I am still settled on the vehicle I am shopping for — a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Sedan Premium RWD model with under 15K miles in Crystal Red Tintcoat, preferably Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned. Or occasionally any used Cadillac V-Series model. But mostly — no, definitely — the 2010 CTS Sedan RWD Premium. Would love the XLR, but it has limited luggage space. Would love the STS-V, but after 2008 when the HUD was available, and low miles in-warranty, so choices are even rarer than the CTS.
Would love a 2009 CTS-V with the supercharged 556hp LSA, but they are still more than I care to spend. This is a real shame, because when I describe the car I am shopping for to “Civilians” (non-Cadillac enthusiasts), they instantly ask, “Cool! Are you getting the one that is the fastest sedan in the world?” Um, no.
Yes, very specific. To get this exact, one probably needs to order a new car. However, I want the luxury of a new car selection while paying the lower price of a used car value. So I have to wait and find the ‘right’ car.
When shopping for a car I try to settle in on the specifications for the exact car I want. Then I watch for cars that exactly FIT the criteria, or are one feature off. For example, this week there were 2 cars in the area that were 2010 CTS Sport Sedan RWD Premium models, both under 15K miles, but both were Black. So they fit all of my criteria except for color, and were ‘one’ feature off my target. Actually, neither was at my favorite Cadillac Dealer or certified pre-owned, so 2 features off.
There are still “new” 2010 CTS models available. Cadillac also offers a significant cash back savings on these models, since the 2011 models are on the floor now and the 2012 models will arrive in a few months. However, the used car value of $30-33K is even less than the with-cash-back GM supplier discount new car price of ~$40K . Although this is still much less than the original retail price of $49K, it is the lowest number in the discussion that I want to budget of course.
So I will keep shopping until the ‘right’ Cadillac comes along. Or I find a V-Series model I can’t resist. Or maybe a nice XLR, or split the difference and find a great XLR-V? No, when the ‘right’ one comes along. Definitely. Sort of.