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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    That helps and rules out the Chevy Astro van, lol.
  2. smk4565
    Mercedes doesn't even build the G-wagen in their factory. Magna Steyr builds it in Austria. And they sell about 14,000 a year globally. Not terrible for that price point.
  3. smk4565
    But all we know is a rwd/4wd SUV. Color doesn't help any. And it is American then as well? We need to know what year it is from to hazard any kind of guess. Or at least an era, like 90s, 2000-2005, 2005-2010 etc
  4. smk4565
    G-wagen is mostly hand built, thus it costs more. The G-wagen also offers V12 power, and 2/3 of them are AMG trim, so that drives the price up. The GLS is an all around better vehicle than the G-wagen, in fact the GLE is probably a better vehicle and is the same size and half the price. The G-wagen sells because it has a cult following
  5. smk4565
    What year is it from?
  6. smk4565
    What is the country of origin? How many doors are on it? (a grand cherokee for example is 5 door) Do any doors slide? Unibody or body on frame? Is the vehicle still in production or a retired name plate?
  7. smk4565
    Well Cadillac is getting a sub ATS sedan and 2 crossovers below $39k, so unless they are $34k and $37k (unlikely), one of them will have to be priced under ATS. I think Cadillac is afraid to build an Omega crossover, because it would be better than the Escalade, and then what? if they call it XT9, you can't have Escalade sitting in the middle of an XT naming system, and if they make it better than Escalade and cheaper than Escalade, you don't need an Escalade anymore. So it becomes a bit of a catch 22. I think there is a think at GM that the Escalade is the top SUV, therefore every other Cadillac SUV gets dumbed down on a Chevy chassis. Just like how for the past 30-40 years the Corvette had to have the horsepower and performance of any GM car. When Cadillac should have a sports car above Corvette. But Cadillac won't get a sports car better than the Corvette, because GM top brass won't want the Corvette to look bad.
  8. smk4565
    A CT6 has a 6 inch longer wheelbase than an Escalade. The CT6 is longer than an Escalade too. You could easily build a vehicle the size of an Escalade, with better interior packaging, and probably that weighs 1,000 lbs less on Omega. Maybe that could be a vehicle above Escalade, or maybe an Omega Cadillac crossover could be priced $70-100k to compete with the Mercedes GLS and they could push the Escalade up market. They could price the Escalade at $115,000 base and $140,000 for the platinum model. But you'll see the Escalade sales tank at those prices. So this is why the Escalade will sit in the price position it is in now, and we'll get a Lambda based 3 row crossover for $50-60k rather than an Omega based crossover. I never said I want a Lambda Cadillac, I said I am sure Cadillac will build one. If I were Cadillac I'd build every crossover off Alpha and Omega, with the lone exception of the smaller than ATS crossover could be off some global front drive platform.
  9. smk4565
    In the UK the Ford Transit was named most reliable van in 2013 and 2014, but the Sprinter was 2nd in 2013, dropped in 2014. But I have seen Sprinters with 200,000 miles on them selling for $20,000, if they are so unreliable and so terrible, UPS, FedEx, etc would not be using them and the resale would not be that high.
  10. smk4565
    I said keep the Escalade as it is for the next 10 years, post 2025 they'll have to see what the market is. But for now it is a good cash cow. I also said add an Omega crossover in addition to the Escalde, not to replace it. A CT6 based crossover with a 400 hp turbo V6 and 500 hp turbo V8 would run rings around an Escalade, and probably have just as much interior space.
  11. smk4565
    I don't know why they don't just call it 760iL, like the old days. Or just call it M7. In the 90s old days they have 740i and 750i, with V8 and V12. Now you have 740i and 750i with 6 and 8 cylinder. So they could just use M7 for the V12.
  12. smk4565
    I don't think the Escalade is about performance either, and I don't think you get max performance on a BOF truck. This is why I think they should do it with another vehicle, such as an Omega crossover that has less weight and is more conducive to a performance vehicle. As far as Bentley fighting goes, that is a $220-280,000 truck, not even close to anything Cadillac sells. And what about the Lamborghini SUV that is coming? That will probably be $300,000, is the Escalade going to fight that too? And then Rolls-Royce has a $300 or maybe $400,000 SUV coming. I don't think we are going to see a $250,000 base model Escalade built on a Silverado chassis with a $300,000 platinum model. The Escalade is best staying where it is and doing what it does. The Escalade and Mercedes GL have almost run every other full size SUV in the $70-100k segment out of business, the Infiniti and Lexus and Navigator are hanging on by a thread. They should stay the course.
  13. smk4565
    I'd assume the Alpina and 760 will be similar money, and anyone with the income to buy either won't care about the price difference anyway. But if I had that kind of money and were buying this sort of car I'd want the V12. That is just magical, a V12 is special. Even now there in the era of engine downsizing, there are still a lot of V8s out there. A V12 is really exclusive, really the 7-series might be the only V12 car under $200k.
  14. smk4565
    By the way, if the G-wagen was total garbage and it only sold because of the badge, that must be one hell of a badge to get people to pay $120k for the base model and 2/3 of G-wagens sold are AMG which are $140,000 and $220k for the V12.
  15. smk4565
    I agree with cp that the larger than XT5 crossover should be built on Omega, I thought XT5 should have been built on Alpha, using the CT6 engine line up. As far as beating the Germans, does the XT5 do 0-60 in less than 4.2 seconds? Because the GLE63 does 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. The GLE can actually go off road too (assuming you have tires to do so). The Escalade is a sales success in the USA because it appeals to truck buyers, but I think the Mercedes GLS is overall a better vehicle. The GLS is lighter (in fact about 500 lbs lighter, which Cadillac fans think makes a CT6 better than an S-class or 7-series) the GLS is more fuel efficient in diesel or V6 guise, and faster with a V8. GLS can out-handle the Escalade too. But the Escalade does have high appeal and that is what matters. The cheapest G-wagen is $15k more than the most expensive Escalade, and the G-wagen is smaller than an XT5. I don't know that they really are that close of competitors. Other than they are both expensive SUVs. I'd say the G-wagen competes more with Range Rover in that they were both off roaders turned to luxury vehicles, but even the Range Rover has gotten larger and more car like over the years.
  16. smk4565
    I'd rather have a V12 than a V8 at this price point, and I'd rather have a 7-series with M badges over an Alpina. I think the 0-60 time is less important than the passing power. That V12 at autobahn speed will shine more than the V8 would. I did sit in a new 750 tonight at the Pittsburgh Auto show. I prefer the S-class since I like Mercedes, but I have to say that 7-series is pretty nice, and the back seat leg room is insane, the lighting is really good. Overall they did a good job on that car.
  17. smk4565
    The Escalade is the most successful Cadillac product, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I do think at some point they will need a unibody large crossover. I'm sure they'll get a lambda, it would be nicer if they had a 3 row Omega bases crossover. I could see the day when the BOF suv is dead, but I think that is beyond 10 years from now. A V-series Escalade would be a good idea, people will always pay for more power, well except for Toyota Corolla buyers, they won't. But the types that buy big SUVs will pay more for more power. As far as competing with the Bentley, they won't do it with the Escalade. The Bentayga has a 190 mph top speed, you can't get an Escalade to 190 mph. Maybe Cadillac shouldn't be thinking about pushing the Escalade up-market but rather introducing a vehicle above Escalade.
  18. smk4565
    But if crossovers and utilities are the hot segment and highest margin item and if Rolls, Bentley, BMW, and Mercedes will build a 600 HP SUV (maybe Audi will too) and Range Rover has a 550 HP model, then where is Cadillac without an ultra performance crossover? Cadillac had to build the CTS-V and ATS-V because the Europeans had high performance sedans. Well now the Europeans are cranking out high performance utility vehicles. So cadillac crossover will be behind again just like the fwd cadillac sedans were 20 years ago.
  19. smk4565
    Mercedes rules sales charts with the front-wheel drive CLA and GLA. The standard for today's world is who rakes in the most cash. Cadillac sells boatloads of SRX's and that's all that matters in the end. Cadillac does not rake in much cash. They could sell 1 million SRX and still get outsold by Audi and BMW. The GLA is outsold by the GLC, GLE and GL. The GLA doesn't really light up any sales charts. Those 2,000 GLA's a month are basically used as a gateway drug to get otherwise non-mercedes drivers into the brand.
  20. smk4565
    Perhaps ATS and CTS should move to front wheel drive Cruze and Malibu platforms as well. Drop the prices to $27k and $34k and watch the sales rise. They priced the XT5 at $39k, XT3 would have to be $34k and an XT1 around $29k. That is more of a push into Buick territory rather than German territory. People here want to criticize Mercedes for selling 1 fwd crossover, Cadillac is about to have 3 FWD crossovers in the $30-40k space. And no V-series crossovers.
  21. smk4565
    But they also have a 2025 CAFE target that they have to hit.
  22. smk4565
    I wonder how long this and it's Infiniti cousin, along with the LX570, Tahoe, Expedition, and other big body on frame SUVs stick around. I feel like a lot of them are as dated as the Crown Vic and Town car were, but there are so few, they sort of have the market sewn up, until one day the market just dies all together. You'd think as we near 2025 these manufacturers will move to unibody full size crossovers.
  23. smk4565
    Why would it be less reliable when it has the same powertrain and mechanical components? What I don't get is why the 4-cylinder diesel makes those power levels in the Sprinter, yet in their passenger cars it is more like 200 hp and 360 lb-ft. Seems like they should have a power bump for both 4 and 6 cylinder Sprinters.
  24. smk4565
    Oldsmobile Bravada or Buick Rainier or GMC Envoy with the straight six engine. BMW-like performance. Pontiac Torrent is probably cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain though, and not quite as old as the GMT360s. I bet those Mazda 5 van things are sort of cheap. And Mazda builds a pretty good car and is often overlooked. If you want a cheap van, Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona are there, and those have the 3.8 liter V6 with like 250 hp.
  25. smk4565
    Looks better, looks more in line with their other models.
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