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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Buick is going into the $50s, all the way to $59k in Drew's example, GMC Yukon Denali's are $70k, maybe more than that, I don't price them out. But both brands sell a lot in the $35-55k range. Cadillac right not sells most of their product in the $35-65k range, outside of the Escalade. Even well equipped or loaded XTS and XT5 are maxing at $65k and a CT6 with some options is $65k. Cadillac isn't on the level of those with $100k+ cars, and that is the problem. Why aren't they? GM managed to push Buick and GMC up in price point, but Cadillac hasn't gone up in price point in 15 years just about. The early 2000s STS and DTS with inflation were priced higher than CTS and XTS of today.
  2. smk4565
    I am still shocked that there isn't an Escalade-V with a 650 hp supercharged V8 for $129,000. I mean why not, someone will pay it. I think Cadillac could easily have an SUV above Escalade in the $150-200,000 range. Take the CT6 plug in hybrid tech mated to the new DOHC turbo V8 for a combined 700 hp with say 25 mpg sort of ability, hand sewn interior, 1 inch thick wool carpeting, platinum plated door sills, twice the sound isolation of a CT6, wood from trees that fell naturally on their own accord, etc If Buick can get $59k for an Enclave more power to them. But if you are going to push Buick's pricing well into Cadillac territory why aren't they pushing Cadillac up as well, despite previous failed attempts.
  3. smk4565
    Fair enough, but if they had the production capacity. Same could be said for if Mercedes or Audi or anyone else if they had an EV car at that price point with that capability. If Toyota had a Camry EV for $26,000 they would sell 1 million a year I bet. Once the batteries get cheaper, the gas engine will be done. 37,700 killed in car accidents last year, something like 93% of that is due to human error, that is why the government will ban driving. Drug overdoses are 60,000 a year, so cars are behind that, gun deaths about 33,000 a year.
  4. smk4565
    Cost keeps people from buying EV's. If a Tesla Model S was $44,900 base and $69,900 for the P100 D then several luxury brands would be out of business right now. The day is coming when you'll be able to get unlimited rides in a Tesla Model S level car for half the price of buying or leasing a Ford Focus. Then people will stop buying cars. Or if the government mandates that it is illegal to drive a car, then that ends driving also. But they can't figure out how to make it illegal to own an assault rifle, so who knows. When you look at the top 2 killers in this country, shootings and car accidents are it. There could be a 9/11 World Trade center event every month of the year and car crashes would still kill more people.
  5. smk4565
    $200 in maintenance is too high now that I reread that, but if you factor in tires and brakes, oil changes, air filters, state inspections, and any repairs, I think $100 a month is reasonable. Would be less on a brand new car under warranty.
  6. smk4565
    Into the mid $50s seems like a lot for a Buick or GMC crossover, but they'll find some people that will pay it. If there are people out there paying $48k for an Explorer, someone will pay $54k for an Enclave. Question is how many dollars is GM losing on Avenir and Denali SUVs that could have been Cadillacs if Cadillac had a crossover to sell? That same person that spends $55k on an Acadia Denali might have spent $65k on a Cadillac XT7 if it existed.
  7. smk4565
    It could happen in 20 years, I don't think that is so far off, Autonomous cars will get really common, I think for sure in 20 years you'll see more autonomous cars than human driven, getting the government to ban driving will probably be harder than building the cars themselves. I think though it won't be all cars on the road, but just as many autonomous drones in the sky. Less variables to worry about in the air then there are on a road. The other big thing that will swing the tide is cost. If you think of the cost to own a car, $300-400 a month in payment, $80 a month in insurance, $100-200 in gas, $100-200 in maintenance, etc. All of a sudden we are talking $600 a month, add on another $100 a month in parking if you commute into a city. If you can get rides in autonomous pods of some sort for even $300 a month, why buy a car?
  8. smk4565
    I know pre-scan doesn’t need 48 volt, The A8’s does but the S-class and SL use hydraulic suspension which I imagine something electric powered will be quicker and less drain. Good article and I thought the GM BAS system was a good idea but they gave up on it, and they also only had it on a 2.4 liter 4. The advantage that Mercedes and Audi are going for is E-turbos so you can have zero turbo lag. And every Mercedes and Audi should have it.
  9. smk4565
    Reacting suspension, not predictive suspension. The S-class's suspension adjusts before it hits a bump, it doesn't react after.
  10. smk4565
    Average buyer age: Buick 59 Bentley 56 Cadillac 52 Mercedes 51 BMW 50 Land Rover 45 Millenials are buying cars so a lowering tide drops all boats so to speak. Buick is still pushing a higher than average buyer age.
  11. smk4565
    They will have it, but 268 hp, 368 lb-ft, 0-60 in 5 seconds 250 mile range, 60 miles of charge in under 10 minutes, but my guess is pricing will start in the 40s.
  12. smk4565
    No, you said it isn't special because hybrids and BAS systems have been around for 10 years. But Mercedes and Audi aren't just using it for MPG gain, they are using to make stop-start more seamless, it can run the steering and suspension, and make for a better driving car. So in 2019 when the A8, S-class and Cadillac CT6/CT8, Jaguar and Lexus LS get in a comparison, the Germans will be praised for refinement, ride comfort, handling, and the others will be ripped for NVH and rough ride, etc.
  13. smk4565
    Isn't that the car at Test Track in Epcot? But you couldn't sell a 220 mile EV for $30k, with that kind of horsepower. That is like saying we'll have a V8 Camaro, 450 hp, for $28,990. Not happening. What Chevy needs is a Cruze size EV sedan, 200 hp, 200 mile range, $32,000. Now you are selling cars.
  14. smk4565
    California air resources board compliance and CAFE compliance. A plug-in C-class is a bandaid for the short term. And the price isn't that crazy, it is $7k more than a base C-class, but $6k cheaper than a V6 C-class. And it isn't meant to be priced like a Bolt, it is a Mercedes. When the real EV's come, the rumor is $45k base for an A-class size sedan, $50k base for a GLC size crossover, I think if they can pull that off they are on to something because then an electric E-class is like $65k, they can sell that all day long. Daimler has invested in a company in Europe that is working on a battery that can get 300 miles of charge in 5 minutes. All this comes down to battery tech, if they can get the batteries the EV sales will explode. Mercedes is going into Formula E to help learn about electric cars, and to beat Jaguar, BMW and Audi, because they are too scared to come to Formula 1, so Mercedes will come to them.
  15. smk4565
    I tend to think EV's would have more appeal to younger buyers rather than older buyers. So why would Buick, the poster brand for the social security crowd get the EV push? I get that Buick has volume in China, but I wonder if that hurts Chevy and Cadillac who don't have that much volume in China, yet are GM's 2 most important brands. That is where the EV push needs to start.
  16. smk4565
    You can't crash it, it is self flying. You get in, it takes you to a destination. This is the future.
  17. smk4565
    There are millions of people out there conditioned to believe any used car has problems, and only a new car is reliable. This is how car companies sell a lot of new cars. The average car on the road is 11 years old, makes me think a lot of cars last 20 years, in which case even a 5 year old car, has 15 more left in it.
  18. smk4565
    You don't fly the drone, the drones are autonomous. They wouldn't even have any controls, as like in a Level 5 Autonomous car.
  19. smk4565
    It isn't an electric car, nor is it priced like a Bolt. When Mercedes gets their electric cars out they will sell. I feel like they should hit the accelerator on them because Tesla is taking forever with the Model 3, Mercedes might be able to steal a lot of that thunder. Mercedes is currently building 3 battery factories (Germany, Alabama, China) at $1 billion each and expanding the assembly lines, by 2020 they should be cranking out cars.
  20. smk4565
    On the Audi A8 they have electric boosted suspension that reacts faster than the S-class magic body control. It is what you can do with it that makes it special.
  21. smk4565
    I like Saab as a car, my mom had a 2002 9-5 Aero that was a great car until it got horribly unreliable around 75k miles and she got rid of it after it being towed 3 times in 1 year. And yes they should have made better Chevy's and Buicks to fight off the Japanese. But all that being in the past, GM still has some of the same problems. Buick sedans don't sell anymore, they will probably be a crossover only brand in the USA once their Opel tie is gone and the LWB epsilon platform is killed.
  22. smk4565
    I am all for taking any subsidies away from oil and gas companies, they will find a way to make a profit. I wouldn't subsidize any corporation for that matter, they can sink or swim on their own. I like that there is an EV tax credit, but it is going to expire anyway, so if they take it away then it is only speeding up the process. If we all had vertical take off drones for travel we wouldn't need roads. Then the Government wouldn't have to spend money paving them. But I have always said if you want to inspire EV sales, raise the gas tax.
  23. smk4565
    Only the 2019 Audi A8 has 48 volt, can't find any fuel economy numbers for it yet though. I know you don't just add 2 peak numbers. The current Benz plug-in hybrid V6 in the GLE and 2014-15 S-class is 436 hp and 479 lb-ft. They say this new one has a boost to the gas and electric motors, I think it is rated at 449 hp in England, but it isn't on sale here so they haven't announced output for it yet.
  24. smk4565
    Well yeah, they all do. Audi sells like 600,000 cars a year in China. I think the A6 sells 15,000 units a month there vs like 1,500 a month in the USA.
  25. smk4565
    Correct. I imagine a lot of these 3 row crossovers fall into that category. Because the average family probably can't afford a $45,000 Traverse or Pilot, unless in a lease or 75 month loan, and are they going to own that car in 7 years after purchase to see that loan through? I work in a bank, I just refinanced a car loan for a 2016 Chevy Sonic that was a $19,500 loan and the car is currently worth $10,100 (we use 125% of NADA wholesale), so we had to use a personal loan to pay the rest off. The guy was so far under water because he rolled an underwater loan (form a Ford focus he bought new with a defective transmission) into the Sonic, put no money down, took the loan out for 6 years at a high rate and took out an extended warranty and financed it in too. And this is a sort of common occurrence. And to boot, his payment was $110 a month more on his Chevy Sonic than I pay on my Mercedes E550. I was able to save him $25 a month, not a lot but that's $300 a year, for 5 years, adds up. Well I am not talking about crank windows and 1999 Chevy Cavalier build quality. But what is wrong with the Cruze being $16k base and like $22k loaded? Why are there $28,000 Cruze's ? Why are they trying to make it like the Jetta TDI premium, what is wrong with just being a basic simple car? Doesn't mean it has to be crap.
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