regfootball

and MKC quite simply no matter what Cadillac does it won't support the priced for say, the top GLC63 or Macan. its pointless for Cadillac to go that route. Their CT6 pricing i think is arguable nearing the zone. But they simply cannot price their volume models high like the Euros.

^^^^^

http://www.keycadillac.com/VehicleDetails/new-2019-Cadillac-XT4-AWD_4dr_Luxury-Edina-MN/3294648223

I don't think the CUV's need a RWD biased chassis, they just need a very good chassis. The new XT4 chassis is wider and has suspension and ride that is not bargain sedan class by accounts. Likewise, it has a brand new (smooth by accounts) 2.0 motor with enough movement to get out of its own way. Not a 15 year old 2.5 and CVT. As long as Cadillac ditches the 2.0 from the CT6 and doesn't put the 2.5 NA in the newer products I think they are getting the picture. The XT5 is a geriatric wagon and so next go round they may need to overhaul the ride and handling and such, but they can still keep it on the FWD/AWD platform IMO. Maybe Caddy would benefit from a CT6 chassis RWD/AWD exclusive sports crossover. I do think the sedans except for an entry class sedan should use RWD/AWD because they have to demonstrate being the very best. But the entry class vehicle, which cmon, is for young posuers like those who get a CLA, to make a very excellent FWD/AWD chassis that is outperforming the A3's of the world, its not a bad strategy to just have a few sales of those here in the US. If you don't make much $$ on those in the US, but can cover those costs globally, its ok IMO to have that model be FWD/AWD. It just needs a larger back seat than the ATS. Caddy fans should be thankful for the XT4 and XT5, they make enough of Caddy's volume, or will, to keep the dealer's doors open so they can sell the rest of the lineup.

Saw a BMW X4 in a parking lot yesterday. As more of those creations pop up it just underscores how much the XT4 will help Cadillac. It gets Caddy's foot in the door to compare with those strange and milquetoast German and Asian luxo SUV's. So it is, what people want. Including Millenials. And Seniors.

Cadillac should just relocate to OMaha or Iowa, and I mean that without meanness. Heartland you know. If you're going to court urbanites, do it in the midwestern states at least. I think the other bit people don't understand. A lot of Cadillac's bad rap the last 5-7 years is in a huge way related to the terrible outcomes of the early CUE systems. By all accounts since 17 and especially on the new product, the touchscreen business is bangup and reliable and so I think that alone will get buyers back into the fold once the good rep comes back. The V8 returning is huge too. Caddy's heart and soul is v8 and if this new v8 is boss AND reliable it can be a HUGE difference maker in returning interest to Cadillac.

I'm starting to warm up to a Blazer more and more. I had an Aztek, so how can I not like the Blazer! I think chevy put out Blazer pictures into the wild so soon, so people could adjust and get used to it.

Tiguan looks a bit like a wagon in its proportions.

yet Audi and the Germans have like 30 different models each, and they will stock those

this is probably good. Caddy didn't change their public perception in any way, even if you argue they didn't have enough time or not. IMO Cadillac knows they just have a certain piece of the pie, and they won't cannibalize a lot of buyers of other marques so i think this helps them refocus on just who they are serving and their traditional customer base.

meh

well and then getting to short drive those two last weekend. I liked the Tiguan more than the CX-5. And the CX-5 advertises greatness with its supposedly nice interior. But to me the Tiguan was more useful, had more room, better dash layout, and i liked the turbo instead of the torqueless CX5.

So true. I occasionally get to be a passenger in a coworkers Audi Q7. I get inside the thing and apart from ‘crisp panel gaps and seams’ the q7 gray interior, especially in ‘family lived in condition’ the interior is almost 2004 Pontiacesque in its perceived luxury and ambiance to me.

i do think older BOF SUV's if you can find good ones are good investments. I still regret not at least looking into a Tahoe back a few years ago. It was like a 5 year old but with 140,000 on it but looked like new inside and out. That's one i likely would have lost little money on over time. part of the discussion on expense of vehicles these days has to talk about those who buy the luxury brands and spend twice as much for what they can get with other brands. That's a topic that can be debated all day. But where i work some of the 'ups' (and in particular the women) drive Volvo Audi SUV etc. Everyone has a right to get what they like and need. But honestly a 60-70k Volvo or Audi crossover isn't going to do something 4x better than a GMC Acadia...... Americans spend lots of $$$ for brand elitism....

your solution works good for you, and other solutions work good for others. You are buying insurance for 4 vehicles, and parts and maintenance on those. The risk for many who are not repair savvy and if a particular vehicle is not reliable, is that they may cost more to repair and maintain. Fuel costs are worth considering too. I've had a few vehicles where i have paid them off and then mysteriously after that happens then the AWD malfunctions, or the tranny threatens to die etc. 50% chance you'll win that scenario and 50% chance you will lose. I don't mind for a few years right now when we put huge miles on our vehicles, to lease. We travel to relatives a lot and so I like the peace of mind of a newer vehicle with warranty etc. And I get the best miles out of that vehicle. (We rode our town and country hard and put close to 50k miles on it and I didn't ever even put brakes or tires or anything on it. Had I bought it at lease end, the monthly would have gone up quite a bit and I would still be looking at maintenance costs. It is tempting to find a used vehicle that you can bet the future on and not have payments, but that's a bit of a roll of the dice. Mostly though, used vehicles with life cost an arm and leg too. If the lease terms are ok I am fine with that, but what is more of a loss are those that buy and then trade often, that is where you take the bath on paying for all that interest, depreciation, sales tax, etc. And an example of a minivan. I am never going to want to own it long term, my needs will change. So buying is not even smart in that degree.

“Customers forget a new car is now more than $30,000 and they expect it to be $20,000,” said Brian Allan, a senior director at Galpin Motors Inc., to the Wall Street Journal. ---------people want a loaded CUV but still want to only pay for the basic mid sized sedan. And TBH that is sort of my thinking too. “When people see the price has gone up, it is sticker shock, especially when people only buy a car every five to six years." -------Yup that too. It is rare and a treat for people to buy A car, much less a new one, even as often as every 5-6 years. So when prices do go way up you can clearly see it does create shock. Data from Edmunds reports that the gap between the price of a new and used car is now at one "of its largest points in more than a decade". Key reasons for this gap include consumers trending to trucks and SUVs, and automakers adding more expensive tech. -------I believe this. This summer saw a strong demand for used cars and analysts are predicting this trend to continue throughout the rest of the year, partly due to dealers stocking more trucks and utility vehicles. ------yup we're starting to see the first huge wave of mass used CUV's. I think the proliferation of all this new safety and autonomous tech, and touch screens and stuff, and complicated powertrains, has scared away some new buyers too. The see having to pay big money for breakdowns on non essential stuff. Less risk now to buying a used vehicle with a limited amount of items to malfunction or go wrong. To me back ten years ago, it was that you wanted to be sure to have the proper airbags, stability control, and maybe bluetooth. Then you'd have enough of the new stuff. But now, there is auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, turbos, AWD, expensive touch screens. If you don't buy new to get those fancy things you may be more prone to avoiding that stuff buying used because way less cost and more simplicity. Just a theory.

^^^ interesting idea. Camaro in summer when there's no snow. AWD in winter. I like the thinking.

to each their own. I generally dislike Toyotas so that was a natural. I had a recent CRv review from a year or two back too so Honda stuff is fairly predictable. the test drives of each of them that i did drive did weigh into and change some of my notions. For example, i would not have expected the Tucson and Tiguan to be so pleasant. refer to my reply to YKX "perceived interior space" perceived this, that etc. "ruggedness" LOL. these class of vehicle are tall hatchbacks, not rugged SUV's. in many cases mid sized sedans have more passenger space and wider and longer trunks. so the word perceived is certainly apropos. even though these test drives are short usually within the first mile you have most of the book on how much it sucks or doesn't suck to drive a particular one.

2nd place - Mazda CX5 Until the recently announced 2.5 turbo lands in this thing, it is all hype. And even then I am not sure this still takes the prize. Every Mazda is so overrated. The ones I have driven the last few years all have lack of go, are a bit noisy inside, and really don't handle that quickly. I would say the CX-5 is less noisy than say the Mazda6 and Mazda3, but the buff books really overstate how good this really is. Steering is slow, but the ride is good. It's not a sporty thing or anything. I think people get hung up on the interior, which is very good (except for the nothing part of the center stack where there literally is nothing where you think the climate control should be, then you realize the climate control is at your knees, oh yeah that's handy). The Mazda basically 'does a good job' on many things and where the competition all has a few glaring weaknesses, the Mazda just holds it own and has a nice interior. And Mazda has been slow to embrace the screens and CarPlay. It's not that good people, and i don't think the 2.5t will make a transformation on it either. I actually wouldn't mind a Tucson over the Mazda, really. 1st place - Volkswagen Tiguan This was the one I wanted to try the most, and I am glad i did. I hated the last Tiguan and there is no comparison between the old one and this new one. The biggest flaws of the new Tiguan are cheap interior plastics, dull design, and slightly insubstantial seating. I liked the wraparound dash (refreshing in this segment) and the leather wrap wheel was a real joy to grab and steer with. The ride and handling were the most carlike and the best quality. It was noticeably different from all the others. Not 'sporty' but for sure more responsive and carlike. The engine was smooth and quiet and the trans responded appropriately. It's not a speed demon but I could tell the turbo torque was a nice difference moving from a stop. The cargo hold is nice and good space for seating front and rear. Third row is even an option. Those who want a posh interior may lean to the Mazda, but the Tiguan is a better drive over the Mazda, to me, no question. I think if I were shopping this above list, be sure to also look at the Terrain and Envision, and Jeep Compass and Cherokee.

4th place - Hyundai Tucson The Hyundai surprised me the most. Ride and drive and powertrain were decent, and better than some others (but not top of class). There are also many powertrains to choose from. The typical Hyundai feel and interior cheapness were the most notable negatives. And most Hyundai buyers accept that as part of the deal. Perhaps a little quieter cabin would be nice. The room and space were on the larger side of the group here. The front row is much more comfortable in the Tucson than the Equinox, for example. Hyundai is doing a good job keeping their cheaper cars of a real bread and butter vibe and this does not stray from that. I don't believe many would regret making this purchase. 3rd place - Nissan Rogue If i were spending my own dough, I might actually get the Tucson here before the Rogue, but the Rogue does a few things here that really provide tremendous value in this group (and one fatal flaw). The Rogue gives a feeling of spaciousness, solidity and quiet ride and drive all the others lack. This feels the closest to a larger SUV / CUV than any other. It has a quiet and comfortably numb ride and handling that almost feels like old Detroit sedans. The big tall shape yields a third row space, tall second row, and lavish first row plus good cargo. Despite the old design, it still feels much more coddling than say the Subaru and Toyota. The bad part of the Rogue is the old and tired normally aspirated four cylinder, which when teamed with the CVT, really needs a heavy throttle foot to get moving. And it moans, and doesn't do anything quickly. Stay off the throttle and you may think this thing is the schiz.

9th place - Toyota RAV4 I didn't drive it, but it still takes 9th place regardless. The epitome of soul sucking, this practically offensive transport appliance with the nasty dashboard was going to take 9th regardless of whether I drove it or not. I hear some improvements are on the way for 2019, but who cares. 8th place - Subaru Forester What a dismal little pile of sht. I am sure it is manna for the true Subaru fans. But i didn't get it. I wanted to get out of that thing so badly. Felt heavy, numb steering, the suspension bounced and swayed unacceptably, almost to an unsafe level. Power was ok but you can tell its a boxer and not a straight four. It's like being held down on a table and given an Estrogen injection into the bloodstream. What a terrible pile. Felt like driving a school bus. The only positive to this vehicle is the large glass areas. You can see a lot out of the vehicle. The cargo area sucks so it is good with the new redesign coming that they are increasing the hatchback opening width 5 inches. 7th place - Chevy Equinox 1LT 1.5 AWD If you get the Equinox with the 2.0 and a better trim level, it will not be 7th place. That Chevy trots out this weak ass powertrain, cheap looking interior (in 1LT cloth trim) and touchscreen, narrow cabin, and tinny sounding doors when you close them. It even looked cheap and dorky on the outside. You can't really get past any of this in a setting with other competition around. And i don't get it. The 1.5t FWD 9 speed Terrain I drove actually did not feel so weak and grainy. The Equinox has the 6 speed and in this version the power sucking AWD. The Equinox still scores points for a spacious rear row, and not much else. The Terrain and Envision are good rides, and a correctly equipped Terrain may likely win this competition. A nicer Envision bests every one of these here also. Too bad this version of the Equinox made this poor showing here. Side note, no one was requesting to drive the Equinox. The 1.5 AWD Equinox really makes a terrible showing here. 5th place tie - Ford Escape SE 1.5 w appearance pkg Age is not the Escape's friend. It's feeling dated. The 1.5 is not super smooth and the ride and handling need an update. The interior still is interesting but this particular one was trimmed cheaper and so it dulled the overall feel. Although the special sport appearance package livened up the seat cloth a bit. Ford does need a new Escape. They need to improve cabin width and the rear seat area. Escapes do have nice cargo space with the rear seat up though. Even with all of that, Escapes are likable, and that's why they sell so many. 5th place tie - Honda CRV I didn't drive this either! But the estrogen vibe is extremely strong in the CRv. A large cargo hold and convenience of well laid out ergonomics I think give it some points. If i were to have driven it I may have moved it up, but all my Honda test drives the last few years have been loud interiors, CVT's, noise, uncomfortable seats, and weirdness.

you got that right. i felt any semblance of masculinity, and every ounce of auto enthusiasm get sucked out of my spirit for each step closer i got to this bunch. In particular the Subaru, Honda, and Toyota. Soul sucking machines! But this is what is being forced on the market and its being lapped out of the bowl like a dog drinks water on a hot summer day!

Local dealer had a sponsored event for a comparison drive opportunities for 9 2018 compact crossovers in one place. Free food and coffee as well! Wanting to sample some of these without spending time at the dealer (which is why you go, right?) I decided to spend part of a saturday checking out these contestants / soul sucking, testosterone elimination devices. I also want to make note of the really nice biffy's that were provided for the event. My impressions will get up a bit later but the contestants were. Chevy Equinox 1LT 1.5 AWD Ford Escape SE 1.5 w appearance pkg Nissan Rogue Subaru Forester Toyota RAV4 Honda CRv Volkswagen Tiguan Mazda CX5 Hyundai Tucson (Jeep Compass and Cherokee were missing, as were Mitsubishis)

Used current body CTS are out there for good prices. The XT5 feels a bit old timer to me. I bet the 19 CT6 with the revised shifter and CUE knob, and v8 option motor would be truly badass.