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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The Escalade has gear shifter, window switch controls, center arm rest, etc basically out of a Silverado/Tahoe. 2nd and 3rd row seats are pretty similar too, a lot of Tahoe bits carry over to the Escalade on the inside, not just the chassis and engine. Escalade still sells so much of that doesn't matter not, but the X7 is way nicer than an Escalade, the Navigator is nicer, the GLS is nicer and getting redone in 2020, and now Rolls, Bentley and Lamborghini have SUVs, Aston Martin/Lagonda and Ferrari are getting them. All of a sudden Escalade could be falling from grace. And if I had to build an SUV to compete with that list, I'd rather base it off a CT6-V than a Tahoe.
  2. smk4565
    It is nice that they are going out with the same color it came in with, and paying homage to the original. It is time for this car to go though, the world has moved on and left 2-seat compact roadsters behind. I suspect there will be fewer and fewer sports car options as time goes on. Mercedes does still make 5 convertibles even without the SLC, so no worries on that.
  3. smk4565
    I sat in a Blazer, it didn't seem roomy at all, it was like a Rav4 size interior and the Rav4 is a class smaller. The Blazer took the Camaro's cramped interior to the SUV world it seems. Also the version I sat in was $51,000 and they are dreaming, maybe $41,000 but not $51,000.
  4. smk4565
    I think Brexit is a big reason.
  5. smk4565
    I like the sound of this. Great tech, will save on fuel too optimizing speed.
  6. smk4565
    The G-wagen isn't Mercedes best performing or most luxury SUV though. It is the best off road, but when the Maybach GLS arrives that will be the luxury king. The GLC63 has the Nurburgring record for an SUV, the GLE63 I could see challenging it. The Escalade being large that back seat executive experience possible, but will they put independent rear suspension on an Escalade if a Tahoe doesn't have it? Will they get a glass roof in there, which they have said isn't possible on the current chassis, will they not recycle gear shifters, window switchgear, etc. Time will tell, but you can only go so far when you start with a Tahoe, I'd rather start with a CT6-V and upgrade that to an SUV.
  7. smk4565
    I wonder how far they can push the Escalade with the Tahoe underpinnings and whether or not an Omega SUV could go above Escalade and be more luxurious (and better performing). I do think they should make an Executive package for the Escalade that is a 4-seater with lay flat rear seats, refrigerator, tray tables, etc. With the 3rd row seats gone you can move the 2nd row back a foot and have massive leg room.
  8. smk4565
    Let's hope. We can go on about horsepower and engines all day, but you need the chassis and AWD system for it. The Omega platform seems able to do all that. But they have to use it more and get away from the FWD Chi, Lambda stuff.
  9. smk4565
    I suppose GM could get 600 hp out of a 3 liter TT V6 but what will warranty costs and reliability of that be like? And what do you put that in? You can't put that in a front drive crossover and I imagine the AWD system in the Acadia or Enclave can't handle 400 lb-ft of torque let alone 600. And that would cost a lot. Which goes back to needing a rear drive Cadillac platform with an AWD system and transmission that can handle that much power.
  10. smk4565
    I would say 310 hp is enough for a Blazer/Acadia mainstream SUV. But not enough for a Cadillac or a performance inspired SUV, to which they need REAR WHEEL DRIVE!!!!!!!!!! Ford figured that out and Ford is mostly clueless. Cadillac should have a mid-size SUV with the Blackwing V8, I'd argue the 3.0TT V6 isn't enough. I agree, people aren't going to pay $80,000 for a 500 hp Acadia, and there probably aren't many that would pay $60k for a 400 hp Acadia. I bet Hyundai doesn't sell many N performance cars and Kia won't sell many Stingers because people aren't going to spend a lot of money on an average joe sedan or crossover with a big engine. You need to use Cadillac for the big engines, where price shouldn't matter.
  11. smk4565
    I think Buick go all SUVs, they aren't going to keep the Regal past this life cycle, they aren't going to bring the Excelle over from China as a $19,999 price leader. So I think it is becomes a 3 crossover brand until the day all these crossovers are just cannibalizing each other.
  12. smk4565
    True facts. And brand ATP is meaningless because brands are in different segments. Comparing model vs model (direct competitors) ATP has some validity.
  13. smk4565
    I bet all those XT4 sales skew that, because they will sell more of those than they do Escalades. Cadillac has a high ATP now because the ATS is a sales failure and doesn't drag their average down. Where as the C-class and 3-series sell well. ATP is also pretty meaningless. If Mercedes killed every car but the S-class and G-wagen they would have a $135,000 ATP and they would also go out of business the next day. Land Rover probably has a nice ATP also with all SUVs and lots of high dollar ones at that, yet JLR lost over $4 billion last year and is in dire need of financing.
  14. smk4565
    They sold more than anyone else. Most Cadillacs are not $60,000, even a CT6 starts at $50,000, so with options that is above $60k but they sell like 25,000 of those worldwide per year. Escalade sales are almost only in the USA, that is probably 30,000 or so a year. Just the E-class and S-class alone outsold the whole Cadillac line, and the E-class costs more than any Cadillac except Escalade, the S-class costs more than an Escalade. You can't bet better infotainment in a BMW 7-series let alone anything else under $40k. You can get more horsepower or interior space sure, probably won't get better interior materials or build quality at that price. So it is a trade off, depends on what you prioritize.
  15. smk4565
    If we are going to use price as a measure of luxury, then a Sprinter is Cadillac level luxury. Price does not equal luxury. I never said Mercedes are 1% vehicles either, they have pretty high bandwidth going from $33,000 to $273,000, and that was my point, they have something for everyone. (assuming you have the means to afford a new car, and I am aware that 7 million auto loans in the USA are 90 days past due because cars in general are too expensive) Mercedes global sales for 2018 were All A/B-class variants 609,000 (25% of their total volume) C-class 397,000 E-class 355,000 S-class 78,000 GLC/GLE/GLS/G 820,000 (all SUV was lumped together in their annual report summary) AMG vehicles 118,000 And keep in mind that Mercedes sold over 650,000 cars in China, which is going to favor smaller cars due to the taxes and costs and congestion there. The majority of that A/B segment sales in where that is in high demand due to fuel prices, displacement taxes, etc. And they are serving that need, not ignoring it.
  16. smk4565
    The A-class has a higher base price than all Chevy's except Volt, Bolt, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, Silverado HD and some commercial vehicles. And A-class is more expensive than all Buicks except Enclave and the soon to be dead Cascada. I sat in an A-class today, that car is a bargain. The Infotainment system that lives there and in the new GLE is years ahead of what anyone else has.
  17. smk4565
    They are to Cadillac if you take away Vans and the pick up. Mercedes isn’t selling Chevy priced product which is the vast majority of GM sales. They wisely set up their luxury brand to have a car for all needs, while GM set up their luxury brand for people that want mid size sedans and midsize crossovers. Mercedes owners have no reason to look at another brand because Mercedes has a car for every need. Cadillac owners if they want a convertible or coupe after this year or a performance SUV or sports car, etc have to go look at another brand. Then if they find that brand better, when they neee a new sedan they probably aren’t going back to Cadillac. This is also why most niche brands don’t make it l, outside of novelty stuff like Ferrari or Lamborghini.
  18. smk4565
    Owning a car makes more sense now. But one day when cars and Uber can function with no driver it will be cheaper to have a robot pod shuttle you around.
  19. smk4565
    When the autonomous pods arrive that get you from point A to point B while you can sleep or play on your $1,000 phone for a price of a $300 a month subscription then the masses won’t buy cars. The majority of people buy a car to get from point A to point B (school, work, grocery store, etc). They don’t want to pay $400 for a payment, $200 in gas, $100 in maintenance, $100 in insurance, yadda yadda yadda. Most will take the autonomous pod. The enthusiast and the wealthy that have too much disposable income will still buy a car, which is where Cadillac makes sense.
  20. smk4565
    They couldn’t build a more reliable or more fuel efficient taxi than Mercedes. The E-class is the best mid size sedan in the world, regardless of intended use.
  21. smk4565
    Cadillac is dying now too?!?! I actually think in a world of self driving pods and mass transit, a car becomes a luxury item. Thus Cadillac is the brand that makes the most sense if mainstream car ownership disappears.
  22. smk4565
    Worldwide they sold that. Mercedes sold 2,310,185. They got some catching up to do.
  23. smk4565
    The imports didn’t really hit the market big until the 70s, mainly due to gas crisis. Cadillac sold 350,000 cars in 1978 and 150,000 last year. Mad far as the brands go, GMC has the most consistent and focused marketing and brand image, they have been constant with it for a long time. GMC is their best managed brand, Cadillac is probably their most mismanaged but Buick has a lot of baggage and a small line that was mostly made up of stuff from other brands. I would say Buick is the weakest brand so if they had to kill one that would be it. I don’t think GM will kill Buick in the USA though.
  24. smk4565
    It worked in the 50s and 60s because the Germans and Japanese cars weren’t here. When competition arrived GM crapped the bed. How? Bad management and laziness and arrogance.
  25. smk4565
    Correct and GM has too many transverse engine products. If they made the Traverse/Enclave/XT6 on a rear drive platform you could put an in-line 6 in all of them plus all the current rear drive cars and trucks they have. A Turbo 4 is enough for any mid-size crossover or sedan from Chevy or Buick. I could make a strong case to kill the 3.6 V6 and that is for the USA, not even getting into It being over China’s 3 liter displacement tax which makes it useless there. Answered in response to Drew’s post.
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