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Is Cadillac's Image Dying and Does Anyone Care?

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Comments

  • keystonecarfankeystonecarfan Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2012
    The problem is that he rarely, if ever, "completes the term."

    Plus, any 2002 vehicle is going to require maintenance and repairs beyond oil changes and tune-ups. Tires alone for the Escalade (or any other full-size SUV) aren't cheap.

    During Christmas 2006 my wife was surprised that a cousin of our sister-in-law had received an Escalade from her father for Christmas. She asked, "How can he do it?"

    I then saw the Escalade in question...it was the first-generation model, which meant that it was about 6-7 years old. He didn't really give it to her - he had retained the title and allowed her "use it," but had never signed it over to her.

    It apparently didn't last long, because after about a year, I never saw the Escalade again, even though we still see her on a regular basis.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,136
    She probably ran it out of oil or into a tree or something :shades:
  • keystonecarfankeystonecarfan Member Posts: 181
    More likely, she gave it back when gas prices spiked in 2008. My wife is from a rural area, so people have to do LOTS of driving just to get to the store, school, work, etc. I don't want to think of how much it cost to keep that Escalade filled with gas.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,136
    And amusingly, that seems to be where so many of those rigs sell, or to people who live really far from work. Then who complains loudest when prices go up?

    On topic I guess, I wonder what the future is like for the Escalade. Current one is getting long in the tooth.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    On topic I guess, I wonder what the future is like for the Escalade. Current one is getting long in the tooth.

    New one is due for 2014 along with new Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Alpha's, numeric's, alpha-numeric's - they have just become too many and too common.

    Back to the naming thread, it appears that Chrysler gets it. Caddy should get on board too.

    Storied Jeep nameplates are poised for return (Detroit Free Press)
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,136
    Only problem is determining the brand equity of potential names before they hit the market.
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    I wonder if this will help...?

    http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f70/cadillac-confirms-twin-turbo-v-6-8-speed-- automatic-2014-cts-117093/
    2022 X3 M40i
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    Great. Another yuppie toy for the wealthy hooligan.

    That's one thing I don't get about auto makers. They spend insane amounts of money. Literally flush it away by the bucketful to make these cars to out-do each other and yet the average car we normal people have to drive can't even figure out how to build a car that doesn't feel and drive like a rental car.

    I don't need 420hp and 20mpg. What I need is 210hp and 40mpg. What I need isn't $60K, I need a car for $30K.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    Is it any wonder that Honda and Toyota, making Civics, Accords, Camrys and Corollas make money and sell many cars???
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I wholeheartily agree. GM had some very good overhead valve engines that got about 30 MPG on the highway with a 4 speed automatic. Why not put a 6 speed auto on the 3.8 or 3.9 liter engines? These engines are reliable and can be built at a low cost because the tooling, design, engineering, etc. is already done. Instead GM builds engines 3.6 liter engines that produce more power than what's needed on most roads, and is so complicated to repair (i.e., 3 timing chains).

    If anyone is listening at GM, please bring back some of the overhead valve V6's (e.g. 3.5, 3.8, or 3.9). There are customers who prefer simplicity.
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    edited March 2013
    You miss the point, then.

    What we need is a 1.8-2.4L engine with turbos (or superchargers) that gets 40mpg and 200HP+. Mercedes and others have done this already, why not GM?. Why are we stuck with giant engines that are awesome but largely useless.

    I drive my mother's Cadillac CTS every so often and it's great. But I also haven't pressed the accelerator down more than 20% of the way, ever. There's just no way in city or highway traffic to do so, and it already has a very twitchy throttle. Adding another 100 hp for the same fuel economy sounds awesome until you realize that they're going in the wrong direction. They need to be using that technology to SHRINK engines.

    MPG is determined mostly by displacement due to the minimum amount of fuel required to keep the engine running. Since it's a fixed compression ratio (Can't go much below 9:1 these days), that means you can't ever get better MPG than a certain number . For many cars with 3.5-3.8L V6 engines, that's 25mpg. Maybe 30 if you do some insane gearing and have it running at 800prm at highway speeds, but 25mpg overall on a good day.

    They extract more power out of the fuel, but the limits on MPG still apply because of the mass you're moving (inside the engine) and the displacement. The solution is to get smaller. Much smaller. There's no practical reason why they couldn't put a small 2.0L I6 engine in a car and raise the mpg from 25mpg combined to 40mpg combined. I doubt if most people would notice the difference since nobody actually does 0-60 burnouts getting around town.

    I chose I6 because of the lower weight and complexity, as well as smoother running characteristics. If you ever get the chance to look at an old 1960s Mercedes, look under the hood and marvel at the tiny 2.2-2.3L I6 engine that they have under there. If you want to really blow your mind, look at a 1960s 300S. Here we have a car with a 3.0L engine that gets 200HP out of regular fuel. All manual (not a single piece of electronics), with mechanical fuel injection.

    We made incredible strides and then somewhere around the 80s we just got lazy in the U.S. and said "whatever" to actually increasing the efficiency of our vehicles. But not in Europe.

    BTW - BMW. 520i (E39) - 2.0L engine, just under 150HP. Not sold in the U.S., but it got fantastic gas mileage. (30mpg *combined*, 40mpg highway easily.) And that was without a turbo or other technology like direct injection added. 200-250HP out of a modern version of that engine should easily be possible.

    Oh, wait. Mercedes and BMW are doing it for their next generation of cars. GM will be stuck with a car that's just as fast and just as capable but with an engine that's twice the displacement and half the MPG.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "On Wednesday, the brand is expected to unveil the latest incarnation of its CTS at the New York International Auto Show. Cadillac is again promising to use the $40,000 and up car to challenge rivals such as BMW's 5 series and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz E-class for buyers.

    "The CTS was the vehicle that began the Cadillac renaissance," said Robert Ferguson, Cadillac's global brand chief. The new model "is a cornerstone vehicle for us and will keep the momentum going."

    Can the New Cadillac Catch Up to BMW? (WSJ)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "General Motors Co.’s Cadillac brand is off to its best start in the U.S. since 1976, with the all-new ATS and XTS sedans fueling sales growth.

    Sales for the luxury brand are up 38 percent year-to-date and Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac, said he’s optimistic U.S. sales for the brand will jump by 30 percent for all of 2013. And the brand has its sights set on more growth in the years to come."

    Cadillac rides new models to best start since '76 (Detroit News)
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    Caddy is also [ IMHO ] realing pushing pricing...

    http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2014-cadillac-cts-sedan-starts-at-46025-comments- page.html

    - Ray
    CTS V Sport now off my shopping list,
    to replace the BMW in my garage...
    2022 X3 M40i
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,136
    Indeed, this is a bold move. Finally moving the CTS towards the middle lux competition - but with a significant price increase, and some weird configurations. It might undercut the competition - but not by much, and the sticker prices of the Germans are notoriously soft anyway. The new CTS looks really nice, but if it offers the same car for the same price as the rest - it might be a tough road.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A reporter would like to speak to a recent buyer of a car from a manufacturer that is widely considered "American"--e.g. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Chrysler, Cadillac-- who has not previously owned an "American" car. If this is you, please send your daytime contact info to pr@edmunds.com no later than Monday, July 1, 2013 no later than noon Pacific.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited July 2013
    "Cadillac has dropped plans to build a $100,000-plus flagship sedan, a decision that now could lead to the development of a range-topping coupe or sports car, possibly with an unconventional powertrain.

    The prospective Mercedes-Benz S-Class competitor was under review for several years, but the business case for the high-end Cadillac sedan didn't add up, insiders said."

    Cadillac May Shift Focus to Flagship Coupe or Sports Car
  • scwmcanscwmcan Member Posts: 399
    They are apparently still building an S-class or 7 series competitor, ( at least size wise) just not a flagship sedan above that ( though the articles I have been reading are conflicted on that). It would probably not be a good idea not to have a sedan above the CTS as the want to complete with BMW and Merc and be a "true" luxury brand. A halo car wouldn't be a bad idea either, but they still need the larger sedan as well to truly compete.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Looks like my 2007 DTS is going to end up being a long-term (decades)member of my fleet like my 1989 Brougham unless Cadillac gets its act together. :(
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "The first two generations of the CTS, the brand's only rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, are among Cadillac's bestsellers, often outpacing the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series.

    For 2014, the CTS gets even better.

    The all-new version — rolling into dealerships this month — now takes direct aim at its mid-size rivals, with added equipment and sophistication to justify a higher price tag."

    2014 Cadillac CTS likely to help brand gain ground (LA Times)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    "Cadillac hopes to grow by double-digit percentages this year globally and in the U.S. as it expands its footprint in China and adds new models to its American lineup.

    General Motors Co.’s luxury brand sold nearly 251,000 vehicles last year as global sales jumped 28 percent and U.S. sales rose just shy of 22 percent."

    Cadillac sets ambitious sales goals for 2014 (Detroit News)

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    If you recently bought a Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade or a Buick Encore, please email PR@edmunds.com before Saturday, July 12, 2014 to discuss with a reporter.

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