Used 2013 Cadillac CTS Consumer Reviews

After 7 years I am still in love with this car!

I purchased this car in 2012 and it is the longest I have ever had a car. I have 109,817 miles on the car and have done nothing to it except regular maintenance. I have had everything from a Borgward to a Rolls Royce and I believe this is the best vehicle I have ever owned

The Car So Nice We Bought It Twice

Leased this vehicle for 39 months, liked it so much that we purchased it when it came off lease. Car is fun to drive; suspension gives it great handling for a relatively large car. Interior is nice and very intuitive. We test drove a BMW 3 when we purchased, the 3 is fine but we use this car for family road trips and the back seat and cargo space on the 3 were a joke. Have now had the Cad for more than four years with one minor cosmetic issue which was fixed at zero cost under warranty.

This car is the definition of fun.

This car competes well with the German counterparts, especially in the dollar amount it cost. You get a lot for the money. The tech in it is great, the car is quiet, the seats are comfortable, and it travels well with the wife and I, and our two kids. The fit and finish are top notch. All of these were a plus because what I was really looking for was a car that handled well and could be a lot of fun. I have the performance edition and it comes with the 3.6 engine and the FE2 suspension. The engine provides plenty of power, but straight line speed is not what makes this car a stand out. After all, a lot of cars have decent 0 to 60mph times. It's the superb steering, suspension and brakes. Last summer I really got a chance to push it to the limits by keeping up with an Audi TT on the curvy back roads of Wisconsin. I finally slowed down when it started raining ( I did have my wife and one of my kids in the car with me). As for reliability, in the time I've had it, it has only needed to be repaired once. That was for a leaky seal around the sunroof. If you want a fun sedan, if you want a family sedan, try this car. I don't think you'll be disappointed. From here on is an update to my original review. The car continues to be reliable. The all wheel drive has been spectacular in these Iowa winters. It is still a blast to drive. I just wish the roads where I live were as fun as the roads in Wisconsin. I've had to replace the tires and it was a little spendy. But when I bought a sports sedan, I knew things wouldn't be cheap like on my wife's little Hyundai. I stick with my original assessment: If you want a fun family sports sedan, the CTS won't disappoint. From here is another update as of Jan 2018. The car is still fun. Last fall I was again driving in Wisconsin. I picked a very curvy road for the route. It was awesome taking those 25 and 30 mph curves at 55 and 60 mph. The same goes for cloverleaf off ramps. Those recommended safe speeds are routinely surpassed. Of course, such fun has a price. I have had to replace both rear wheel bearings. As I stated earlier, I knew that having a sport sedan would result in extra expenses. I haven't mentioned the Iowa winters yet. I have AWD on my CTS. It has not let me down yet. The suspension that helps keep the car planted in extreme driving also helps it hang on for these winters. Again, an awesome car. It is now January of 2019 and Edmunds has asked me to update my review. The car still drives great as mentioned before. I'll concentrate on reliability instead. Except for a leaky sunroof gasket and the wheel bearings (both were covered under warranty), the car has been nearly fault free. I do get the oil changed on a regular basis and they perform inspections at that time also. There are minor electrical glitches. Every long now and then the sound cuts out from the audio system. Switching audio inputs (like going from FM to hard drive and back) takes care of that problem. Every long now and then a message will come up to have my tire monitoring system checked. Turning the car off clears that out. And a couple times in the past four years, I've had to drive circles in the local KMart parking lot to recalibrate the compass. Again, they are minor and free of cost. Most importantly, they don't detract from the fun driving nature of the car. I'm looking forward to seeing the replacement for the CTS that Cadillac is working on. By the time it comes out, I should be ready for another car. It is now January of 2020. Not much has changed. It is reliable and very fun to drive. Based on what I've read about the new Cadillac CT5, I'm really glad to have this car. The CT5 is not the great handler that the CTS is. I hate to see people go away from the Cadillacs, but when the CT5 goes downhill from the CTS, what is the point. For my next car I'm actually looking at the Mazda 6 or the Volkswagen Jetta GLI. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy driving experience that is the CTS. It is July 2021. The car is still running great. No problems and it still drives wonderfully. It is now January of 2022. I have been asked to update my review. My kids are grown and longer being ferried around in this auto, but I still believe it is a very good family sedan. Reliability is still awesome. Shoot, two nights ago it sat outside in -14 degree F temps and still started easily. The driving experience is still great. The car is 9 years old and there is no sign of corrosion. There are a few tiny chips of paint missing from the hood. But probably fewer than you see from most 9 year old vehicles. Though this car doesn't get the looks it once used to, I know how special the CTS is and am still proud to drive it. And still getting thrills driving it hard. Because of that, I will be holding onto this car a little longer. New and used car prices are outrageous during this pandemic. Not to mention that the CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing have proven worthy successors to the CTS. I'll wait for a few used examples to show up on the market before thinking of replacing this great car. Edmunds says it's time for another update with the start of 2024. I am still driving this great car. It is still reliable. There is now a tiny bit of corrosion evident by some small bubbles in the clearcoat just behind one of the passenger doors. I don't drive it as hard as I used to, or at least not as often, because the warranty is done and any replacement parts are my dime. But I do occasionally drive it hard and put a smile on my face. It is now the beginning of 2025. The car is still very reliable. There have been some minor repairs, though. Nothing that affects the daily use of the car. For instance, one of the tire pressure monitors in the wheels went bad. Still not bad for 12 years old and over 120,000 miles. Still fun to drive.

This Caddy CTS is awesome!!

This automobile is very nice. The model I purchased has Luxury Level One. This includes panoramic sunroof, heated seats, electronic climate control, Bose stereo, and leather seating surfaces that are heated at the flick of a button. There are so many options that it is better just to drive one than attempt to list them all here. Very nice quality on fit and finish, quiet interior cabin and safety features to numerous to mention. This sedan came with high end Michelin tires and the ride is remarkable. Cornering capabilities are upper end and even the 3.0 liter engine will provide you with exhilaration that is unexpected. You feel like your doing thirty when you doing 80. I find myself constantly making myself back off the accelerator on the interstate. The car feels nimble driving while you have the security of feeling beefy and strong. I did not buy my sedan for status, I bought it for the performance and architecture. If you really want a car you feel good about this is it. You get so much more for your money with CTS than with its competitors, some of which are over rated because of their high cost. I do not want to bash other brands, as I want to high light my experience with this car. Completely elated and satisfied would be an understatement. Five Stars all the way!!!! It has now been 18 months since I purchased this vehicle. I am pleased to say this vehicle is the best I have ever owned. Great performance and absolutely no problems. Zero defects. What else could a person want? So now it is 2020 and the only thing that has happened to my car is that I had to replace a drive wheel bearing on the front right side which was covered under warranty. We have new Michelin tires on it now. I can safely say this is the best performing low cost sedan we have ever owned. The performing characteristics are a bonus. The paint has held up well and there have been no issues with the electronics, hvac, or door and window actuators. Highly recommend this vehicle. Best buy in second and third year of production with under twenty thousand miles for an affordable purchase. I am now in September of 2021 and CTS is running strong. No major problems and drives just like day one. I have put one set of tires on and replaced one wheel bearing and that is it. I am now in March 2023. I traded the Cadillac CTS to a Cadillac dealer in Huntsville,Al. for 11,000.00. It was very clean with 80k miles on it. Will make somebody a great car. I now have a 2023 Cadillac xt5 PL. It is easier to get in and out of this vehicle. I am older now so that was a consideration. Also sits up higher. Driving is not as enjoyable as it use to be. To many semi trucks and very hard to get rhythm with everybody and their brother pulling campers and 5th wheels. Seems like a lot of people are behind the wheel but doing everything but driving. Concerns me. So I now on Caddy xt5 PL. We are totally happy with it. Got it fully loaded with head up display and all safety equipment. Has a phenomenal surround vision camera function. Safest vehicle I have ever owned!! Very easy to get in and out of. Sits high in the road so you have good vision of all the crazy people doing everything but driving out there!! Driving use to make you feel free and was relaxing. Now it is a complete stress experience. To many cars and trucks on not enough roads. People pulling trailers and campers who are not trained to do it. I have been driving fifty years and it is the worse I have ever seen it. No thoughtfulness, no consideration, no concentration and no planning. I have seen tablets taped to steering wheels doing 80 mph, I have seen dog butts in peoples faces at same speed, phones in ears while those people impede the traffic flow, people eating plates of food and so on. We live in a screwed up time. I had a great time owning my CTS and it would make anyone a great car especially someone younger. Be aware of all the above when you purchase your next vehicle. I can vouch Cadillac makes some great cars and SUVs. This was updated 9/3/2023.

Nicely done by Cadillac

Performance is very impressive and the look is great. Handling is very good. Mileage average is 21.5 mpg measured over ten fill-ups. Rear window visibility a bit difficult and there is a paint blemish that should have been caught by quality control. Otherwise, the car's design and exterior fit and finish are good. Interior leather is well-fitted and the interior finish is excellent. Accent lighting is just right. Bose sound is excellent. Chose this car from among four in the class manufacturers I had narrowed it down to.

Quite a nice surprise

I drive about 40k a year so i go through allot of cars. After leaving American cars for German due to my excessive mileage I am glad to be back. I have owned an A6 (too uncomfortable) and a 528i (too unreliable) and came back to GM. Couldn't be happier. The rebates and incentives that I got were amazing and I have to say its nice driving something that not everyone else has on the road (528i). Mine is Opulent Blue and I get the thumbs up all the time.

Still Turning heads, running fine!

Very stylish sedan. This is my daily drive. Bought it new and have owned it now for over 7 years. Still a great ride. Eight-way adjustable leather front seats make the ride very, very comfortable although this is not sink-in comfort seating. Cabin is quiet. Ride is exhilerating. However, living in northern lower Michigan, I did add snow tires to ensure utmost traction in snow on hilly roadways. Mostly drive this in-town so gas mileage hovers around 16.5 mpg, which is not great, but I believe car was originally tuned to demonstrate acceleration, so I haven't been eager to change it. Still receiving comments on the "look" of the car (mine is Summer Gold color) and I enjoy detailing, so the car usually looks quite good. I haven't been itching to trade it in since it's performing so well. I also like the rearview camera view appearing in the rearview mirror instead of the dashboard view I see on newer models.

Nice ride

I've had mine for about a year now. It is AWD Performance package and has the FE3 suspension and 19 inch wheels. While the handling is great with this package, the tires are a bit noisy. The 3.6 is well worth the price premium. The engine really pulls strong in upper ranges. Love the audio system that came with this package. Slightly disappointed with gas mileage, averaging about 19.5 in mixed driving. All highway trip managed to get about 25. CTS still seems pretty popular with older crowds, so be prepared for comments if you are younger and driving one of these.

Small cargo area.

You had better not need much of a trunk, cargo net is poorly designed interferes wit trunk opening. Only fits one set of golf clubs in trunk diagonally. Update at 47000 miles rear end failure and rear axle bearing replacement. Come on Cadillac this is basic stuff!

Over all

I am mostly drive Germany cars drive, Mercedes E class and BMW 535i... Had the opportunity to purchase a preowned 2012 CTS with low miles on it...The ride is different...Actually I like the ride..Handles bumps and ruff roads very well...The outside is very Articulate ...It's a bit smaller interior the the E-Class benz and the 535i... The leather seats are harder...Could use a little more padding to make long ride a little more comfortable..Gas mileage in good...The driver front seat is not as comfortable to ride in and the Germany cars...When accelerating..It make this strange noise..Need to take to the dealer find out what that is...Its seem probably the reason the first owner got rid of it...Loving the panoramic roof...Have put about 6k miles on it in the last 3 months I use mid grade gas to get better performance..I still have my mercedes over all the cts was a good choice...

Sporty

Gas milage could be better, fun to drive one of the best years for this model.

Owned for 10 years

After 130,000 miles, it still runs well. I have changed the oil and performed the routine service per the manual. I had one major repair that cost $2,500 a few years back with a radiator issue. America finally built a reliable luxury car. After 148,000 no new mechanical issues. Still runs great. It does have some light cosmetic issues from a hail storm.

Excellent driving experience

Great car to drive. It does have reliability issues though. Transmission and some electronics were troublesome.

2012 CTS looks great, drives great! Update

My beautiful 2011 cts was totaled. Wanted close to what I had, so I bought the 2012 as a replacement! Interior the same as my old one, and in great shape! Exterior is a pearl color. Really wanted black, but this car had low mileage and is in great shape! Like the discount I received from Edmunds! No haggle, just paid the asking price! It is now September 2020, still love this car! Just a note about the CTS made between 2011 and 2013. These vehicles have a defect in the power train. The bolts back out and break off, which means you could loose you transmission. I was told by the dealer that the problem had been fixed on the 2012. Wrong, I heard something rattling around under the car in 2019. Took it to the dealer and guess what the bolt had backed out on this one too. I had purchased a warranty so no problem getting it fixed. When I get a oil change I always have them check the bolts on the powetrain. Other than that defect its still a great car! I have now owned this car for over 3 years! With regular maintenance, this car runs and continues to drive great! 90,000 miles and counting!

Love this car

This is a driver's car. I love to shift it manually on twisty bits. The steering response is great. The only big negative is interior space. It's pretty cramped for a car of this size.

Audio System Atrocious

There are lots of things to love about the Cadillac. The incentives are what got me, the design, the handling, the power... However, ALL of that isn't worth the car for one reason and one reason only. The absolutely complete MESS of navigation and especially the phone system. 1) when you get a call, the number appears on the DASH but the CONNECT button is on the NAV SCREEN and it pops up MAYBE 25% of the time. The audio voice will instruct you to hit a button, but when you do... nothing happens and you will lose calls ALL THE TIME. It CANNOT put your iphone contact list into its system (are you kidding?) and the "hands free calling" is worse than the Prius (which was horrific).

My dream car

Love this car,car of my dreams,finally bought it and now the reasonable thing to do is sell her due to moving to the montana mountains! NowI need a suv.This is a beautiful car and gets a lot of attention.Beautiful black diamond tri coat that sparkles in the sun.BEAUTIFUL!

Awesome 2013 Caddie !

Bought my Cad 2013 from Private Party 30k on it..from original owner, very nice shape, handled well on street & on hwy. get 18-20mph...my second Cadillac and loving it for my business. Highly recommend it. ! Solid Car !

first cadillac bought brand new

I bought this car brand new in June of 2012. The car is great, no repairs yet. I do all the maintenance myself. The ride is so smooth it's like sitting on your sofa. I recommend using the mobil 1 for oil changes. Also the comfort is great and I get many compliments on the look of the car. Best car I ever had. I had a 1968 Cadillac Coupe Deville and ride wasn't as good as our 2012 CTS. This is something new beginning 2019 with about 58000 miles and 6.5 years of ownership electrical issues are drivers door lock stopped going up and down automatically. The seat no longer goes to selected drivers position upon entering or exiting the vehicle. You have to do both issues manually. No big deal, but time to start thinking about something new. Still a great car the best thing about the car are its looks and the diamond white paint job.

Sade, was a smooth operator!

I drove Sade, (I always name my cars) for about 8 years with no issues, not one. I kept her maintained and she performed everyday. Her body style still rivals a lot of the newer cars on the road. She now has a new home giving top notch performance for someone else. Now I am looking for another CTS. It will be my third. Love Cadillac and made in the 🇺🇸

Caddy comfort

It's really great in winter weather with all wheel drive and is very comfortable to drive. I love the dependability of my car.

slightly disappointed

Ok, this is my third cadillac in succession and i have driven the DTS and STS for a while before i finally ended up with a CTS 2012. Style and Design are the best in class, which I must say is the biggest lure to buy a CTS. Performance is great, has good power and handles better in corners. I am surely disappointed with the drive comfort level, seats itself aren't bad, something about the drivers position and may be the suspension. It gave me a neck ache after a couple hours drive. Love the pop up nav screen.

Buyer Regrets.. Cadillac should only be leased..

We bought our son a cadillac there 10 years ago.. We took really good care of it with regular oil changes etc It only had 73,000. When we got it already had 13,000 so he really only drove it 60,000 and in June the engine quit. We took it to Banks and they said it would be like $7000 or more to fix it and it wasn't even valued at $7000. I really felt bad as there was absolutely nothing wrong with this car as far a rust or dents or scratches and the interior was in really great condition. I can't believe that Cadillac doesn't make a car that can't go more than 73,000. I have had an oldsmobile that went to 218,000, a blazer that went to 140,000 and I still have a Hyundai that has 115,000. These are all just regular cars, I really thought if we got a Cadillac..It was built to last. but I guess I was wrong. Last April 2016.. We bought a 2016 truck and 2012 Cadillac in the same week. Paid cash. We paid $21,000 for the Cadillac and I just took it to a dealer who now says that it is only worth $13,000. wow an $8000 loss on a car we have had a year and a half. It had 47,000 when we got it and it now has 57,000. It is in the garage most of the time now as I am afraid to use it to have happen to it what happened to the 2007. We had a Cadillac previous to these to that the head gasket went on as well. I guess I should have done more research on these cars and looked at reviews.. I really regret buying this car... These cars only meant to be leased I guess so you only have them for 2 years and get rid of them. I will be posting my reviews of these cars on all sites that I can. It is definately Buyer Beware. I won't EVER buy another Cadillac..nor will I tell anyone else to do so. Thank you for reading this Rita Richardson

Stay away! Keep family Away

I bought an 2012 CTS Lux. It was used with 11,000 miles on it by an one owner who upgraded every six months. In May 2014 I had to take it in due to my airbags randomly being deployed while it was parked in my garage. Under warranty Cadillac replaced both driver and passenger airbag and also said the wiring was messed up and they corrected it. November of 2014 the airbag light came on and I took it down to Cadillac (45 minute drive from where I lived. Same dealer that I bought it from) get there and was told they would get right on looking at it because it was a slow day. 4 hours later I get told they couldn't find out what was wrong with the car and just reset the light. April 21, of 2015 my car now has 32,000 miles on it and I'm on vacation visiting family 900 miles away from home. i drove to a friends house to pick her up to go get my oil changed before I headed back home. My car is off and parked. My keys are in my pocket my wallet and cell phone along with a newer MacBook Pro is in my car locked. My cars electronics for the navigation and airbags and everything else catches fire and destories my trunk and everything in the back seat before the fire is able to be put out. My insurance totals the CTS but they get out of paying GAP of 5,000 dollars. Granted I paid a lot more on my car payments then my 500 dollar a month payment. I contact Cadillac and my insurance both because now I'm stuck with a 500 dollar car payment on a car that is now torched. Cadillac want nothing to do with it since no one died and insurance said they don't care and not there job too. We've always bought GM products and now I think we will be sticking with paying higher repair bills with European cars then with American anymore. So if you are serious about buying this car ask yourself is your life or families live worth the risk?

2013 cts4

Black diamond

I bought this car new and the only driver It's always garage kept, I use full synthetic motor oil ( mobil one ) It's been at the dealership for It's recommend services and one minor issue, The car is painted black ( black diamond paint ) black leather upholstery and full amenities, bluetooth, xm , back up camera, heated and air condition bucket seats, tint windows, the list goes on and on, the only reason It's for sale, is I'm up in age (78 ) and I don't drive it much, and to let it set in the garage is a shame. there has never been any passengers in the back seat. this car looks brand new with 39000 thousand . and It always draws a lot of comments.

Engine went at 65000 miles... no light warning

Cadillac charged me $11,000 for a new engine installed. What was my choice? A car loan or get the engine on a car that is lovely runs well. So hopefully I will get another 3 years out of it. The car overheated no warning. Let it cool and topped up antifreeze. They say I put too much in and when the pressure went up(drove from Maine to Florida) and the stay was releasing it just continues and lets out too much anti freeze.. and it overheated. Woke up to leave from Jacksonville and engine light and stability lights on. Topped up fluid. again too much as per Cadillac, drop to Daytona where that dealer after $800 got me on the road again. Five minutes of driving and lights on. Drove to South Fla. Brought it to dealer limping running on 4 cal... needed new engine. They said $5k used engine. 6k rebuild this one 11k new one. I said used on(from a rear end) went to pickup car and it was $11k they said they coundnot get the used one so they put in the new one... $10. what was my choice at that time? I hate car shopping and do like this car. Cadillac explained they put in a new engine with a 30,000 mile guaranty. They have followed up making sure the car runs well. And invited me to bring it back in 30 days to make sure all is running right. I still do not understand the fill line on antifreeze///

2013 CTS Coupe the worst car ever

Bought a CTS Coupe 2013, it was the worse car ever. The car didnt drive straight. The trans was very sluggish. The steering was too lose. The CTS was the worst car I ever got. Dtay away from this car, its a mess.

Super Car.

I’ve had my 2012 since 2014. It came in off a lease. It now has 92K miles and I drive it on all our trips except to the beach. The only trouble I’ve had was the air conditioner compressor that had to be replaced. I’ve complied with all maintenance when scheduled. The car continues to run very strong and when I get on it hard it blows no smoke at all while still pinning you in the back of the seat. I have never kept a car this long. Never! Love this car.

Nice ride

It is a little rough riding for a Cadillac but overall it’s OK

Car performance is good, style is good

Car performance is good, style is good . Storage is very poor, struggle to find a place to put my cellphone...

Not Bad... But

A 47,000 dollar luxury car for 34,000 with all of the rebates and incentives just blew away the Audi, Lexus and Acura for deals. I've owned MBZ E350, G35, Porsche 911, Acura TL. So far, it's OK and there are little "annoying" things about the car (especially the phone system), but it DOES drive smoothly despite being a "heavy" car. Pick up is "pretty good" but not "excellent" (guess I'm spoiled)

BAd audio

The audio system is terrible. I swapped it out and now they say they cant reset the security alarm for it because it is not factory. What a crock [non-permissible content removed]. I'm moving to a foreign made vehicle.

9 Years Old and Still Going

Here it is 2022 and I was looking for second car--what appeared was a 2013 Caddy CTS Luxury AWD with only 15k miles on it. The White Diamond Tricoat is stunning under night light. Drives like a dream. I previously had a new DTS I bought in 2006 and a Seville I bought new in 1979, but this outshines both of them. I find the interior well put together and convenient, the features are many for 2013 and the Bose upgraded sound system is the best system I have ever had in any car. Still stylish for the year, I have had people come up to me who don't know the year and they oogle over a 9 year car. It was showroom condition when I bought it so I have fun telling them the year and history of the car. The engine is as peppy as the Mercedes I owned back in 2009. Just a stunning combination of features, quality, and drivability for a vehicle of this vintage.

Best mix of ride and handling

Pleasure to drive.

Wifes Total Reimbursement

After a stupid S.O.B. ran stoplight and totaling wifes Malibu was able to purchase this Cadillac CTS Luxury with fund paid for Chevrolet Malibu.