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Is Cadillac's Image Dying and Does Anyone Care?

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Comments

  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    "And another important part is that in NA, MB and BMW have an image and a marketing direction of luxury and status and nothing else, while in the EU they are much more mainstream, with offerings as you mention - small diesels, cloth interiors, little gadgetry - the W210 could be had with a small 4 and plastic wheel covers. How the average American sees an E-class isn't the same as the average German."

    Good point! Like I always said, the wealthiest people in this country (Ameica) are also the dumbest. Germans see Mercedes and BMW's for what they really are: Taxi's for the global taxi fleets.
  • louisweilouiswei Member Posts: 3,715
    the wealthiest people in this country (Ameica) are also the dumbest

    Okay, since you are so smart why aren't you as wealthy or wealthier than those so called "rich dumb people". Somehow that just doesn't add up... :confuse:

    I'll let you into some little secret, there are places in this world besides Europe that use MB for taxis, luxurious taxis that is. You see, just because it's a taxi doesn't automatically mean it's not a good car, a car is judged by it's driving dynamics, comfort and reliability. Just because it has a "for rent" sign on top of the roof doesn't mean it is less desirable than a beat up Hyundai.

    Since the new CTS has already hit the rental lot does that make it less desirable than say a Honda Accord?
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    Round and round we continue to go. There is no Standard of the World, don't ya know...

    Again, here's how to determine your Standard of the World (because, does anyone else's Standard really matter to you or your wallet?):

    Research some cars
    Drive some cars
    Buy a car

    And, voila! You have just created Your Standard of the World! Because, unless someone else is paying for (or driving) it, does it really matter what anyone else considers "The" Standard?

    Even if you hold on to the argument that, as there has been no Dewar Trophy awarded since 1906 (ish, forgot the exact date...), Caddy is still the Standard, well, good for you! Of course, that just means nothing in 2008...

    Remember, at Ford, Quality was Job 1. So, Fords must be the Standard of the World for quality. And, the Renault Alliance was The Car of the Year, so it must have been The Standard that year. The VW Beetle was the best selling car in history. If that's not a Standard, then what is? Or is the Standard the Toyota Corolla? The BMW 3 has been on C & D's 10 Best list for like 15 straight years, now there's a Standard. I'm sure that in the very, very few countries on earth where Caddys are not sold, even those auto enthusiasts would recognize Caddy's Standardness.... Not to mention the Trabant, The Standard of the Eastern Block. Had they won the Cold War: Trabant. The Standard of the World. Disagree and you can drive your non-Standard all around Siberia...

    Yes, it is very important to establish The Standard of the World and convince all the world to acknowledge and accept The Standard. It is significant, important and shall continue to determine the success of the Marque that controls this currently most coveted title.

    Hey, that was kinda fun! Please continue because:

    Hey hey. My my. Fanboy arguments will never die!

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I don't know if I would go so far. The platform of the E is simply so versatile that it can do service in many forms and be competent at each. The old W124 E class existed in sedan, hardtop coupe, convertible, and wagon form - with engines ranging from 2 to 5 litres, from anemic diesel sedans to bahnstorming tuned sedans to posh convertibles to utility wagons. Not many modern cars have done so.

    Germans see MB and BMW as national pride, the little they are allowed - and Germans understand how a car is supposed to drive. I will admit I am biased, I have driven MB since I was in high school and have owned no other marque since - as there is common DNA to how they all drive. Many BMW people feel the same. Both marques have had substantial problems over the past 8-10 years - but still retain an enthusiast base. On the large scale, I don't see this dying.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Love the post and agree completely...you make your own standard and Caddy, to me, is NOT EVEN CLOSE!

    Regards,
    OW
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Americans USED TO SEE their autos as national pride until the cars became junk. Now it's wake up time because the edge is across both ponds!

    Regards,
    OW
  • aldwaldw Member Posts: 82
    It's interesting to see how import enthusiasts like to compare American cars with vehicles such as the Trabant, even though on an objective sense there is very little difference between American and Japanese vehicles at this point, except perception. This shows just how pernicious perception can be on actual values of products, however well built they may be.
  • aldwaldw Member Posts: 82
    There is a world of difference between those who state positive criticisms for the sake of genuine improvement, and those who expound negative criticisms for the sake of see those they hate fail, which is why understanding the actual qualitative basis of products in relation to their perception is important for GM and co.,,,
  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    The best cars to compare the Trabant to would be German "luxury" cars from the 1970's and 1980's.
  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    Actually, for the first time in corporate history, Mercedes Benz and BMW are actually making competitive products. Their only problem at this point is reliability and probably price.

    Oh, and the only person I ever saw drive a Cadillac DTS rental car was the President of the US.
    On CNN the other night.

    .
  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    I'm somewhat disagreeing with this. The reason why Mercedes Benz is dressed in so many costumes is because Europeans aren't the drivers, don't have the inexpensive gas and don't have the roads that we enjoy.
    Their purchasing power is also lower and their streets are designed for small vehicles, too.

    Therefore, its a common strategy for Mercedes Benz to make "people cars" such as C-Classes, E-Classes and 3-Series vehicles to be sold to taxi fleets for the European continent. But realising that American rich people are also American dumb people, Mercedes Benz and BMW only need to take the taxi's they use in their own countries, add fake leather, a petrol engine and a passable sound system to it and sell it on our continent as an 'exotic, foreign car'. Knowing full well that rich Americans will buy anything that's exotic and foreign, they market them here as such, knowing that the buyer is either too dumb or too lazy to do his research on said vehicle.

    In the end, we end up with a bunch of cheap European taxi's with OK sound systems clogging our highways and byways.

    .
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    So non-competitive products rule the mass market luxury segment on a global scale and have done so for decades? Uh....no.

    Go to your local airport, you'll find DTS rentals.
  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    "I will admit I am biased, I have driven MB since I was in high school and have owned no other marque since..."

    This explains why fintail is against Cadillac. circlew is the same way.
  • pmc4pmc4 Member Posts: 198
    Dude. What I was trying to get across was the fact that what's "luxury" in the rest of the world is "taxi" in the US. We have the roads, wealth, purchasing power and inexpensive gas. They don't.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Europeans are the drivers, they have a different idea of driving competency and luxury than Americans. What Americans want works much less on a global scale than what Europeans want. Their roads are what many dream of here - road width is not road goodness. Have you ever driven outside of the US? And their purchasing power hasn't really been lower - they just aren't addicted to debt like people on this continent. They do get the same loaded up versions of these cars as we do, you know. It's just that the cars exist in lower form along with the sometimes overloaded models seen in NA.

    Your views on this product strategy are misguided. Making a competent platform with many variations is not about stupid people, it is about efficient engineering. Are American rich people who bought Caddys with archaic or plain lame engineering stupid too? Or are they smart for preferring a car with a bordello interior and plood over something that can take corner and not rattle after 30K miles? Do you think Caddy would be improving today, as it very much is, if not for the competition?
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    I am not against Caddy. I could provide a list of Caddys I would like to own. The only problem is most of them were made before I was born.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Have you ever ventured off American soil? Could you really mean what is "luxury" in the US is obese ostentatious crap in the rest of the world? Seeing as MB sells in pretty much every country that is at least semi-developed, it seems the world has voted.

    Right now Europe has endless superior roads, and more purchasing power than most debt-ridden Americans.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Can GM make Cadillac a world standard (again?).
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    I also mentioned the 3 series in my (I guess not so obvious) tongue-in-cheek rant. Yet, Trabant is the one vehicle that is noted in subsequent posts as to be compared with Caddy? Hmmm, something Freudian there...(disclaimer: again, being tounge-in-cheek-ish).

    Again, I believe that while Caddy (GM) can build cars competitive with the rest of the world, and have been slowly (re)building to such a position, no they will never be "The Standard." Unless "Standard" (e.g. as in the early 20th Century, most easily interchangeable parts. Which, as I noted, really means nada in 2008...) can be defined and agreed upon by all concerned. Not bloody likely...

    Again, the only "Standard" that matters is the one in your garage by the motorway...

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • dvpriemdvpriem Member Posts: 11
    I read page after page of comments about MB and BMW but virtually nothing about Cadillac. I thought I was in the wrong forum. Guess that tells the story - "No" is the answer to this forum's question.
  • coolrunningcoolrunning Member Posts: 117
    It is spelled AMERICA.
  • coolrunningcoolrunning Member Posts: 117
    It would be a feat for GM to make anything (including Cadillac) an American Standard, let alone a World Standard. Cadillac may have had a chance if GM had never absorbed them into the conglomerate. GM should set Caddy free! :P
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    I can only rflect my reality and until the Malibu, the US cars are really not very appealing. The Camry and the ES from lexus are appealing.

    Simple enough to me.

    Regards,
    OW
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    When improvement is so painfully so that the level of satisfaction is lost, one looks elsewhere.

    Regards,
    OW
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    I am not against anything. Give me something to get excited about, that is all I am saying. You vote with your wallet.

    The CTS is really a good car. It still needs refining, IMHO. As Top Gear said, the previous CTS-V looks like it was designed with someone who only had a ruler available.

    Regards,
    OW
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Not yet...not even close.

    Regards,
    OW
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Excellent idea! Never going to happen because it makes too much sense.

    If you don't stand apart from the rest, how can you be recognized as a World Standard?

    It's exactly like Dada said. End of story!

    Regards,
    OW
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Certainly Cadillac is the American standard. Lincoln is so pathetically behind both Cadillac and the imports and Chrysler hasn't offered a true luxury Imperial since 1975, and some might argue 1973.

    I used to be a big fan of Mercedes. The W126 S-Class was just about automotive perfection in it's time, but Mercedes didn't follow it up well. I don't care for the bloated, ostentatious 1992-era S-Class which seems to be the preferred conveyance of Russian mafia in NE Philly. I'm frightened of the expensive repair and maintenance costs I've seen my BIL endure with his 2000 S430.

    BMW? Well, if I had a lot of money to throw away, I MIGHT take a chance on one just to see if it really was the "ultimate driving machine" but I'll leave that to my friend who's more of a European car afficianado and has a greater disposable income. A BMW always came across as being a bit fragile to me. I'd end up breaking it too much on Philly's cratered streets.

    I don't like the new styling direction in which Lexus is heading. I liked it better when they were copying the last-generation S-Class. The Lexus LS was like getting the look of the S-Class and decent reliability all in one. The GS? Well, my girlfriend's Buick LaCrosse is a lot less expensive and a lot prettier too.The ES? Geeze, when I saw a new one outside a pizza joint, I thought it was a Camry. The IS? Good God! It's cramped, fierociously overpriced, and nondescript. Everybody else's car walks all over this one.

    Inifiniti? Miss the Q45. Don't care for their new styling direction. It looks too alien.

    Acura? The RL desperately needs a V-8 to be competitive in the $50K+ segment.

    Buick? The Sensible Choice! My brain tells me I should've gone for the Lucerne CXS, but my heart went for the Cadillac DTS Performance.
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    "Certainly Cadillac is the American standard."

    Interesting thought. If we take "standard" to mean the level to which others aspire, let's review Cadillac for the last 20 years or so:

    With the (I think this was the first year of the "new" direction) '92 Seville (STS, SLS) and continued iterations, the latest DTS, phasing out of Brougham's and Fleetwoods et. al. and, probably most notably the Gen 1 and 2 CTS, Caddy has been dialing in more driving dynamics and less float/boudiour on wheels. Also, interiors have lost the "button tufted" shiny red leather bench seats in favor of (as evidenced by the pix PMC4 posted of the STS) more supportive, performance-type style bucket seats. In other words, the Caddy lineup is aggressively emulating European (sport) sedans (yes, you can read that as BMW & MB)!

    Therefore, if you are correct about Caddy being the standard, then it would appear that the standard is to be of European design and driving dynamics!

    Therefore, if a=b and b=c then a=c, if Caddy aspires to be BMW/MB and Caddy is The Standard: BMW and MB (and other European Marques) are the true "Standard!"

    Of course, I drive an Acura, so I simply (again) drive my standard. :shades:

    Oh, yeah. Your comments re: BMW build/reliability? Many have been making the same arguments regarding the domestics since the '70s: waste of money on poorly built, unreliable, yesterday's technology. Valid? Voted with their wallets... And note my ride prior to TL was a '99 Chrylser 300M. A car I thoroughly enjoyed, even though the build quality and reliability were not up to the standards of my TL. Still, the M was great for me! So, I think that represents my fair and balanced view (hated Gen 1 CTS: Worst. Interior. Ever. Esp. for $40k! New CTS, wow, nice job... And, I've had an inexplicable hankerin' for an XLR... :confuse: )

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    let's review Cadillac for the last 20 years or so:

    Let's not - that's past history.

    What's Caddy doing now? - people aren't flocking to the showrooms to buy anything from 1992.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    From businessweek.com Michael Frank

    http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/mar2008/bw20080314_713158.htm?chan- =autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories

    By the way, he also says that GM is the only one of the big 3 that is going to make it.

    Cadillac deserves buckets of credit. In the face of skeptics like me, the second-generation CTS is a great car, hands down. Here I'll compare the $36,445 CTS DI with all-wheel drive [AWD] to the $51,600 BMW 535xi, likewise with AWD. Wait, isn't that a mismatch? Isn't the CTS priced to sell against the cheaper 3 Series? It may well be, but the interior space, engine displacement, and amenities are all stacked rather nicely against the 5 Series. Call it the silver lining to the weak-kneed U.S. dollar.
    There's little doubt about it; the twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine in the 5 Series is one of the best motors we've seen from BMW, and that's saying a hell of a lot. Acceleration isn't only brisk, but linear. And while we'd rather have the 5 with a manual, it's hard to argue with how creamily smooth BMW's six-speed autobox delivers gear changes, whether up slowly or down all at once for passing power. Handling, even at twice the speed limit, is precise, controlled, sharp. All-wheel drive is seamless, save that there's no wheelspin on takeoff, even on rain-slick roads.

    But there are niggles. BMW's automatic is operated by way of a strange, center-mounted stalk. Forget PRND; it would take high-level trigonometry to describe the shift pattern. To engage drive from park, you illogically move the stalk backwards, while also holding down a button on the side of the shifter. To put the car in reverse, you move the shifter forward – again, counterintuitively. In manual mode, downshifts are created by moving the stalk forward, not back. Dizzy yet?

    BMW's iDrive in-car control system soldiers on, too. It's not as terrible as some columnists have bemoaned, and some knobs have crept back into the mix so you can, for instance, toggle through audio functions without using the mouse and screen of iDrive [thereby concentrating on the ultimate driving of the "Ultimate Driving Machine"]. However, if you want to change the temperature of the air blowing on you from the central vent you don't use the vent control knob, but iDrive. I don't know why.

    Perhaps most challenging for any would-be 5 Series buyer is that backseat room is merely tied with that of the much cheaper CTS. It's more than adequate for most adults, but hardly capacious – and if you step up to a comparably priced Cadillac DTS or slightly more expensive Lexus LS you get bigger cockpits.

    One of the first things I noticed while driving the Cadillac was the cockpit. The first-generation CTS had cheap plastic switches and controls donated from lesser lights in GM's pantheon; who wants their Caddy cabin to resemble a Cobalt's? Luckily the midlevel bean counter who made that decision is shackled and gagged in a dungeon somewhere in East Lansing, Mich. What you get with the new CTS is not only buttoned-tight quarters and logically arranged dashboard controls, but the material grade of the plastics and even the feel of the switches under finger pressure is refined. Someone at Cadillac has done his homework, and it shows.

    Next on the list of pleasantries has to be the performance of the CTS. The engine isn't as flexible as that of the BMW's, where peak torque arrives nice and low, but this V6 is still good for 304 hp, on par with the BMW, and in most circumstances, just as athletic and flexible, either under hard acceleration or quick, downshift deceleration. If there's a hiccup in the system it's that BMW's autobox will allow manual downshifts within 500 rpms of redline, whereas the GM transmission would balk if the rev range was too high. How often do you find yourself at the racetrack with your CTS, though?

    Both of these cars have standout steering and braking. On-center control is precise, and keeping either car on course on a challenging road is a joy, not a chore. The brake-pedal feel of the BMW is just a hair more precise, but the actual bite of the CTS stoppers is plenty potent. [Hint: If you're in the market for the CTS, spring the extra $250 for the performance rotors – they're worth every cent.]

    Cornering in the CTS is taut, as is body control, yet what wins my vote most is that Cadillac achieved this and still offers a very flexible ride that doesn't bruise your kidneys over potholes.

    As you can see, for the dough you really can't vote against the Cadillac. The BMW is an excellent driver's car, but is it worth that much more?

    By the way, fuel economy is nearly dead even for these two vehicles, with the BMW at 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway and the Caddy at 17/26. Bonus: The CTS drinks blue-collar regular while the BMW wants blue-blood premium.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Hmmm...are they flocking to the Caddy showrooms now?

    Let me in on the numbers!

    Regards,
    OW
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Hmmm...are they flocking to the Caddy showrooms now?

    Let me in on the numbers!


    I can do that.

    For January caddy is up 7.7%
    CTS up 95%
    STS up 18%
    DTS down 32%
    Escalade down 12%

    Large cars and trucks are getting hammered by the gas prices. CTS is new and an excellent vehicle. Do not know why STS is up.

    In January BMW was down 27%. Mercedes set a record with a 7% rise. Their SUV sales had a significant increase.

    In February Caddy was up 2.2% over last February. CTS was up 70%. Others down about 6%. Escalade down 26%.

    Again Mercedes was up 7% over last year and BMW was down 7%.

    Two months do not make a trend though.
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    Maybe some of the deVille owners are buying STS's? Still, for the money, the CTS makes more sense than the STS. For those who might want the V8, the STS makes more sense to me than the DTS, but the V8 STS with much in the way of options gets way too expensive.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Pretty much the reason I went with the DTS. I wanted a V-8, but didn't want to pay STS V-8 prices.
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    With a few options the V8 STS is more than $55,000. If you want AWD, then the base price is over $65,000 (without AWD). The SRX is more cost effective if you want AWD and the V8 with 6 speed automatic.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Buy used...a 2 year old STS can easily be had for half that, if not less.
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    Hello, Steve:

    I didn't actually review Caddy's of 20 years ago. Rather to answer "The Standard" question, I just noted that Caddy seems to have begun a slow road to new levels of competitiveness, culminating (to this point, imo) in the new CTS.

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Thank you for the sales numbers. CTS is the guiding light...which I hope is contagious.

    Here is some more related news.

    The new Cadillac CTS also burst out of the gate, with a 71 percent gain in retail sales in February compared with a year earlier, and a 68 percent overall increase. CTS’s early momentum buoyed Cadillac overall. The division’s sales are up 5 percent year-to-date. For February, Cadillac reported a 2 percent overall sales increase, making it the only GM division in the black for the month — and one of the few luxury makes to post a February sales increase in the U.S. market.

    The Bad
    Most GM makes and models performed abysmally, especially trucks and SUVs. Sales of such vehicles declined by 19 percent. LaNeve cited a tough comparison for this February with February 2007, noting GM’s truck-market share was an unusually high 45 percent a year ago — and this year retreated to a “normal” level around 40 percent. “We continue to do really well sharewise,” he said, “but we’re running into difficult conditions.” GM raised its incentive spending on pickups by “a couple hundred dollars” in February compared with January, he said.


    Regards,
    OW
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    Generally speaking one can buy any used car for half the price of a new one. The basic problem with used is that quite often the first owner/driver will have smoked in the car. My 98 Aurora was a program car which had been smoked in and had some damage related to the smokers. My 2002 Seville which I bought new was in better condition when I traded it in than the Aurora was when I bought it.

    Still a good used car is a better buy than new.
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    The "Standard of the World" was Cadillac's advertising slogan in the distant past. Cadillac does "own" this advertising slogan. I don't see that any other car company can use it.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Funny how owning it and keeping it has faded, don't you think? What a small world it has become for GM.

    Regards,
    OW
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    I remember Cadillac using the "standard of the world" in their advertising in the late 1950's and perhaps early 60's - but what I remember is 57 through 59 models being the "Standard of the World". At that time I wondered what that really meant, because it did not make sense to me. After I learned that Cadillac was awarded the Dewar trophy for having interchangable parts (like the Model T Ford of the same period), then the whole thing made sense. However, like all advertising slogans, is little more than nonsense - like "see the USA in your Chevrolet".

    I will comment again that this whole thead (forum or whatever) is complete nonsense. I made this comment at the beginning too..... :sick: :sick: :sick:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You're regurgitating past history again. Let's focus on the again part, as in the standard of the world again. The future is now. :shades:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    There is no point to such a line of thought. The market is different than 100 years ago, and such a "standard" will never again exist. It is simply impossible to have a relevant discussion if we are to be dictated to the thread title.
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    your post makes no sense. if cadillac was never the standard then how does again mean anything. if they were once upon a time, have they lost the title? i think not.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Comparing an '88 Fleetwood with a last century diesel Mercedes (taxi or not) isn't cutting it.

    Most people read the title and wonder what Caddy is doing in the showrooms right now to regain/retain their world class standard. If no manufacturer can be the "Cadillac of Cars" again, then that's the way it is I guess.

    GM has turned around Cadillac in recent years .. but is it enough? (to paraphrase Post #1).
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    steve: GM has turned around Cadillac in recent years .. but is it enough? (to paraphrase Post #1).

    No, because GM still hasn't returned Cadillac to the top tier of luxury marques. Cadillac is improving - but it lacks a real competitor to the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS 460.

    Cadillac also lacks consistency...I've just read that Cadillac is discontinuing the XLR after 2012. It is also phasing out the SRX.

    Mercedes and BMW have been consistent with their offerings...so people know what a Mercedes SL is, for example. Cadillac should have built upon the current XLR and offered an improved one (as it did with the CTS), but now it is throwing in the towel, just as it did with the Allante.

    In today's crowded and hyper-competitive market, having a model that is well-known and recognizable is vital. Even people who don't know much about cars know what a BMW 3-Series and a Mercedes SL are, and what they represent. The only Cadillac model that comes close to that type of widespread recognition is the Escalade.

    Through the late 1960s, Cadillac was the default choice for luxury car buyers...people who bought one knew what they were getting, and what kind of statement that they were making. It was the other brands (or, more accurately, the people who bought them) that had the explaining to do...now BMW, Mercedes and Lexus are the default brands (depending on the segment), and it is Cadillac that must fight for recognition. Cadillac isn't there yet - the success of the CTS and Escalade isn't enough.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Is it enough for what? GM is going faster with better products than most here want to give it credit for. Article after article discusses the merits of the Malibu being better than the Accord/Camry. The CTS is consistently given top marks in comparisons (only real negative is manual and not many will ever buy it anyway) even to cars $30K more. The new GM RWD trucks blew away the competition and Toyota is lowering plant capacity on their trucks. The Lamdas came out just at the right time to replace the large SUV's for those whoi do not need all the truck capabilities. The dollar is getting cheaper and therefore the imported vehicles are going to get more expensive. GM still buys and makes more product here than anyone so there will be less pressure to raise prices than anyone else. Every new product in the last 3 years has been highly praised and the pundits keep saying "well, we need to see if this product excellence will continue".

    I see very good days ahead for GM once we get past this economy issue. And Cadillac will continue to lead the charge with very affordable lux vehicles. The new BRX will blow away the competion. The new STS/DTS will up the ante over the CTS. The Escalade will continue to lose sales as gas goes up but will continue to sell at high volumes at high prices with huge profits. And the big surprize will be the new XLR. ;)
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    Cadillac will continue to lead the charge with very affordable lux vehicles

    Is that Cadillac's new mission? To provide the trappings of luxury at affordable prices? The Hyundai Genesis is better positioned to do that, I think.
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