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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Motor Trend has a comparison this month of the E300, CT6 and Volvo S90 and the CT6 was last place. I don't think it is near perfect if it can't even beat the mid-size luxury cars, it is a far cry from the real flagships.
  2. smk4565
    The Escalade 4wd is rated at 15/20 mpg, not like it is much better, and the GLS550 is more powerful and faster. The current GLS is too thirsty though, the GLE's hybrid engine would help. I imagine on the next generation GLS due in 2018 they will fix fuel economy. Weight should drop a few hundred pounds, the inline six and 4.0 V8 with the 48 volt electric system will be a big improvement over the 4.7 liter V8 that is a gas hog.
  3. smk4565
    Fuel economy would matter more, which would be the argument for a turbo 4 or hybrid going into the XT5. In general though, across ATS, CTS, XTS, XT5, etc, the 3.6 isn't the best option anymore. Same goes for Lexus with their 306 hp 3.5 liter V6 that they have been selling since 2006. It is tired and dated. XT5 is a new product and the only crossover at the Cadillac lot, that helps it sell, plus GM has a big SUV following. But all the more reason that Cadillac should have about 4 crossovers on sale to capitalize on American's willingness to buy American trucks and crossovers. Americans don't seem to want to buy American made luxury sedans.
  4. smk4565
    CAFE says it will need a V6, and they could easily get over 400 hp and lb-ft from a V6 that would drink less gas than a 6.2 liter. I would still offer the V8 as an option, and I'd probably make it a turbo or supercharged V8. The original Escalade had a 255 hp V8 while the age of the same year had a 300 hp V8. The CTS has replaced the STs with a 4-cylinder, if they cut cylinders in half there, they can cut 2 off the Escalade. I am in favor of a six cylinder S-class too which i think is happening this year, you don't need to offer a standard V8 just because. And there isn't a reason a base S-class needs 476 hp which the 4.0 V8 will make in it when they replace the 4.7. Just like you don't need 450 hp ina truck with poor handling. The average buyer doesn't care. Just the the Corvette could offer a base V6. But in all cases I support the optional V8.
  5. smk4565
    But everyone has 8 and 9 speed transmissions and Audis are much quicker than Cadillacs with comparable power. Compare an XT5's performance to a Jaguar F-Pace or Mercedes GLC43 and it isn't even close. The GLC43 does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, that is CTS V-sport performance out of a V6 crossover. The 3.6 V6 just can't match any of the Euro sixes.
  6. smk4565
    I agree, Cadillac should have an all turbo line up at this point. Even with Escalade they could do a turbo V6 and a turbo V8 option. The 3.6 V6 is useless, it has no torque and doesn't get good gas mileage.
  7. smk4565
    You can't build any brand equity with sedans and a couple crossovers based on a Chevy. That is why they need a convertible, to get some image. That is why they need some sort of sports car too. And to your point about volume, it is why they need to sell in more countries and build product that can compete in places outside of North America and China.
  8. smk4565
    Except an Audi A6 Prestige with the V6 does 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and gets 21/29 mpg. While the XTS V-sport does 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and gets 16/23 mpg. And you can get the Audi for $65k too and no doubt the A6 will handle better and has a better quality interior.
  9. smk4565
    I agree that cars should stay the same size, I don't like size creep either. I am just stating it is what car companies do. I think they are wrong for doing it, but they keep doing it, which all that does it force out your top end model, as Chevy and Ford are about to do when they kill the Impala and Taurus because Malibu and Fusion will get too big.
  10. smk4565
    Cadillac definitely needs a convertible, every luxury car company needs one. Buick and Chevy have convertibles, how does Cadillac not? It won't cost that much to make a convertible ATS or CTS, they already make a convertible on that platform, it isn't that hard. I think the ATS will grow in size, as every car grows in size, and they easily could make a smaller than ATS car, although people don't buy the ATS because they say it is too small, so I don't know how many sales they are going to get. Not sure why even bother with an XTS refresh, unless it is really mild and costs very little. They have an abundance of sedans and the XTS is probably only being kept around to sell to funeral homes. They need crossovers and more crossovers. Like Cmicasa said, Mercedes is up to 7, and yet they are all selling better than they did when they had 3. Lexus, Audi and BMW have more crossovers coming, the market is crazy for them.
  11. smk4565
    Tall hatchbacks and tall wagons sell in the USA, like hatchbacks and wagons have sold in Europe the past 20 years. With the exception of the GLE which I assume you mean the coupe version, is still pretty large, the rest are basically hatchbacks on stilts. Lexus is coming out with a product for that segment also to replace the CT200 or whatever that hatchback thing they had was called.
  12. smk4565
    You can turn just about anything into a hybrid so it makes sense to have it as an option. The 2.0T with a hybrid system making like 300 hp seems like a no brainer.
  13. smk4565
    There are gaps because there is only so much lipstick you can put on a Rav4 or Camry to make Lexuses out of them. They don't really have much of a performance line at all, the LX570 and GX are older than dirt and don't sell. They need a 3 row crossover to replace the 2002 4Runner based GX, and a crossover below the NX is a given. Toyota is getting a sub Rav4 crossover, there will be a Lexus version.
  14. smk4565
    Depends on how fast battery technology advances and cost comes down. If Tesla could sell the base Model S for $45k and the Ludicrous Mode car for $75k, V8 sport sedans would be dead right now. 2025 might be too soon for hybrid and plug it to hit 50% but there will need to be a lot. Cars need to add 10 mpg and trucks need to add 5 mpg to their current EPA ratings to hit CAFE in 2025. And people aren't buying cars anymore, trucks are over 50% of the sales now, so for manufacturers to hit CAFE they need trucks that get good mileage. How do you get 10 more mpg out of a Malibu or Fusion that are already using sub 2 liter engines? They gotta all go hybrid.
  15. smk4565
    I imagine in 10 years plug in hybrid will be about as common as a turbo engine is today. Once batteries get cheaper and CAFE is 50+ mpg, half the cars sold will be plug in.
  16. smk4565
    I smell a 2.0 turbo base engine coming with a 3 liter turbo SRT model.
  17. smk4565
    Yeah, the shifter looks horrible, and looks like it will have horrible operation. Looks worse than the push button setup the MKZ had going on. I didn't notice it at first either from the pictures, I didn't look that close to them. Not sure why they didn't use a conventional floor mount or column shifter.
  18. smk4565
    In regards to an XLR or any SL competitor, the SL only sells about 4,000 cars a year in the USA, and it is the only car in the segment. It is too small a segment for Cadillac to go into, and the SL would just beat it again anyway, just as it put the XK and SC430 out of production. I think Cadillac would be better served with a roadster at the price point of an SLK or Z4, use turbo 4 and turbo V6 engines keep it to like $50-70k in price. They could probably use Alpha or the Vette chassis. Then if they did a super car at $150,000 it would be totally far apart in price and performance. ATS and CTS need all turbo line ups and new interiors. Cadillac needs crossovers, and they needs lots of them, and they needed them yesterday.
  19. smk4565
    I think they right sized this as the Tiguan was tiny for the price they were charging for it. Now I think they need a smaller than Tiguan crossover below this, with Atlas and Toureg they'd have 4, if Toureg goes away they'd still have 3. And that is what sells, no one is buying Passats, even the Jetta seems to have slipped away and been forgotten about. The Golf line is the only car line they have that does well.
  20. smk4565
    If they have a base price around $26k I think they could do well. For them to be successful they have to target Camry, Altima, and Accord V6 buyers, Mustang and Camaro buyers, Fusion buyers, etc. They can beat all the front drivers on performance, and offer performance of the 4 and 6 cylinder Pony cars, but with 2 extra doors. They can succeed there, if they try to price it $35-50k and sell it as 3-series performance, but with more interior room they are dead.
  21. smk4565
    I liked GMC's boxy styling more, like how the Envoy was. The back of this looks like a Nissan, I don't think it has a GMC look to it, it has the GMC grille, but the headlights are a bit odd. The inside is fine for the segment, sort of gives off a Jeep vibe, in a good way though, people should like the look of it. Doesn't look luxurious, but nice enough to compete with a Rogue, Cherokee or Escape/Edge.
  22. smk4565
    Ugly as can be, but that can be expected from the current Lexus. What's up with the Nissan Maxima headlights? Look at how dramatically different this is from the LS of 10 years ago, I guess they figured all the people driving and LS460 in 2006 are dead now so they tried something radically different. The new V6 makes good power, but where has this been? The 3.5 V6 is over 10 years old, they finally added turbos to it. Still needs a turbo V8, but maybe that is on the way, the V6 will be enough for 90% of Lexus buyers.
  23. smk4565
    Shouldn't a Q8 be larger than a Q7? Why isn't this a Q6 if it is a 4 seater that is smaller than a Q7, but bigger than a Q5?
  24. smk4565
    I think it is a great size, a nice mid size car, really long wheelbase for a 190 inch long car. This is about the size of a gen 1 CTS but with longer wheelbase. If they price it right it could do quite well. If they price it like a C-class it is dead. I think crossovers ride and handle as well as most Cam Cord Fusions, that people are happy to leave the sedan. Kia has given people a reason to pick the sedan again.
  25. smk4565
    It is a good update with good engine improvements, the diesel and 10 speed should really boost fuel economy. But why does the Diesel come out in Summer 2018 when the engine already is in production? Shouldn't that diesel be on sale, like now?
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