Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

Cory Wolfe

In Hibernation
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    23,012

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Cory Wolfe

  1. Cory Wolfe
    It looks as nice as it did at last years auto show... And the year before. It's about time they finally give us a production version.
  2. Cory Wolfe
    Wow, that is one ugly truck. I agree entirely with the chinese-knockoff look commented above. It's like an F-150 that's been microwaved and subsequently melted as a result. And those fender vents; What were they thinking? Cheapens the design even further. The interior is damn near an exact copy of the the F-150's. This just doesn't feel like a serious production vehicle from a major automaker. Now, had this been a Geely...
  3. Cory Wolfe
    Pretty much what I expected... but wait! Look at that! They've given it the 3.5. But not just any 3.5, an updated 3.5. So, basically, it's an updated version of an old truck with an updated version of an old engine that's not quite as old as the outgoing engine. Meh. Atleast they've given some of the off-road controls from the 4Runner and the choice of a real transmission. If it's like the old one, it'll also be available with 4WD. Funny that.
  4. Cory Wolfe
    I'm sort of let down by the design. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn't that. It looks okay for a little city runabout, I suppose... Just not really what I envisioned as $30k car. This seems a little downmarket. Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen a design that's pretty similar to this. I can't quite put my finger on where or what, but it feels very familiar.
  5. Cory Wolfe
    It looks slightly better in the press pictures. The interior looks like a massive improvement. Still reeks of Honda/Acura, though, a bit better executed here.
  6. Cory Wolfe
    Mmmm, now that is a Buick. *Shut up and take my money*
  7. Cory Wolfe
    I can say that its not terrible; the design is attractive enough on its own. But, once you consider the MKC, which seems to wear the same design much better, it starts to feel old already. It's so similar to the MKC with the biggest difference being the rear taillight treatment. Overall, the details don't appear to work as well. Also, while I'm a fan of having a brand image that proliferates through the entire lineup, this feels a little excessive. Side by side, it is literally the same design, right down to most of the details, as the MKC. A little nip here, tuck there, and scaled up a few notches. That's the MKX.
  8. Cory Wolfe
    This just... doesn't do anything for me. Each time I look at it, I expect to feel something and there's nothing there. No passion, no emotion, no soul. Give me the old G37, A5, 4-Series, ATS... hell, even the RC with its confused lighting elements, and I can find something to... ignite a fire inside me. The nicest thing I can say about this car is that the taillights sort of resemble an Alfa's. The rest is completely clinical.
  9. Cory Wolfe
    I'm pretty much expecting this to follow in line with the Camry and Tundra (and nearly every Toyota) as nothing more than a substantial refresh.
  10. Cory Wolfe
    I'm surprised they kept Opel's red backlighting. Either way... looks good, sounds good. Also, It's nice to see GM offering vehicles in segments that seemed like they were on they're last legs.
  11. Cory Wolfe
    Things are starting to get interesting. GM (and Ford) sound like they're going to steal the show this year.
  12. Cory Wolfe
    I would just like to point out that the CTS coupe was, in fact, sold for the 2014 model year. I'm sure it was a negligible percent of the pie, but still... Limited production year and mostly special edition V-series. No doubt it was probably limited, though, I would like to see the official production numbers. I see far more regular coupes than V's listed online.
  13. Cory Wolfe
    I would just like to point out that the CTS coupe was, in fact, sold for the 2014 model year. I'm sure it was a negligible percent of the pie, but still...
  14. Cory Wolfe
    Not really arguing with the logic, it probably ought to be included. However, it should be noted that the Sprinter is all Mercedes. The Freightliner is the rebadged variant. Also, having said that, it is by far the nicest cargo van I've ever driven save for some cross-wind instability (though MB has since added a system aid to help with it). It was the strangest source of driving enjoyment I've ever found...
  15. Cory Wolfe
    Just don't get people's way of thinking on this. The most logical reason for Cadillac's drop in sales is that it lacks the same product. I use Audi the most because it is essentially closest in sales and GOALS for the parent company: Those gaps equal lost sales. Simple as that. No other way around it. Audi beat Caddy 182K to 171K or, by about 11K sales, with 6 more products to sell. You've piqued my interest. Let's have a look... So, before I go into details, let me clear up some questions you're probably brewing... I paired up the XTS to each brand's largest sedan. Yes, I know they don't really compete but it's the closest segment to pair up with. Regardless, it actually works in Cadillac's favor. Also, I left out with ELR for 2 reasons. First, those 1000 sales hardly make a difference. And secondly, it's a niche that only BMW really has a match for (i8). Finally, I left out Lincoln due to the fact that it's vehicles match up the least of all brands. With that out of the way, let's dissect. Model to model, Cadillac still has the largest sales decline. Audi's sales increase is erased and are flat. Mercedes sales increase is also erased and results in a modest decrease. Lexus actually sees a bigger sales increase without each of its models factored in. The ATS is outsold by every direct competitor in its segment. That remains true even without the competitors coupe/conv. models factored in, though they are combined above (Cadillac, MB, and BMW aren't disclosed). The 3/4 Series is by far the best seller, outselling the ATS by nearly 5 to 1. The CTS is only outsold by the E-Class and 5-Series, but by a large margin. The E-Class includes coupe and convertible sales. Many of you are forgetting that the CTS coupe was still sold for the 2014 model year, though I'm sure its a very small percentage. The XTS, being at the same price point as the CTS, is likely stealing some sales from it's sibling. You could almost combine the sales rather than try to find direct competitors for the XTS (the closest is probably the RLX). The SRX, despite its age fairs incredibly well against its competition. It is only outsold by the Lexus RX, which likely won't give up its sales crown anytime soon. The Escalade, like the XTS, doesn't really have any direct competitors besides the Lincoln Navigator. It's a niche that does extremely well for Cadillac, selling at a higher price point than most of those I've paired it up with. Ranking each brand's sales, without the extra models, Cadillac jumps a single place from 5th to 4th. BMW, MB, and Lexus maintain 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions. Audi falls from 4th to 6th while Acura jumps from 6th to 5th. Infiniti is 7th any way you arrange it. So there you have it. Breaking it down definitely brings everything closer, but it still doesn't help Cadillac. Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus' core models still outsell Cadillac's by a large enough margin that its niche sales can't make up the difference. Audi is hurt the most as compared to Cadillac's line-up with only the A4/5 outselling the ATS. It's not that surprising given how close their sales were and the number of Audi's niche models. Mercedes definitely sees the biggest drop in pure sales number with it having the largest line-up filled with various niche models. Even with that drop, it doesn't hurt them with its core models selling so well. With that said, I actually agree on many points. The ATS is just a few tweaks and an advertising campaign away from no longer being dead last in sales. The CTS is, in my opinion, the best car in its class and it doesn't do that bad for itself. I'm still surprised it posted a sales drop, which, I agree probably has to do with sticker shock. I'd say Cadillac acknowledges such with the news that they've dropped the price $3k. As well, I'd agree with the notion that the XTS is a FWD CTS. They really do occupy the same spot in Cadillac's line-up. Still, I'd say my line of thinking is justified.
  16. Cory Wolfe
    This, for me, is a step in the wrong direction. Perhaps this design will grow on me once the production model arrives, but I see very little to like, unfortunately. I loved the first generation G35. Even the second generation is generally attractive in my opinion. For the class, it was always one of the sexiest designs.
  17. Cory Wolfe
    I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree. Just for fun, taking out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year. But what is it if you drop smart and sprinter too? (I'd also argue against B-Class, but that is insignificant at this point). Mercedes Benz is competing outside their "box" so to speak. Cadillac is never going to get to the volume Mercedes does unless they fold Buick, the Spark, and the GMC commercial vans into the Cadillac lineup. Since that isn't going to happen ever, there is no point in comparing the overall numbers of Cadillac and Mercedes. I never included the Smart/Sprinter in the numbers I quoted, just the Mercedes brand itself.
  18. Cory Wolfe
    I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree. Just for fun, take out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year. The S-Class, E-Class, C-Class alone nearly outsell Cadillac's entire line-up.
  19. Cory Wolfe
    You can't expect every model to have sales increases, especially with a line-up as large as Mercedes'. For what its worth, overall sales matter more than individual models. If the tables were turned and those figures were for Cadillac, you'd be touting the overall increased sales and not resorting to nitpicking over which models are down and making a story of it. Also, just some fuel for the fire because I love analyzing sales figures... Let's compare 2007 to 2014.
  20. Cory Wolfe
    Design wise, this has a Honda/Acura feel to it so far.
  21. Cory Wolfe
    I don't necessarily mind the spindle grill, but I have a hard time understanding how all these disjointed headlight designs are appealing to anyone. It's the biggest thing that bothers me on each new Lexus. This is a slightly better use of the "design", but still a mess. Otherwise, considering the competition, I don't really think this will be that competitive. It may be lighter, but with the M5, E63, and CTS-V sporting massive horsepower, I think its already lost the battle before it started. Maybe it'll be a suitable V-sport competitor instead...
  22. Cory Wolfe
    The difference between Cadillac and the rest of the luxury brands is pretty staggering. Cadillac has some of the best product, yet is the only mainstream luxury brand to post a sales decline. The SRX is understandable due to its age, but the ATS and CTS really should have a better showing regardless of price.
  23. Cory Wolfe
    I would probably chalk that up to the new model transition, and maybe a few sales that went to the CLA. For the month, it was up. Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly is MB the bigger *loser? Mercedes brand sales were up 5.7% YTD while Cadillac brand sales were down 6.5% YTD. Total sales for the Mercedes brand? 330k total. Cadillac? 170K total. Of those losses you mentioned, the CL, SLS, and R lines are all being replaced or discontinued. After that things even out a bit, especially with the addition of the GLA sales you omitted. Cadillac on the other hand only has the Escalade to thank for any positive sales growth. I will stand up for Cadillac all day long, but I simply can't understand your logic most of the time.
  24. Cory Wolfe
    If you think about it, you can thank Fiat for some of their sales increases. Jeep's astounding 40% year over year sales increase is mostly thanks to the Cherokee and Chrysler could be worse without the new 200 racking in a few great months of sales at the end of the year. Plus the 46k of Fiat sales themselves, while not great, is something. That said, I see 2015 being even better for FCA.
  25. Cory Wolfe
    This is the first time I think I've seen a sales chart for Mitsubishi's entire line-up. I can only imagine how bad their sales were before if they're proud enough to show those numbers...
×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search