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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Because they run forever. Try to find a used Sprinter, even with 200,000 miles you'll still pay $20,000 or more for it. And the diesel mileage is much better than you'd get on an Express or Savana, or the old Econolines, the new Transit diesel is probably pretty good.
  2. smk4565
    I think Balth and I are in agreement. I think one maybe two additional CUVs/SUVs for Cadillac at most... but not a Benz-like 5 or 6. Benz has 6 SUV/CUVs today.. and a 7th since they seem to count the E-Class wagon in their crossovers, with apparently CUV variants waiting in the wings. Cadillac doesn't need that many. I could see an X3 sized competitor and maybe something between XT5 and Escalade... but anything below X3/GLC should be handled (and is handled) by Buick. Cadillac doesn't need to be the next purveyor of fake Louis Vuitton bags like Benz and Audi have become. Cadillac also does not need sales dogs like the GLE Coupe and X6 just to satisfy armchair CEOs with a penchant for comparing every number to Benz. The Cadillac ELR is dead. What Cadillac needs to do now with its car lineup is expand the number of body styles in the existing lines. There needs to be a CTS Coupe and Wagon again. There need to be multiple convertibles. There should be a coupe/convertible CT6. All three of their newest sedans need to be offered in coupe and convertible format... period. We already know the XTS is dead man walking, so I'm not counting that for anything. Next you'll tell me that Cadillac needs a minivan to compete with the Mercedes Benz Metris. Pointless as nothing competes with a Metris. Sure there is... the smaller Ford Transits, the Ram Promaster, the GMC/Chevy work vans, Nissan NV... all in the same price class and similar capability. The Metris is bigger than all of them, it is closer in size to a Sienna or Odyssey. Thus it is the only mid-size commercial van for sale in the USA (I think the Ram C/V is dead or about to be) and it has the same engine and transmission you get in a C-class, so performance is no doubt top notch.
  3. smk4565
    No, Cadillac does not. Mercedes does because they have to cover the entire market with a single brand, that's why they've been moving into Buick/GMC (and GMC/Chevy Commercial) territory lately. Cadillac can be more exclusive and selective with their vehicle offerings. We have heard that for years, and Cadillac isn't moving up market. The XT5 is priced lower than the SRX was 10 years ago. The CTS, XTS, ATS, XT5 are are under $46k starting, even the CT6 which was supposed to be $75-100k range they started at $54k. The push up isn't happening, otherwise XT5 would base at $54k and to up to $100k with options like the BMW X5 does. The Buick Lacrosse was going to move up market to Lexus ES pricing but instead a V6 Lacrosse is $2,000 cheaper than an Avalon. And I don't think Buick is a luxury brand so they shouldn't raise their prices. $25-45k is Buick country, no reason to go above that. Just because you've "heard it for years", doesn't make it any less true. That's what you can't seem to comprehend here. Oh and if $25-45k is Buick country, then why is Mercedes selling in the same country? Oh please show us where the CT6 was supposed to be $75-100K. Just sounds like more hyperbole BS to try and slam Cadillac while it is Mercedes that has dipped into the Buick market by selling the CLA, that (again) was beaten by a Regal. $33,000 to $252,000 is Mercedes country and they own a lot of real estate in between. Back in 2010-2013 there was talk of a DT7, and then LTS, both which would have 425 hp turbo V6 standard to take on the likes of the S-class, 7-series, A8. Ed Whitacre in 2010 green lighted a rear drive Cadillac flagship, I think that was to be on Zeta at the time, and V8 powered, but that car never showed up either. They have been talking about a V8 sedan for nearly a decade, yet no V8 full size sedan. We got CT6 instead.
  4. smk4565
    Won't happen in our lifetimes. Sure it will. Take a car like the Corvette Z06, fastest car GM has ever made in 100 years, and the Tesla sedan is faster on the first generation. 5 years ago a Nissan Leaf at $35k had a 100 mile range, now we are seeing 200 mile range for similar price out of a Bolt or Model 3 next year. In 5 more years they will be a 300 mile range for $30k. And with an electric cost of $250 a year vs $2,500 a year for gas, that gets to be an easy sell for electrics.
  5. smk4565
    Maybe Opel will get shut down in a few years, it doesn't make money. Maybe the Regal will go down in price to $25,950 base, use the 2.5 liter four, quiet tuned suspension, cloth seats and some faux wood. Old folks still buy cars too, and they are on a fixed income and might not be able to afford a Lacrosse. And those old folks probably think a Verano is too small. Maybe they will just kill the Regal all together. The move seems weird, even more so if this is just a stand alone move and the rest of the Buick lineup stays the same.
  6. smk4565
    I agree with Reg. The size gap between Envision and Enclave is Acadia or XT5 for now. Until Buick dealers say they want a vehicle that size, then maybe you get 4 Buick crossovers. Not sure what they can do with the Regal to get sales, other than to name it Camry. I think the Regal will die by 2020.
  7. smk4565
    No, Cadillac does not. Mercedes does because they have to cover the entire market with a single brand, that's why they've been moving into Buick/GMC (and GMC/Chevy Commercial) territory lately. Cadillac can be more exclusive and selective with their vehicle offerings. We have heard that for years, and Cadillac isn't moving up market. The XT5 is priced lower than the SRX was 10 years ago. The CTS, XTS, ATS, XT5 are are under $46k starting, even the CT6 which was supposed to be $75-100k range they started at $54k. The push up isn't happening, otherwise XT5 would base at $54k and to up to $100k with options like the BMW X5 does. The Buick Lacrosse was going to move up market to Lexus ES pricing but instead a V6 Lacrosse is $2,000 cheaper than an Avalon. And I don't think Buick is a luxury brand so they shouldn't raise their prices. $25-45k is Buick country, no reason to go above that.
  8. smk4565
    Without crossovers they are a dead brand. I think they need performance crossovers to differentiate from Buick and GMC, and Chevy to a lesser degree. If it were me, I would scrap CAFE and put in a plan where a baseline MPG is established, say 30 mpg EPA combined. And every vehicle pays a $100 per 1 mpg gas guzzler tax that is under the line, every vehicle above gets a $100 credit, max $2,500 credit, and EV's would get the $2,500. The 30 mpg number can slide up, say to 35 mpg EPA combined in 2020 or 2025. That puts incentive on buyers to buy more fuel efficient cars and actually puts a tax on the vehicles sucking gas. Much better than the current CAFE system, and you'd raise more money on the tax end than you have to pay out on the credit end, so it always runs a surplus that can help pay for repaving roads. But since we have stupid fuel efficiency rules and customers that want a crossover because they think it is safer than a sedan, sportier looking than a sedan, and it has awd so they won't get stranded in 1 inch of snow. Sadly Cadillac could price the CTS-V at $38,950 and the XT5 would hammer it in sales, solely because it is a crossover. I don't like that crossovers are taking over, but if you don't build them you are screwed.
  9. smk4565
    Doubt they will bring back concentration camps. Eventually though electric will overtake gas cars, just like self driving cars will become common. There will always be gas cars for the exhaust note in a sports car, or perhaps longer range driving (500+miles), but when batteries and electric motors get cheaper, the performance level is undeniable. Just think of this, the first smart phone came out 9 years ago. And look how fast things went since.
  10. smk4565
    What is wrong with niche segments? Mercedes is not the only one who can pull that off (looking at you AMG and E Class Wagon). You realize that right? Nothing is wrong with a Niche segment. But if your brand is built on "quiet luxury" you don't try to sell a hot hatch with a high revving turbo 4. That would be like Mini saying they want to introduce a full size sedan with a bench seat, so they can exploit a niche. There should be a Cruze RS hatch to compete with the Focus and Golf.
  11. smk4565
    59.8% of Cadillac sales in 2015 were SUVs, and that was with 2 SUVs and 4 lines of cars. It would seem that 60% of Cadillac buyers wanted an SUV, and probably would have been higher if they had more SUVs to sell. It is hard to get consumers into sedans anymore.
  12. smk4565
    But if 50% of luxury buyers (and that number might be 60%) want a crossover, and Cadillac only has one crossover, then they have a problem. Doesn't matter if Buick and Chevy have 10 crossovers. They need them in the luxury segment.
  13. smk4565
    So the plan is to dump "Quiet Luxury" and make Buick a Euro Sport car brand? That doesn't seem to make sense. If the Verano didn't meet sales targets, good luck on a Regal Wagon or turning an Astra or Cruze into a Buick Hot Hatch. Wagons just don't sell, Hot Hatchback is a very small segment in the USA, even though it is a practical body style.
  14. smk4565
    I'm sure there will be a $100k+ EV car, but it will probably also do 0-60 in 3 seconds flat, so bring it in. AMG is going to be doing electric cars in 10 years I bet. Electric is going to be the future, the gas engine eventually won't be able to catch up.
  15. smk4565
    Early impressions I have heard or read from journalists would suggest the CX-9 is great, and maybe the best 3 row SUV out there. Hopefully people actually buy it, Mazda has some great cars right now.
  16. smk4565
    I actually saw a Model X P90 yesterday, in an electric blue color. I think it is amazing that a 7 passenger SUV can beat a Charger Hellcat or CTS-V, Jaguar F-type R, etc in a 0-60 sprint or a 1/4 mile. I am pretty excited about the future of electric cars, it is like going from dial up to broad band. Even 5 years or so ago when the X5 M or the AMG SUVs came out with 0-60 times of 4.5 or whatever the case was, sub 5 seconds 0-60 time in an SUV was like breaking the 4 minute mile, it was unheard of. The Model X would mop the floor with them; the progress in a relatively short amount of time is amazing.
  17. smk4565
    Here is the MotorTrend Head 2 Head video of the Tesla Model X and Bentley Bentayga. The speed of the Model X is just amazing, as evidenced that it can pull a trailer with an Alfa Romeo 4C on it and still win a drag race vs an Alfa Romeo 4C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-02b2ooLY
  18. smk4565
    Cadillac being 1 out of 4 divisions means they don't need to worry about CAFE so much or do a sub ATS car. They do still have to build the body styles that luxury customers want, and unfortunately they want crossovers and not performance cars for the most part. Case in point with the ATS, they release the coupe and V-series and sales go down. It was suggested earlier that the ATS-V is a halo product, but ATS sales dropped after the V came out, so it isn't making more people want an ATS. Mark my words, Johan will get pressure to increase sales, the bean counters will see the easy profits by turing a Chevy crossover into a Cadillac, and that is the path they will go down.
  19. smk4565
    One day you will understand how ignorant your post truly was. BTW, this was bean counting, as well going after the bottom feeder market. mercedes-benz-cla-breakthroughs-large-10.jpg WOW If that does not show MB has joined the rank n file of the Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Chevy buyers, I have no Idea what does. Clearly MB is NOT the Luxury Auto Maker any longer but a mass market machine living off their legacy of past desire to be different than everyone else. Now they are just a Mass Produced Jelly Bean Company of Auto's. Yeah, since they don't make full size V12 luxury sedans, coupes, or luxury convertibles, such as these.
  20. smk4565
    Except the CLA is probably the worst profit margin on any Mercedes. A-class and B-class level Mercedes exist partly for compliance reasons, whether it be CAFE or Euro-emissions or whatever. The other reason is for entry level product, as the C-class is a pretty nice car, it isn't an entry level car. GM just canned the Verano that outsells the ATS and CTS with ease, and is also based off a mass market car with not a lot of engineering work needed to create it. If the Verano wasn't making enough money for GM to keep it, or because they want Buick to be 70% crossover, what is to say they won't do the same to Cadillac, and make them a 70% crossover brand and cut sedans. I think Cadillac will always have 3 sedans, but I wouldn't be surprised if Cadillac goes 70% crossover/SUV.
  21. smk4565
    Cadillac does need 5 CUV/SUV sadly. That is where the market is going. They can easily fit a crossover below XT5 that is Envision size, and they need a 3 row crossover. Escalade is the 4th, and they could find room for another one somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if the bean counters cut Cadillac down to a 2 sedan line up either, like they are doing with Buick.
  22. smk4565
    I saw a Bentley Mulsanne and a Tesla Model X today. If I saw a new Civic, I didn't notice or don't remember it.
  23. smk4565
    That is why CAFE is pointless to begin with. It courages car companies to make bigger, thus thirstier cars. The only way it would work is to set an MPG target, and the entire company portfolio regardless of vehicle footprint would have to average out to that number. A better option to CAFE is to do a gas guzzler tax and energy efficient credit system. Suppose you had a number like 35 mpg combined EPA for 2016, and you could adjust it up as years go by, raise it 1 mpg every 2 years or something and get to 40 mpg EPA combined in 2025. So from the 35 mpg baseline, for every 1 mpg worse than that a car gets, there is a $100 gas guzzler tax. Thus if a vehicle gets 20 mpg combined EPA, that is -15 mpg times $100 dollars = a $1,500 gas guzzler tax. A vehicle at 25 mpg would have a $1,000 gas guzzler tax, and so on. Then on the flip side there would be a credit for being above the baseline. So a car with 40 mpg combined EPA would have a $500 credit that the government would pay toward the buyer at time of purchase out of the gas guzzler tax pool, and there would be a maximum credit of $2,500, all pure EV cars would get the $2,500 credit. Since we know Americans will always buy crossovers, trucks, gas guzzlers, etc, you never have to worry about the gas guzzler tax pool running too low to feed the fuel efficiency credit pool. The excess every year can be used to fix roads and bridges.
  24. smk4565
    The Civic has a solid following and long history, and it also has a younger person's appeal and buyers that want a sporty look can choose the Civic coupe. Honda also only makes 2 sedans, but 3 crossovers, plus the Ridgeline is like a Crossover pickup, and the Fit is more of a hatchback car, and they have a van. Overall some sedans will get dropped, but Honda will do fine with theirs since they only have 2 to pick from.
  25. smk4565
    The Bentley DOHC V8 even in that 5000+ lb car gets 15/25 mpg. That isn't too bad given the power output and weight. The W12 is like 12/20 (still better than the 6.75 liter V8), but they could add in a hybrid system to add a few mpg to either engine. CAFE has a weird scoring system, size of the vehicle shouldn't matter, fuel economy should. But a Mulsanne is huge, it has a 129 inch wheelbase, 220 inch overall length.
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