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riviera74

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Everything posted by riviera74

  1. riviera74
    What makes you think that many OEM parts are not already made in China? It's all about cost containment and profitability.
  2. riviera74
    Given the steel bed Silverado vs, the F150 aluminum bed ad still playing on a TV channel near you, GM should not just give up that advantage. I understand the weight issues, but there should be other ways of making the trucks lighter.
  3. riviera74
    Maybe all of Honda's A-game efforts wen to Acura. . . . .
  4. riviera74
    It probably is a FL thing. I went to my local Buick dealer and I noticed that the only Envisions on the lot with the 2.0L turbo were Premium models with AWD. I asked the salesman why that was the case and he did not know.
  5. riviera74
    Remember when MB was meant to be aspired to here in the States, with the prices to match? Ever since the CLA was released to us here, it is as if MB is trying to be GM or VW without the mainstream brands to pull off. The obvious question is: why would MB whore itself out just for a few more measly sales?
  6. riviera74
    It is strange hat KIA has the better-looking CUV while Hyundai has the better name for what are very similar crossovers.
  7. riviera74
    Balthazar, on my local Cadillac lot, all the XTSes are FWD with no AWD models at all. I have to drive about 30 miles to find two AWD models down here in Florida. Cmicasa is right that the current XTS predates the current Impala. That does not mean that the XTS is any less a Cadillac than the XT5 or the CT6/CTS. I do wonder why Cadillac is keeping the XTS when the future is clearly elsewhere, such as the CT6/XT5 and a smaller AND larger crossovers to fill in gaps. Is it a sales thing?
  8. riviera74
    The XTS: an EP2 Impala with a Cadillac exterior and interior (and seemingly not much else). Well, if I were to get a luxury FWD sedan to replace my Lucerne, this XTS would fit the bill quite nicely. All jokes aside, it seems like a really nice upgraded LaCrosse with a Cadillac package. Of course, the XT5 or the CT6 are superior vehicles for different reasons and should be emphasized over the XTS.
  9. riviera74
    Does anybody know how many Cadillac buyers were conquest sales from MB or BMW or Lexus etc. this model year?
  10. riviera74
    Buick has the Cascada now. The problem with your idea of resurrecting the late Riviera and a Cadillac equivalent is this: coupe and convertible sales are in the tank. Where are you going to find the sales? MB and BMW are having a hard time selling their convertibles already.
  11. riviera74
    Given the falling sales of large cars, I wonder if CUV mania is also taking down other car segments in the market. Does anyone know?
  12. riviera74
    Once upon a time (I think 2005-7) somebody at Chevy wanted the marque to be trucks only (Corvette aside). When oil prices spiked, Chevy was spared crashing sales because it had smaller cars such as the Sonic and Cruze and Trax (CUV). Chevy may need to have another CUV or two, but hopefully the Impala is spared. (This applies to Buick LaCrosse as well.). In this increasingly CUV-centric market, small cars may actually be the bigger losers instead of larger cars because we as Americans tend NOT to buy subcompacts and compacts, unless gas prices are $4+ a gallon. Even then, while BOF sales clearly suffer in the face of high gas prices, I personally doubt that CUVs will be all that negatively affected by that. What is most likely the case is that Encores and Traxes will sell while Tahoes and Silverados sit on the dealer's lot for 200+ days at a time. Not everyone wants a crossover; I think large cars will still be needed (though sadly not as much as they used to). Then again, covering all the bases does make sense.
  13. riviera74
    Maybe all of BMW's current efforts are being put to the BMW X vehicles at the expense of the cars. BTW, is the 6 series GT meant for luxury or racing?
  14. riviera74
    As we all know, the new Buick started with the Enclave, not anything else. Without that success, Buick could have gone the way of Oldsmobile. While we are all happy Buick is doing well (especially in China), that leaves me with a question. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the Envision is somehow smaller than the XT5 or the Equinox/Terrain? And why is that the case? As for a possible Cadillac XT7 as an Enclave variant, the case can (and should) be made that Cadillac could use a three-row crossover for those who do NOT want to buy an Escalade. Not everyone wants a luxury BOF SUV for whatever reasons they have. I hope Cadillac is working on that, and I hope it releases that vehicle soon given that more and more vehicle sales are CUVs and not cars at all.
  15. riviera74
    Mitsubishi seems to be the only Japanese carmaker that never really got big or popular in the last 30 years or so. Why would anyone buy one over a Nissan or Hyundai/Kia?
  16. riviera74
    The whole point of the sale was so that GM would not have to deal with all the costs and drama associated with shutting down Opel and Vauxhall. If the sale is actually stopped, then GM will have no choice but to shut the whole thing down.
  17. riviera74
    Even though crossovers are where the sales are, I rarely see a lot of X5 and X3 on the road. Other models I have not seen at all. Did BMW forget that The Ultimate Driving Machine should not include crossovers with questionable dynamics because of the (comparatively) higher center of gravity compared to its 3/5/7 series sedans? Talk about undercutting your own USP.
  18. riviera74
    About the 1970s and 80s: hippies were not required to shrink cars and car engines. The original Oil Shock of 1973 and Oil Shock II of 1979 did most of the work. Emissions regulations and CAFE requirements starting in 1975 did the rest. This time you can blame worldwide homologation of engines and cars combined with displacement taxes in China and Europe that are creating the push for turbo 4cyl engines to essentially replace the venerable v6.
  19. riviera74
    Quick question: How conventional is the KIA SOUL? Looks a lot like the late Scion xB, and Toyota just got rid of that one two years ago.
  20. riviera74
    I find this whole 72-84 month car financing thing positively bizarre. Not that many people keep brand new cars six to seven years. I know the average transaction prices have gone through the roof in the last several years, but 72-84 months makes me want to ask people: ever consider a lease? A 36 month lease can be good, and if you wish to buy you certainly can. I know that leasing requires great credit, but cars depreciate over time. They always have. I forget where I read this but you should finance normally appreciating assets (such as a house, excluding 2003-08) and lease depreciating assets (such as cars, clothes and other more perishable items). It's one thing if you buy a used car (especially a CPO off-lease model); it is quite another to finance a car (new or used) for seven years. Of course, that leads me to the following question: how soon will your car be no longer underwater if the terms are for six or seven years?
  21. riviera74
    FoMoCo beat GM in May. During the year, GM outsold FoMoCo. The great news is that Buick is going like gangbusters. Cadillac is doing very well too. But why are Chevy and GMC down though?
  22. riviera74
    Sounds like BMW before 2002. Then the 7 series HAD to be different from everything else.
  23. riviera74
    Why would ANYONE buy a KIA Cadenza over a Chevy Impala or a Buick LaCrosse? Anyone? Bueller? I see no USP that distinguishes the Cadenza from any competitors.
  24. riviera74
    So IG Metall is putting up demands in order to allow a sale of Opel to PSA. REALLY?! Since when do unions have a say on matters such as these? If the sale is scuttled because of this, then Mary Barra should simply shutter Opel posthaste with no mercy. Teach IG Metall and other German unions the party is officially over.
  25. riviera74
    Essentially, you want the Escalade to be a Buick Enclave. Yes Ford (with the Explorer) and Nissan (with the Pathfinder) have switched from BOF to unibody in order to lose 800 pounds at least. The reason that may not happen is because the Escalade makes more profit on its existing platform as we speak. Also, have you seen the prices on an Escalade, or even a GMC Yukon?
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