smk4565
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Everything posted by smk4565
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Benz hasn't fallen at all they have been the luxury leader after dispatching Lexus and BMW atop the sales charts despite charging more for a similar model. Lexus IS about to dump the GS altogether since the E-class dominates the segment so much. I'd still take a GLS interior over the Escalade, the GLS interior is dated, but well made, the Escalade interior is more modern but with a lot of plastic and Silverado feel. And the GLS will out accelerate, out handle, out brake and ride better than the Escalade and get better gas mileage. It is funny that Cadillac fans are quick to point out the weight saving measures and chassis work of the ATS and CT6, but don't demand the same level of engineering from the crossovers and SUVs that actually make up the bulk of Cadillac sales.
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I actually think the current GLS is weak in the interior department by Mercedes standards. It is still better than any Chevy, but it isn't as good as the E-class interior, which they will address on the new model. The build quality is good on the GLS interior but it isn't pretty or artistic and lacks the luxury of say an S-class.
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Exactly, they are in the same brand. I don't have a problem with Cadillac using the same parts in a CTS and an Xt5 or Escalade, I have a problem with Cadillac using Chevy parts. In fact I have often said Cadillac should build crossovers off the ATS and CT6 platforms and share more within the brand, rather than use Chevy platforms.
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Porsche News: Porsche Mission E To Cost Less than Panamera
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in Porsche
I am not a fan of the duck billed platypus front end. Porsche styling usually isn't for me, but I think the 911 has always looked decent, the 928, yuck, Boxster/Cayman, odd profile view, Panamera is a disaster. The Carerra GT and 918 look fairly good, but these guys don't build pretty cars. I'd be interested to see what the final version looks like when on sale, and will the base model have like 300 hp, and only the tippy top have 600. -
They have the same arm rest basically, same width to the center console, same shifter, vertical vents in the center, horizontal on the sides, to me it is similar. Different center stacks and nav screens, different door trim. The have done a better job over the years making the Escalade different compared to the early 2000s when it was so much like a Tahoe, but it is still a Tahoe. And I still think they could make a better crossover on Omega and perhaps position that above Escalade, but then they'd have to call it XT9 and Escalade wouldn't fit the naming scheme. Cadillac boxed themselves into a corner with this naming scheme.
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When I sit in an Escalade I still feel like I am sitting in a Tahoe. The dash shape and arm rests are similar, even though they swap out the head units and trim, the 2nd row seat mounts are direct from Chevy, it just doesn't feel like a luxury vehicle in back, it feels like a Suburban. That being said I think for sure they could up the luxury level in it. I actually think Cadillac could build an SUV above Escalade that starts over $100,000. Cadillac could sell way more $125,000 SUVs than they could $100k+ sedans and sports cars put together. Compare that to... One is the best Cadillac, the other is a Chevy. It is the same carpet, same plastic moldings, etc
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They have powertrain engineers right? But there isn't a turbo charged or supercharged Escalade either. There isn't a downsized engine, isn't a hybrid, they don't do any of that stuff either.
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Last year Daimler had a $58,600 ATP including Smart cars. Even with Smart and CLA's dragging them down they still beat Cadillac, BMW, Lexus and Audi. The E-class is priced like a CT6 and actually goes higher in price than the CT6, and outsells CTS, XTS and CT6 combined, so it isn't like Mercedes is selling some cheap car to get sales. Speaking of Cadillac though, I was wondering the other day why they don't combine up a pair of 3.0TT V6s from the CT6 to make a 6 liter TT V12 for the Escalade? Seems like a no brainer.
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I'd love to see ATP's of ATS and CTS compared to the German rivals. CT6 is hard to compare to rivals because it isn't priced like any of them.
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Cadillac has a high ATP because Escalade is like 20-25% of their sales volume. Wait until XT4 goes on sales and that ATP drops into the $40k range. I don't equate cache to sales, the Porsche 911 has plenty of cache and not a lot of volume. I'd even say the Jaguar XF has more cache than a CTS and no one buys Jaguar XFs. And maybe Mercedes is on par with Nissan or Infiniti, yet Cadillac can't beat them on their home turf. Billions spent on ATS and CTS only to price them $5-10k less than the rival Mercedes and get outsold by wide margin.
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Only 40% ???
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I don't think anyone has a mid-size hatch back right now, so this could be a first. I don't know if a Regal hatch or wagon will sell, but is worth a try. People see to be running away from anything with a traditional trunk.
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The graphs tell the story. Cars outsold light trucks in 2012, three years later light trucks outsold cars by 2 million units. And that gap is still growing. You'll start to see brands with 5-6 crossovers and 2-3 passenger cars become a common thing.
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ATS and CTS sales are both hurting though, I don't think either have any cache in the market place. Rumor is Lexus is cancelling the GS all together, sedans are becoming a tough market if you aren't on your A game. And cars like the CTS and GS only sell in a few countries, they don't have huge global volume, and all these car makers look at global numbers. I'd imagine Acura RLX will be dead within a year, and they will never have more than 2 sedans in the future.
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I don't see much change at all coming to the standards. Consumers still want better fuel economy. And large cars don't sell, even midsize cars like Camry and Accord are getting replaced by RAV4's and CRV's that get about the same mileage. So as people tend to downsize, it helps get the average up. The other thing to consider is not just CA CARB, but China. China has displacement taxes and are putting in tougher emissions regulations and all these car makers are global. GM or Ford or Toyota isn't going to make an engine for the USA, an engine for Europe and an engine for China. It is cheaper to just make the same 1.5 liter turbo 4 that sips gas and meets emission requirements in all 3 markets. And lastly when you get more electrification in, then fuel economy soars. Look at a 90s cell phone battery compared to now. In 20 years (granted well past 2025) a car like a Tesla Model S might go 800 miles on a single charge and cost $50,000. Just think of this, in 2005 YouTube and smart phones didn't exist. In another 10 years time, there may be electrified cars that we can't even think of now.
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At the XT4 level yes, they don't care what the drive wheels are. But at $50,000+ they do, the #1 selling SUV over $50k is the GLE, #2 is the X5. And I think it only a matter of time, the GLC and X3 outsell both Lincoln SUVs, they are closing in on the Acuras. Acura averaged 123 sales per month on the RLX last year, they have no sedan business anymore, luxury buyers don't want dressed up Accords, in time they won't want dressed up Pilots either. Once people start driving the F-Pace or the Stelvio, along with the Germans I don't think they'll want an Acura or Lincoln.
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Acura's whole line is less than mediocre. I'd say the RDX is actually less competitive in it's class than the MDX is in it's class, at least based on looks, roominess and interior. The RDX does still have a V6 in a world of 4 cylinder competition, but that just makes the RDX thirstier too. The MKX my be fantastic compared to a Acura or XT5, but compare the MKX to a Macan, Alfa Stelvio or a GLC43 or F-Pace. The over weight body and 6-speed on the MKX ecoboost holds 0-60 time at 6.0 seconds for AWD, 6.9 for FWD. A GLC43 does it in 4.5 seconds. Agree, Lincoln has nothing except an ever changing grille and design language and discounts. XT5 should have been built on the Alpha chassis too, likewise with XT4. That's what crazy, the thing Cadillac gets the most positive press for is their chassis work on Alpha and Omega, and it isn't on a crossover, the #1 selling body style and only growth segment in the auto industry right now. Wasted opportunity.
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It's a Ford Edge. The sad part is Cadillac losing in performance to anything Lincoln makes. But Lincoln recently has been increasing sales while Cadillac is losing sales.
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I agree with the full line idea and who cares what Buick or GMC have, Cadillac should be thought of as the profit machine and get anything they want. They should have the best crossovers, convertibles, sports cars, etc. I would hold off on the wagons though, I don't think they'd sell. And agreed that XT5 is more of a chic car (all the more reason to offer a man's crossover though) and a 390 hp turbo V6 would be plenty of power for that chassis, it beats what Lexus and Acura have and (I never thought I'd say this) it matches the Lincoln MKX ecoboost. Right now the MKX out muscles them, which is sort of sad.
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And yet Audi is adding 2 crossover coupes, Land Rover has that Range Rover coupe thing based on the F-pace. They are building what sells. I don't like crossovers in general, I would never buy one, but it is what the market wants, and they charge like $8k more for a GLE coupe than they do a regular GLE and it probably costs $1,000 extra to make it. Easy money.
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Who sold more FWD cars in the US last year, Mercedes or Cadillac?
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And yet M-B is #1 in US market luxury sales, #1 in European market luxury sales, #2 in China market luxury sales and 3 time defending champion in Formula 1. While posting record profits the past few years. On the Cadillac front, I agree a sub-ATS car is a waste of time, they need crossovers. That is what sells.
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The F-pace is a GLC, X3, Macan (soon to be Stelvio) competitor. F-Pace is based on the XE small sedan. And yes an E300 is slower than a V6 Camry, but they offer more powerful engines. M-B offers AMG engines on every model line, Cadillac can't do a V-series on their Utilities because their platforms couldn't handle the power. I can't see how Cadillac fans are happy that the CTS-V engine isn't on an XT5, when the Europeans all have big power.
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I see it this way, Group A has decided to build crossovers on FWD mass market platforms, this includes Cadillac, Acura, Lexus and Lincoln (and about half the Infiniti and Audi crossovers) Group B thinks performance matters and uses a more purpose built chassis, boosted engines, etc. This includes Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar/Land Rover, Bentley, Porsche, Maserati. Would you want to be in group A or Group B?
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But Cadillac comes up with a product like Escalade, that defines their brand and is their most profitable product, and you don't really see a smaller version of it to capitalize on what Cadillac is. Not that I want them to make 6 versions of Escalade like there are 5 or 6 "Range Rovers" now, but I don't see a lot of Escalade influence in other Cadilacs, other than vertical lights, which every Cadillac has, and had since like 2003. Jeep does this well, Compass is a mini Grand Cherokee, Renegade is heavily influenced by Wrangler, because those are the iconic designs, and they get those designs to people at a lower price point. Cadillac is supposed to be performance luxury, but the performance is limited to 2 models, when they have 6 models. 6 model lines isn't enough as it is, 2 performance lines surely isn't enough. People want horsepower and performance, and people now want crossovers a lot more than they want sedans, yet Cadillac hasn't combined the 2 yet, when Porsche, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover all have, and probably soon Aston Martin and Lamborghini will join them. Huge missed opportunity by not having performance in the crossover space, just like the V-series sedans (and rwd sedans in general) arrived 15 years too late after the M3 and M5 already set the segment. In 10 years time we will look back on Cadillacs crossovers of the 2010-2020 era as lackluster product that let them fall behind, just as we now look back at the 90s FWD Seville and Deville that failed to get it done and let the Germans take over. 20 years later Cadillac makes the exact same mistake, but with a different body style.
