CTS-V vs. C55 AMG
09-01-2005, 05:14 AM
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CTS-V vs. C55 AMG So, I've narrowed my choices down to these two cars. I have yet to test drive either of them, but i'm planning on doing so this weekend. I know A LOT about the Merc, but not much about the Caddy, so I need some input from you guys.
Performance numbers seem to be quite similar, Merc might have an edge on quility of interior materials, but that's besides the point.
The thing that is attracting me to the CTS-V is the price to mod, i.e. a magnacharger kit costs 6 grand for the caddy, while a kleeman charger costs 15 grand for the Merc.
I'm also a bit affraid of what I've read and seen about the weakness of the rear-end in the caddy. What can be done to alleviate this week link?
Thanks for helping a newbie out, and thanks in advance for all the info.
Performance numbers seem to be quite similar, Merc might have an edge on quility of interior materials, but that's besides the point.
The thing that is attracting me to the CTS-V is the price to mod, i.e. a magnacharger kit costs 6 grand for the caddy, while a kleeman charger costs 15 grand for the Merc.
I'm also a bit affraid of what I've read and seen about the weakness of the rear-end in the caddy. What can be done to alleviate this week link?
Thanks for helping a newbie out, and thanks in advance for all the info.
09-01-2005, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by TNT V
Don't forget to factor in $1000 every six months for tires on the Caddy, that is, if you drive conservatively!
Ben
09-01-2005, 01:38 PM
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I just got my V last week, I am getting a trade in at Discount tires...they will give me around $800 towards some Michelin pilot sport A/Ss...I had them on my Acura and lasted for quite a while...they have a 400 treadwear VS 300 of our Goodyears with the same AA traction rating and they are cheaper!
When compared to Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s on the same car, the Michelins would hold the road a bit better..but when they let go, it would be more dramatic and less predictable than the Goodyears.
But the goodyears wore twice as fast, granted they had a 280 TWR.
But if you do plan on modifying for more performance...the V is the better/cheaper choice as you not only can get boosted...but heads, cams, strokers and a wide selection of tuners.
I have heard the '06 Vs have better rear ends and also, if you never want to worry about it again, they have 9" conversions.
When compared to Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s on the same car, the Michelins would hold the road a bit better..but when they let go, it would be more dramatic and less predictable than the Goodyears.
But the goodyears wore twice as fast, granted they had a 280 TWR.
But if you do plan on modifying for more performance...the V is the better/cheaper choice as you not only can get boosted...but heads, cams, strokers and a wide selection of tuners.
I have heard the '06 Vs have better rear ends and also, if you never want to worry about it again, they have 9" conversions.
09-01-2005, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by TNT V
Haven't found any yet...what might you suggest?
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09-01-2005, 04:04 PM
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Is it confirmed that the 06's have a stronger rearend, and is it strong enough to hold good power?
and how much does the 9" conversion cost, and does that entail swappring the IRS for a live axle?
one last thing...are you guys happy with the interior quality of your V? I have personally never sat in one, and i had heard that they were very plasticky (sp?), and kind of on the cheap side...any comments?
Oh yeah, and i can speak for the tires from personal experience...my brother used to have an '02 lightning with GY eagle F1's, and he blazed through those about every 90 days.
thanks guys, you've been very helpful so far.
and how much does the 9" conversion cost, and does that entail swappring the IRS for a live axle?
one last thing...are you guys happy with the interior quality of your V? I have personally never sat in one, and i had heard that they were very plasticky (sp?), and kind of on the cheap side...any comments?
Oh yeah, and i can speak for the tires from personal experience...my brother used to have an '02 lightning with GY eagle F1's, and he blazed through those about every 90 days.
thanks guys, you've been very helpful so far.
Last edited by Jonbbas; 09-01-2005 at 04:27 PM.
09-01-2005, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Mat347
I cannot speak from experience with the V(yet), but those Pilot sport A/Ss have a 400 TWR and lasted twice as long as my Goodyear F1s on my Acura.
Ben
09-01-2005, 10:19 PM
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GM has a free fix now for the hop. I need to schedule one for my 05 V. The Caddy's gene pool is the Corvette family and most 'Vette mods bolt right on. There are tons of them.
I think the Merc is a beautiful car, I really love it's wheels. If you're just going to drive around in traffic and maybe drag race some, get the Merc. If you can handle a stick shift and like to corner fast on tight curves I would get the Cad. Those tires people groan about are exceptional performers and make non-events out of situations that would stop your heart on lesser rubber.
I think the Merc is a beautiful car, I really love it's wheels. If you're just going to drive around in traffic and maybe drag race some, get the Merc. If you can handle a stick shift and like to corner fast on tight curves I would get the Cad. Those tires people groan about are exceptional performers and make non-events out of situations that would stop your heart on lesser rubber.
09-01-2005, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeF
GM has a free fix now for the hop. I need to schedule one for my 05 V. The Caddy's gene pool is the Corvette family and most 'Vette mods bolt right on. There are tons of them.
I think the Merc is a beautiful car, I really love it's wheels. If you're just going to drive around in traffic and maybe drag race some, get the Merc. If you can handle a stick shift and like to corner fast on tight curves I would get the Cad. Those tires people groan about are exceptional performers and make non-events out of situations that would stop your heart on lesser rubber.
I think the Merc is a beautiful car, I really love it's wheels. If you're just going to drive around in traffic and maybe drag race some, get the Merc. If you can handle a stick shift and like to corner fast on tight curves I would get the Cad. Those tires people groan about are exceptional performers and make non-events out of situations that would stop your heart on lesser rubber.
THATS WHY I MISS THOSE THINGS
You could take corners in those like you wouldn't believe! 
If it means anything to you, the caddy is the best car I've ever driven. But for me, I had a specific purpose: Velocity, 6-speed, handling, sedan, N/A V8. As said above, LSx engines have parts widely available to make them fast SOBs. Just make sure you get that wheel-hop TSB, otherwise as soon as you start modding, the thing is gunna go KABLOOEEEE. And even then, who knows. But, for '06 they're making better ones, so once you blow yours up, you'll get one that it should have had in the first place. Hope that helps
Ben
09-01-2005, 11:36 PM
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LOOK AT IT THIS WAY. WHEN SOMEONE COMPARES SOMETHING THEY SAY FOR EXAMPLE THAT IS THE CADILLAC OF ALL COMPUTERS OR THAT IS THE CADILLAC OF ALL T.V"s. YOU NEVER HERE ANYONE SAY THAT IS THE MERCEDES OF ALL COMPUTERS. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
09-02-2005, 12:22 AM
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Is it the wheel hop that causes the diffs to go, or what?
I just don't want to end up with a car that blows the diff and the dealer sticks me with the bill.
btw, what is "the wheel hop TSB"?
I just don't want to end up with a car that blows the diff and the dealer sticks me with the bill.
btw, what is "the wheel hop TSB"?
09-02-2005, 01:12 AM
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The wheel hop puts WAY more stress on the rear than simple spinning. Same principal with bending a wire coat hanger back n forth...eventually it will snap off.
I am going to keep the mods limited to things I can pretty easily swap back to stock in case of warranty issues, at least until the rear end is addressed...apparently the execs at Cadillac like to deny warranty claims with aftermarket stuff.
The wheel hop TSB "technical service bulletin" adds stiffer bushings to the rear end which, from what I hear(mine is getting done as I type), greatly reduces wheelhop.
As far as loosing grip, if it is true..I will miss it...but this is my daily driver..so the sacrifice will be worth it for me...I will post my findings, but I have not taken the Goodyears to extreme yet...I may start that thread..."what Gs are people pulling with what tires"...everyone can provide feedback as we all have a lateral G force meter!
Just curious if anyone knows if Getrag makes a stronger diff??? If they are splicing 9"s in...why not a Viper rear and keep the IRS?
I trust you are checking out the Mercs forums for any issues as well???
I am going to keep the mods limited to things I can pretty easily swap back to stock in case of warranty issues, at least until the rear end is addressed...apparently the execs at Cadillac like to deny warranty claims with aftermarket stuff.
The wheel hop TSB "technical service bulletin" adds stiffer bushings to the rear end which, from what I hear(mine is getting done as I type), greatly reduces wheelhop.
As far as loosing grip, if it is true..I will miss it...but this is my daily driver..so the sacrifice will be worth it for me...I will post my findings, but I have not taken the Goodyears to extreme yet...I may start that thread..."what Gs are people pulling with what tires"...everyone can provide feedback as we all have a lateral G force meter!
Just curious if anyone knows if Getrag makes a stronger diff??? If they are splicing 9"s in...why not a Viper rear and keep the IRS?
I trust you are checking out the Mercs forums for any issues as well???
09-02-2005, 01:24 AM
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As far as i've seen, the Merc's are rock solid....a few sofware issues, and a few very minor issues, but it's pretty much granite.
There's a guy on the Merc forum with the Kleeman s7 kit on his c55 (570 hp) on stock internals, with absolutely no problems.
I would be getting an 06 cts-v, so would they have the anti wheel hop bushings and such already installed?
btw, i'm coming from a 400 awhp mitsu evo viii, so i've dealt with horrible customer service, and i don't want to go through that again.
I even had shitty service experiences when my EVO was stock.
There's a guy on the Merc forum with the Kleeman s7 kit on his c55 (570 hp) on stock internals, with absolutely no problems.
I would be getting an 06 cts-v, so would they have the anti wheel hop bushings and such already installed?
btw, i'm coming from a 400 awhp mitsu evo viii, so i've dealt with horrible customer service, and i don't want to go through that again.
I even had shitty service experiences when my EVO was stock.
09-02-2005, 01:57 AM
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Yes, I've heard of the customer service of those smaller turbo cars, "aggressive driving"..thats BS!
But I do not know of any car company that would not fuss about aftermarket items when you try to get warranty work done. What I have seen so far, is the high number of TSBs Cadillac has and how comparatively quickly they came out with them.
Acura had several problems which just turned up to be BAD engineering...but what they did was de-tune the engine to keep the trannies from blowing...throw on a lower carbon break pad to keep the rotors from warping. They never really fixed anything, just put a Band-Aid on and made it a lesser car.
But yes, the 06s do have the newer bushings installed.
I also heard they are going to new powertrains in the near future, the 7 liter engine and a smaller supercharged motor....this is from my salesman. He said the 7 liter had the same power output though....but noted it as a disadvantage because there isn't nearly the aftermarket as there is for the LS6.
But I do not know of any car company that would not fuss about aftermarket items when you try to get warranty work done. What I have seen so far, is the high number of TSBs Cadillac has and how comparatively quickly they came out with them.
Acura had several problems which just turned up to be BAD engineering...but what they did was de-tune the engine to keep the trannies from blowing...throw on a lower carbon break pad to keep the rotors from warping. They never really fixed anything, just put a Band-Aid on and made it a lesser car.
But yes, the 06s do have the newer bushings installed.
I also heard they are going to new powertrains in the near future, the 7 liter engine and a smaller supercharged motor....this is from my salesman. He said the 7 liter had the same power output though....but noted it as a disadvantage because there isn't nearly the aftermarket as there is for the LS6.
09-02-2005, 06:18 PM
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The '06 has:
1)Beefed Rear Diff - Same as the STS-V so we know it's at least good for another 40 ft/lbs of torque
2) Improved rear bushings - one can only guess that the wheel hop is reduced
3) Magnetic Select Ride Suspension - Listed on the website and a surprise to most of us honestly.
4) LS2 - Peak HP and TQ numbers are the same, but there's more under the curve. Car MUST be faster but of course that remains to be seen.
5) No gas guzzler tax. A quick savings of $1,000+.
My '05 with 17,500 miles is still available. New rear differential, new transmission, new NAV system and TSB bushings installed. $37,500. And yes, I'm still serious.
1)Beefed Rear Diff - Same as the STS-V so we know it's at least good for another 40 ft/lbs of torque
2) Improved rear bushings - one can only guess that the wheel hop is reduced
3) Magnetic Select Ride Suspension - Listed on the website and a surprise to most of us honestly.
4) LS2 - Peak HP and TQ numbers are the same, but there's more under the curve. Car MUST be faster but of course that remains to be seen.
5) No gas guzzler tax. A quick savings of $1,000+.
My '05 with 17,500 miles is still available. New rear differential, new transmission, new NAV system and TSB bushings installed. $37,500. And yes, I'm still serious.
09-04-2005, 06:30 AM
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Originally Posted by cvp33
The '06 has:
1)Beefed Rear Diff - Same as the STS-V so we know it's at least good for another 40 ft/lbs of torque
2) Improved rear bushings - one can only guess that the wheel hop is reduced
3) Magnetic Select Ride Suspension - Listed on the website and a surprise to most of us honestly.
4) LS2 - Peak HP and TQ numbers are the same, but there's more under the curve. Car MUST be faster but of course that remains to be seen.
5) No gas guzzler tax. A quick savings of $1,000+.
My '05 with 17,500 miles is still available. New rear differential, new transmission, new NAV system and TSB bushings installed. $37,500. And yes, I'm still serious.
1)Beefed Rear Diff - Same as the STS-V so we know it's at least good for another 40 ft/lbs of torque
2) Improved rear bushings - one can only guess that the wheel hop is reduced
3) Magnetic Select Ride Suspension - Listed on the website and a surprise to most of us honestly.
4) LS2 - Peak HP and TQ numbers are the same, but there's more under the curve. Car MUST be faster but of course that remains to be seen.
5) No gas guzzler tax. A quick savings of $1,000+.
My '05 with 17,500 miles is still available. New rear differential, new transmission, new NAV system and TSB bushings installed. $37,500. And yes, I'm still serious.