Welcome to the Cadillac V-Series Forums!

Am I crazy? Honest feedback wanted

I bought my '23 5BW M6 used in May 2024. It had 9700 miles on it when I bought it and I've added another 3000 miles in the 13 months I've owned it. So yes, Finally-a-v is correct, most Blackwings are not daily driven. They're typically weekend play toys.
 
With the manual its still the best DD ever. I'll never understand how anyone complains about a clutch when driving in traffic. Its always superior to a slush box in all driving situations. Honestly, a stick is even better for traffic 'cuz you're always in the right gear (or could/should be) to shoot the gaps in traffic.

But it does drink the fuel in the city. Just be prepared for frequent gas stops and you're set for a great daily experience.
Yeah I used mine in SOCAL traffic. 4hrs a day stuck in traffic and because the clutch was so smooth and effortless, it was never a fatiguing thing.
 
The other thing is, I'd like to buy one lower equipped with around 10-20K miles and that would be the DD. Something you could tear up and not care about stone chips and other idiots.

+1, great approach if you want to daily drive. I did exactly this with my old BMW. 20k+ miles, the "new" was gone, no need to shelter it. With my 5BW I'm more attached since I bought it new, and because I think cars of this type are getting more rare. I'd like it to last so I just don't drive it as much. When I do it's a really nice change of pace from my other cars, it seems even more special. Little over 8000 miles on my '22 5BW at this point. Putting miles on the 5BW is clearly a "first world problem" I'm lucky to have (like others on this list).
 
How does the 5BW do as a daily driver? Nearly all the 2-3 year old 5BWs have very low miles. This makes me think they aren't as livable as I'm hoping.

Background....

I have a 2023 Volvo V60 Polestar wagon. It's got 455 HP and Ohlin coilovers....all from the factory. It's a very special car that was made in low numbers and I really do love it. However, it is a plug in hybrid with an automatic transmission. I also have a new Bronco 4dr soft top and a manual transmission. Bronco has been fun on the weekends but isn't a good daily. I drive 12-14k miles per year.

I have been salivating over a 5BW. I am considering replacing the Volvo with a 5BW manual trans. I'd drive the 5BW most of the year and save Bronco for winter (might need to get hard top...).

Is this a bad idea?
Well, as a former Volvo lover (I finally left the fold after I outgrew my S60R 6-speed, but my wife kept her XC90 for several years after), I have to tell you it's hard to imagine a better daily driver than the 5BW. I work from home but have managed to put 44k miles on my '22 so far (and have several cars in the garage to choose from that I rarely drive because of the 5BW).
 
I DD mine. My commute changed from 3 days a week, 14 miles each way, to 5 days, 35 miles each way. I debated using it for that, but aside from the gas mileage it is an awesome daily. No serious snow here to worry about.
 
I have +45k miles on my MY23 5BW. I've enjoyed every single mile. I've taken her to the track a few times and she was an absolute hoot! Driving on back roads or cruising down the interstate are equally as enjoyable because she performs both so well. Even a couple of inches of snow (on AS tires) was a non-issue. To be fair, I've also got a MY23 C8 HTC that I've also put +45k miles on to enjoy on top down weather days. So, I've got the best of both worlds.
 
How does the 5BW do as a daily driver? Nearly all the 2-3 year old 5BWs have very low miles. This makes me think they aren't as livable as I'm hoping.

Background....

I have a 2023 Volvo V60 Polestar wagon. It's got 455 HP and Ohlin coilovers....all from the factory. It's a very special car that was made in low numbers and I really do love it. However, it is a plug in hybrid with an automatic transmission. I also have a new Bronco 4dr soft top and a manual transmission. Bronco has been fun on the weekends but isn't a good daily. I drive 12-14k miles per year.

I have been salivating over a 5BW. I am considering replacing the Volvo with a 5BW manual trans. I'd drive the 5BW most of the year and save Bronco for winter (might need to get hard top...).

Is this a bad idea?
Not a bad idea at all. Per what everyone said, it makes a fantastic daily. I now have ~ $20K miles on mine without a hitch.

Why the low miles?

1) As others have stated, weather plays a role.

2) THIS forum is for BW enthusiasts. There is also a population of people who have/had the car and aren't on this forum who saw it as an investment and flipped it quick after experiencing it. NOT because they didn't like it, but because that was the game all along.

3) some of the EARLY adapters were car people with a lot of money (mind you we were still coming out of the COVID era). This population can get bored and will move on to the next thing to experience something else, not because they don't like it. Additionally, when we (and they) didn't get the exact spec they wanted due to constraints (CF1, CF backed seats, color options, etc), they might have moved on because they didn't get EXACTLY what they wanted. BUT this population of people can also afford other toys as well, thus keeping miles low. I'm guilty of cross shopping over the past year and potentially getting out of Cadillac altogether to try something different (see below, I've been V'ng since 2013), but the trade in value wasn't sufficient for me to bite (they were offered ~ $80-85K on trade in) so I'm gonna keep going. Why trade it in? I recently changed jobs and now my commute is only 5 miles each way. My time in my car was my escape for the day. Now I don't have that, and I don't feel I need such an amazing car if I don't get to stretch it out a little here and there.

4) People may be moving on to the 2025 due to the refreshed screen and precision package.

this list could go on, but as you can see, there are many reasons. I wouldn't be afraid to take the plunge if I were you. ADDITIONALLY, I daily drove a V2 and V3, the latter of which I put on ~75K miles with only minor issues, none with the engine or transmission. This car is better than both of those.
 
VBak - you missed one...its hard to put miles on any given car (no matter how good) when you own 10 cars...
 
How does the 5BW do as a daily driver? Nearly all the 2-3 year old 5BWs have very low miles. This makes me think they aren't as livable as I'm hoping.

Background....

I have a 2023 Volvo V60 Polestar wagon. It's got 455 HP and Ohlin coilovers....all from the factory. It's a very special car that was made in low numbers and I really do love it. However, it is a plug in hybrid with an automatic transmission. I also have a new Bronco 4dr soft top and a manual transmission. Bronco has been fun on the weekends but isn't a good daily. I drive 12-14k miles per year.

I have been salivating over a 5BW. I am considering replacing the Volvo with a 5BW manual trans. I'd drive the 5BW most of the year and save Bronco for winter (might need to get hard top...).

Is this a bad idea?
It's all about the Third Owner Paradox:

 
Manual 5v Blackwing and Bronco on 35's owner here.

Get the GD Blackwing. For snow, get a Bronco. Enjoy your life, we only have one.

The only substitute to drive is a 911 (whichever one your heart desires, and that belongs as a third option - not a replacement)
I have a CT4 V Blackwing and I just picked up a Passport Trailsport for utility.
I also have an E30 for the joy and an air cooled bike in southern Louisiana because I hate being comfortable.

I second this notion.

I present, the practicality:fun scale.

Practicality>------Passport--------CT4 V BW------------------------------------------------------E30--------Ducati---<Fun

A 911 would be somewhere between CT4 & E30. Closet to the CT4 b/c it's got A/C and it's fairly reliable.
 
VBak - you missed one...its hard to put miles on any given car (no matter how good) when you own 10 cars...
kinda... however, I did say this.... "BUT this population of people can also afford other toys as well, thus keeping miles low."
 
It's all about the Third Owner Paradox:

BTW, I completely forgot that Doug Demuro used to write for Jalopnik. The amount of talent that went through that website is crazy.
 
I'm retired now almost 5 years. I have alot of time now. My son needed a ride to LaGuardia Airport ( used to be one of the worst airports in the nation.) His flight to depart was at 9:30am. I had to leave my house 2.5 hours to try and get there on time. Its about 35 miles away. He only had a carry-on bag. The traffic during rush hours is a nightmare ! I got him there about 30 minutes before departure and all was good.
The ride back home was a blistering 7-10 miles per hour ! I could NEVER sit in that traffic every day as a working stiff.
I used my Jeep Grand Cherokee and could NEVER drive my BW as a daily driver in that kind of mess. Between stop/go, crazy drivers and potholes....No Thanks.
 
The ride back home was a blistering 7-10 miles per hour ! I could NEVER sit in that traffic every day as a working stiff.
I used my Jeep Grand Cherokee and could NEVER drive my BW as a daily driver in that kind of mess. Between stop/go, crazy drivers and potholes....No Thanks.

I 100% agree. The last thing I want to do is be 'engaged" on my commute home after a long day of work. 7-10mph is ripping here on parts of I5 most days.
 
I'm retired now almost 5 years. I have alot of time now. My son needed a ride to LaGuardia Airport ( used to be one of the worst airports in the nation.) His flight to depart was at 9:30am. I had to leave my house 2.5 hours to try and get there on time. Its about 35 miles away. He only had a carry-on bag. The traffic during rush hours is a nightmare ! I got him there about 30 minutes before departure and all was good.
The ride back home was a blistering 7-10 miles per hour ! I could NEVER sit in that traffic every day as a working stiff.
I used my Jeep Grand Cherokee and could NEVER drive my BW as a daily driver in that kind of mess. Between stop/go, crazy drivers and potholes....No Thanks.
I used to live in the Bronx & then the Upper East Side for 20 years ('88-'08). During that time, I drove a Honda CRX Si, Toyota Sentra & then Mazda Miata -- all were manual. The Miata was heavily modified & made 260rwhp with stiffer suspension, lightweight flywheel & beefier clutch. I didn't give a second thought about the challenges of driving in the near standstill traffic with a MT back then. However, now that the bones are a little more brittle & sometimes climbing into & out of the 5BW lets me know I can't bend as quickly, I cannot imagine driving in that area now with any vehicle with an MT. As much as I extol the MT, I get there are circumstances where an MT just isn't practical.
 

Win 2 Supercharged Cadillacs!

Win both supercharged Cadillac Vs!

Supporting Vendors

Exhibitions of Speed

Signature Wheels

V-Series Marketplace

Advertise with the Cadillac V-Net!

Torque Shop

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom