is a large improvement over both.

The other alternative was CO2 (R744); here is a comparison of HFO-1234yf and R744:

HFO-1234yf: the better choice
HFO-1234yf CO2 (R744)
Environmental Impact Lower lifetime GHG emissions than 134a or CO2 20% more lifetime greenhouse gas emissions than 1234yf
Atmospheric Lifetime 11 days >500 years
Compatibility with Current A/C Equipment Yes, with minor change No; new high-pressure system required
Cooling Efficiency Comparable to 134a in all climates Less efficient in hot climates where A/C is needed and used most
Ease of Adoption High; minimal additional design changes or delay Low; significant engineering and re-tooling required
Safety Safe for use in automotive air conditioning applications Safe for use in automotive air conditioning applications

So it looks like HFO-1234yf is a good choice going forward.  A concern has been the relatively high cost of the new refrigerant, but with widespread usage and new factories online that should resolve itself (supply and demand).