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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    All true, but sedans are sitting on dealer lots, not flying off them. Cadillac has had criticism to make an interior on par with Audi for like 20 years and hasn't done it yet, so I don't expect that to change. If the Alpha platform continues on, where do you get interior space? Maybe they do new engines, they have the 4.2 V8, I would 100% drop that in a CT4-V, if you want to battle AMG you better bring the V8s. But then you have to battle Tesla, so you need EV's at some point too Most car companies say how they will have dramatic, cutting edge styling to attract buyers, Hyundai just made that claim too, and it never happens. First off, all these cars are designed in a wind tunnel, secondly they have to meet pedestrian impact standards so all the hoods are the same height, then they have to side impact crash tests so the belt line gets high, etc So I don't really know what the CT4 and CT5 will do to succeed where the ATS, CTS and STS all failed. What is different this time around?
  2. smk4565
    Probably true, they could price the CT4 at $24,900 and the Equinox would outsell it 3 to 1 because it is a crossover. Bringing 2 new sedans to a market that isn't buying sedans isn't really a path to success, unless their sedan is insanely good. Plus you have the Tesla Model 3 now on sale sucking up market share like crazy in this price range.
  3. smk4565
    Maybe Lincoln should produce stand alone cars, and not just badge jobs of Ford Fusions, Edges and Escapes. The Fusion is getting killed because it isn't good enough to compete with the Camry, and yet Lincoln built their top end Continental off it. Doesn't matter what building they sell these Lincolns in, they aren't good cars.
  4. smk4565
    Maybe he will do it, I don't know how much more money he has to increase his ownership stake, but I am sure he can also find some other firm to buy uptake shares and Elon can take even greater control doing what ever he wants. One day Elon will hide 5 Golden Tickets in Tesla cars to be sold over a 3 month period, and those 5 individuals will get a factory tour and tour of Elon's office, in which one of those five will inherit his fortune at the end.
  5. smk4565
    Audi for example could leave the US market and still sell 1.75 million cars a year and still make a lot of money. But that just takes away one choice for the American consumer and the fewer choices people have the lazier automakers can get or the more money they can charge. And what if a Chinese company bought GM? It would only cost like $50 billion and Disney just paid $71 billion to get 20th Century Fox and some tv networks. These corporations have massive money and can just buy things. Then do you say the Chinese make all the profits but we will tariff Subaru and kill American jobs.
  6. smk4565
    I agree with defelt, if you only had cars for sale in the US that were made in the US you would have a narrow selection of products. Each auto maker would cut half their line and just build 4 products and you’d just have to go with it, sort of how cars were in Comminist Russia. With all this import tariff talk, the Silverado quad cab is made in Mexico, how would GM like a $10,000 tax on top of the Silverado, seems like that would hurt sales and cost jobs at Chevy dealers. The whole industry will get screwed if these tariffs go into effect.
  7. smk4565
    Wait, Toyota still has the Yaris on sale? That list is littered with Cadillac and Buick’s because they over built and the sales were dismal. You don’t see any BMW, Audi or Mercedes or Acura or Lexus sedans on that list so it goes beyond “people just don’t buy sedans anymore.” The ATS all around isn’t a good enough product to drive demand, plus it doesn’t say BMW on it, so people don’t want it. Cadillac’s biggest problem is image. Take away the product and say “I drive a Cadillac” “I drive a BMW” or “I drive a Tesla” and which seems like the most envious statement? For the most part, people don’t want Cadillacs, they buy them because they “got a deal” and can feel some sense of victory in getting $10,000 off sticker.
  8. smk4565
    Uh, no. The Chinese auto industry is bigger than the American auto industry. Buick is here because of China and I think GM sold more cars in China than it did in the USA last year. GM would have gone bankrupt again if Obama took away their Chinese business.
  9. smk4565
    Amazon lost money in 2014, how are they doing today? The Model 3 is in the top 10 selling cars now, and Tesla is still a mess, they could make huge market gains. They could also go bust, but I seem to think they will start selling 250,000 Model 3's a year and once they get a crossover version they'll sell 250,000 of those too.
  10. smk4565
    Tesla is probably not going to have profit until 2019. But if they can get production straightened out and the orders filled, the cash will follow. They have the product demand in place and loyal customer base.
  11. smk4565
    I would still bet on Mercedes being the #1 selling luxury car maker in the USA and World at the end of 2018, and I think they will repeat that in 2019 with the new A-class line (A sedan, CLA, GLA, etc) and GLB because that will hit penetrate that $30-45k segment of the market. They also have new GLE and GLS hitting next year. The long term success depends on how quickly they can roll out electric cars at prices that are reasonable. The Tesla Model 3 outsold the Ford Fusion last month, it is sucking up huge market share in the $40-50k sedan space. That is where the treat to luxury makers is coming from.
  12. smk4565
    No, No, No. If there are 25% tariffs then it should punish GM just as much as it punishes Toyota or Honda. First off I believe there should be no tariffs on anything, but if there is a 25% tariff then everyone should get screwed.
  13. smk4565
    This is one bad month, if this is still going on 3 months from now they can worry, one bad month doesn’t make a year. They are winding down the GLE and GLS which have new versions next year plus the GLB next year and people like SUVs. The CLS isn’t at dealerships yet and they quit making E43 because the E53 is coming this fall so that explains the drop on the E lineup. BMW and Audi didn’t have big gains and most luxury brands were down so I don’t think this is Mercedes losing buyers to competition I think it is people waiting .
  14. smk4565
    If this does go through, which I doubt it will from previous court rulings, what is to stop California from imposing a 20% sales tax on all gas powered cars and giving EV’s a $5,000 credit with money from the “California Excellence Fund” assuming they get that thing going. They could crush gas car sales and those same car companies resisting EV’s will be screwed. I think sticking the current 2025 Target but not imposing fines until 2030 would be a more reasonable approach and maybe California will accept that.
  15. smk4565
    Luxury car sales tend to drop first before a recession, most of the luxury brands were down over 10%. Mercedes has product shortage and some models phased out for the model year change so I think this is temporary, I think they’ll have a big 2019 with new GLB, GLE and GLS because people want those SUVs. But. You can see the market starting to turn and the tarrif impacts are probably just now coming into play. GM said they are raising prices on 2019 models because of it, higher prices usually don’t mean higher sales.
  16. smk4565
    Eyesight, the driver aides and AWD are the appeal for safety, I think especially for senior citizens that maybe don't have the reaction times they use to or drift out of a lane or live in the snow belt, etc. But it sounds like there are a lot of shortcomings with this car and the CVT issue also, that there are better choices out there.
  17. smk4565
    My guess is the take rate on Black Label Lincolns is really low, like less than 5% so they don't want all these trim levels. And I imagine Lincoln doesn't want to have to provide extra privileges because that just costs money year to year that they have to pay. And look at the interior of the MKZ, $51,000 for that thing is criminal, plus the Fusion underpinnings. I think even at $10,000 off sticker, there are better choices on the market than the MKZ, which is why after 2020 there won't be an MKZ.
  18. smk4565
    I don't get it. Jaguar couldn't sell sedans, so they start making SUVs, because people want SUVs. And now they have Land Rover with their 100 years of SUV building or whatever it has been, wants to build a full size sedan, at a time when full size sedans aren't selling too well.
  19. smk4565
    Toyota is a full line brand though so there is going to be more there. But all their products focus on reliability and fuel efficiency is a theme that runs through the brand with the number of hybrids they offer. Even though they have a few guzzlers with old engines like the 4Runner and Tundra. Buick wants to be like a discount Lexus with cushy ride and soft seats with sound deadening, but then you a european sports sedan in the Regal and the Cascada.
  20. smk4565
    But Subaru has an image and a brand message. Buick is a miso-mash of GM product from Europe, South Korea and China and a couple warmed over Chevrolets. Buick doesn't really have a clear message or common trait.
  21. smk4565
    Buick going 100% all wheel drive like Subaru but with a softer, cushy ride for suburbanites who are the opposite of “active lifestyle” could work for them.
  22. smk4565
    I don't think anything will move the needle on Regal sales unless they change the name to "Camry"
  23. smk4565
    So the top trim is front drive only, and no AWD offered? That makes no sense because most people buying the luxury model are going to want all wheel drive.
  24. smk4565
    I like the interior, I think it has a modern look without a lot of buttons and clutter, this is a really strong interior for the segment. Best part of the car I think and MBUX will be interesting since they have used COMMAND for like 15 years. What I don't get is the 188 hp engine, why not the 208 hp engine from the CLA? Just make it all the same. There will be an 300+ hp A35, that should be pretty quick. I don't like the headlights because I don't like the CLS front end either. The tail end looks a bit too much like a Jetta or Mazda, if you took the badges off the back you'd think it was an Asian car I think. Which is not my cup of tea, but I suspect they are targeting buyers around the globe that never bought a Mercedes.
  25. smk4565
    The Envision is the size of a Q5 though. The Cadillac XT3 that doesn't exist yet would be the competitor for the Q3, and I assume Cadillac will build something smaller than XT4 eventually.
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