First car I saw with heated washer fluid was an early 90s Mercedes. There was a coil of metal tubing in the washer tank and hot engine coolant was circulated through it to heat the washer fluid.
You still had to wait for the engine to heat up so it wasn't but so great a system. Heated windshields are a better idea as the electric heating elements in the glass heat up almost instantly. You can melt or at least break up half an inch of ice in just a couple of minutes without having to wait for the engine to heat up.
having just driven home through snow and icy roads with ice on the windshield and the right hand wiper blade frozen so it won't wipe off part of the windshield, I wonder if the heated washer fluid would deice the wiper?
I would have gotten a lot more use out of heated wiper fluid than my block heaters when I lived up north without a garage. Good idea. I could go for the massage seats too.
Here in cold michigan it can take 10 -15 minutes to get your engine warmed up enough to have any effect on the windshield from the defrosters. With the heated washers you start the car and seconds later push the hotshot button and hot water quickly melts off the ice and you have a clear windshield. If you are driving in awful conditions the washers keeps the windshield clear as others are reaching out their window snapping the wiper trying to clear it off.
Still do not understand how an option can be considered a gimmick if it is useful to a major part of the market.
From a Canadian service website (I am pretty sure all GM cars sold in Canada have block heaters standard) for those who have no idea what they are.
How does a block heater work?
A block heater is essentially an electrical element which is located in the engine block and provides a source of heat to the engine cylinders and upper part of the crankcase.
A block heater will actually keep the antifreeze in the engine block warm, and it in turn will radiate the heat outwards to the cylinder walls, keeping the oil film from thickening.
The other advantage of a block heater lies in the fact that when an engine initially starts, the oil which is pumped from the oil pan to the crankcase is more likely to warm up more quickly to a manageable viscosity or flow if the cylinder block has been pre-heated. Consequently, the oil attains optimum circulating pressure more rapidly and lubricates the engine's moving parts more effectively.
The warm cylinder block is more likely to maintain the vapour state of the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber, which means the vehicle starts better.
When you buy a block heater, make sure you consult the chart at the dealer's to make sure the wattage of the heater correlates with the type of engine you have and the low temperatures in your part of the country. Buying a heater with a bigger wattage than necessary just runs up your electrical bills.
(In many parts of Canada, new cars come with block heaters already installed -- and used cars already have block heaters in them.)
I wouldn't call block heaters gimmicky either - the city of Anchorage has given away over 13,000 block heaters since 2002 to help reduce air pollution. (link).
Down here in Boise, both my cars live in the garage in the winter and I haven't plugged either one into their block heaters since moving south 7 years ago.
...do you need a special washer fluid if you have the washer fluid heater? It would be a P.I.T.A. if I can only buy it from the dealership. In very slushy, dirty, wet conditions you can go through washer fluid pretty quick.
But this mystique hasn't stopped General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, a former BMW sales executive, from tossing down the gauntlet. The redesigned '09 Cadillac CTS-V, Lutz proclaims, will not only dust the M3, it will also "put the M5 on the trailer."
Thats confidence
Caddy needs to stand in line. Haven't we heard this b4 from the likes of Lexus and Infinity? Talk is cheap and time will tell, but they got a long road ahead of them.
I still don't believe a single soul cross-shops 5er with CTS. Germans (along with the premium Japanese now) have established a very successful three-tier lineup for decades...competing with a two tier lineup doesn't bump you up because your low tier is closer in length to the middle tier of the competition than the lower (by a couple inches). Price is the important variable. The way I see it today, Caddy has a low and middle tier (CTS, STS), but no upper tier (S, 7er).
I agree with that. Different target markets. Caddy won't be taken seriously with the upper tier market until they make a car that competes with a 7, S, A8, and LS. They aren't trying to make a car to compete on that level right now and are content not doing so.
Caddy isn't trying to be standard of the world right now. They are going for a certain niche. Maybe they can be standard of the niche?
I believe "The Standard of the World" claim will be cemented once again by Cadillac around 2013' We should by then know how the line-up will look or close to it as all the good stuff will have came out. They need to build the ULS, Cien, STS/DTS replacement, along with the CTC and CTS wagon and Cadillac, will be crowned King of Automobiles, a title I would say Lexus, probably owns. However Cadillac, is inching closer and closer to Lexus, and the CTS, is just one example of more great things to come.
Caddy needs to stand in line. Haven't we heard this b4 from the likes of Lexus and Infinity? Talk is cheap and time will tell, but they got a long road ahead of them.
Infiniti maybe? But Lexus has never said they were better in the performance category than BMW, especially the M series. Lexus has traditionally not been after that market. May change with their performance series but I do not believe they have thrown down the gauntlet like Lutz did.
Will not take much time. The CTS V should be out soon and then we will all know how good it is in the performance arena.
There is no doubt that Cadillac is working towards competing with the two lux marques MB and BMW. I think we can all see the game plan already.
CTS is the size of the 5 series and needs a few good tweaks and it can be competitive in that arena at a lower price point. It will also be available in coupe and convertible which will give it more press and a larger, more premium market.
They are going to sneak in a smaller 3 series vehicle and again will most likely be at a lower price point. Also the STS/DTS replacement should be more of a 7 series with a lower price point. As Rocky said though it probably will not come together until MY 2012.
Now Lexus sorta did the same thing, brought in competitive product at lower price points and then raised their prices as they became accepted.
You need to read what Road and Track said. A six cylinder 5 series costs about $20,000 more than the CTS, so while the CTS may have a similar size, it probably is not comparable for quality or ride or whatever.
This smaller Cadillac is already on sale in Europe built on the Eps platform. Should I say a replacement for the Cimarron
The replacement for the BLS is being developed and is a RWD vehicle. I have no doubt they have picked the 3 series as it's competitor and will be competitive and under price it to the 3 series as they have done with the CTS. When that new vehicle comes into production they will have to improve the CTS to make it more competitive with the 5 series. Reduction in weight is a major goal but it will probably be only a small reduction.
C&D loved the CTS automatic and made it one of their 10 best this year. Pretty good indication they liked it. They also did not pick the 5 series as one of their 10 best. Sure the CTS probably got picked over the 5 due to price but that is what Lexus also did.
The result is a ride that is easy on the eyes, comfortable on your backside, exciting to drive, and competitive with the best from Europe.
All I am saying, GM is pushing Cadillac to compete with the best, far from where Cadillac was 5 years ago. The reviews prove that the CTS is competitive and GM can make Cadillacs to compete. They will build vehicles in the 3 and 7 size segment.
My understanding is that Cadillac plans to move the DTS to a global RWD platform and to drop the sigma STS, making it a DTS model. This would leave the CTS as the only sigma platform model (as the SRX is also moving to a smaller platform too).
So, when the STS is dropped, say after the 2010 model year (when the current CTS has been in production for 2 years), upgrade the CTS interior and refresh the body style, and call it an all new STS. Then call the new smaller Cadillac an all new CTS. This would justify a price increase on the new model (or perhaps a price decrease, depending on your point of view).
I am not sure what they plan for the new DTS series to be. The STS has been a more upscale model historically then the DTS (or should I say the Seville has been a Fleetwood model while the DeVille has been the base Cadillac). As I see things now, the CTS is really the base Cadillac. The DTS is a big FWD has been. The STS is not really worth the extra cost over the CTS for what you get, but that depends on what you want, and at the high end of the STS other cars are probably better for the money.
- Drop the DTS - Keep the STS and make it bigger the next time around (7/S/LS fighter) - Keep the CTS and make it bigger (just a little bit) the next time around (5/E/A6 fighter) - Slot the RWD BTS below CTS (3-series fighter)
This way there are less changes to make thus saves the confusions.
As I see it, the current CTS, which will probably be the only sigma platform model, is currently selling around 60,000 annually. With the addition of a coupe, perhaps the annual sales could run a bit higher. However, at a significantly higher price, the sales will drop off, perhaps to the point where it is no longer profitable to build in the sigma factory. Long term I can't see the sigma platform remaining in production.
I think Cadillac needs a popularly priced large sedan (currently the DTS, but historically the deville). A high priced sedan like the S-class Mercedes (which is not the same thing as the BMW 7-series, although that is what BMW is trying to compete with) is something Cadillac should try to make, but I doubt that they know how. I think Cadillac's know how was lost at the end of the 1930's, when they last made something that was comparable to a high end luxury car.
I think that you are overlooking (or ignoring) the BMW 1-series.
Not ignoring but at this time Cadillac is not developing a 1-series sized vehicle. Very interesting though and possible!
Never drove the manual and not much of a market here in the states but C&D did have some good complaints. I guess this is one of the upgrades they could do to make it more competitive with the 5.
5 series did not make the 10 best cars this year at C&D. So they felt it did not have a significant "presence" to make the list. Perhaps if the price was dropped $10k it would make the final cut.
The DTS type vehicle is a goner very soon. The next large Cadillac will be more like a larger CTS sports sedan.
Just two years ago many said that Cadillac could not build a competitive sports sedan that could compete with the europeans and now they have one that is up for car of the year by the US media. Yes they can build it right if the right folks are in charge and Lutz is the one that is making sure it happens.
Let's not forget that UAW craftsmenship !!! It's funny isn't it 62' just afew years ago GM, was a goner and now for the 2nd year in a row they are putting out "car of the year" candidates and lets not forget truck of the year as well. The General, is alive and well and needs to keep taking back it's market share.
Is the Cadillac CTC, going to be unveiled at the Detroit Autoshow ? :shades:
If you are referring to the quality that is coming out of GM now it is a lot more than the line workers. For about 10 years now GM engineers and plant folks have been working hard to assure that the car is designed to be quality built. Been forcing huge improvements at the assembly plants and sources. Most of it is sweating the details but getting the right specs and holding the suppliers to task is a great part of it.
You are also correct but the past theme was whenever the cars were bad the UAW workers were to blame and now that cars are good it's all the managements doing. :confuse:
The bottom line is the engineering has gotten better thus UAW workers have better products to assemble.
The bottom line is the engineering has gotten better thus UAW workers have better products to assemble.
The guys/gals on the line are also doing a better job. Many reasons some of which are that quality is now a huge part of the plant managements pay amount.
I still remember back in 1978 working a crankshaft inspection fixture and being pushed aside and the old timer putting thru whatever he could to meet the nights quota so they could all sit down for the last 3 hours of the 8 hour shift. Those cranks went in engines and many of them probably did not make 150k miles. Not happening today!!!
Perhaps I should remind you that the BMW 5-series did not make C&D's ten best in 2007 or 2006 either. I am not sure what the 5-series not making the list has to do with the CTS making the list. If the CTS replaced some car, it was probably the Chysler 300 which did make the list in 2006 and 2007, but not in 2008. For the CTS to beat out the 300 is a no brainer to me. Don't see what it has to do with the 5-series though.
If Cadillac does bring out something smaller than the first generation CTS at a lower price, then the obvious competition will be the 1-series, not the 3-series.
Am I reading you right ???? Are you trying to say that the CTS, is more of a Chrysler 300 competitor and obviously it is better therefore it knocked it (300) off of C&D ten best list ???? :surprise: Sorry pal, I have a hard time believing that to be the case.
The bottom line is the CTS, at the momment is a Bimmer 3&5 series competitor. The Alpha Cadillac, what ever it may be called by it's launch date will be a 1&3 series competitor. I like GM's strategy and current plan. The Alpha Caddy is a little bigger than the 1 series but perhaps a little smaller or close to the same size of a 3 series. The CTS is a little bigger than the 3 series but closer in size to the 5 series. I'm sure the next 5 series will grow a little which would fit Cadillac's strategy perfectly !!!! We will then see a STS/DTS "Big Body" Cadillac with the "ULTRA" V8. More 7 series in size. I still predict a ULS V12 or V16 to go up against the MB S-Class/Maybach line and this will be the Top Dog Cadillac Sedan. :shades: I also still believe a Cadillac Cien "Lamborghini" like Exotic Super Car with 750+ horses tobe made as well. Of course that is not going to happen until the others in the line-up build up the brands "clout". The next XLR, is going to have to really push the envelope but I honestly believe Cadillac, has the know how to accomplish this very difficult mission. The "V" emblem bottom line has to represent the very best in performance. No mediocre performance cars. AMG & M have the clout and if Lutz, does retire in 3 or 4 years he can't leave this part of the business un done as it could really leave a finishing touch on a great legacy at GM. I'm just concerned about who might take his place. I guess Ed Wellburn, wouldn't be bad but it's not like he's some sprung chicken himself. I suppose they could lure somebody as long as it's not Bangle and his ugly butts !!!! :P
The next XLR, is going to have to really push the envelope but I honestly believe Cadillac, has the know how to accomplish this very difficult mission.
Yes the next one has the stuff that does push the envelope. It's a wower!
I guess Ed Wellburn, wouldn't be bad but it's not like he's some sprung chicken himself.
No way. Ed is a great designer and has a great personality that everyone loves but he is a stylist. The product guy/gal who replaces Bob has to know cars and how they are styled, developed, engineered and manufactured inside out and has to have a good eye for style and an innate sense of what the customer wants. There are some internal candidates but one I like is Reuss. Has a presence about him, grew up in the industry and knows his stuff. He was in charge of the specialty group which developed vehicles like the V series and all the other low volume series.
No, I did not mean that the CTS knocked off the 5 series. Just that the CTS is on the list for many reasons including the price. 5 series is not for some reasons and that Cadillac has proven it can and will build vehicles that are more than competitive and have put out a string of winners in the medias and publics' eyes. Just need to market them and convince the naysayers to buy.
Enclave, CTS, Malibu, Aura, Acadia, Outlook, Corvette are on the shortlist that have gotten great kudos.
The 5-series has not made the C&D ten best for the last 5 years, so I fail to see your point.
The CTS is finally the car it should have been in 2003. This means that it is still behind the proverbial curve, as 2003 was 5 years ago. The CTS is a good car, but it is not a 5-series. It is what it is: a Cadillac sports sedan in the $35,000 up price range. I would probably add about $10,000 in options to get what I would want.
A nicely equipped BMW 535 with everything I would like runs around $70,000. For that price it has stuff that Cadillac does not offer on any of its cars/trucks, much less the lowend CTS.
This means that it is still behind the proverbial curve, as 2003 was 5 years ago.
??? GM just cannot win. It has a vehicle that will probably be the car of the year per 70+ Canadian and US auto media yet it is behind the curve. I guess I am not sure what GM should do. Take the 2007 car of the year and put it in a time machine and go back to 2003????
Of course it is not a 5 series contender today. It cost $40,000 less using your example. What we ahve been saying is that GM is coming out with a smaller vehicle that will be 3 sized and compete more closely with the 3. They will probably update the car with features and whatever it takes to be more 5 like. Then they will release a car larger and closer to the 7 series. While these may not be released press releases it is pretty much what they have been saying off the record.
I hate to say this, but we must be intellectually honest here...if Caddy was still putting out the junk of not-too-many years ago, I would be first in line to blame the UAW workers...no doubt that the design and engineering have improved, but if STS or CTS are now truly quality competetive vehicles, the UAW workers must receive credit for THEIR improvement in workmanship and assembly skills...fair is fair...
P.S. You pass that exam yet, rocky???...I can't go on without sleep, knowing you are still job hunting...heaven forbid you end up selling those improved Cadillacs, or your head will never let you thru the average 36 inch wide doorway...:):):):):)
I gotta agree with 62' and it seems that GM, just can't win in some peoples eyes. :sick:
They build car of the year candidates and it's still not good enough because it should of been built with a Flux capacitor that requires 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to operate and at 88 mph will shoot back to year 2003. :confuse: Even then I'm sure people would find fault with it because it's a General Motors, product.
I also will like to ask what features that Bimmer 5 series has that the CTS, doesn't ????? :surprise: I know I can find ample features on the CTS, that are not available/offered on the much more expensive Bimmer, so what's your point ?????
The Bimmer 5 series is more of a G8 competitor than a CTS, competitior because Bimmer's lack luxury and if that weren't thecase they wouldn't come standard with Pleather/Vinyl seats !!!! :P
is not whether the CTS is a good vehicle, because it is.
The issue is whether it is comparable to the more costly German imports such as the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5-series. I say it is not.
I am quite happy with my Cadillac SRX. If I were really considering a $70,000 5-series vs a $45,000 CTS, the CTS is most likely going to be my choice - but not because I think it is better than the 5-series. The 5-series is simply out of my price range. I expect to drive my SRX for several years before I buy something else, although fuel costs may have some impact on this.
The issue is whether it is comparable to the more costly German imports such as the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5-series. I say it is not.
I guess we agree then. They are comparable in size but the $30K CTS is just not in the same league as the $75k 5. But by 2011 or so the CTS will be much closer to the 5 series in most attributes but still quite a bit cheaper.
remember air conditioned/ventialted seats ???? The CTS offers them and no Bimmer, did last time I knew. :shades:
I also will comment and say as far as night vision systems go a Delphi, invention the Mercedes S-Class, unit is the only one that was better than Cadillac's unit. Of course that invention came out 5-7 years ago and Mercedes and BMW, can afford easily fit the cost in their super inflated MSRP's. Now my questioniswhy doesn't BMW, offer ventilated seats, or a premium 5.1 surround sound system ????? The poor Cadillac, has em' :P
is not whether the CTS is a good vehicle, because it is.
-agree
The issue is whether it is comparable to the more costly German imports such as the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5-series. I say it is not.
Well that is a matter of opinion sls002. I strongly disagree with you. I look at buying a E-Class or Bimmer 5 series as flushing good money down the toilet all for a badge. I don't need some emblem to show off to the trophy wives that wish they were me. :P
I am quite happy with my Cadillac SRX. If I were really considering a $70,000 5-series vs a $45,000 CTS, the CTS is most likely going to be my choice - but not because I think it is better than the 5-series. The 5-series is simply out of my price range. I expect to drive my SRX for several years before I buy something else, although fuel costs may have some impact on this.
So you agree it's a rip-off then ????? :P If you think BMW's are so superior then why don't you just buy a BMW 525i ????? I think you can get em' in the $40K range. It might have vinyl seats and not much else to speak but hell at least you will have that pretty BMW emblem and I guess that is all that matter, right ?
Comments
You still had to wait for the engine to heat up so it wasn't but so great a system. Heated windshields are a better idea as the electric heating elements in the glass heat up almost instantly. You can melt or at least break up half an inch of ice in just a couple of minutes without having to wait for the engine to heat up.
Not sure how you can call block heaters gimmicky. Very much needed up in Canada.
As I said the heated washer fluid is great. No more standing in the cold scraping the windshield.
They are gimmicky, for the 80% of people in North America who will never have any need for them. That's why they're optional.
As I said the heated washer fluid is great. No more standing in the cold scraping the windshield.
Are you morally opposed to using the defroster?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Still do not understand how an option can be considered a gimmick if it is useful to a major part of the market.
From a Canadian service website (I am pretty sure all GM cars sold in Canada have block heaters standard) for those who have no idea what they are.
How does a block heater work?
A block heater is essentially an electrical element which is located in the engine block and provides a source of heat to the engine cylinders and upper part of the crankcase.
A block heater will actually keep the antifreeze in the engine block warm, and it in turn will radiate the heat outwards to the cylinder walls, keeping the oil film from thickening.
The other advantage of a block heater lies in the fact that when an engine initially starts, the oil which is pumped from the oil pan to the crankcase is more likely to warm up more quickly to a manageable viscosity or flow if the cylinder block has been pre-heated. Consequently, the oil attains optimum circulating pressure more rapidly and lubricates the engine's moving parts more effectively.
The warm cylinder block is more likely to maintain the vapour state of the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber, which means the vehicle starts better.
When you buy a block heater, make sure you consult the chart at the dealer's to make sure the wattage of the heater correlates with the type of engine you have and the low temperatures in your part of the country. Buying a heater with a bigger wattage than necessary just runs up your electrical bills.
(In many parts of Canada, new cars come with block heaters already installed -- and used cars already have block heaters in them.)
Down here in Boise, both my cars live in the garage in the winter and I haven't plugged either one into their block heaters since moving south 7 years ago.
There is a company called microheat that supplies the hotshot units to GM.
Thats confidence
Caddy needs to stand in line. Haven't we heard this b4 from the likes of Lexus and Infinity? Talk is cheap and time will tell, but they got a long road ahead of them.
I agree with that. Different target markets. Caddy won't be taken seriously with the upper tier market until they make a car that competes with a 7, S, A8, and LS. They aren't trying to make a car to compete on that level right now and are content not doing so.
Caddy isn't trying to be standard of the world right now. They are going for a certain niche. Maybe they can be standard of the niche?
-Rocky
Infiniti maybe? But Lexus has never said they were better in the performance category than BMW, especially the M series. Lexus has traditionally not been after that market. May change with their performance series but I do not believe they have thrown down the gauntlet like Lutz did.
Will not take much time. The CTS V should be out soon and then we will all know how good it is in the performance arena.
CTS is the size of the 5 series and needs a few good tweaks and it can be competitive in that arena at a lower price point. It will also be available in coupe and convertible which will give it more press and a larger, more premium market.
They are going to sneak in a smaller 3 series vehicle and again will most likely be at a lower price point. Also the STS/DTS replacement should be more of a 7 series with a lower price point. As Rocky said though it probably will not come together until MY 2012.
Now Lexus sorta did the same thing, brought in competitive product at lower price points and then raised their prices as they became accepted.
This smaller Cadillac is already on sale in Europe built on the Eps platform. Should I say a replacement for the Cimarron
C&D loved the CTS automatic and made it one of their 10 best this year. Pretty good indication they liked it. They also did not pick the 5 series as one of their 10 best. Sure the CTS probably got picked over the 5 due to price but that is what Lexus also did.
The result is a ride that is easy on the eyes, comfortable on your backside, exciting to drive, and competitive with the best from Europe.
All I am saying, GM is pushing Cadillac to compete with the best, far from where Cadillac was 5 years ago. The reviews prove that the CTS is competitive and GM can make Cadillacs to compete. They will build vehicles in the 3 and 7 size segment.
C&D like the CTS with automatic, but they also had a comparison test in the same issue, where the manual CTS did not do nearly so well.
I am not sure what C&D's ten best are, but the Malibu was a ten best, so does that make it a 5-series :confuse: :shades:
So, when the STS is dropped, say after the 2010 model year (when the current CTS has been in production for 2 years), upgrade the CTS interior and refresh the body style, and call it an all new STS. Then call the new smaller Cadillac an all new CTS. This would justify a price increase on the new model (or perhaps a price decrease, depending on your point of view).
I am not sure what they plan for the new DTS series to be. The STS has been a more upscale model historically then the DTS (or should I say the Seville has been a Fleetwood model while the DeVille has been the base Cadillac). As I see things now, the CTS is really the base Cadillac. The DTS is a big FWD has been. The STS is not really worth the extra cost over the CTS for what you get, but that depends on what you want, and at the high end of the STS other cars are probably better for the money.
- Drop the DTS
- Keep the STS and make it bigger the next time around (7/S/LS fighter)
- Keep the CTS and make it bigger (just a little bit) the next time around (5/E/A6 fighter)
- Slot the RWD BTS below CTS (3-series fighter)
This way there are less changes to make thus saves the confusions.
I think Cadillac needs a popularly priced large sedan (currently the DTS, but historically the deville). A high priced sedan like the S-class Mercedes (which is not the same thing as the BMW 7-series, although that is what BMW is trying to compete with) is something Cadillac should try to make, but I doubt that they know how. I think Cadillac's know how was lost at the end of the 1930's, when they last made something that was comparable to a high end luxury car.
Not ignoring but at this time Cadillac is not developing a 1-series sized vehicle. Very interesting though and possible!
Never drove the manual and not much of a market here in the states but C&D did have some good complaints. I guess this is one of the upgrades they could do to make it more competitive with the 5.
5 series did not make the 10 best cars this year at C&D. So they felt it did not have a significant "presence" to make the list. Perhaps if the price was dropped $10k it would make the final cut.
Just two years ago many said that Cadillac could not build a competitive sports sedan that could compete with the europeans and now they have one that is up for car of the year by the US media. Yes they can build it right if the right folks are in charge and Lutz is the one that is making sure it happens.
Is the Cadillac CTC, going to be unveiled at the Detroit Autoshow ? :shades:
-Rocky
If you are referring to the quality that is coming out of GM now it is a lot more than the line workers. For about 10 years now GM engineers and plant folks have been working hard to assure that the car is designed to be quality built. Been forcing huge improvements at the assembly plants and sources. Most of it is sweating the details but getting the right specs and holding the suppliers to task is a great part of it.
The bottom line is the engineering has gotten better thus UAW workers have better products to assemble.
-Rocky
The guys/gals on the line are also doing a better job. Many reasons some of which are that quality is now a huge part of the plant managements pay amount.
I still remember back in 1978 working a crankshaft inspection fixture and being pushed aside and the old timer putting thru whatever he could to meet the nights quota so they could all sit down for the last 3 hours of the 8 hour shift. Those cranks went in engines and many of them probably did not make 150k miles. Not happening today!!!
If Cadillac does bring out something smaller than the first generation CTS at a lower price, then the obvious competition will be the 1-series, not the 3-series.
Am I reading you right ???? Are you trying to say that the CTS, is more of a Chrysler 300 competitor and obviously it is better therefore it knocked it (300) off of C&D ten best list ???? :surprise: Sorry pal, I have a hard time believing that to be the case.
The bottom line is the CTS, at the momment is a Bimmer 3&5 series competitor.
The Alpha Cadillac, what ever it may be called by it's launch date will be a 1&3 series competitor. I like GM's strategy and current plan. The Alpha Caddy is a little bigger than the 1 series but perhaps a little smaller or close to the same size of a 3 series. The CTS is a little bigger than the 3 series but closer in size to the 5 series. I'm sure the next 5 series will grow a little which would fit Cadillac's strategy perfectly !!!!
MB S-Class/Maybach line and this will be the Top Dog Cadillac Sedan. :shades: I also still believe a Cadillac Cien "Lamborghini" like Exotic Super Car with 750+ horses tobe made as well. Of course that is not going to happen until the others in the line-up build up the brands "clout".
-Rocky
Yes the next one has the stuff that does push the envelope.
I guess Ed Wellburn, wouldn't be bad but it's not like he's some sprung chicken himself.
No way. Ed is a great designer and has a great personality that everyone loves but he is a stylist. The product guy/gal who replaces Bob has to know cars and how they are styled, developed, engineered and manufactured inside out and has to have a good eye for style and an innate sense of what the customer wants. There are some internal candidates but one I like is Reuss. Has a presence about him, grew up in the industry and knows his stuff. He was in charge of the specialty group which developed vehicles like the V series and all the other low volume series.
Enclave, CTS, Malibu, Aura, Acadia, Outlook, Corvette are on the shortlist that have gotten great kudos.
The CTS is finally the car it should have been in 2003. This means that it is still behind the proverbial curve, as 2003 was 5 years ago. The CTS is a good car, but it is not a 5-series. It is what it is: a Cadillac sports sedan in the $35,000 up price range. I would probably add about $10,000 in options to get what I would want.
A nicely equipped BMW 535 with everything I would like runs around $70,000. For that price it has stuff that Cadillac does not offer on any of its cars/trucks, much less the lowend CTS.
?? rocky pretty much hit it on the head. Not sure what you feel is incorrect?
??? GM just cannot win. It has a vehicle that will probably be the car of the year per 70+ Canadian and US auto media yet it is behind the curve. I guess I am not sure what GM should do. Take the 2007 car of the year and put it in a time machine and go back to 2003????
Of course it is not a 5 series contender today. It cost $40,000 less using your example. What we ahve been saying is that GM is coming out with a smaller vehicle that will be 3 sized and compete more closely with the 3. They will probably update the car with features and whatever it takes to be more 5 like. Then they will release a car larger and closer to the 7 series. While these may not be released press releases it is pretty much what they have been saying off the record.
P.S. You pass that exam yet, rocky???...I can't go on without sleep, knowing you are still job hunting...heaven forbid you end up selling those improved Cadillacs, or your head will never let you thru the average 36 inch wide doorway...:):):):):)
To the naysayers below
I gotta agree with 62' and it seems that GM, just can't win in some peoples eyes. :sick:
They build car of the year candidates and it's still not good enough because it should of been built with a Flux capacitor that requires 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to operate and at 88 mph will shoot back to year 2003. :confuse: Even then I'm sure people would find fault with it because it's a General Motors, product.
I also will like to ask what features that Bimmer 5 series has that the CTS, doesn't ????? :surprise: I know I can find ample features on the CTS, that are not available/offered on the much more expensive Bimmer, so what's your point ?????
The Bimmer 5 series is more of a G8 competitor than a CTS, competitior because
Bimmer's lack luxury and if that weren't thecase they wouldn't come standard with Pleather/Vinyl seats !!!! :P
-Rocky
The issue is whether it is comparable to the more costly German imports such as the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5-series. I say it is not.
I am quite happy with my Cadillac SRX. If I were really considering a $70,000 5-series vs a $45,000 CTS, the CTS is most likely going to be my choice - but not because I think it is better than the 5-series. The 5-series is simply out of my price range. I expect to drive my SRX for several years before I buy something else, although fuel costs may have some impact on this.
I guess we agree then. They are comparable in size but the $30K CTS is just not in the same league as the $75k 5. But by 2011 or so the CTS will be much closer to the 5 series in most attributes but still quite a bit cheaper.
I also will comment and say as far as night vision systems go a Delphi, invention the Mercedes S-Class, unit is the only one that was better than Cadillac's unit. Of course that invention came out 5-7 years ago and Mercedes and BMW, can afford easily fit the cost in their super inflated MSRP's.
The poor Cadillac, has em' :P
-Rocky
-agree
The issue is whether it is comparable to the more costly German imports such as the Mercedes E-class or the BMW 5-series. I say it is not.
Well that is a matter of opinion sls002.
I am quite happy with my Cadillac SRX. If I were really considering a $70,000 5-series vs a $45,000 CTS, the CTS is most likely going to be my choice - but not because I think it is better than the 5-series. The 5-series is simply out of my price range. I expect to drive my SRX for several years before I buy something else, although fuel costs may have some impact on this.
So you agree it's a rip-off then ????? :P If you think BMW's are so superior then why don't you just buy a BMW 525i ????? I think you can get em' in the $40K range. It might have vinyl seats and not much else to speak but hell at least you will have that pretty BMW emblem and I guess that is all that matter, right ?
-Rocky