Bingo... I was Rod's (AuburnDawg)'s neighbor... don't know if you ever saw the Black 03 GT they modified... scary

Tim's a great guy!!!

 

I assume the children are small, so the smallish backseat of the IS-F shouldn't be a problem. I vote for the IS-F as the fun and fiscally responsible choice.

 

I don't think anyone has an F that would be out of warranty yet, so that's a tough question to answer. The maintenance costs are what you would expect from a luxury/performance car. There are people who do some of the general maintenance themselves to save some cash or don't use Lexus service (which is expensive, but no more so than other true luxury brands).

The nav system is pretty good and I like how it operates. I do not find it as accurate as our Mercedes, and you cannot operate it with the vehicle in motion. I haven't had any problems with the Bluetooth, which is quite good for clarity and communication.

I LOVE the ML soundsystem in my F. I know that there are some audiophiles that aren't as impressed with it, but for me in the small confines of the F it sounds great.

The CTS-V wasn't available when I picked up my F, but had it been it would have gotten strong consideration. I even tried to convince the wife that we could get her one, but I couldn't sway her and she ended up with a ML Bluetec instead

The car is a performance beast and beautiful inside and out at a great price point. The V has significantly more room in the back than the F if you plan on keeping it until your kids are bigger.

Overall, I don't think you could go wrong with either the F or the V...it all comes down to what suits your needs best.

 

I own a 09 / CTS-V and the reliability has been excellent so far . I've tromped on this beast several times and it is VERY deceptive as to how fast you are going until you look at the speedometer and realize you are easily into the 150 mph range very quickly . The car is solid around corners and is very comfortable on long trips . I've been watching the cadillac forums as to whether or not GM will axe the CTS-V for 2010 and if they do , the 2009 CTS -V will go up in price not down .

cheers

 

i would get the CTS-V. 4 people in the F is a bit tight especially on long trips.