Fun fact: the first CTS Hammond drives is a three owner car, that is still on the road. The one in the studio is a one owner car, first sold in 2007 and also still on the road.
@@CIARUNSITE It's because is isn't a common car and fairly hard to sell. Our fuel prices are insane as well. I've never owned a car built after 1996, but they were all common models. Normally they use a press car for shoots like this and it gets sold, I'm surprised there was a market for them here. I've never seen one and it's a small country.
This comment! ^^^^^^^ Jeremy Clarkson is the most 'American' Brit ever. As much as he only likes power I'm surprised he likes turning his car at all and doesn't just like flooring it on a straight away.
Aidan Rule Yes, the Ford GT is American. Although the manufacturer was forced to concieve that the wheels are German... and the brakes are Italian..and the gearbox is British and the body is British and the steering rack is from an Aston Martin Vanquish. And the Chassis was set up by some guys from Lotus. Yea, American all round I'd say.
John Armstrong The average american vehicle is garbage. I was looking at the market a while ago and I had a Golf GTi in my budget... Mark VII. I thought.. nice, but pricey. So I happened to wander down the dealerships and came across a "Chrysler 300"... Holy shit. Cheaper than the Golf GTi... and when I ran my hand along the body, none of the doors actually sit flush with the body... or the bumpers... and I noticed considerable differences in the panel gaps between the doors the boot lid, etc.... I sat in the driver's seat and I saw a wheel type switch to adjust the interior lighting and I put my finger on it to roll it and it went into the dash. I am not making this shit up. The car is fucking garbage, and it's the same car as the charger.... both are trash.
@@Dutch09 American here, would absolutely love to visit your country someday. I've done a lot of research on your country and have a few friends from there, and it seems like a lovely little place to go to.
James May is the only one that understands American luxury. Luxury cars aren't supposed to set records on race tracks. It's all about a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride.
I just watched that episode on UA-cam the other day, in the USA Muscle Car Road trip. I am an American. If Hammond was mainly American that would be cool.
nahh, he's just a good car crítica. Not much like Jeremy, who is a proud British who won't accept the fact that UK made good production cars 60 years ago, and not further than that
I had a 2007 CTS with some decent options on a lease for $320/month with tax with like $1000/down - the sticker was around $37,000 I think and it was much more loaded than that one shown, plus they pumped it up to 274hp I believe as well. It was certainly more luxury than sport, but it wouldn't kill you in the corners - and it was the first car I ever had where the the traction control was useful. Since it was a lease I didn't swap out the tires like I normally would, and on wet roads the stock tires would try to kill you - but the traction control would catch and correct, it worked well. Oh and safety... this car is amazing... flat out amazing. I got rammed in the rear by a huge SUV and pushed into head-on traffic where I got crushed by huge SUV which was doing 55mph. The car folded up like a NASCAR wreck, was completely destroyed in the back and front - and I walked away from it. Was amazing. If I had been in my older Corvette I would have 100% been dead. Then I replaced the 07 CTS with an 08 CTS, which is the newer model, and it was fully loaded with everything, all the tech toys, heated seats, air conditioned seats, DVD-audio, double-panel sunroof, the build quality was dramatically better. I will agree with this review, the plastics inside this early CTS were dreadful - the newer CTS had the best looking interior I've seen in any car that anyone can afford, and it was really well made. The car was also just a great great looking car, just fantastic. Anywho that car took the price from like $37k to $50k, and boy was it worth the difference in money. That 08 CTS upped the power to 304hp, it wouldn't win a drag race as it weighted well over 4000 pounds, but it wasn't slow either, but even more amazing is that you could corner - for a larger car you could corner really well. That 08-13 CTS is the one to get used if you want cheap luxury. They cost nothing, which I don't get, and it's really easy to find mostly loaded models with low mileage and it will cost a lot less than any new car - I mean the crappiest new car you can find, for that money you could get a fully loaded CTS with low mileage and an bumper to bumper warranty for 3-years for the same, if not less, money.
@@zzoinks you can get a used car warranty on just about anything, plus if you bought something used like this from a Caddy dealership, you got the same treatment as you get with a new car. You'll pay a few thousands dollars for it, but on a used luxury car, you're probably saving tens of thousands of dollars. Although, if you buy a Cadillac, it's still the GM parts bin for a lot of stuff, so it's not super expensive to fix most stuff -- well pre-pandemic / parts shortage anyways.
I do have to say, though, I am really happy with my CTS that I ended up buying low-miles-used from a friend. Good MPGs, rear-wheel-drive, reliable, and plenty of space all around. Corners well, too. And the steering radius is tiny for such a big car - I must look like a madman sometimes in parking lots.
Have you seen some of the corners in the US? I seen giant ones that go 270 circumference or even 360 if you want to go in the same direction like giant roundabout. Not even talking about the belts or Mixmaster highways you go off those at 15 or 25 to 45 miles per hours into nothing but air till you drop to the ground. Or those other curves that throw you off a cliff if you drive anything but a drift car well.
@@loganshaw9198 Not if you live in one of those towns where the only affordable grub you can get is from fast food joints. I drive rail road crews for a living and these dudes will eat twice their own weight, but be skinny as twigs. I honestly wish I knew how they do it (could be the work they do). I clock in between 300 to 400, myself and I've been avoiding those places... recently. Working on that, y'know.
@@CThompson17 high metabolism or they're actually burning calories they ate at their work. I was 6 foot tall and 140 pound now I am 6 foot 3in tall and on good days 240 or 260 on bad days but the 140 was my teen years now i am in my early 30s.
That could be the Zeta floorpan. It was first used on the VE Holden Commodore aka Pontiac G8. They were designed for precision behind the wheel, not the "boat through the surf" ride of the old Cadillacs. They were designed to beat the then new BMW 5 Series for handling. You will notice bumps, but in Commodores, it's not hugely intrusive. Always good to get some feedback from what the wheels are doing on the road
Some of you Americans on here are taking things a little too personally. Clarkson winds people up - its what he does. Its amusing as long as its not something you like or represent! Chill out. He does like some American cars. We know that.
I Love Cadillacs...got a 2008 STS in the UK -real headturner and very rare RHD ....and a 2003 Eldorado Touring Coupe with a Northstar engine in Vancouver....fairly rare ..I love them both ..and after sitting for 4/6 months -they always start first time...and I keep them immaculate...
I own a 2005 Cadillac cts....Its a fun car to drive looks great... handles well...great gas mileage...good power...255 hp...but expensive to maintain and fix. but worth it.. to me ....I know its not the best out there but i love my car and it makes me happy and thats all that really matters...
Believe it or not, there are quite a few older American cars that handle decently, even a few muscle cars. And as for what Jeremy said at the end, he changes his opinion about American cars every 10 seconds, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he said he doesn't like it. Now, if they'd made that video 10 seconds longer.....
+lemkelegion My friend owns a cab company in a major American city and he bought up almost every used Impala from the era that he came across to have for his fleet.
"I don't like any American car." This coming from the guy whom only a year later would own a Ford GT. Which he then sold because Ford UK done goofed and put an immobilizer that made the electrics go all haywire. (The car wasn't sold with an immobilizer in the U.S. and thus didn't suffer from the same issues as Jeremy's GT did.)
@@TheCarsfan4ever yes Jeremy's Insurance Company made him have an immobilizer on his GT which didn't work with the GT's electrical system that's why Jeremy had so many issues with it
British cars...reliable if you look after them. American cars: unreliable, inefficient, uncomfortable, badly made, rubbish interiors, rubbish fuel economy. Why are there many british cars in the states and very few american made cars in the UK
@@ThatGuy-te9wh you may not have, but there are plenty of Jaguars, MGs were historically popular, healeys. The british sports car was very popular in the states.
I bought a 2003 Cadillac CTS and love it, it's the best car I personally have ever driven! But if I am distracted or tired in the morning, I can occasionally mix up the hand brake release and the hood latch release.
You really don't know your American history, do you... Here is a list of over 1600 US car companies who went bust in the last century. Read and weep, Floyd. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_automobile_manufacturers_of_the_United_States
Oddly enough when the v sport was realeased, it set records at the nuremburg (or however it's spelled) and was smoking all the germans in its class for half the price....
Emka953 WRONG. He owned the Ford GT, a modern remake of the GT40. The GT40 was made during the 60s And technically the GT40 isn't an American car, since it was designed, engineered and built by the UK division of Ford.
They won't be joking about how American cars handle anymore. GMs magnaride is one of the greatest innovations in suspension technology borrowed by high end auto manufacturers like Ferrari.
@@jasonhook3884 delphi bring Irish American....... Actually, upon further inspection, Aptive PLC is a successor of delphi which was a fully American company that was a component of GM. I don't see any references to anything Australian
Moses Cen I know, they lately tested only cars that can be shipped to Britain therefor not leaving UK, or go to America. The Dutch market doesn't differ from the UK market and what does differ is not worth reviewing.
I think what makes these old reviews so special is the choice of music. I mean seriously some of it is incredible. This video has 2 songs, those being Darker by Doves and Break Me Gently (Incidental) also by Doves. The first thing I thought when I watched this video was “I need to know what this song is NOW.” Who would’ve thought one car review from the 2000s would introduce you to a whole new artist.
+Josh Opray you are so ignorant as indicated by your immediate recourse to insults and foul language. A little Google search will help you learn about cars and English. Unless you enjoy your ignorance in which case I wish you well.
I love American cars. The key is finding the right one. our cars are cheap, yes.... But they're fun to drive and are cheap to fix. For example the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Supercharged is a great car, yes it has so much plastic it should be called a Plastiac, but who cares. We dont care about interiors, why does that even matter?
Theres No God I don't mind how a interior looks or feels as long as its warm, comfortable and has all the things i want in it such as a CD player and a radio, power windows and seats and a few other things
+lemkelegion Ever driven a Pugeot? I got the shit cut out of my hand and leg due to their dastardly interior plastics. I think the Euros are delusional, the same company makes the plastic interior for Euro and American cars. At least the Americans can fit them together where you aren't getting the shit cut out of you.
+lemkelegion "Don't care about interiors." What? I do. That's where you spend your time when you're operating a vehicle. A car should be a nice place to sit in, not a plastic coffin.
Why do people get so much carried away by anger when someone insults the cars made in their country. It's the companies located in these countries that make them, not the country itself... Pride is really a bitch, I guess...
You just have to think how far this car has come. From an average sedan to a German slaying track day beast that can also be your daily. For less money with exceptional build quality.
Writefag Greens yer there is a clip on here before he sold it where they were asking him about his new car, it was nearly five minutes of him explaining what had gone wrong with it just in the small amount of time he had it lol
All the great “quintessentially British” cars are not. RR and Bentley are German, Range Rover is now Indian, Britain doesn’t mass-produce any vehicle, which makes Jeremy sad. So he picks on other countries that DO produce cars, and ESPECIALLY if they’re not the highest quality. He can’t pick on Japan because let’s face it, they may not be the most exciting cars, they make the most reliable ones on earth. USA’s definitely in the top 5 for production, but when this was aired, we were in the top 5 for least reliable cars. So it’s justifiable, I suppose, and good on Clarkson for punching up and not down. Take what he says with a smile, ‘cause he’s a third grader trying to look cool to all his friends by picking a fight with an 8th grader. An 8th grader’s not about to beat up a toddler, so the 3rd grader gets to pretend like he’s cool 😎 just let Clarkson have his fun. At least our smallest car manufacturer is bigger than their biggest. And their biggest makes their cars out of wood. (Side note: I absolutely adore the Morgan, and will fight anyone who says otherwise [sidesidenote: except the crosseyed one, yeah that was a poor choice]).
As an American that never has, and probably never will own an American car, I can feel this. That being said, remember that guy with the dependable Range Rover? Neither do I.
@@carloduroni5629 well quite, Clarkson himself commented as such in his DVD "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly," "... I was talking to someone from Ford the other day and they assured me that this was 'an all American effort.' Although he was forced to concede that the wheels are German, and the brakes are Italian, and the gearbox is British, and the body is British and the steering rack is off an Aston Martin Vanquish and the chassis was set up by a couple of guys from Lotus,"
@@SiVlog1989 An anecdote: In mid-Nineties, Chrysler decided to sell its Neon (Plymouth/Dodge in the USA) in Italy, through their representative which was a client of the Adv agency I worked for. When I saw the car, my knowledge of the Italian market - which should've been reasonably lesser than the car maker's and seller's - made me think "It won't sell." Guess what? It didn't sell. In Italy - as in all Southern European markets - a 4.4mt long car with a 2litre engine was considered almost a luxury car; space is a premium and road tax was based upon engine displacement. There we had a fairly big car with a big engine but with quality comparable to a Fiat Panda. NOBODY wanted it. They shifted most of them by giving them in payment for adv space to TV and Print media instead of cash. But then the media had problems in cashing them in turn. Nobody wanted them, even for free, 'cause it made you look stupid. Despite the "reknown" American car reliability, Neons disappeared from the streets as soon as they got there - probably, owners/drivers took the chance of the minimum fault to get rid of them "Oh! There's a faulty bulb!" >> scrapyard.
@@carloduroni5629 in that DVD I was talking about, he puts various American cars up against counterparts from Europe. At times in it, he lets rip about them. For example, he reviewed the Cadillac XLR-V, "the most expensive sports car America has ever made,"* (*circa the time of filming, 2006) and although it had some fancy touches, befitting of it being so expensive, he said: "on paper then, this car appears to be as spectacular as it looks, it appears to be amazing, and it is! Amazingly awful! "I honestly do not know where to start with this thing I mean, with the antilock brakes perhaps, which cut in far too soon or the enormous steering wheel the size of the Peartree Roundabout on the Oxford Ringroad or the buffeting or the buttock shrivelling understeer you get in every single bend. "They've given this car antiroll bars front and rear, they've stiffened upnthe lower control arm bushes, they've given it European tyres [Pirellis] and none of it has worked! "Nor does the active exhaust system which makes a wide variety of different noises depending on where you've got the accelerator and what kind of revs you're doing. The extraordinary thing is though is that none of the noises it makes are nice, I mean you'd thought that they got one of them right by accident, but no! Honestly it's like farts, lots of different types [but] don't really want to hear any of them... But the worst thing, I think is the 6 speed Automatic gearbox because it only takes your toenail to grow a millionth of a millimetre and it'll suddenly change down, or up, and you don't know which. All you know is that you don't want it to do anything when you're in the middle of a corner, listen (sound of gears shifting up then down) down up! STOP IT!! JUST BE A GEARBOX!!" That's just a taster, he also take the Micky out of the Corvette Z06 in terms of how it doesn't work on the road, amongst others
Yes, and I imagine they've had a little bit more than routine maintenance done on them. My 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe has 90k miles and the only service required so far has been fluid changes. And it will probably go for quite a while before it needs any major service - farther than any old car could do. That was my point.
this is an out-dated fact about american cars. Perhaps the cheap plastic interior is still true in some cases..but the Corvette and the Viper hold some of the fastest lap times around the Nurburing in Germany. Also, the new Camaros and Mustangs handle quite well around corners and offer a quick v6 option as well.
Ignacio Quezada And you probably paid more for the Volvo, it's funny how people act like price doesn't make a difference. The Mustang is a fun car that the average person can afford, it's not a luxury car.
Everyone's cars have their flaws so don't come bully us Americans. We make our cars that way because that suits our cities and country. We have our cities on grid systems and our roads are mostly Interstate Highways which are straight.
This is UK Top Gear, of course they are going to be biased towards British cars. Just like the US Top Gear is biased towards American cars. Plus, regardless of how your cities are, having good handling is an important safety feature, and having cars which can't handle well is a bit dumb. Also, American cars are generally harassed because for you guys, the way to make a car go faster is to simply make the engine bigger. For the Japanese and British, they make their engines more efficient. Not necessarily on petrol, just more intelligently designed engines. There is a reason American automotive companies are all either being sold to British companies, getting huge bailouts, or going under. And it's not because the cars are great. It's because they are expensive and not that good.
SamAkbarizadeh, you are right! My grandmother owned a '85 Cadillac Seville, and my grandfather owned a '84 Fleetwood brougham, and they were beautiful cars.
I just got a 2004 Cadillac CTS used at 147,000KMS I was wondering if that was a good buy or should I try to trade/sell for something different before I come into likely problems with the car. This IS my first car and I want something that will work well, is good on gas, and is flashy. Did I go with the right choice?
A bit arrogant but I have to agree with him about the interior. Could've been much nicer especially for a luxury car. For the time I think I would have preferred to have a Lincoln LS
I popped the hood on the highway in mine lol as a mechanic and former v1 owner I can honestly say it's the shittiest performance car I've ever owned.. if yours hasn't taken control of the steering and sent you across 3 lanes yet, it will.. sell it while they're still worth 10k
ok im from america and i know american cars arent the best, but what is jeremy trying to prove by knocking on the fender? are there cars out there that dont make noise when you tap them? his arguments against american cars most of the time can be applied to just about any other car. how about bentley and rolls royce with their cheap plastic "chrome" grills? oh its an english car, so lets just ignore that.
It echoes, it sounds kind of thin and hollow, and it's definitely not a sign of tremendous build quality. And hey, bite your tongue on Rolls Royce and Bentley grills. Don't know why you singled those out, but they're most certainly not cheap plastic.
As a Caddilac owner i can confirm that i am 112 years old
Lol
you spelled it wrong :D
+minemac69 Arthritis.
as an owner of 2 cadillacs I can also confirm
then you must be 224 years old :D
"The STS is rubbish"
15 years later
*Arrives in China in an STS*
They are known for contradicting themselves on occasion
CrEamY sMoOtH rElIaBlE nOrTh StAr V8 EnGiNe, RAC APPROVED lololol *BREAKS DOWN IN GERMAN*
“THIS IS MAGNIFICENT”
It's rubbish...
@@alistairwalker2850 every human being ever is known for that.
Very poorly titled video
This is a review (not a challenge) of a MODERN Cadillac (singular).
The moment you realize even Top Gear is doing clickbait :((
to do a 'Cadillac' is a challenge!
Fun fact: the first CTS Hammond drives is a three owner car, that is still on the road. The one in the studio is a one owner car, first sold in 2007 and also still on the road.
I'm incredibly confused as to how a car still being on the road after 14 years is noteworthy. The average age of cars in the US is over 12.
@@CIARUNSITE It's because is isn't a common car and fairly hard to sell. Our fuel prices are insane as well. I've never owned a car built after 1996, but they were all common models.
Normally they use a press car for shoots like this and it gets sold, I'm surprised there was a market for them here. I've never seen one and it's a small country.
How geeky do you have to be to actually look up those facts :D
@@tobiasschultz9525 Major car geek.
Probably not "on the road" its just impossible to sell which isn't surprising.. its horrible 😅
Seeing as Cadillac started making cars 40 years before the invention of the automatic trans, I'm fairly certain they've sold manuals before the CTS.
I'm guessing it was probably implied that it's the first in Europe, not in general
But they didnt have the OPTION of a manual...
Technically he was correct.
"Don't like any American car..."
Then he buys a Ford GT and calls it his favorite Supercar...
This comment! ^^^^^^^ Jeremy Clarkson is the most 'American' Brit ever. As much as he only likes power I'm surprised he likes turning his car at all and doesn't just like flooring it on a straight away.
Ford GT is american...? ROFL.
Aidan Rule Yes, the Ford GT is American. Although the manufacturer was forced to concieve that the wheels are German... and the brakes are Italian..and the gearbox is British and the body is British and the steering rack is from an Aston Martin Vanquish. And the Chassis was set up by some guys from Lotus.
Yea, American all round I'd say.
Little bit of a difference talking about an average sedan than a super car. He's right. American cars are shit.
John Armstrong The average american vehicle is garbage. I was looking at the market a while ago and I had a Golf GTi in my budget... Mark VII. I thought.. nice, but pricey. So I happened to wander down the dealerships and came across a "Chrysler 300"... Holy shit. Cheaper than the Golf GTi... and when I ran my hand along the body, none of the doors actually sit flush with the body... or the bumpers... and I noticed considerable differences in the panel gaps between the doors the boot lid, etc....
I sat in the driver's seat and I saw a wheel type switch to adjust the interior lighting and I put my finger on it to roll it and it went into the dash. I am not making this shit up. The car is fucking garbage, and it's the same car as the charger.... both are trash.
“It probably pulls really well uphill, but well, we are in Holland, so...”
As a Dutchie, I approve
@@Rob-qk8rs tbf, some
@@Dutch09 American here, would absolutely love to visit your country someday. I've done a lot of research on your country and have a few friends from there, and it seems like a lovely little place to go to.
James May is the only one that understands American luxury. Luxury cars aren't supposed to set records on race tracks. It's all about a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride.
James May is also 800 years old, though.
@@jasonhook3884 so he has like 8 Cadillacs...
55 in a straight line while eating a burger in comfort is all an American needs! Air con and electric everything to make it easy, all for $30,000
quiet cars kill, that's why electric cars are bad, epically how there's a thing called "bad hearing"
@@GB-vn1tf you can buy a car for £2500ish and have the same comfort, if not, better!
"You see Cadillac realized their average customer is about 112 years old" I nearly rolled over and died laughing lol
The way he explained American luxury is pure gold.
As a CTS owner, I can say it's the best car I've ever driven - and I drove a lot of them.
Just bought one for 2500$ with 75000km from a old man who bought it new for 40k back in 2007. No rust I love it
I own a 04 CTS and i love her. Still works like a champ after 17 years
Cadillac already knew Britain was going to leave the European Union.
and than the money was going
"...or as a President who can spell."
That aged horribly well
Especially if you skip some 8 years in between...
The Fizio that rhymed
Orange man bad
@@Hodjum Orange man good
So you have “orange man bad” vs “child
Sniffer Uncle Joe”
"The last time i saw plastics like this, it contained tic tacs." Hahahahahaha
"They're for pimps and pensioners."
Or, in its native US, the CTS is the chariot of drug dealers.
@@twotailedavenger nissan altimas/maximas are the most common for drug dealers. i live in an area with alot of drug dealers, speaking from experience
Hammond is a secret american XD
megadriver6 Richard "Cheeseburger" Hammond III
I just watched that episode on UA-cam the other day, in the USA Muscle Car Road trip.
I am an American. If Hammond was mainly American that would be cool.
nahh, he's just a good car crítica. Not much like Jeremy, who is a proud British who won't accept the fact that UK made good production cars 60 years ago, and not further than that
@@L3AP2020 no, hes pretty good but hes the comedian as well. Besides, he likes some american cars. Get sarcasm
@@TuddecBMW I thought it was Richard 'Spaghetti Bolognese' Hammond
Tbh the new Cadillacs have really uped there game like the CTS, ATS, Escalade, XTS and the CT6. I'd love to see them in UK
The "congratulations, fat man from Kentucky" was still ahead in Jeremy's life and career at this point. So nostalgic.
I had a 2007 CTS with some decent options on a lease for $320/month with tax with like $1000/down - the sticker was around $37,000 I think and it was much more loaded than that one shown, plus they pumped it up to 274hp I believe as well. It was certainly more luxury than sport, but it wouldn't kill you in the corners - and it was the first car I ever had where the the traction control was useful. Since it was a lease I didn't swap out the tires like I normally would, and on wet roads the stock tires would try to kill you - but the traction control would catch and correct, it worked well.
Oh and safety... this car is amazing... flat out amazing. I got rammed in the rear by a huge SUV and pushed into head-on traffic where I got crushed by huge SUV which was doing 55mph. The car folded up like a NASCAR wreck, was completely destroyed in the back and front - and I walked away from it. Was amazing. If I had been in my older Corvette I would have 100% been dead.
Then I replaced the 07 CTS with an 08 CTS, which is the newer model, and it was fully loaded with everything, all the tech toys, heated seats, air conditioned seats, DVD-audio, double-panel sunroof, the build quality was dramatically better. I will agree with this review, the plastics inside this early CTS were dreadful - the newer CTS had the best looking interior I've seen in any car that anyone can afford, and it was really well made. The car was also just a great great looking car, just fantastic. Anywho that car took the price from like $37k to $50k, and boy was it worth the difference in money. That 08 CTS upped the power to 304hp, it wouldn't win a drag race as it weighted well over 4000 pounds, but it wasn't slow either, but even more amazing is that you could corner - for a larger car you could corner really well. That 08-13 CTS is the one to get used if you want cheap luxury. They cost nothing, which I don't get, and it's really easy to find mostly loaded models with low mileage and it will cost a lot less than any new car - I mean the crappiest new car you can find, for that money you could get a fully loaded CTS with low mileage and an bumper to bumper warranty for 3-years for the same, if not less, money.
I didn't know you could still get those with a warranty. At least 6 years ago
@@zzoinks you can get a used car warranty on just about anything, plus if you bought something used like this from a Caddy dealership, you got the same treatment as you get with a new car. You'll pay a few thousands dollars for it, but on a used luxury car, you're probably saving tens of thousands of dollars. Although, if you buy a Cadillac, it's still the GM parts bin for a lot of stuff, so it's not super expensive to fix most stuff -- well pre-pandemic / parts shortage anyways.
I do have to say, though, I am really happy with my CTS that I ended up buying low-miles-used from a friend. Good MPGs, rear-wheel-drive, reliable, and plenty of space all around. Corners well, too. And the steering radius is tiny for such a big car - I must look like a madman sometimes in parking lots.
Classic Cadillacs Challenge? New Cadillac CTS review would be an accurate description.
"Classic" Cadillacs, not even a 70's or older era mentioned.
"The corner is as strange to Americans as a small meal or a president who can spell."
As a man from Ohio, I can confirm that's still accurate.
Have you seen some of the corners in the US? I seen giant ones that go 270 circumference or even 360 if you want to go in the same direction like giant roundabout. Not even talking about the belts or Mixmaster highways you go off those at 15 or 25 to 45 miles per hours into nothing but air till you drop to the ground. Or those other curves that throw you off a cliff if you drive anything but a drift car well.
@@loganshaw9198 I was talking more about the "small meal" and "president who can spell." Even after one year, still accurate, lol.
@@CThompson17 have you seen the some of the portion sizes they've been cutting down on the meals. But ya can not say anything about the can not spell.
@@loganshaw9198 Not if you live in one of those towns where the only affordable grub you can get is from fast food joints. I drive rail road crews for a living and these dudes will eat twice their own weight, but be skinny as twigs. I honestly wish I knew how they do it (could be the work they do). I clock in between 300 to 400, myself and I've been avoiding those places... recently. Working on that, y'know.
@@CThompson17 high metabolism or they're actually burning calories they ate at their work. I was 6 foot tall and 140 pound now I am 6 foot 3in tall and on good days 240 or 260 on bad days but the 140 was my teen years now i am in my early 30s.
That could be the Zeta floorpan. It was first used on the VE Holden Commodore aka Pontiac G8. They were designed for precision behind the wheel, not the "boat through the surf" ride of the old Cadillacs. They were designed to beat the then new BMW 5 Series for handling. You will notice bumps, but in Commodores, it's not hugely intrusive. Always good to get some feedback from what the wheels are doing on the road
I actually love this car, better than what they've put out in a long time.
Its interesting that when the cts v got the magnetic suspension it was one of the best handling cars on the market
Yeah coz its a holden commodore VE underneath.
Some of you Americans on here are taking things a little too personally. Clarkson winds people up - its what he does. Its amusing as long as its not something you like or represent! Chill out. He does like some American cars. We know that.
We can all be a good sport while watching these guys work. Its entertainment, not the twaddle you see on other shows
@@C0Nz-_0 America is britain strong hot tempered rebelious son and britain gotta make up for it with a hefty dose of snobbism......
@@C0Nz-_0 So what does Australia relate as?
winchuni22 But he’s always so negative and nasty. It’s tiring.
@@LewisBowels Britain's even younger criminal cousin of course
"The corner is as strange to Americans as a small meal or a president who cal spell'
#covfeve
Boy he was ON with that one 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@gofa curself Wow, you just witnessed a small typo. Great job👍
@gofa curself he was quoting Richard, not making a statement.
@Bilal Khalid it was just a typo my guy. i don't see what the big deal is
I Love Cadillacs...got a 2008 STS in the UK -real headturner and very rare RHD ....and a 2003 Eldorado Touring Coupe with a Northstar engine in Vancouver....fairly rare ..I love them both ..and after sitting for 4/6 months -they always start first time...and I keep them immaculate...
03:26 "This isint bad, AND its American!" XD
I own a 2005 Cadillac cts....Its a fun car to drive looks great... handles well...great gas mileage...good power...255 hp...but expensive to maintain and fix. but worth it.. to me ....I know its not the best out there but i love my car and it makes me happy and thats all that really matters...
I miss these guys!!
Me too
Believe it or not, there are quite a few older American cars that handle decently, even a few muscle cars. And as for what Jeremy said at the end, he changes his opinion about American cars every 10 seconds, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he said he doesn't like it. Now, if they'd made that video 10 seconds longer.....
Always wondered what GM engineers were thinking in the 90's and mid 2000's...
+rompn4x C'mon. The i90's Impala SS was lovely
Yes, yes it is...
+lemkelegion Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Brougham....? I've owned a 93 fleetwood brougham it was one of the best cars I've ever owned.
They had to many car companies to manage. Including many of the "European" cars that had a hand in.
+lemkelegion
My friend owns a cab company in a major American city and he bought up almost every used Impala from the era that he came across to have for his fleet.
"I don't like any American car."
This coming from the guy whom only a year later would own a Ford GT.
Which he then sold because Ford UK done goofed and put an immobilizer that made the electrics go all haywire. (The car wasn't sold with an immobilizer in the U.S. and thus didn't suffer from the same issues as Jeremy's GT did.)
His insurance company, not Ford.
Also the Ford GT, american? 😂
The only thing american about a ford GT is the badge
@@TheCarsfan4ever yes Jeremy's Insurance Company made him have an immobilizer on his GT which didn't work with the GT's electrical system that's why Jeremy had so many issues with it
@@Blackout_1692 I never said it wasn't but OC is pointing fingers at the wrong place
*British Cars* : Unreliable
*American Cars* : Cheaply Made
Facts you can't deny
British cars...reliable if you look after them.
American cars: unreliable, inefficient, uncomfortable, badly made, rubbish interiors, rubbish fuel economy.
Why are there many british cars in the states and very few american made cars in the UK
@@dahorn100011 I have literally never seen a British-made car in America.
@@ThatGuy-te9wh you may not have, but there are plenty of Jaguars, MGs were historically popular, healeys. The british sports car was very popular in the states.
Was. The fact that there are none left might point to something
Admiral_Awesome reliable if you look after them?... so either not reliable or the same as most machines right?
fun fact: the owner of the first Cadillac in Holland is still being driven to this day
I bought a 2003 Cadillac CTS and love it, it's the best car I personally have ever driven! But if I am distracted or tired in the morning, I can occasionally mix up the hand brake release and the hood latch release.
Wanna hear a joke...
The British car industry.
Morgan; Lotus; Aston Martin; McLaren; Jaguar; Lagonda; Bentley; Rolls Royce... and the American equivalents are..?
Edward P Campbell
Better.
Feel free to list the superior American equivalents..? :)
Edward P Campbell
At least American car firms have good accountants...
You really don't know your American history, do you... Here is a list of over 1600 US car companies who went bust in the last century. Read and weep, Floyd. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_automobile_manufacturers_of_the_United_States
Oddly enough when the v sport was realeased, it set records at the nuremburg (or however it's spelled) and was smoking all the germans in its class for half the price....
My step dads CTS V coupe was super fun to drive...
I leased out a regular cts a few years back and it was a great all around, comfy , safe car
" I dont like any american car " :DD He own a Ford GT40 :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
***** owned*
***** He owned two Ford Gt 40
Emka953
WRONG. He owned the Ford GT, a modern remake of the GT40.
The GT40 was made during the 60s
And technically the GT40 isn't an American car, since it was designed, engineered and built by the UK division of Ford.
Hyper Horse yeah he owned two GT's both broke and than he bought a Gallardo Spyder and later he sold it
Plus when they did the muscle car road trip Richard said he loved muscle cars
2:43 corners are as strange for Americans as a small meal or a president who can spell .......HAHAHAHAHA. That was deadly :) Bush
LOL and today as well.
This joke aged soooo well..
@@rafaeloda a mass shooter is usually a terrorist soo...
@@40rollsonly really? and how many of them end up tortured in Guantanamo?
@@rafaeloda not a lot, they usually die at the end of their rampage. Keep going though, I'd love to continue.
I had a 1994 Cadillac DeVille. Non-Northstar. One of the best cars I've ever had, and I've had a few.
They won't be joking about how American cars handle anymore. GMs magnaride is one of the greatest innovations in suspension technology borrowed by high end auto manufacturers like Ferrari.
Magnaride itself, of course, was lifted from the Australians.
@@jasonhook3884 no it wasn't, I see no evidence that it was
@@hughmongous5089 Australian design, nicked by GM for Delphi
@@jasonhook3884 delphi bring Irish American.......
Actually, upon further inspection, Aptive PLC is a successor of delphi which was a fully American company that was a component of GM. I don't see any references to anything Australian
@@hughmongous5089 A glance at their Wikipedia page is not "further inspection".
They got it from the Australians.
Just got a 2005 a week ago, love it.
Do you still have it?
When he said “look at that pointy face. It’s scary!” I laughed so hard
So you've came to Holland, and there's still a Black Cab? We never see those here, lol
Loek Soms wel maar deze is sowieso gescript lol
Loek this is Series 4, this was like... 10 or so years ago.
Loek Yes Series 4, the beginning of Star in a Reasonably Priced car, August of 2004.
-N_I_G_E_L- Hoeft niet, die taxi heeft een blauw kenteken en ik zie ads van de Media Markt en Heineken enzo. Is gewoon puur toeval.
Moses Cen I know, they lately tested only cars that can be shipped to Britain therefor not leaving UK, or go to America. The Dutch market doesn't differ from the UK market and what does differ is not worth reviewing.
Had one. It was a great car. Fast too, mine topped out around 145 mph. It was the 3.2
Jeremy summed it up so well at the end.
When Richard is 59 I expect him to buy a CTS
We all know, that deep down inside, Richard Hammond is American. The land of the free and the home of the brave. God bless America
Everybody is very fat, everybody is very stupid and everybody is very rude.
@@THXRCST love your reference!!! Underrated episode!
@@THXRCST its not the holiday program, its the truth.
Yes maybe free and brave because you are free to buy a gun and are brave to stay there, worrying that somebody will shoot you.
Richard Hammond, a true Doves fan. I love his clips.
One of his all time favorite cars is in fact an American car! The ford GT.
When compared to British made cars in the same price range this Cadillac is superior by far.
I think what makes these old reviews so special is the choice of music. I mean seriously some of it is incredible. This video has 2 songs, those being Darker by Doves and Break Me Gently (Incidental) also by Doves. The first thing I thought when I watched this video was “I need to know what this song is NOW.” Who would’ve thought one car review from the 2000s would introduce you to a whole new artist.
I also watched the Top Gear review of the GMC Cyclone and found a song called Poison by Alice Cooper.
"They are badly made out of cheap parts" *thinks about british cars* hmm....
+Towel1e I wouldn't trust a British car to drive me to the mailbox and back.
+10072018 British cars are really just Fords, Fiats, or Volkswagens anymore. Not much British at all.
+Josh Opray do your research on who owns what in Britain and shut your mouth.
+Josh Opray you are so ignorant as indicated by your immediate recourse to insults and foul language. A little Google search will help you learn about cars and English. Unless you enjoy your ignorance in which case I wish you well.
+10072018 Firstly it's called a post box. Secondly, Cheap materials!? Try telling Mclearen, Rolls Royce and Jaguar that!
"Don't like any American car"
Ford GT enters production..... omg I have to buy this now!
I really wish Top Gear was still around to review the modern American cars, they’ve come a long way since this review
The latest Cadillac are stunning. Great looking cars.
I love American cars. The key is finding the right one. our cars are cheap, yes.... But they're fun to drive and are cheap to fix. For example the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Supercharged is a great car, yes it has so much plastic it should be called a Plastiac, but who cares. We dont care about interiors, why does that even matter?
Theres No God I don't mind how a interior looks or feels as long as its warm, comfortable and has all the things i want in it such as a CD player and a radio, power windows and seats and a few other things
+Theres No God But the interior doesn't get you from A to B. So there's plastic in it. BFD.
+Theres No God I actually spend my time, when in a car, looking at the road and other cars around me.
+lemkelegion
Ever driven a Pugeot? I got the shit cut out of my hand and leg due to their dastardly interior plastics. I think the Euros are delusional, the same company makes the plastic interior for Euro and American cars. At least the Americans can fit them together where you aren't getting the shit cut out of you.
+lemkelegion "Don't care about interiors." What? I do. That's where you spend your time when you're operating a vehicle. A car should be a nice place to sit in, not a plastic coffin.
Bella recensione.
Why do people get so much carried away by anger when someone insults the cars made in their country. It's the companies located in these countries that make them, not the country itself... Pride is really a bitch, I guess...
Yes
It's just a Saab underneath, which is just an Opel underneath that.
thats so wrong it gave me cancer
+EliteOps1 Wrong, only the BLS was made by SAAB.
+EliteOps1 It's built on a GM platform, which Saab also built cars on.
Paianni
saab didnt play by the gm rules that's why they went bust
QurttoRco
no, gm went bust and had to sell saab off.
You just have to think how far this car has come. From an average sedan to a German slaying track day beast that can also be your daily. For less money with exceptional build quality.
And now they should see the 2014 CTS.. Pretty amazing what happens in ten years.
Yup. The V-series is kicking ass with ease. ;)
Now the ct5 is a step back in my opinion.
and.. couple of years later Clarkson buys a Ford xD
valgehiir and sold it because it was useless lol
bpol01 true lol
bpol01 he sold his gt?
exactly
Writefag Greens yer there is a clip on here before he sold it where they were asking him about his new car, it was nearly five minutes of him explaining what had gone wrong with it just in the small amount of time he had it lol
they should take a look at the 2016 CTS-V - I think they'd enjoy it! hope these guys return with their own show soon!
i want them to drive the CTS-v coupe with the corvette V8
That’s the car I want.
Should've tested the gen 1 cts-v. Probably would've shit his pants.
I loved my Cadillac...twas a gold 1974 caddy hearse..used to take it to grateful dead shows here in the u.s. had a great time!
Although I am American, I find the American jokes really funny. But they talk about us so much for some reason.
Same here....I laugh when they make fun of us.
However! They do love our Corvette and Ford GT ;-)
its because so many cars are american
such a shame
Because they're jealous
All the great “quintessentially British” cars are not. RR and Bentley are German, Range Rover is now Indian, Britain doesn’t mass-produce any vehicle, which makes Jeremy sad. So he picks on other countries that DO produce cars, and ESPECIALLY if they’re not the highest quality. He can’t pick on Japan because let’s face it, they may not be the most exciting cars, they make the most reliable ones on earth. USA’s definitely in the top 5 for production, but when this was aired, we were in the top 5 for least reliable cars. So it’s justifiable, I suppose, and good on Clarkson for punching up and not down. Take what he says with a smile, ‘cause he’s a third grader trying to look cool to all his friends by picking a fight with an 8th grader. An 8th grader’s not about to beat up a toddler, so the 3rd grader gets to pretend like he’s cool 😎 just let Clarkson have his fun. At least our smallest car manufacturer is bigger than their biggest. And their biggest makes their cars out of wood. (Side note: I absolutely adore the Morgan, and will fight anyone who says otherwise [sidesidenote: except the crosseyed one, yeah that was a poor choice]).
It's amusingly ironic that the man who loathes American cars in general loves the Corvette Z06 and OWNS a Ford GT40.
POWER! ;)
good point
And then he bought a Merc because the GT40 had constant eletrical problems...
Seracen owned*
You mean he loves the Z06 and and really loves the ZR1. If he drives a C7 he'd shit a brick
Still loving that STS, very comfortable car.
As an American that never has, and probably never will own an American car, I can feel this. That being said, remember that guy with the dependable Range Rover? Neither do I.
Bet Clarkson didn't say the same about his beloved Ford GT
I wouldn't say the Ford GT is a typical American car.
@@carloduroni5629 well quite, Clarkson himself commented as such in his DVD "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly,"
"... I was talking to someone from Ford the other day and they assured me that this was 'an all American effort.' Although he was forced to concede that the wheels are German, and the brakes are Italian, and the gearbox is British, and the body is British and the steering rack is off an Aston Martin Vanquish and the chassis was set up by a couple of guys from Lotus,"
@@SiVlog1989 An anecdote: In mid-Nineties, Chrysler decided to sell its Neon (Plymouth/Dodge in the USA) in Italy, through their representative which was a client of the Adv agency I worked for.
When I saw the car, my knowledge of the Italian market - which should've been reasonably lesser than the car maker's and seller's - made me think "It won't sell."
Guess what? It didn't sell. In Italy - as in all Southern European markets - a 4.4mt long car with a 2litre engine was considered almost a luxury car; space is a premium and road tax was based upon engine displacement. There we had a fairly big car with a big engine but with quality comparable to a Fiat Panda. NOBODY wanted it. They shifted most of them by giving them in payment for adv space to TV and Print media instead of cash. But then the media had problems in cashing them in turn. Nobody wanted them, even for free, 'cause it made you look stupid. Despite the "reknown" American car reliability, Neons disappeared from the streets as soon as they got there - probably, owners/drivers took the chance of the minimum fault to get rid of them "Oh! There's a faulty bulb!" >> scrapyard.
@@carloduroni5629 in that DVD I was talking about, he puts various American cars up against counterparts from Europe. At times in it, he lets rip about them. For example, he reviewed the Cadillac XLR-V, "the most expensive sports car America has ever made,"* (*circa the time of filming, 2006) and although it had some fancy touches, befitting of it being so expensive, he said:
"on paper then, this car appears to be as spectacular as it looks, it appears to be amazing, and it is! Amazingly awful!
"I honestly do not know where to start with this thing I mean, with the antilock brakes perhaps, which cut in far too soon or the enormous steering wheel the size of the Peartree Roundabout on the Oxford Ringroad or the buffeting or the buttock shrivelling understeer you get in every single bend.
"They've given this car antiroll bars front and rear, they've stiffened upnthe lower control arm bushes, they've given it European tyres [Pirellis] and none of it has worked!
"Nor does the active exhaust system which makes a wide variety of different noises depending on where you've got the accelerator and what kind of revs you're doing. The extraordinary thing is though is that none of the noises it makes are nice, I mean you'd thought that they got one of them right by accident, but no! Honestly it's like farts, lots of different types [but] don't really want to hear any of them... But the worst thing, I think is the 6 speed Automatic gearbox because it only takes your toenail to grow a millionth of a millimetre and it'll suddenly change down, or up, and you don't know which. All you know is that you don't want it to do anything when you're in the middle of a corner, listen (sound of gears shifting up then down) down up! STOP IT!! JUST BE A GEARBOX!!"
That's just a taster, he also take the Micky out of the Corvette Z06 in terms of how it doesn't work on the road, amongst others
Yes, and I imagine they've had a little bit more than routine maintenance done on them. My 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe has 90k miles and the only service required so far has been fluid changes. And it will probably go for quite a while before it needs any major service - farther than any old car could do. That was my point.
"turn off traction and you can do a lot more"
I see no difference
I agree still to this day american cars weren't amazing back then. But they sure are getting better...
Lets be honest here. No ones car was good back then
Back when?
Around 2005. The materials used were cheap.
***** Maybe American cars were bad back then. I recall mostly good cars from German and Japanese manufacturers.
I'm talking about primarily American cars. I think that European cars were probably the cream of the crop around that time period.
I absolutely loved my CTS.
this is an out-dated fact about american cars.
Perhaps the cheap plastic interior is still true in some cases..but the Corvette and the Viper hold some of the fastest lap times around the Nurburing in Germany. Also, the new Camaros and Mustangs handle quite well around corners and offer a quick v6 option as well.
still cheaply made materials, I got a mustang and a Volvo no point of comparison in the crafting Volvo win by too much
Ignacio Quezada And you probably paid more for the Volvo, it's funny how people act like price doesn't make a difference. The Mustang is a fun car that the average person can afford, it's not a luxury car.
Everyone's cars have their flaws so don't come bully us Americans. We make our cars that way because that suits our cities and country. We have our cities on grid systems and our roads are mostly Interstate Highways which are straight.
This is UK Top Gear, of course they are going to be biased towards British cars. Just like the US Top Gear is biased towards American cars.
Plus, regardless of how your cities are, having good handling is an important safety feature, and having cars which can't handle well is a bit dumb. Also, American cars are generally harassed because for you guys, the way to make a car go faster is to simply make the engine bigger. For the Japanese and British, they make their engines more efficient. Not necessarily on petrol, just more intelligently designed engines.
There is a reason American automotive companies are all either being sold to British companies, getting huge bailouts, or going under. And it's not because the cars are great. It's because they are expensive and not that good.
Hot Dogs You do have a point safety is important and our cars are can be very expensive, and they do have large engines.
Hot Dogs yo aren’t British cars either owned by Gm or Germans? LOL
SamAkbarizadeh, you are right! My grandmother owned a '85 Cadillac Seville, and my grandfather owned a '84 Fleetwood brougham, and they were beautiful cars.
Let me guess the weird little cube van is a Nissan Cube
4:42 Does anyone recognize this song? Sometimes I wish this show had a little prompt in one of the bottom corners whenever a new song plays.
Hey I dunno if you’re still wondering, but it’s Far From Grace by Doves
@@Bagster321 Thank you! :D
I just got a 2004 Cadillac CTS used at 147,000KMS I was wondering if that was a good buy or should I try to trade/sell for something different before I come into likely problems with the car. This IS my first car and I want something that will work well, is good on gas, and is flashy. Did I go with the right choice?
Why is the Cadillac so good at corners? Because General Motors
Hi
You call that body roll and under steer being good in corners?
lol
@@axeman2638 It’s better than a lot of other American cars.
@@jd_the_cat hardly any sort of achievement.
@@axeman2638 That’s true.
A bit arrogant but I have to agree with him about the interior. Could've been much nicer especially for a luxury car. For the time I think I would have preferred to have a Lincoln LS
I agree with jeremy at the end!
Clarksons favorite car is an American car, the FORD gt40
Not anymore !! He loves the Lexus LF-A he said its the best car in the world !!
Fred Schriks after that he said nissan gtr is better then the lexus
borce miovski i've mist that then :p
The GT40 was designed and build in England. The only American thing about it is the name.
Dire Squirrel and the engine .
I really don't get the title, pretty misleading
It was the marriage of a lightweight and capable British body with a monster American 427 7 liter engine. A similar thing happened with the Ford GT40.
I'd rather have a 3 series or a C class.
i've never seen a cadillac in britain lol, well none are sold in britain, except for the XTS which failed.
a C63 AMG Black is definitely exciting and the M3 is one of the best saloons u can buy.
a almost crashed my cts v one time because i was trying to open the hood hit the parking break they are way too close lol
Steven Kozachuk I was parked on a slight hill and when I accidentally hit the parking break it started rolling forward
Learn how to spell "brake"....No wonder the British make fun of us.
Yeah they have a good point. There are so many times where I accidentally pop the hood
I popped the hood on the highway in mine lol
as a mechanic and former v1 owner I can honestly say it's the shittiest performance car I've ever owned..
if yours hasn't taken control of the steering and sent you across 3 lanes yet, it will.. sell it while they're still worth 10k
v2s are better
Correction-The chassis was British. The engine was USDM.
But yes, USDM/JDM motors and Brit design work seem to make excellent pair.
ok im from america and i know american cars arent the best, but what is jeremy trying to prove by knocking on the fender? are there cars out there that dont make noise when you tap them? his arguments against american cars most of the time can be applied to just about any other car. how about bentley and rolls royce with their cheap plastic "chrome" grills? oh its an english car, so lets just ignore that.
he said that it does not sound reasuring (not safe because it sounds it sounds like a tin of beans)
LOL cheap plastic chrome? They use high grade stainless steel
It echoes, it sounds kind of thin and hollow, and it's definitely not a sign of tremendous build quality.
And hey, bite your tongue on Rolls Royce and Bentley grills. Don't know why you singled those out, but they're most certainly not cheap plastic.
Bentleys and Rolls Royces are definitely high quality, but they’re not British, they’re German. Pfffffffffffft
According to the RDW, this car is actually still on the road.
Are you talking about the car they tested? If so that's pretty cool, how'd you find out?
RDW (Rijksdienst Wegverkeer)'s site has a license plate lookup, that's where I got it from.
Still driving! last owner change was 6 months ago
It's now 2022 and it's still driving around. 3rd owner.
main music: Doves - Far from grace.
I miss this show so much, part of my childhood
I'm sorry do I recall Jeremy saying "I love this Corvette" in another episode. A corvette is a Chevy. Chevy is an American brand.
Don't mind Jeremy. He's known as the Orang Otung. But gotta love him anyway.
Orang Otung? Really? Isn't it Orangutan? Like the animal?
delis8765 Yes, yes,. Sorry.
I also recall he said it's a horrible car for daily driving IN THAT SAME EPISODE, but alrighty.