Cadillac CTS-V - Should I Buy A CTS V or G8?

Maybe a crazy question but need to know opinions. Will be using for mostly a daily driver.

First you need to ask yourself if you want to drive manual or automatic and go from there...that was the determining factor for me personally. Also cadillac or pontiac...my other deciding factor

Go drive both and decide. I have 05 V and my Gf has a black 09 G8 gt and we just put the black powdercoated SS 20's on it. Her car is stock other than the wheels and a resonator/muffler delete with SLP tips. Both are nice cars. I prefer the V personally but I drive both.

Would love to get my hands on one of their gxp or whatever models with the ls3 but those are even more rare than the v.

Yeah I would definitely take the gxp over a V1 but they are hard to find & crazy expensive when you do find them. Love the wide front & rear flares.

I would imagine, even though they are both GM products, Pontiac stuff will be less expensive simply because they are not for a Cadillac.

surprisingly copart has a gxp in semi decent shape. http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e4s1&lotId=16707062&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS They didn't when i bought the v but with less than 2000 units ever produced what do you expect.

Maybe a crazy question but need to know opinions. Will be using for mostly a daily driver.

V1 or V2

Yeah a GXP would be nice but not for the price people want for them. 50k or more miles and they still want $30k or close to it... No thanks. Me personally... I'd rather have a Cadillac over a Pontiac. The "cadillac tax" most people refer to is all hype IMO and having a fast caddy is always more impressive. Modding any car will be pricey regardless what u buy. The only real downfall to the V is the rear diff (which isn't a downfall if you just plan to daily it without any extreme modding). If u plan to mod it... That is the only thing I would consider more expensive in comparison because the creative steel 8.8 or G-Force 9" (which you will need) are both pricey upgrades. The latest gen diff with axles and bushings will hold quite a bit but if u make serious power... Its only a matter of time before it goes. That being said... The car is pretty much bullet proof after a built rear swap so I say find a V with a built rear for a good price and buy it.

My chic had a mercedes but she was bored with it and wanted another Auto car but something fun and fast to drive. We drove a few different cars before she decided but my suggestion was the g8 gt from the beginning. After she drove one, she was in love. She bought her black 09 G8 GT in early 2011 with just 22k miles, super clean and fully loaded other than the sunroof (which wasnt a must have for her) for $22k OTD. It was a steal at the time considering 08/09 GT's with many more miles and being almost 2 years older now are still selling for that much and more. She loves it though and it's a really nice car and pretty quick for what it is. The front end looks aggressive though especially with those flared fenders. That's one of my favorite thing about the g8 is the styling.

You really can't go wrong either way. Unless u find a killer deal on a GXP, id get the V. A 6-speed is a must for me. If u don't mind an auto or prefer it... Then get the GT. This is all assuming ur comparing the V1 and the G8 which I'm assuming is the case since they are close in price.

V2 > all though!!

i work for Cadillac,i love the look of the v but its a very heavy car, differential has issues with crazy wheel hop,also transmission is clunky on the 1st gen, i would go for the g8.

Weight is not something weighing in the g8's favor...

The G8 is heavy and prone to wheel hop too.

I looked at the G8's while I was shopping for the V, and while the G8 tempted me, the V was the only way to go. The looks of the V, the 6 speed were the main factors. And the fact that the GXP was stupid expensive...

Thanks for all of the good responses! I love the looks of the V1 in black. But like the G8 in black or white. Also like the 6 spd most of the time. If I had the extra money would probably go V2. For the price of the GXP, could put a little more money to it and get a V2. Wish the rear end wasn't as weak as it is but will probably not pound on it that hard being a daily driver.

G8 GT daily ftw. They need a tune BAD though the stock trans tuen is sloppy as hell itll be a whole new car after a tune. I wanted a G8 but they just came out and the one I wanted was 36k.

G8 weighs 5130. Quite a bit more than the V. They are sluggish from the factory but are much quicker and more responsive with a tune. Cam, full exhaust, cai and a tune and they roll out.

I've owned both so here is my take from experience

G8 are NOT prone to wheel hop. I can post a video of me doing a 150' burnout without issue.
http://youtu.be/GWMEMoXPAYE

G8s do not weigh 5130 lbs.

With some light mods, a G8 is every bit as fast as a V1. I have more videos to proove it.
http://youtu.be/FRDkUZU5b3I

All that being said, my G8 was a brand new 09 GT and my V is a used 04. So the G8 was in better shape. As a daily driver, I enjoyed driving the G8 more. It was a bit larger inside and very smooth to drive.
However, rowing gears in the V is fun as hell. Plus it has more of the luxury that my G8 didn't have (roof, leather, power seats) plus memory functions, navigation, color screen.

The G8 developed rattles very quickly. The V still feels tighter.

Both are great cars in their own respect.

I have owned both and actually traded my G8 in for the V and couldnt be any happier with the V. I loved the G8 had SMB which is a awesome color but the auto bored me really quick. Both are really nice cars I do miss the radio controls on the steering wheel but other then that I'm happy with the V if the G8 was a 6 speed I would still be driving it today.

I never owned either but have friends that have both and the v seems like it runs stronger but don't hold me to that, i like the look of the Cadillac also. At the same time good to get in a automatic car with similar power and just not worry about shifting gears in traffic hour.

Question for you. Do you plan on modding it and how far do you plan on going. There is a bit more support for the G8 in my opinion than the V1. I had to make this decision a few months back and the CTSV came out on top for me and I have no regrets so far

Both are good cars. the G8 isn't a bad option... You have to mod it to keep it up with a V. The weight seems to be about the same with both, and I believe the V handles better.

If you plan on dragging it, I'd go G8.
Anything else (daily driver, road course, etc) I'd go V

GVWR on the G8 is 5130lbs....

I looked at the sticker inside the door jam of my GF's 09 G8 GT...

Damn that's with like 3 fat chicks in the back or what?

GVWR on the G8 is 5130lbs....

I looked at the sticker inside the door jam of my GF's 09 G8 GT...

Thats gross vehicle weight. Not curb weight. That basically the max amount of weight the car can deal with on stock tires, etc.

Curb weight for the G8 is 4021.
Curb weight for the V is 3850.

Vs a bit lighter, even with all its extra luxury crap, and heavy ass hell heated seats.

G8 GTs suffer from diff problems too, but nowhere near as bad as the V1s do.
Again, I think it comes down to street or strip. The V outhandles the G8 IMO, but both are real real good cars.

Ahhh... ok. Good to know. Lol

I've owned both so here is my take from experience

G8 are NOT prone to wheel hop. I can post a video of me doing a 150' burnout without issue.
http://youtu.be/GWMEMoXPAYE

G8s do not weigh 5130 lbs.

With some light mods, a G8 is every bit as fast as a V1. I have more videos to proove it.
http://youtu.be/FRDkUZU5b3I

All that being said, my G8 was a brand new 09 GT and my V is a used 04. So the G8 was in better shape. As a daily driver, I enjoyed driving the G8 more. It was a bit larger inside and very smooth to drive.
However, rowing gears in the V is fun as hell. Plus it has more of the luxury that my G8 didn't have (roof, leather, power seats) plus memory functions, navigation, color screen.

The G8 developed rattles very quickly. The V still feels tighter.

Both are great cars in their own respect.

I own a G8 also. It wheel hops like a mother foker any time it starts spinning. I can get vids of it too, but I'd rather not break something trying to prove a point. This isn't relative to my G8 either. There is a reason why there are anti-wheel hop mods for G8's. You can also look on grrrr8.net and G8boards and see all the wheel hop treads.

On the other hand, our G8 hasn't developed rattles at over 45k miles.

For me, what sucks most about the G8 are the seat adjustments. Damn knobs!!! Why GM didn't put something as simple as a lever to lean the seat back....
A bonus is the huge back seat and trunk. I was suprised how much roon the G8 has inside compared to my V.

TheLostDriver, I don't think that I would mod it that much, probably nothing more than a tune and exhaust. Did the 06 V as well as the 07 get the revised rear diff? And does that make enough difference to not really worry about it aside from speed shifting? Is it worth buying an extended warranty just to cover things like that? Won't be taking it to the dragstrip since it's not a drag car. Might take my twin turbo 66 Chevelle there when I get it done though.;)
One more question, (maybe dumb question) if you had an extended warranty on a V with a supercharger on it, think they would cover a broken rear end?

I'm pretty sure an aftermarket supercharger would kill every part of a powertrain warranty.

Honestly man, unless ur going to be doing clutch dumps and hard first to seconds on a regular basis... Any diff in the car will be fine. Of course the later gen diffs in the 06/07's are ideal and they are stronger but my 04 had 128k on it when I sold it and it had a few good launches on it and plenty of hard shifts and it never gave out on me and that was a gen1 shitty diff. Lol if ur only doing minor mods... Intake, Exhaust and tune... The diff will be fine.

Thanks NeverSatisfied, I'm feeling better about the diff. thing. I will try to find a 06-07. Anybody know what it cost if the dealer installs a new rear?

Though the 06-07 is better, dont let the 04-05 diff scare you away especially if you don't plan on modding it much. Another selling point for me and the V is that G8s are starting to pop up everywhere. I hardly ever see a V

very personal prefference in my opinion. I like the interiors better in the G8's, and the seats in the G8 feel better to me as well as look higher quality. One thing I am starting to like is the manual mode for the A6 in the G8, it takes some getting used to but is pretty fun when you want to select gears. All in all I think either choice you wont go wrong!

I own a G8 also. It wheel hops like a mother foker any time it starts spinning. I can get vids of it too, but I'd rather not break something trying to prove a point. This isn't relative to my G8 either. There is a reason why there are anti-wheel hop mods for G8's. You can also look on grrrr8.net and G8boards and see all the wheel hop treads.

On the other hand, our G8 hasn't developed rattles at over 45k miles.

For me, what sucks most about the G8 are the seat adjustments. Damn knobs!!! Why GM didn't put something as simple as a lever to lean the seat back....
A bonus is the huge back seat and trunk. I was suprised how much roon the G8 has inside compared to my V.

Is your GXP a M6? Maybe that's the issue because I haven't heard of people having issues. Maybe the issue is way more minor than with the Vs. At least I hope it is!


I agree with 94ss06gxp that the G8 interior just seems more comfortable and laid out better. I'm 6'3" so I liked the extra space.

I test drove a 2008 G8 GT, before finally settling on a 2006 CTS-V. The G8 was sloppy, tons of body roll, power didn't feel available, auto tranny couldn't make up its mind for shit. By contrast, the V was lively and SO predictable when driving the bends. It was a clear choice for me. Might be different with a GXP, but I didn't drive one.

The G8 doesn't seem to get as many looks as the V gets. When we test drove a G8, my wife asked me if I was seriously considering replacing the Mustang with a sissy car. She just didn't see the G8 as being an aggressive looking car. We didn't see eye to eye on that but I passed on the G8 anyway. I just couldn't justify the price everyone wanted, and none of them would sit long enough on the lot to get the dealer to even think about negotiating.

I think either way, you are looking at getting a good car, you just need to vet the individual car out for issues.

I test drove a 2008 G8 GT, before finally settling on a 2006 CTS-V. The G8 was sloppy, tons of body roll, power didn't feel available, auto tranny couldn't make up its mind for shit. By contrast, the V was lively and SO predictable when driving the bends. It was a clear choice for me. Might be different with a GXP, but I didn't drive one.

I would agree stock vs stock

way more mods available for the g8 then the V, but i am a fan of the manual so a V would win for me. But a gxp > V1 easily.

and the caddy vs Pontiac talk doesnt really hold weight with the v1 vs g8. i think the g8 has a better feeling and laid out interior then the v1 but thats due to the age of the v1. Now a v2 vs a g8 the interior quality of the v2 would be enough to just pick Cadillac

A g8 with intake, tune and exhaust makes for one sick car. Then do a dod delete cam and your well over 400rwhp in a very dice daily driver.

It's really your choice. Look on a few g8 sites and find one that is tastefully modded and to your liking. You may change your mind about that v1.

just all the boost options available to the g8 is worth it i think, if you like boost.

Judging by what the op said about slight mods, I don't think the aftermarket is too big of a concern. The caddy puts down very similar numbers to the g8 so what's the point of comparing. It's not like a V1 with intake/headers/cam and tune can't make 400+whp

I didnt read everything above so this may have been mentioned.....but my MAIN deciding factor of V>G8 is production.....you wont find shit for parts on that g8 if anything happens to it, because there was so few made before Pontiac went down. With the V, we can pull parts off regular CTS as well if there was some body damage somehow, and the other V's that were made....Its not something everyone thinks of, but you will be cursing the second something happens, because of how difficult it will be to fix

trying to make same decision.
for me, its either a v2 cts-v or a g8 gxp.
6sp trans is a must, even though it is a daily driver.
not worried about autox, i have the camaro for that.
the only drag racing would be light to light, from what i've seen the v2 rear end should handle that.
the only mods i would do would be a tune and maybe headers.
the caddy looks better, but even the gxps are cheaper than a v2 right now.

tony

trying to make same decision.
for me, its either a v2 cts-v or a g8 gxp.
6sp trans is a must, even though it is a daily driver.
not worried about autox, i have the camaro for that.
the only drag racing would be light to light, from what i've seen the v2 rear end should handle that.
the only mods i would do would be a tune and maybe headers.
the caddy looks better, but even the gxps are cheaper than a v2 right now.

tony

based on the above V2 no brainer

I'm a couple days late to this thread but I asked myself the same question when before I bought my V last summer.

I test drove two G8 GTs and although they are nice cars they just seemed to be lacking in slightly in overall power and comfort. The suspension seems to be a little stiffer where with the V you're getting a nicer ride.

Also, the manual vs auto is a big factor. Although I drive 85 miles round trip (soon to be only 50 miles) to work ever day I wanted a six speed because I never had one. I love it most of the time, only time I get tired of it is when you're hitting every red stop light.

As far as the differential is concerned, I worried about it too from what you heard on here, but you also have to remember a lot of guys do get on their cars pretty hard and take them to the track. And with mine only being a DD I've taken care of it. The only mods it has are a CAI, short throw shifter, and Magnaflow Axle Back which were all on the car when I bought it. It does seem like the 06-07s have a better rear end but if you find a lower mile 04-05, like mine that only had 24k when I bought it and 36k now, or one that has had the differential replaced under warranty I wouldn't think you'd have much to worry about.

The one thing I don't like about the V is the availability of aftermarket wheels. Because GM decided to make it a six lug car our wheel choices are really limited. Compare that to a G8 where you have more wheel options and the 20 inch Camaro wheels look pretty damn good on them.

Overall I'm glad with I made the the choice I did. Although I'm thinking about selling it and maybe getting a GMC Sierra Denali, I wouldn't sell it for a G8.

I went down this same road.

I started out choosing between V1 and G8-GT.....then ended up choosing between V2 and G8-GXP.



In the end...I went with the GXP.

I really like the rarity of them. (1829 made...total)


There seem to be TONS of standard CTS's around here in Central Indiana.

I've seen probably 5....CTS V-2's..so far this year...on my travels to and from work....but I see numerous CTS' on a daily basis.


As far as looks go....I prefer the flow of the GXP's body lines.


I figure I can do all of the mods that I'm planning (Cam-Stall-TVS2300-AR LongTube Headers-HFC's & X Pipe-CAI-fuel system upgrade and a re-tune).....and that will more than likely put me at 100hp+ over what the V2 comes with.

Anyways...my goal is to do all of this and still remain daily driveable (many guys are currently running these setups on GXP's).....and I will still save anywhere from $10-$15k over what I would've spent for a V2 with comparable mileage and condition.


I've experienced ZERO WHEEL HOP with mine. (I'm running 255-40-19"s up front and 285-35-19"s in the rear...on Staggered Lorenzo 8.5"s and 9.5"s.

We carpool for work...so I've had myself and 3 other guys in my car for 180+ mile trips...and we're all over 6' tall and range from 235-300lbs...and I've experienced ZERO RUB issues.

My tires are Continental Sport Contact 2's


Good luck in whichever one you choose...they're both GREAT cars and I think we're lucky to have these options here in the States !

I went down this same road.

I started out choosing between V1 and G8-GT.....then ended up choosing between V2 and G8-GXP.



In the end...I went with the GXP.

I really like the rarity of them. (1829 made...total)


There seem to be TONS of standard CTS's around here in Central Indiana.

I've seen probably 5....CTS V-2's..so far this year...on my travels to and from work....but I see numerous CTS' on a daily basis.


As far as looks go....I prefer the flow of the GXP's body lines.


I figure I can do all of the mods that I'm planning (Cam-Stall-TVS2300-AR LongTube Headers-HFC's & X Pipe-CAI-fuel system upgrade and a re-tune).....and that will more than likely put me at 100hp+ over what the V2 comes with.

Anyways...my goal is to do all of this and still remain daily driveable (many guys are currently running these setups on GXP's).....and I will still save anywhere from $10-$15k over what I would've spent for a V2 with comparable mileage and condition.


I've experienced ZERO WHEEL HOP with mine. (I'm running 255-40-19"s up front and 285-35-19"s in the rear...on Staggered Lorenzo 8.5"s and 9.5"s.

We carpool for work...so I've had myself and 3 other guys in my car for 180+ mile trips...and we're all over 6' tall and range from 235-300lbs...and I've experienced ZERO RUB issues.

My tires are Continental Sport Contact 2's


Good luck in whichever one you choose...they're both GREAT cars and I think we're lucky to have these options here in the States !

are you trying to convince us, or yourself, that you had made the better purchase?

are you trying to convince us, or yourself, that you had made the better purchase?

LOL...really?

I've drove several examples of both...and could've bought either.

Simply listed WHY I chose the GXP.

I'm exceedingly happy with what I chose :cheers:


Thanks

I'm happy with my g8.

If I had to choose v2 or a g8 it would be a v2. But I'm over 600rwhp now and would leave most vs in the dust. And have some money too...

True it is less money for the G... And with that extra money you can do something about the ugly ass end ;)