Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Comments
I drive an Elantra and....well it was one of the least expensive cars out there and the warranty was great.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Most of the Priuses are only being driven short distances from what I see. If they were commuting to Cincy or driving crosstown in traffic I could feel they were saving fuel. But they actually don't; it's a short trip to work.
And if they were dedicated they would buy them rather than lease them. Most people I see with them two years ago now have a different lease.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Then you should have a talk with her - because nobody can tell.... :surprise:
I drive an Elantra and....well it was one of the least expensive cars out there and the warranty was great.
Now, here's an honest man, and a smart one too, because the Elantra is built probably better than the Bu, and has a hellova good warranty, which you generally never use.
And IMO, a MB G-wagen is even more ostentatious than an Escalade, simply due to the loaded up ones we get being so far off the original intent. It's a Russian mafia image vs a rapper/thug image. I'll take neither.
And I have never seen a blinged out LX!
It's not like Cadillac created a new market. They just stole the bling from mercedes. For years mercedes was the choice car for rapers.
Rocky
The Escalade, IMHO is a SUV/Truck you either love or hate. I do think some people don't like it because of the stereo-type it carry's but I feel those are prejudice issues for those individuals. I have and always will be a huge fan of the Escalade, mainly because I grew up in the "Bling Bling" era and love 20+ inch Dubs. I mainly love the Escalade, for it's styling, gadgetology, and luxurious accomidations I can't find on another SUV. Maybe someday I will own one.
Rocky
Actually its a pretty nice car. Rides well and has enough room.
Now, here's an honest man, and a smart one too,
Wow two things people rarely say about me
The wagon has been the most reliable car I have ever had. Only had one real issue and that was a cracked exhaust manifold at 120K or so miles. Seems that Hyundai got a hold of some bad ones and extended the warranty on them for ten years unlimited miles. The dealership fixed it under that warranty no questions asked. I am hoping to get a few more years out of it.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Rocky
Bottled water and vehicles are two entirely different products. The purchasers of those products are driven by an entirely different set of wants and expectations.
GM tried to apply the marketing and product development processes used for consumer goods to vehicles - Ron Zarella and his infamous attempt to impose brand management on GM - and it failed miserably. That effort seriously hurt GM's competitiveness, and contributed heavily to the demise of Oldsmobile. A company cannot rely on marketing or "branding" to sell new vehicles to the extent it does to sell bottled water - or toilet paper or laundry detergent.
What works for a product picked up at the supermarket or the convenience store on a whim for less than a few dollars does not work for a new vehicle, which is the second-biggest purchase for most people.
When an automobile nameplate has a good image in the marketplace, that image either is - or WAS - based on reality. Cadillac WAS the "Standard of the World" for many years, and that image carried the marque through several years when it most definitely was not.
Eventually reality caught up with Cadillac - as it always does in the automotive world - and GM has spent billions bringing the division back from the brink. But it still has a way to go.
Much the same as selling 20oz of water for a buck when the same amount and quality of water can be had for a penny from the faucet. That is because people have an image (earned or not) of that water in the bottle.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Rocky
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Rocky
For luxury automobiles, image is always based on real capabilities - either in the present (Lexus, BMW) or in the recent past (to some extent, Mercedes Benz). But once the reality can no longer back up the image, people catch on and sales dwindle.
Cadillac sold well for years after it was no longer the "Standard of the World" (Cadillac's year for record sales was 1979, and no one can seriously suggest that it was the best at much of anything by then). Eventually, people caught on that the image didn't match reality, and Cadillac went into a tailspin.
There is a considerable difference between a Lexus, BMW or Mercedes and a Ford, Honda or Toyota. Differences in fit and finish (Lexus, in partcular, is phenomenal in this area, and no lower priced car can match it), driving capabilities (BMW really is the ultimate driving machine, as no other car can match its combination of chassis tuning and drivetrain) or just overall competence (a Mercedes E- and S-Class can cruise all day at 100+ mph without straining).
Those are the reasons that people will pay more for a BMW, Lexus and Mercedes than for a Ford, Honda or Toyota. The image is backed up by reality.
Sales volume is not a good measure of anything. Cadillac has been priced to sell at a profitable volume, and GM/Cadillac have always wanted to outsell Lincoln. Mercedes has not worried about selling the most, they want to sell the best. Lexus seems to have taken over the "best" catagory, at least if the J. D. Power surveys are accurate.
However, while the Mercedes may have been best (at some point in time), it was not the most expensive, as Rolls Royce has usually been one of the most expensive production cars. But the Rolls was not designed to be the best, it was designed to have status, which was done with "old world" craftmanship.
Do you have proof for that statement? I doubt that it's true. There a lots of Escalades around our area and I'm sure many of the people driving them would love to have a video made with their car appearing it it.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
True. I thought I was the only one from the Chi that saw that. Most of them were/are pushing used Navs or fwd MCs with chrome 20s, then "move up" to the Suburbans/Tahoes.
Here in Chicago, our recently arrested defensive tackle drove a BMW.
Now, now, leave the tackling dummy, I mean defensive tackle alone. He had a bad week.
Reminds me of the song from the seventies about a pimp Cadillac ("though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, diamond in the back, sunroof top, TV antenna in the back ...").
Which is exactly why I wouldn't even consider an Escalade, were I in the market for a large luxo-SUV.
The LAST thing I want to be associated with or resemble is some low-class, low-life bling-rappers.
Appealing to THAT class of people is exactly the WRONG way to build a luxury image. By definition ghetto culture is low class.
Used Escalades are also fairly affordable, and around here are turning up on BHPH lots more by the day. To the average dope on the street, there's no difference between an 02 and an 06.
Image is everything, substance is...well...
There seem to be more 2007 program Escalades than 2006's.
1. Tony Soprano isn't a real person. The character drives GM SUVs because GM provides the vehicles free of charge and possibly even pays a little cash to the producers to get them to use the product (Silvio and Paulie also drive Caddys).
2. I think there is probably more to the $10 billion a year bottled water business than just marketing hype. I don't drink bottled unless I have to, but there are times when you can't beat its convenience, and imo it tastes a hell of a lot better than our tap water, particularly in the summertime, when the chlorine levels go through the roof. And once you've seen a homeless person use a drinking fountain as a bidet, it's hard to jump back on that horse!
smittynyc, Sopranos product placement is a perfect example of GM knowing the market their after, and it works.
Wow - Rock buddy - get a dictionary for Xmas.
Hoe Hoe Hoe.
I would think that part of it is that fact that a lot of wise guys drive Caddies (or aspire to).
I think there is probably more to the $10 billion a year bottled water business than just marketing hype.
If there is I can't see it. Is the water that bad in NYC? Our tape water here really isn't that bad and is actually as good (if not better) than bottled.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Which is exactly why I wouldn't even consider an Escalade, were I in the market for a large luxo-SUV.
The LAST thing I want to be associated with or resemble is some low-class, low-life bling-rappers.
Appealing to THAT class of people is exactly the WRONG way to build a luxury image. By definition ghetto culture is low class."
EXACTLY!!! And that is why I drive a new Land Rover. Nothing says "class" more than a new Land Rover or Range Rover.
Keith :shades:
Nope nothing says class like driving a beat up rusted Yugo and not giving a $%^& about what others think.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well how else would you bungee jump? Rubber bands?
Disclaimer: Do not bungee jump with rubber bands, well if you had an ounce of brains and common sense you wouldn't bungee jump at all. But hey if you want to risk being dashed to pieces among the rocks below that bridge go for it just don't blame me when you meet God a lot sooner than expected.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Rover kind of looks boxy and simple. Excalade has better styling.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=118898
Rocky
Absolutely right. I read these "Hyundais are just as good as Porsche" type comments and just have to shake my head.There is a substantive difference in these types of cars, as you've noted.
The problem was that Cadillac spent years trying to sell a car that was allegedly superior, but wasn't in any meaningful way -- its only differentiators from a Chevy were a couple of cheap options and a higher price tag. There's not much reason for a luxury car buyer to want one when it is possible to buy a superior car for the same money.
Badge engineering is what got GM in trouble in the first place. If there is nothing standing behind that badge, it won't be long before it gets passed up, as GM's history clearly demonstrates.
The answer is NO. GM can't do it. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and even Infiniti (in the G35/M35/45 segments) have too much of a lead.
Can Cadillac become competitive and get back on import luxury car buyer's shopping lists? Possibly. There are some though that will never forget the junk Cadillac heaved onto the roads and buyers in the 80's and 90's to ever consider Cadillac again.
M
Bingo. All those years of trying to get FWD cars to outperform RWD cars, all the empty boasts about having the "largest engine" in its class, yet it didn't have as much hp as rival engines. The list goes on and on. That takes years and years to overcome and nothing does it faster than new, fresh and superior products, not merely competitive ones. Cadillac at best builds competitive products withing a few segments like the STS and XLR. The new CTS is their real chance to show what they can really do, but they're up against a new G35, IS350 and 335i and a new C and A4 within a 12-18 months after that. Tough market indeed.
Cadillac does have some bright spots in a sense that they're what I like to call a full-service luxury provider, well almost. Roadster, check. Large SUV, check. Small, Medium, Large sedans, check, check, check. Crossover, check. Coupe, nope. A real flagship, nope. To become the standard of the world you have to play in the S-Class/LS460/7-Series/A8/XJ class and the DTS is eaten alive by those cars.
M
Heck, I mostly drive my 1988 Buick Park Avenue when I'm not either walking or taking the bus. I bought my Cadillacs because I'm an afficianodo of the brand rather than worried about what image my car projects.
If you want to talk about class, the classiest image is a well-dressed person in a very well-maintained older Cadillac, Lincoln, or Mercedes. To me, this shows the person cares about his automotive investment and isn't constantly blowing his cash buying new cars every few years.