Repair-It

http://www.edmunds.com/cadillac/sts/2005/road-test-2/

Still looking for V6 performance specs. That V6 is out anyway. I don't trust those early non-DI 3.6L V6s.

The best of breed on the STS is probably the refreshed 2008-2010 model. They added the 3.6L DI V6.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/200 ... -road-test

It's basically as fast as the Northstar, which is about when the Northstar became undeniably out of date.

Actually it IS as fast as the Northstar. 14.7 sec @ 97 mph

Braking, 70-0 mph: 159 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g

That's actually significantly better braking than even the 2005 GTO, for reference. Skidpad is 0.02G less and most likely on inferior tires.

Power (SAE net): 302 bhp @ 6300 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 272 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm

11.3:1 compression!

I am sure these are still worth over $10k.

Price check on 2008+ V6s:

$9k
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/5338534089.html

$9.5k, and this one has some premium shit. Heated rear seats. Oh man, options boner.
http://easternshore.craigslist.org/cto/5315803983.html

$7k!
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5338703194.html

Definitely the value leader. Everything else is over $10k. This is AWD, even.

2008 Cadillac STS direct injection 3.6 liter
130,xxx miles
-Navigation
-Heated seats
-Sunroof
☆Very well maintained☆
Healthy motor & transmission
Adult driven
Oil changed every 3,000 miles
Tune ups every 20,000 miles
Water pump & head gasket changed around 97,xxx miles
Interior is very clean
Extirior is also very clean minus minor scratches in the back bumper
Only serious buyer please contact me and do not waste mine or your time.
A little negotiable on price

Head gasket? Interesting.

To me, this is a lot nicer than a B-Body or a GTO, for not much more than a B-Body:
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/5346301857.html

Apparently this is an 8cyl AWD. $3,200. They even get points in my weird point system because they are fairly rare too.

http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/cto/5323558068.html

I think I like these...

Wow, keyless ignition in 2006. This is definitely the options-wood vehicle, and they are certainly affordable. They didn't get the 6L50 until 2007 though.

These cars are not cheap maintenance like a b-body though.

As much as it runs counter to everything I believe in, the thought of a $3,200 STS with the Northstar and AWD (and heated REAR seats) as a supreme winter "beater" is pretty awesome. Though I can easily argue my way out of that thinking because AWD is still heavier (I will confirm the difference), impacts fuel economy (the actual specs may be hardly different though), and is additional mechanical complexity.

2005 STS V8

RWD old ratings: 17/26
RWD new ratings: 15/23

AWD old ratings: 16/22 (large impact to highway)
AWD new ratings: 14/21 (the new ratings significantly diminish the AWD penalty...)

Experience with the Northstar suggests that the new ratings are probably accurate, in which case the difference in the COMBINED rating between RWD and AWD is only 1 mpg. Weight is next.

kevm14 wrote:2005 STS V8

RWD old ratings: 17/26
RWD new ratings: 15/23

AWD old ratings: 16/22 (large impact to highway)
AWD new ratings: 14/21 (the new ratings significantly diminish the AWD penalty...)

Experience with the Northstar suggests that the new ratings are probably accurate, in which case the difference in the COMBINED rating between RWD and AWD is only 1 mpg. Weight is next.

Those numbers sound alot like an LT1 B-body.

2005 STS V8 RWD: Roughly 4,100 lbs, +/- 50 lbs for options I guess.
2005 STS V8 AWD: 4,231 lbs, which was hard to find, but I guess we'll say AWD adds 100 lbs or maybe a tad more. Not too bad I guess, and maybe not really a big deal on a 2 ton sedan.

There were so many different options and packages with these. Apparently you could even get a 3.42 axle which probably drives awesome.

So the SRX and STS have an identical wheelbase, at 116.4" (exactly half an inch longer than a B-body). I believe there are substantial other similarities. The AWD system may be the same.

If that's true, I know at least the early SRX transfer cases had a chain stretch issue (which effected far more than just GM as it isn't theirs). You can replace the chain but you have to take everything apart, obviously. Symptoms were pretty a nasty clunk/shudder in any situation where the front is doing some work. The chain would actually skip teeth. Ouch.