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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Neither of which are engineers. Which is why Cadillac is supposedly getting a an XT7 based on the new Enclave/Acadia/Traverse, an XT3 based off the new Equinox (which is moving down size since Chevy is getting a 4th crossover) and an XT2 GLA competitor, I guess that would be the Cadillac Traxx. Although if Johan and Uwe can use their marketing skills to sell a Cadillac face on a Chevy platform, more power to them. In their quest to make Cadillac stand alone, it seems as if Chevy will have 4 crossovers and Tahoe, Cadillac will have 4 crossovers and Escalade all sharing platforms. It works for Lexus, doesn't work for Lincoln or Acura though.
  2. smk4565
    All the more reason for a Malibu LT with all wheel drive. So little competition out there. And the Malibu is oh so lost in the shuffle.
  3. smk4565
    So if I were looking to buy an AWD sedan (which I am not, but my mom will only buy all wheel drive and hates Crossovers) I would have to buy a luxury car, or should I not be able to afford a luxury car, I would then be looking at Fusion, Chrysler 200 or Subaru. Lost sale for Chevy. All wheel drive is a feature that the people that want it, won't live without. It isn't like styling or an interior trim that probably isn't a deal breaker. I am not saying make the Malibu standard AWD, but make it an option.
  4. smk4565
    They need new crossovers ASAP. But if it takes 2 years to do a 2-door ATS, I imagine it will take some time to develop a crossover. Cadillac is too slow at getting the product out. That has been a weakness for a while. This is also why the Cadillac crossovers should be built on Alpha and Omega, so you develop a sedan, coupe, crossover all within a a couple model years. If they have the same chassis and engines and transmissions, all they have to do is worry about the body shell and interior.
  5. smk4565
    I agree with Oldshurst, let's bring back Lasalle, Seville, Eldorado and Fleetwood and as Trump would say, Make Cadillac Great Again! Cadillac was trying so hard to be like BMW, they forgot what worked for them, and what the American consumer wants. Americans like big vehicles with V8s or at least V6s. Look at the big SUV and pick up truck sales. The Corvette sells well, V8 Mustangs and Camaros sell, even the Charger sells, despite being rather dated and unreliable. People like cars with attitude and heritage, they like size, and with cheap gas they want horsepower. Cadillac tries to sell them alphabet soup with a 2.0T engine. Imagine if they changed the name of the Camaro and Corvette to CSC-4 and CSC-6 or the Fusion and Mustang to FS4 and FC6 (ford coupe 6) or something like that. It would be a mess, that is what Cadillac has done. These CT# naming schemes also pigeon hole you.
  6. smk4565
    Truck: Chevy Colorado (I first thought Silverado, but I wouldn't want to drive something that big) Sedan: Tesla Model S (with ludicrous mode) Coupe: Corvette Stingray SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee (probably diesel) Not sure about a toy, are Hover Boards made in the USA?
  7. smk4565
    I do not understand how you can attack paying a premium for a desirable thing and then go to the wall for German luxury stuff. They are two sides of the same coin. SMK justifies it by having a short commute so burning less premium fuel as he says and renting a regular auto for road trips. Over all, I doubt SMK has even driven an electric auto and golf carts do not count. If you drive an electric, you can feel, see the desire in the instant 100% torque. Batteries is what is holding back this change over, but with the new 450 Amp Lithium Ion batteries, getting long range should become a thing of the past. I actually drove the BMW i3 once, only briefly, but the instant torque is nice and you can stop without using the brakes. A different kind of driving, it does have benefits, but it wasn't convincing enough to make me leave gasoline. A Tesla may be another story, when you have range and 500 or more hp. I think what Tesla has achieved is spectacular, and their car can beat an M5 or CTS-V at slightly more price. I think if the Bolt comes with a 150-200 mile range, same horsepower and acceleration of a Volt and similar price, that would be the car to buy, if you were looking for a green vehicle or gasoline alternative.
  8. smk4565
    What about the relentless pursuit of perfection? And did they find it since they haven't given a power bump to that 3.5 liter V6 since 2006.
  9. smk4565
    A great Mercedes ad in that video, proving that they invented the automobile. Best or Nothing has been the slogan since 2010, not totally new, and that was Gottlieb Daimler's slogan in the 1800s, so the company used it before.
  10. smk4565
    In Pittsburgh diesel is cheaper than premium, lately it has been around the price of 89 octane.
  11. smk4565
    Wouldn't every engine make more power on premium gas? The Corvette requires premium and that is a GM 6.2 liter. If you are that worried about fuel economy get a diesel, it gets higher mpg and diesel costs less than premium.
  12. smk4565
    Marketing sells cars. Cadillac doesn't have a product problem, so much as they have a marketing problem.
  13. smk4565
    I think if the CTS was not using the name of the entry level Cadillac from 2002-2013, it would sell better. There is problem 1, problem 2 is 2 established players rule that segment, and the E-class is taking a leap forward next year. Back seat space has nothing to do with why the CTS doesn't sell, the badge on the grille does, and the bland rear styling and CUE. As far as Uwe saying that when gas was $4 a gallon they didn't think people would want crossovers, that is just nuts. Crossovers were selling then, the Lexus RX was obviously putting up big numbers, obviously the NX was in the works, Lincoln was working on MKC, the Germans had crossovers, etc. He should have realized SRX and Escalade as the only 2 SUVs would not be enough, especially when GM is all about trucks and SUVs. Plus it is possible to develop 2 vehicles at once. They could have developed a full size V8 sedan and a sub compact 4-cylinder crossover at the same time. As far as interior size goes, you can't just keep making these cars bigger. The CTS is already the longest car in its segment, if you make the ATS 190 inches long, it isn't a small car anymore. They could take the current CTS and price it at $35k against the 3-series to get more rear seat legroom, but a 3-series buyer probably isn't looking for a 196 inch long car. My car has a 112.4 inch wheel base and 190. inch length. I am 6'2" and can sit in the back seat without my knees touching the front seat in my driver position. So if they could do it, Cadillac can do it.
  14. smk4565
    CT6 should have a standard V6. As it stands, I believe the LaCrosse will have the 3rd most standard horsepower of any GM car after the Corvette and Chevy SS if they still make that thing.
  15. smk4565
    The Ford Ecoboost makes more power and gets better mpg than the Triton V8s. Ford probably saw that as most of the advancement, that they could make a turbo 3.5 V6 that made more power than a 5.4 liter V8. But that 5.4 liter V8 was weak. All these car companies try to sell a turbo 4 as better than a V6 or a turbo V6 as better than a V8. But it isn't like the V8 stands still, others come out with a better V8, then your turbo V6 is not adequate. And if Ford thought the 3.5 ecoboost would always beat the V8 they were mistaken. Because the competition was going to get better. If Ford really wants to dominate pickup sales they should make a 5 engine line up, all turbo. 2.7 Ecoboost V6 base model against Ram Pentastar and Silverado 4.3 3.5 Ecoboost V6 positioned against the GM 5.3 and Rami Hemi 4.0 Ecoboost V8 positioned against the GM 6.2 V8 (this would be for the Raptor as well) 3.0 turbo diesel V6 to compete with Ram ecodiesel 2.7 liter ecoboost V6 plug-in hybrid which would be 400 hp and torque, over 30 mpg, a segment exclusive
  16. smk4565
    ATS 2.0T weighs 44 lbs less than a C300 in red form and 52 lbs less in and form. Not really a large margin, but an advantage I suppose. As far as Ford goes with the F150, they should be pushing the turbo V6s against the GM 5.3 liter and Ford should have a 4.0 Ecoboost V8 with 430 hp, 500 lb-ft as the alternative to the GM 6.2 liter. An Ecoboost V8 would be good for the Mustang too if Ford fans weren't so obsessed with 5.0 badges.
  17. smk4565
    They do have the #1 selling vehicle in the USA for 40 years in a row. I guess that is something.
  18. smk4565
    If you are going to burn gas anyway, you can buy a Cruze and $15,000 in gas for the price of a Volt. The economics just don't make sense. I don't drive any long distances, maybe once in a blue moon and only put about 8,000 miles a year on my car. That is why I bought a V8, with limited driving I don't care if I get 16.5 mpg. I get they want to appeal to electric car buyers with range anxiety, but until electric cars have 300 mile range at a $30k price they don't make a lot of sense.
  19. smk4565
    So Subaru can put AWD on a an Impreza for $18,000, but GM can't figure out how to put it on a $24k Malibu? AWD is an option people want and will pay for. Look at people fleeing to crossovers because they want all wheel drive. Not offering it costing you sales to people that want that option.
  20. smk4565
    If you can go all year without putting gas in, why not just buy a Nissan Leaf or BMW i3? And then rent a gasoline powered car the 1 time a year you have to drive more than 100 miles in a day. The downside is these electrics take a while to charge, but there are a probably a million times more power outlets than gas stations in this country.
  21. smk4565
    A 10-speed gearbox doesn't really add any benefit over and 8-speed. The head of ZF said 9 gears is the limit to where there is no additional benefit. And Mercedes ran 81 billion computer simulations and determined that 9 speeds was the maximum, to go beyond was just adding cost and complexity with no gain to fuel economy or performance. So since the law of diminishing returns has hit transmissions, the fuel economy and performance gains will lay on the engine. You wonder why Ford doesn't have an Ecoboost 4.0 V8 since they have a 2.0 ecoboost 4. I think the 3.5 V6 is sort of obsolete when that 2.7 ecoboost makes good power for every day driving. A compact V8 would be nice for hauling and towing.
  22. smk4565
    Average transaction price can be misleading. BMW sells near 150,000 3-series every year which lowers the average. Cadillac sells 20,000 ATS, so their average isn't pulled down. All wheel drive adds about $1,000 to a car. They can make awd on a Trax or HRV, Escape, Impreza, etc. They could sell an AWD Malibu for $24k if they wanted to. Hell they are going to give you $1500 cash back to buy a Malibu anyway, give free AWD instead.
  23. smk4565
    So if 50 miles of electric driving means buying gas 4 times a year. Couldn't a 150 mile range mean never needing gas? If I had a short commute, which I actually do, I would rather have a pure electric car and never need gas. If the goal is zero emissions, no trips to the gas station, then a pure EV is the end game.
  24. smk4565
    Agree 100% with offering all wheel drive on the Malibu. People love crossovers because of all wheel drive (among other reasons). The Malibu's segment has few all wheel drive offerings, and the Malibu could use any competitive advantage it can get.
  25. smk4565
    I am sure GM wants Cadillac to operate at Mercedes prices, but they have a pretty long ways to go. And their lineup has a lot of holes in it. Once they get the crossovers, they still need a couple convertibles, they need a high end sports car, the flagship sedan that the CT6 is not. There is lots of work that needs done there. Cadillac needs a sports car faster and better than a Corvette, but I bet GM politics don't let that happen. If Cadillac wants to be top tier, they need to be going after Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT, Aston Martin, Audi R8, maybe Ferrari California or Lamborghini Gallardo if they really want to climb. They need V-series crossovers, which won't happen on those front drive platforms. It will take a lot of money and engineering to get the Cadillac line to top tier, then even more money to market it. I just don't think they will see the plan through, they will see it as too expensive, and pull back and stay in the 2nd tier where they are now. And I think Lincoln, Acura and Volvo are 3rd tier.
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