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I had the opportunity to spend some quality, although all too brief, time behind the wheel of a CTS-V today 
; it was definitely a thrilling experience!
Curiously, the Red Line Ion gave me a bit of a head-start when starting up the Cadillac. The CTS-V clutch has almost the same engagement and take-off points as ours, so no embarrassing stalling or non-intentional rough gear changes. The shifter throws are a little longer, but the transitions seemed pretty smooth. Slipping into the 6th position felt a little weird without a collar, and it seemed a little unnatural to find reverse in the top right position (luckily, there's an indicator on the DIC). I prefer the location of our parking brake, as I accidentally popped the Cadillac's hood while trying to disengage the brake.
The V-8 engine noise was pretty cool; deep and throaty, with a bit of an edge, but nowhere near uncomfortable in terms of volume. Performance wise, the CTS-V seems to have endless torque available, even at the far left of the tach. On the highway, passing vehicles was completely effortless, with no planning or forethought required at all. The car really seemed happier at higher speeds (which I won't post) and maneuvers that would have left me a little skittish in the Red Line seemed completely controlled in the Cadillac.
Inside, I was amazed by all the electronics. Navigation, although not a touch screen, was pretty cool and it was fun playing with the g-meter (even though it was tough to see with the steering wheel cranked). The seats were definitely not Recaros and didn't have the same cradling effect in the bolsters, but the suede inserts did just as good a job, if not better, in holding me in the turns (a good match for the massive tires and tremendous grip).
I drove a supercharged Cobalt SS later in the day, which was fun, but it did not feel as solid. It had some interesting differences from my Ion (A-Pillar mounted Boost Gauge, much smaller trunk opening), but I couldn't help thinking back to the great package of power and sophistication of the CTS-V; if I need to upgrade from the Red Line in the future (and have the available resources) I know what to get now! With 400HP, a 4.5s 0-60mph, all the the electronic bells and whistles, luxurious style, and the ability to seat five, I think that I would be pretty content. Well there's my $.02 (only another $70,699.98 [CAD] to go). It was a real blast and if you have a chance, I recommend going for a test drive!
; it was definitely a thrilling experience!Curiously, the Red Line Ion gave me a bit of a head-start when starting up the Cadillac. The CTS-V clutch has almost the same engagement and take-off points as ours, so no embarrassing stalling or non-intentional rough gear changes. The shifter throws are a little longer, but the transitions seemed pretty smooth. Slipping into the 6th position felt a little weird without a collar, and it seemed a little unnatural to find reverse in the top right position (luckily, there's an indicator on the DIC). I prefer the location of our parking brake, as I accidentally popped the Cadillac's hood while trying to disengage the brake.
The V-8 engine noise was pretty cool; deep and throaty, with a bit of an edge, but nowhere near uncomfortable in terms of volume. Performance wise, the CTS-V seems to have endless torque available, even at the far left of the tach. On the highway, passing vehicles was completely effortless, with no planning or forethought required at all. The car really seemed happier at higher speeds (which I won't post) and maneuvers that would have left me a little skittish in the Red Line seemed completely controlled in the Cadillac.
Inside, I was amazed by all the electronics. Navigation, although not a touch screen, was pretty cool and it was fun playing with the g-meter (even though it was tough to see with the steering wheel cranked). The seats were definitely not Recaros and didn't have the same cradling effect in the bolsters, but the suede inserts did just as good a job, if not better, in holding me in the turns (a good match for the massive tires and tremendous grip).
I drove a supercharged Cobalt SS later in the day, which was fun, but it did not feel as solid. It had some interesting differences from my Ion (A-Pillar mounted Boost Gauge, much smaller trunk opening), but I couldn't help thinking back to the great package of power and sophistication of the CTS-V; if I need to upgrade from the Red Line in the future (and have the available resources) I know what to get now! With 400HP, a 4.5s 0-60mph, all the the electronic bells and whistles, luxurious style, and the ability to seat five, I think that I would be pretty content. Well there's my $.02 (only another $70,699.98 [CAD] to go). It was a real blast and if you have a chance, I recommend going for a test drive!
