So, there used to be Opels sold in the US? Didn't know that, it's a German GM brand, sold outside of North America, Australia and UK. Same cars are Vauxhalls in the UK.
My dad had Opel Corsa in Poland, bought new in 1992 or so. It was our first Western-made car, small, but actually decent quality (but our reference then were awful Soviet block cars), underpowered on the highway, small 1.2 engine (yes they sell such there). He replaced with a 1998 new Civic, which was a great step up in terms of everything.
NYC...your friend with the Tahoe has a lot more patience than I possess.
dino...lots to ponder....
....but really...GM's and Cadillac's past antics don't matter to me. I bought a lemon from them and gave them ample opportunity to fix it. They couldn't and didn't. They've gone into stall mode, which does nothing more than exacerbate the situation. No more chances. They continue to disaapoint, sometimes in new and unique ways.
We'll see what the avenues I've chosen to pursue come up with. Nothing else has worked dealing with Cadillac.
Now the insurance company wants me to disown the Camry from their insurance in order to collect payment. Had to leave a voice mail and let them know the moment they decide to not insure that car they lose the other three and our home insurance. NJM used to be great to deal with. They are now belligerent idiots.
I don't think that brand knocking is GM's special curse. Look around and you'll see Ford crucified and justly so in the instances I've experienced or read in these forums. VWs, Chryslers.... People know what they like and know what they don't.
I've owned 3 GM products over the years. They were ok and reasonably reliable. They were also fill ins that mostly I only had a few months though my wife's 78 Nova we had for four years. No problems but the summer of 88 was brutally hot and it had no AC and she was pregnant with my first daughter. When summer approached the next year she wanted AC. I offered to teach her to drive stick and she could have my Sentra and I'd take the Nova. No dice. Later I broke down her resistance on the stick.
Am I a little leery of GM backing up product? Yes, but I am of Ford and VW and several others. Right now GM doesn't have anything that spins my chair. That's just a matter of taste. (Ford and VW atrocities I have personal experience with and I don't care that they were 20 and 30 years ago. I've heard nothing that indicates they have changed.)
GG - keep it up. You are as cool a cucumber as we have around here. A friend indeed. Maybe next year I have to hit a trip and visit a few folks down that way. I was in Cincinnati and environs last year.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Yup Dino, in the 60's through mid-70s they sold some Opels at Buick dealers. I had a Manta. they also had the 1900 and GT. Not sure what came earlier in the 60s. starting in 1976 IIRC they started selling "Opel by Isuzu" ( rebadged Isuzu Imarks). That was quite a letdown.
Right on bean. In fact, Cadillac was moving their offices to New York to get inspired. That figures....go to Wall St to put some heart and soul into cars! Office should be in California, Paris, Rome, London, not New York.
They're actually moving to SOHO so they can be close to the "trend setters" ... in the US city where you need a car the least.
Went out this a.m. to go to the airport. Wife had to use her Accord for a Dr's appot. So, I pulled the CTS out of the garage. Within 2 miles, it stalled, right after the power steering stopped..almost like the power steering was putting too big of a strain on the engine. It started again (after a lot of craking) but would stall at the next red light. Called Cadillac "Help Line". They said to have it towed to the dealer, but warned if they couldn't find anything wrong (as in "no code" routine), I'd be on the hook for the tow.
Nursed it back to my garage. Missed my flight. Going to have to get a rental in a few minutes.
And it continues.......
I remember somebody suggesting a GoPro camera. I know you don't want to buy one, but I hope you at least recorded some video with your phone.
Right on bean. In fact, Cadillac was moving their offices to New York to get inspired. That figures....go to Wall St to put some heart and soul into cars! Office should be in California, Paris, Rome, London, not New York.
They're actually moving to SOHO so they can be close to the "trend setters" ... in the US city where you need a car the least.
Move to SOHO could be just to separate Cadillac from the rest of GM....give it a separate image. Or, it could be an inspirational move. In my experience moving a head office doesn't change too much. I suppose it does signal a new start.........if not in reality it can seem real if employees believe it.
Maybe come up with new ideas like latte dispenser in the dash.
Move to SOHO could be just to separate Cadillac from the rest of GM....give it a separate image. Or, it could be an inspirational move. In my experience moving a head office doesn't change too much. I suppose it does signal a new start.........if not in reality it can seem real if employees believe it.
I would think you're right on several of those points. SOHO is described as arts and high shopping center by Wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoHo,_Manhattan). I wonder if GM already owned property there.
I would consider this more effective than moving headquarters to Nashville. Although I'm sure detractors will find more to criticize about the move to NYC here and in the media.
I read from couple of sources that being stuck in Detroit contributed to the Big Three's malaise and complacency, so a move would help, but who knows. The only downside of NYC that I can see, it's not exactly car friendly place - but people drive them anyway, so I guess it may work. It is a place where many trends often start, especially in luxury segment. Perhaps L.A. would be better for HQ of a car company (equally trendy, but car based city), but I don't really have a position on it one way or the other.
Fezo...thank you my friend. You're welcome down this way anytime. Maybe we'll get kyfdx, Imid and RB to join us and we can all go eat some ribs and drink some ice cold beer on the Ohio River at The Montgomery Inn Boathouse.
Personal opinion..I think GM has some interesting products. You'd be hard pressed to find better full size SUVs (save for NYCs friend) from any other company. From what I hear, the Regal GS is a good car. The new Corvette couldn't receive more thumbs up if it was judged by a whole panel of folks with nothing but thumbs.
Cadillac has certainly received their fair share of trade rag accolades. So, why aren't they selling better? I guess you'd have to at least give a nod to the fact that they just don't care about taking care of the customer after the sale....particularly if there are issues. From that perspective, nothing has changed (at least not for the better) about the Cadillac experience I had dealt with years ago. In that segment, that doesn't play well. None of that goes unnoticed, whether it's by word of mouth, or on a popular automotive WEB site like Edmunds. That alone will keep people out of the Cadillac showrooms.
Wife asked last night if we're taking a vacation this summer. This might be a "staycation" summer as I'm traveling a lot for my work. Perhaps try to get her to meet me in one of the more interesting cities for a long weekend.
Headed to Milwaukee today (was supposed to be there yesterday until the CTS failed again). Maybe get her to take one of those regional planes to Chicago and I'll meet her there for a long weekend.
"Fezo...thank you my friend. You're welcome down this way anytime. Maybe we'll get kyfdx, Imid and RB to join us and we can all go eat some ribs and drink some ice cold beer on the Ohio River at The Montgomery Inn Boathouse."
Fabulous idea. If the Reds are in town we can take in a game. I was never a Reds fan and Great American doesn't show well on TV but last year took in a game and the park and the fans were terrific. They gave me no end of grief for my Mets hat but all good natured - and they weren't even playing the Mets.
The Regal GS is indeed a GM product that could spark my interest though I'm pretty sure it's out of my price range.
They're putting up our solar panels today so I just have to wait on the "cheap" Tesla.....
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I parked next to a regal recently. Very sharp. Could see owning one (well, leading). A guy in my neighborhood even has one with a stick shift. Yes they do exist.
Right on bean. In fact, Cadillac was moving their offices to New York to get inspired. That figures....go to Wall St to put some heart and soul into cars! Office should be in California, Paris, Rome, London, not New York.
They're actually moving to SOHO so they can be close to the "trend setters" ... in the US city where you need a car the least.
Yeah, I don't get that. You'd think they would choose a location where the car culture is alive and thriving.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Right on bean. In fact, Cadillac was moving their offices to New York to get inspired. That figures....go to Wall St to put some heart and soul into cars! Office should be in California, Paris, Rome, London, not New York.
They're actually moving to SOHO so they can be close to the "trend setters" ... in the US city where you need a car the least.
Yeah, I don't get that. You'd think they would choose a location where the car culture is alive and thriving.
It's not about car culture - moving to a place like LA did nothing for Lincoln, Jaguar, Aston. For Cadillac, it's about luxury branding and marketing:
De Nysschen said being in New York, which he called the epicenter for global trends, will allow the team to build a focus solely on the brand and to better understand the "sophisticated lifestyle" of Cadillac's target customer base.
"I say to my team that we need to develop a set of behaviors that walks, talks, eats, sleeps, dreams premium — that's all we do," said de Nysschen, who said he has not decided yet if his base will be in New York or Detroit.
The entire brand is not moving there - 30 people in marketing and sales will be moving to NY and they will hire another 90 or so people. Headquarters and the rest will stay in Detroit as those functions are tied into the rest of GM.
To me it sounds suspiciously like the "Brand Management" debacle of a few decades ago. I've heard that "We're selling a lifestyle." comment from the suits at Cadillac and it almost sounds as if the car is ancillary as opposed to the primary focus.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I unfortunately owned a '76 Opel made by Izuzu, a Japanese company. Bought used in '77 with just over 1700 on the clock for about $2500 at a local Buick dealer. From day 1 had a/c issues which they could never fix properly. Then the tranny fell out getting onto I-95 in West Palm Beach right after my first day at the post office in December 1980, a total nightmare! After it was fixed, waited a couple of months and an axle broke on the way to work and I had had enough. Found a slightly used Datsun 210, an ex-rental it turned out and traded the Opel for that. Saw it a few times after that at the family's driveway that bought it from the used car lot. After the Datsun, we were avid Toyota people for many many years. The wife also only drove GM until I turned her on to Toyota and Nissan. Now, we've come full circle and are both with Audi/VW though I was seriously looking at GM back in 2013, the Verano and Encore were at the top of my list and would've bought either but at the last minute, Hyundai won me over with their Tucson as I wanted to leave the econo-car arena for awhile and here we are. Trust me, if the wife had not gotten an Audi, that year old Tucson would still be in our garage.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Right on bean. In fact, Cadillac was moving their offices to New York to get inspired. That figures....go to Wall St to put some heart and soul into cars! Office should be in California, Paris, Rome, London, not New York.
They're actually moving to SOHO so they can be close to the "trend setters" ... in the US city where you need a car the least.
Yeah, I don't get that. You'd think they would choose a location where the car culture is alive and thriving.
It's not about car culture - moving to a place like LA did nothing for Lincoln, Jaguar, Aston. For Cadillac, it's about luxury branding and marketing:
The entire brand is not moving there - 30 people in marketing and sales will be moving to NY and they will hire another 90 or so people. Headquarters and the rest will stay in Detroit as those functions are tied into the rest of GM.
Sounds like the actual technical and design people etc. will stay in Detroit, but the marketing and sales people who have nothing to do with the actual car will move to New York.
So the real reason for moving to NY, is to make ads that appeal to the people who may be potential Cadillac buyers.
Warren Buffet trades in his 2008 DTS for a 2014 XTS;
Article said he was just as excited by the hat as he was by the car.
To me it sounds suspiciously like the "Brand Management" debacle of a few decades ago. I've heard that "We're selling a lifestyle." comment from the suits at Cadillac and it almost sounds as if the car is ancillary as opposed to the primary focus.
Not really. The brand management under Ron Zarella was more focused on targeting multiple types of customers with essentially the same products. In an interview, Zarella said the best GM car for a family was the Chevy Venture. But if one didn't want a soccer mom car, then they had the Pontiac Transport. Just like shampoo, same product - different bottle.
This move is designed to keep Cadillac sales and marketing from getting cooties from the other brands - at least a bit. The vast majority of luxury cars are sold on the coasts. The NYC area is the second largest car market in the country - just behind LA. IMHO, New York has a more serious luxury scene versus the relaxed west coast scene.
Although De Nysschen is in charge of Cadillac, he will probably be in Detroit. The heavy lifting is up to Uwe Ellinghaus - CMO - who spent 15 years with BMW and will be in SoHo everyday.
Article said he was just as excited by the hat as he was by the car.
That's because the hat was free.
My niece & hubby recently switched to a new Explorer. She said the Acadia they had gave them no end of grief and was always in the shop. Ignition issues especially, although the rear hatch supports failed suddenly and about conked my niece out. They had switched to the Acadia from an Expedition so Ford's lured them back.
Local legend had it that Mike Brown (owner of the Cincinnati Bengaks), who could afford any car he wanted, used to drive a Chevy Lumina to the stadium everyday. That was one of the many reasons they say he's one of the cheapest Professional Sports team owners in the world. He used to say that he just didn't care all that much about cars.
BTW, as luck would have it, I got a letter today from Strategic Vision wanting to know if I'd be willing to give them my opinion about luxury car brands and models (including Cadillac). Why yes.....yes I would!
Just saw a Fiat commercial that was so funny I had to share it with everyone.
This old man enters his young lady's boudoir and finds her in an amorous mood. He runs to the medicine cabinet and tries to pop an ED pill but it ricochets out the window and into the fuel filler nozzle of a Fiat 500 coupe downstairs. The Fiat coupe groans and moans and grows into a Fiat 500 sedan.
That was one hilarious commercial and it is on topic - a car that increases in size!
If I'd known it worked that way I'd have bought a 3 instead of a 5...
Probably just the Italians. You know how we can get.
Ha ha, how can we get? I guess that the more gentrified we get the old ways get fuzzy. I'll never forget that my Italian immigrant grandmother asked my future wife "what's your extraction, dear?". That was in the 70's and still caused concern to the old timers. I still got married to a non Italian, and it's been 38 years and we're still together.
If I'd known it worked that way I'd have bought a 3 instead of a 5...
Probably just the Italians. You know how we can get.
Ha ha, how can we get? I guess that the more gentrified we get the old ways get fuzzy. I'll never forget that my Italian immigrant grandmother asked my future wife "what's your extraction, dear?". That was in the 70's and still caused concern to the old timers. I still got married to a non Italian, and it's been 38 years and we're still together.
sb, seems you are completely unbiased....(and all over the map judging by this selection):
Why those particular cars? How is reliability in the 535 and Siverado? How does the Suburu hold up? Is the Miata as much fun to drive as it looks like it would be?
When we bought the Buick Encore I didn't think it would have as much cargo capacity as the Pontiac Vibe it replaced but it continues to surprise me. This morning it easily held 6 bags of mulch in the back hatch and 2 dogs in the back seat. It's also getting better mileage than advertised. I'm routinely getting 27-28 mpg around town. Pretty versatile ute in a small package.
My Dad was off the boat from Italy. He married my 100% Italian Mother. When I married my son's Mother, who was of German/Irish/Canadian descent, they threatened to not attend the wedding because she didn't have even a trace of Italian in her lineage. They didn't buy us a wedding gift (but became over the top generous when their gradson was born).
Of course, they relinquished their long held beliefs that Italians only marry Italians over time. But, there was some logic in their thinking as I look back.
On another board a discussion came up regarding dealer surveys, one participant claims to work for a company that tabulates those surveys. Take it with a grain of salt, but here is what he said about Ford and how it responds to said surveys:
I cannot recall a single instance of a customer reporting a problem with either the vehicle or the dealer that was solved because of something the customer reported to Ford via the survey. Therefore, I deduce that Ford simply does not care what is written on the survey because it is not a tool for customer satisfaction. It is, IMHO...a tool to identify these three things:
1. Is the customer going to contact an attorney...sue Ford...involve the BBB or a government agency?
2. Is the customer complaining about a safety defect?
3. Are the customers complaining about a dealer offering bribes in exchange for perfect survey scores? Too many of these and the dealer risks being flagged for interference and having their bonus paid by Corporate reduced. In a worst case scenario, they could even have their franchise taken away.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I had an interesting dealership visit yesterday. Went in for an oil change but I need to supply a little background info. Our local Lexus dealer has two stores in the KC area. One North, and the main store south. I have bought cars and had service done at each location as I am sort of in between them.
The oil change was for my 2010 LS. It is a v8 and takes 10 quarts. My last oil change was at the North dealership. They made an honest mistake and overcharged me on that visit. When I showed them their mistake, the service manager was very apologetic, gave me his card and wrote on the back of it that my next oil change would be only $70. It is normally about $120.
So yesterday I went to the South store, presented the business card and asked the service consultant if they would honor the discounted oil change from the North store. He said no problem but he would have to clear it with the service manager. He came back in about 30 seconds and told me the service manager had said no, and that I would have to go to the North store. I was surprised and a little put off but I just said no problem and went on my way.
I got to thinking about it after I got home and decided to write a letter to the GM, who I know, with a copy to the Service mgr. and a copy to the salesman there who I have bought 3 cars from. The letter was very complimentary to their org. but I said I was a little confused by what happened on my visit yesterday. I asked them if saving 50 bucks was more important to them than having a gullible customer like me spending an hour in their store with the real possibility of me buying a new car while there. I then thanked the Service mgr. for letting me escape.
So far I have had two emails and a phone call from the Service manager and one call from my salesman literally begging me to come back in and have the oil change done there. I am letting them sweat and will probably just go to the North store and have the oil change done there. Probably won't be buying a car until this fall though...but had some fun yanking their chain.
The two stores are probably set up as independent companies or at least profit centers within the big company. South service manager was probably miffed at having to honor a special price scratched on the back of a business card because of a screw up at the other store. North service manager got to keep the overcharge and pad his sales/profits - albeit a very small padding - and got your goodwill. Now the south service manager is down $50 on his sales/profit goals.
In the grand scheme of things, it's small peanuts and south should have just done it without issue. At the next regional meeting he could have approached north and ribbed him about giving away coupons and telling those folks to redeem them at the south store. Who knows, it could have been the 4th time this month he was left having to deal with a problem the north store caused. IMHO, the north store should have refunded the $50.
I just talked to a customer of mine and he said he had an unhappy consumer with 2 of my products who is a major influencer (interior designer) to his business. He asked if I would replace them at no charge and if so, what the process would be. I said sure and told him the process would be to e-mail me the consumer's name and address. The cost on the two items are worth much less than the bad-will he and I would get.
Yes, I am sure they are separate profit centers. I told the GM that I was not concerned with the oil change but that their service people should realize that they are also sales people. I harped on that all the time with my employees back when I owned my own company...right down to the receptionist.
I had an interesting dealership visit yesterday. Went in for an oil change but I need to supply a little background info. Our local Lexus dealer has two stores in the KC area. One North, and the main store south. I have bought cars and had service done at each location as I am sort of in between them.
The oil change was for my 2010 LS. It is a v8 and takes 10 quarts. My last oil change was at the North dealership. They made an honest mistake and overcharged me on that visit. When I showed them their mistake, the service manager was very apologetic, gave me his card and wrote on the back of it that my next oil change would be only $70. It is normally about $120.
So yesterday I went to the South store, presented the business card and asked the service consultant if they would honor the discounted oil change from the North store. He said no problem but he would have to clear it with the service manager. He came back in about 30 seconds and told me the service manager had said no, and that I would have to go to the North store. I was surprised and a little put off but I just said no problem and went on my way.
I got to thinking about it after I got home and decided to write a letter to the GM, who I know, with a copy to the Service mgr. and a copy to the salesman there who I have bought 3 cars from. The letter was very complimentary to their org. but I said I was a little confused by what happened on my visit yesterday. I asked them if saving 50 bucks was more important to them than having a gullible customer like me spending an hour in their store with the real possibility of me buying a new car while there. I then thanked the Service mgr. for letting me escape.
So far I have had two emails and a phone call from the Service manager and one call from my salesman literally begging me to come back in and have the oil change done there. I am letting them sweat and will probably just go to the North store and have the oil change done there. Probably won't be buying a car until this fall though...but had some fun yanking their chain.
One major problem in many dealerships is the lack of "team philosophy" when dealing with customers. These dealerships are operated and managed so as to inadvertently create a "wall" between the four major departments - sales, service, finance and parts. Each department is usually run independent of the other departments.
In the two(2) dealerships I worked (one as a salesman and one as a sales manager), the General Manager had a weekly Saturday morning meeting in his office which was attended by the Sales Managers, the Service Manager, the Parts Manager and the Finance Manager. The meetings were designed to create a "TEAM" whose members were required to operate interdependently with each other for one objective - COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, at all cost or suffer the consequences of employment separation (i.e., pink slips).
If I needed to solve a customer problem with any of the three other departments, there was never as much as a whisper of non-cooperation. Our goal was to sell cars and services and everyone involved worked in unison to correct any and all customer problems or issues. God help the poor employee who lost sight of this management approach.
It is obvious that this does not happen in most dealerships including the two you deal with - the first service manager should have honored the business card's note from the 2nd service manager on the spot in order to ensure complete customer satisfaction.
It all boils down to management style and a General Manager who is in synch with corporate goals and mission statements.
I'm only half-Italian myself. Dad married a mixed northern European mixed lady. It was certainly interesting. My mom's folks went back so far in this country that we couldn't trace how far, Dad's folks came over on the boat (two boats; they lived in the same town in Italy but me over here). My mom was an only child and when we'd go to her folks' house we has a monopoly on being grandchildren but everything was in its place and you asked permission on things. Dad was one of ten. Go over for dinner on Sunday and there'd be more than 50 people - sometimes way more - all of whom were related to you in one way or another and we all took over the whole house. Favorite things were going in the basement to try and figure out the slot machine my grandfather (who was gone before I showed up) had in the back room of his barber shop. My cousin, who is two years younger than me and lived in the house, had a doll with a switch on it. Turn the switch one way and it will record what you say. Turn it the other way and whatever you said comes out in the doll voice. We used to record the worst things but she assures me we were nothing compared to her brother and my dad;s youngest brother/
If only I could get ma's meatball and gravy recipes...
If you want to get a good idea of life as an Italian look for a book (long out of print because it's not very PC but it's hysterical) called How to be an Italian by Lou D'Angelo. I had an uncle by the same name but it wasn't him.
Classic joke: What's Italian foreplay? "Hi, honey, I'm home!"
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
.. . here is what he said about Ford and how it responds to said surveys:
Ain't life grand?
The survey could be a useful tool. Right, and we'll all flap our arms and fly to the moon (credit Charles Shultz). It's turned into a stupid exercise, and everyone marches to the drummer.
Buy a car new, and hope it runs well, with no (I mean absolutely none) need to be dealt with by the dealer. If that happens (and I've had several), life is good. Otherwise, it's not. The dealer's job, more often than not, is to discover or invent issues that you are unaware of, then charge for (not) fixing them.
The dealers screw up (or fail to fix) many more cars than they heal. I'm willing to pay top dollar for a diagnostic technician who finds actual issues and fixes them correctly the first time for a reasonable price. I'm still carrying my lantern. Seriously, I have found a few, but not many.
Probably just the camera, but it looks like it could be cramped if the console is as big as it looks in the pic.
I like the looks of the vehicle, but it sure looks narrow in those front foot wells. Mercedes-Benz is going all out with those stand-alone NAV screens in all their new cars. I do not like them - they "cramp" your front visibility. I don't look at my screen very much except for traffic and weather. The screen is also susceptible to sunlight and glare.
On another board a discussion came up regarding dealer surveys, one participant claims to work for a company that tabulates those surveys. Take it with a grain of salt, but here is what he said about Ford and how it responds to said surveys:
I cannot recall a single instance of a customer reporting a problem with either the vehicle or the dealer that was solved because of something the customer reported to Ford via the survey. Therefore, I deduce that Ford simply does not care what is written on the survey because it is not a tool for customer satisfaction. It is, IMHO...a tool to identify these three things:
1. Is the customer going to contact an attorney...sue Ford...involve the BBB or a government agency?
2. Is the customer complaining about a safety defect?
3. Are the customers complaining about a dealer offering bribes in exchange for perfect survey scores? Too many of these and the dealer risks being flagged for interference and having their bonus paid by Corporate reduced. In a worst case scenario, they could even have their franchise taken away.
I tend to think #3 is the big one for car companies. Any excuse to reduce a bonus.
btw...just saw Jurassic World! It would be impossible to sleep during that movie! A good 2 hour thrill, especially in 3-D. Just the special affects allone are worth the price of admission.
The parade of home upgrades is continuing, which is distracting me from my new vehicle search. Contractor is done building the deck. Refrigerator is up and running. Granite countertops are in and I connected the plumbing. So far, no leaks. Patio table is arriving on Friday and the rest of the appliances should be here next week. I'll install the over the stove microwave and we are subbing out the dishwasher install.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Mercedes rolled out their replacement for the GLK today, the GLC - a bit bigger, a bit rounder, less boxy.
Those pictures are the reason my wife wanted to get a 2015 before they sold out....and sales of the 15s have been good.
She doesn't like the low roof, or the rounded corners, or the nav screen being separate, I prefer the boxy look of the 2015 model...kind of looks like a smaller G model.
Thanks for the pictures though, I have only seen the 2016 from some odd angles, and this makes me glad we got a 2015 model.
The "new" brown is usually called something like "cocoa metallic" and isnt a flat brown. It's not my preference but it doesn't look bad and it probably doesn't show dirt as much as white. That's the one I cannot figure out the popularity of at all.
The "new" brown is usually called something like "cocoa metallic" and isnt a flat brown. It's not my preference but it doesn't look bad and it probably doesn't show dirt as much as white. That's the one I cannot figure out the popularity of at all.
I have found that "silver" is the one color that does not show the road grime or dirt and does not show spotting from rain or sprinklers. It also does not show minor scratches like black or dark gray or "brown". In summary, I prefer silver, light gray or off-white as my exterior car colors.
Buick makes the best browns. My 2007 Fusion color was called Alloy. Grey with some brown. It was a really good color.
Because I am partly color-blind, those subtleties do not register with me. I call them "Mud Metallic". Mazda and Toyota used to also have paints like that. To someone like me they are non-colors.
Comments
My dad had Opel Corsa in Poland, bought new in 1992 or so. It was our first Western-made car, small, but actually decent quality (but our reference then were awful Soviet block cars), underpowered on the highway, small 1.2 engine (yes they sell such there). He replaced with a 1998 new Civic, which was a great step up in terms of everything.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
mako...I'm not that deep.
NYC...your friend with the Tahoe has a lot more patience than I possess.
dino...lots to ponder....
....but really...GM's and Cadillac's past antics don't matter to me. I bought a lemon from them and gave them ample opportunity to fix it. They couldn't and didn't. They've gone into stall mode, which does nothing more than exacerbate the situation. No more chances. They continue to disaapoint, sometimes in new and unique ways.
We'll see what the avenues I've chosen to pursue come up with. Nothing else has worked dealing with Cadillac.
Now the insurance company wants me to disown the Camry from their insurance in order to collect payment. Had to leave a voice mail and let them know the moment they decide to not insure that car they lose the other three and our home insurance. NJM used to be great to deal with. They are now belligerent idiots.
I don't think that brand knocking is GM's special curse. Look around and you'll see Ford crucified and justly so in the instances I've experienced or read in these forums. VWs, Chryslers.... People know what they like and know what they don't.
I've owned 3 GM products over the years. They were ok and reasonably reliable. They were also fill ins that mostly I only had a few months though my wife's 78 Nova we had for four years. No problems but the summer of 88 was brutally hot and it had no AC and she was pregnant with my first daughter. When summer approached the next year she wanted AC. I offered to teach her to drive stick and she could have my Sentra and I'd take the Nova. No dice. Later I broke down her resistance on the stick.
Am I a little leery of GM backing up product? Yes, but I am of Ford and VW and several others. Right now GM doesn't have anything that spins my chair. That's just a matter of taste. (Ford and VW atrocities I have personal experience with and I don't care that they were 20 and 30 years ago. I've heard nothing that indicates they have changed.)
GG - keep it up. You are as cool a cucumber as we have around here. A friend indeed. Maybe next year I have to hit a trip and visit a few folks down that way. I was in Cincinnati and environs last year.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Maybe come up with new ideas like latte dispenser in the dash.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I would consider this more effective than moving headquarters to Nashville. Although I'm sure detractors will find more to criticize about the move to NYC here and in the media.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Personal opinion..I think GM has some interesting products. You'd be hard pressed to find better full size SUVs (save for NYCs friend) from any other company. From what I hear, the Regal GS is a good car. The new Corvette couldn't receive more thumbs up if it was judged by a whole panel of folks with nothing but thumbs.
Cadillac has certainly received their fair share of trade rag accolades. So, why aren't they selling better? I guess you'd have to at least give a nod to the fact that they just don't care about taking care of the customer after the sale....particularly if there are issues. From that perspective, nothing has changed (at least not for the better) about the Cadillac experience I had dealt with years ago. In that segment, that doesn't play well. None of that goes unnoticed, whether it's by word of mouth, or on a popular automotive WEB site like Edmunds. That alone will keep people out of the Cadillac showrooms.
Wife asked last night if we're taking a vacation this summer. This might be a "staycation" summer as I'm traveling a lot for my work. Perhaps try to get her to meet me in one of the more interesting cities for a long weekend.
Headed to Milwaukee today (was supposed to be there yesterday until the CTS failed again). Maybe get her to take one of those regional planes to Chicago and I'll meet her there for a long weekend.
Fabulous idea. If the Reds are in town we can take in a game. I was never a Reds fan and Great American doesn't show well on TV but last year took in a game and the park and the fans were terrific. They gave me no end of grief for my Mets hat but all good natured - and they weren't even playing the Mets.
The Regal GS is indeed a GM product that could spark my interest though I'm pretty sure it's out of my price range.
They're putting up our solar panels today so I just have to wait on the "cheap" Tesla.....
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
De Nysschen said being in New York, which he called the epicenter for global trends, will allow the team to build a focus solely on the brand and to better understand the "sophisticated lifestyle" of Cadillac's target customer base.
"I say to my team that we need to develop a set of behaviors that walks, talks, eats, sleeps, dreams premium — that's all we do," said de Nysschen, who said he has not decided yet if his base will be in New York or Detroit.
The entire brand is not moving there - 30 people in marketing and sales will be moving to NY and they will hire another 90 or so people. Headquarters and the rest will stay in Detroit as those functions are tied into the rest of GM.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Now, we've come full circle and are both with Audi/VW though I was seriously looking at GM back in 2013, the Verano and Encore were at the top of my list and would've bought either but at the last minute, Hyundai won me over with their Tucson as I wanted to leave the econo-car arena for awhile and here we are. Trust me, if the wife had not gotten an Audi, that year old Tucson would still be in our garage.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
So the real reason for moving to NY, is to make ads that appeal to the people who may be potential Cadillac buyers.
Warren Buffet trades in his 2008 DTS for a 2014 XTS;
Article said he was just as excited by the hat as he was by the car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
This move is designed to keep Cadillac sales and marketing from getting cooties from the other brands - at least a bit. The vast majority of luxury cars are sold on the coasts. The NYC area is the second largest car market in the country - just behind LA. IMHO, New York has a more serious luxury scene versus the relaxed west coast scene.
Although De Nysschen is in charge of Cadillac, he will probably be in Detroit. The heavy lifting is up to Uwe Ellinghaus - CMO - who spent 15 years with BMW and will be in SoHo everyday.
My niece & hubby recently switched to a new Explorer. She said the Acadia they had gave them no end of grief and was always in the shop. Ignition issues especially, although the rear hatch supports failed suddenly and about conked my niece out. They had switched to the Acadia from an Expedition so Ford's lured them back.
Surprised he bought a Cadillac and not a Cruze.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Local legend had it that Mike Brown (owner of the Cincinnati Bengaks), who could afford any car he wanted, used to drive a Chevy Lumina to the stadium everyday. That was one of the many reasons they say he's one of the cheapest Professional Sports team owners in the world. He used to say that he just didn't care all that much about cars.
BTW, as luck would have it, I got a letter today from Strategic Vision wanting to know if I'd be willing to give them my opinion about luxury car brands and models (including Cadillac). Why yes.....yes I would!
Should be fun!
This old man enters his young lady's boudoir and finds her in an amorous mood. He runs to the medicine cabinet and tries to pop an ED pill but it ricochets out the window and into the fuel filler nozzle of a Fiat 500 coupe downstairs. The Fiat coupe groans and moans and grows into a Fiat 500 sedan.
That was one hilarious commercial and it is on topic - a car that increases in size!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Probably just the Italians. You know how we can get.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
2007 Miata, 2010 BMW 535xiT, 2014 Chevy Silverado LT Ext. cab, 2006 Subaru Legacy Wagon
Why those particular cars? How is reliability in the 535 and Siverado? How does the Suburu hold up? Is the Miata as much fun to drive as it looks like it would be?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Of course, they relinquished their long held beliefs that Italians only marry Italians over time. But, there was some logic in their thinking as I look back.
When the father told you to behave ourselves, they meant business!
I cannot recall a single instance of a customer reporting a problem with either the vehicle or the dealer that was solved because of something the customer reported to Ford via the survey. Therefore, I deduce that Ford simply does not care what is written on the survey because it is not a tool for customer satisfaction. It is, IMHO...a tool to identify these three things:
1. Is the customer going to contact an attorney...sue Ford...involve the BBB or a government agency?
2. Is the customer complaining about a safety defect?
3. Are the customers complaining about a dealer offering bribes in exchange for perfect survey scores? Too many of these and the dealer risks being flagged for interference and having their bonus paid by Corporate reduced. In a worst case scenario, they could even have their franchise taken away.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The oil change was for my 2010 LS. It is a v8 and takes 10 quarts. My last oil change was at the North dealership. They made an honest mistake and overcharged me on that visit. When I showed them their mistake, the service manager was very apologetic, gave me his card and wrote on the back of it that my next oil change would be only $70. It is normally about $120.
So yesterday I went to the South store, presented the business card and asked the service consultant if they would honor the discounted oil change from the North store. He said no problem but he would have to clear it with the service manager. He came back in about 30 seconds and told me the service manager had said no, and that I would have to go to the North store. I was surprised and a little put off but I just said no problem and went on my way.
I got to thinking about it after I got home and decided to write a letter to the GM, who I know, with a copy to the Service mgr. and a copy to the salesman there who I have bought 3 cars from. The letter was very complimentary to their org. but I said I was a little confused by what happened on my visit yesterday. I asked them if saving 50 bucks was more important to them than having a gullible customer like me spending an hour in their store with the real possibility of me buying a new car while there. I then thanked the Service mgr. for letting me escape.
So far I have had two emails and a phone call from the Service manager and one call from my salesman literally begging me to come back in and have the oil change done there. I am letting them sweat and will probably just go to the North store and have the oil change done there. Probably won't be buying a car until this fall though...but had some fun yanking their chain.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
In the grand scheme of things, it's small peanuts and south should have just done it without issue. At the next regional meeting he could have approached north and ribbed him about giving away coupons and telling those folks to redeem them at the south store. Who knows, it could have been the 4th time this month he was left having to deal with a problem the north store caused. IMHO, the north store should have refunded the $50.
I just talked to a customer of mine and he said he had an unhappy consumer with 2 of my products who is a major influencer (interior designer) to his business. He asked if I would replace them at no charge and if so, what the process would be. I said sure and told him the process would be to e-mail me the consumer's name and address. The cost on the two items are worth much less than the bad-will he and I would get.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
In the two(2) dealerships I worked (one as a salesman and one as a sales manager), the General Manager had a weekly Saturday morning meeting in his office which was attended by the Sales Managers, the Service Manager, the Parts Manager and the Finance Manager. The meetings were designed to create a "TEAM" whose members were required to operate interdependently with each other for one objective - COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, at all cost or suffer the consequences of employment separation (i.e., pink slips).
If I needed to solve a customer problem with any of the three other departments, there was never as much as a whisper of non-cooperation. Our goal was to sell cars and services and everyone involved worked in unison to correct any and all customer problems or issues. God help the poor employee who lost sight of this management approach.
It is obvious that this does not happen in most dealerships including the two you deal with - the first service manager should have honored the business card's note from the 2nd service manager on the spot in order to ensure complete customer satisfaction.
It all boils down to management style and a General Manager who is in synch with corporate goals and mission statements.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
If only I could get ma's meatball and gravy recipes...
If you want to get a good idea of life as an Italian look for a book (long out of print because it's not very PC but it's hysterical) called How to be an Italian by Lou D'Angelo. I had an uncle by the same name but it wasn't him.
Classic joke: What's Italian foreplay? "Hi, honey, I'm home!"
The survey could be a useful tool. Right, and we'll all flap our arms and fly to the moon (credit Charles Shultz). It's turned into a stupid exercise, and everyone marches to the drummer.
Buy a car new, and hope it runs well, with no (I mean absolutely none) need to be dealt with by the dealer. If that happens (and I've had several), life is good. Otherwise, it's not. The dealer's job, more often than not, is to discover or invent issues that you are unaware of, then charge for (not) fixing them.
The dealers screw up (or fail to fix) many more cars than they heal. I'm willing to pay top dollar for a diagnostic technician who finds actual issues and fixes them correctly the first time for a reasonable price. I'm still carrying my lantern. Seriously, I have found a few, but not many.
YMMV
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Brown cars have always been a dog to sell to the point I think every manufacturer quit making them.
When our store took in a brown trade in we knew it would be tough to sell. " Stay around brown" was what they were called.
Maybe tastes are changing. I still don't like brown cars!
btw...just saw Jurassic World! It would be impossible to sleep during that movie! A good 2 hour thrill, especially in 3-D. Just the special affects allone are worth the price of admission.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Contractor is done building the deck. Refrigerator is up and running. Granite countertops are in and I connected the plumbing. So far, no leaks.
Patio table is arriving on Friday and the rest of the appliances should be here next week.
I'll install the over the stove microwave and we are subbing out the dishwasher install.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
She doesn't like the low roof, or the rounded corners, or the nav screen being separate, I prefer the boxy look of the 2015 model...kind of looks like a smaller G model.
Thanks for the pictures though, I have only seen the 2016 from some odd angles, and this makes me glad we got a 2015 model.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6