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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Priced where you'd expect, but it seems way higher than the base ATS. I still think they need to drop that 2.5 liter base model. I figure the CTS-V will be around $85k base, this way they still undercut the Germans but are moving the price point up. I wonder how many they'll sell though, the ATS isn't really a hot item as it is, to me this car will be like the IS-F and fairly rare.
  2. smk4565
    That has always been a weak spot for Cadillac, not enough body styles, and not enough engine choices. Not like it is hard to add a diesel or hybrid to an existing model. Lexus launches most models with a hybrid right away. Cadillac needs to learn how to move faster, especially if they are going to add more products, because then you need to mid-cylce refresh 8 or 9 vehicles, not just the 5 they have now.
  3. smk4565
    The Quatroporte and XJ are barely competing. Really they should just give up. Since the A8 platform gets used for Bentley too, they might as well take the $737 million for the Phaeton and put it into the A8, maybe they can sort of catch up to the S-class. Because now Mercedes is coming for Bentley too with the Maybach S600. VW should have a $30-40k sedan above the Passat as their Maxima/Avalon competitor, sort of a poor man's Audi A6 I guess.
  4. smk4565
    I'd agree with that. Cadillac's advertising is fairly week, espeically on the ATS and CTS and what are supposedly the future of the brand.
  5. smk4565
    No point to this car, they need to let it die already. They thin a VW can compete with an S-class? That is a waste of $737 million. They could make it compete with the Equus or K900, but that isn't enough sales volume, and no point to do that. If someone wants a $75k luxury car from VW, they can buy an A8. The other problem is a Passat starts at $22k and then the Phaeton is one step up at $75k? A $50k price difference and they look the same! I think VW could use a sedan larger than the Passat, priced in the $33-43k range, as more of an Azera, Maxima, Impala and LaCrosse competitor. But by no means should they make a $75k sedan. That would be like Chevy making a $75k full size luxury sedan to compete with Cadillac.
  6. smk4565
    There are 2 nice things about a self driving car, it takes stress away from the driver, and you could read a book, watch a tv show on your tablet or work on your laptop while the car drives you somewhere. The other nice thing would be on a long car trip, you could go to sleep for a couple hours and perhaps arrive at your destination. But for those to happen you need a level of autonomy like KITT in Knight Rider, where the car could almost think for itself. Personally I would still rather drive myself, with the exception being a long high way drive where the car could drive overnight while the driver slept.
  7. smk4565
    #2 Mustang #4 Jaguar as they made motorcycle side cars before they made cars, but I guess they never made cars and bikes at the same time #5 Riviera I don't know the others.
  8. smk4565
    Cadillac and Buick are getting a bit more individual attention as of late. I think GM is trying to make it more about those brands and what they are doing to strengthen them. Which has to be done, because I think people buy the brand more than anything when they buy a car. Pickups are a good example, there are Ford guys and Chevy guys, and not many people could care less about the brand and just buy based on appearance or horsepower. I think a big mistake GM did back in 2005 or 2006 was when they put those Silver GM badges on every car to show how these are all made by GM. People don't buy a corporation, they buy a brand name. That is why they don't sell Proctor and Gamble toothpaste.
  9. smk4565
    But the other cars with NA V6s are Lincoln, Acura, Lexus and Infiniti. And look how dated that Lexus 3.5 liter V6 with 306 hp looks, that engine came out around 2007. The Infiniti V6 still has high rev power to it, but is low on torque, and that engine has been around forever too.
  10. smk4565
    It is a massive amount of torque, it might beat that 0-60 in 5.9 seconds estimate, because the C400 can do 0-60 in 4.8 seconds with the V6. For me I'd have to see the performance data and fuel costs and pricing of the C350 plug in and compare to the C400 V6, or ATS V6 or 335i or other near $50k cars.
  11. smk4565
    The justification for the price is that a V6 C-class is $50k. And while the hybrid gives up 1 second in 0-60 time it is basically doubling fuel economy. You could spend near $50k on an Acura, Lincoln, ATS/CTS etc that has a 0-60 time near 6 seconds and not the interior that the C-class has, and won't get the fuel economy of the C350e. If you were already going to spend $45,000 on a C300, I think a few thousand extra is worth more performance and economy. But as I said I'd have to see how the pricing was. Personally I'd rather have the bi-turbo V6 over the hybrid if they are the same money.
  12. smk4565
    I would have thought it would be called C300 Plug in, because it is a C300 4-cylinder, but whatever. I think it could be good vale, I would need to see the price and options that come with it. But it is faster than a C300, and obviously will save on gas, and 20 miles of electric only isn't bad because you aren't going to drive it in electric only mode unless in traffic or maybe highway cruise. When accelerating you'll need the gas engine. They aren't trying to make a full electric like the i3 or Tesla, or even a Volt that is an electric car with a range extender. This is the second of 10 plug-in hybrids that are coming, the S-class plug in is on sale in Europe, on sale here in spring. They must figure it will sell if they are making 10 of them.
  13. smk4565
    They need to do something, the current 3.6 gives up so much torque to the Germans boosted sixes, it is a dated engine now, imagine by 2018 how obsolete it will be. Mercedes has a new line of inline sixes coming in 2 years, this 3.0 bi-turbo V6 is only living for about 3 model years before they replace it. If Merc and BMW are doing it, watch the lemmings follow. Hybrid drivetrain could be another area for improvement, probably every Cadillac should have a plug-in hybrid model and a diesel.
  14. smk4565
    Cadillac only engines would help. Maybe develop a new 2.2 liter turbo 4 that is Cadillac only, let that current 2.0 be used in Chevy and Buick. The 3.6 V6 is old news, they should just come up with an all new Cadillac only V6, maybe a 3.2 twin turbo, maybe an inline six. An inline six would be unique to Cadillac as it likely would not fit in any Chevy or Buick, plus you get that balance and smoothness. And where is the Cadillac V8? They build that brand on V8s, and if they really want to go after the S-class, they better have a V12.
  15. smk4565
    Well Audi could spend all $20 billion on the A8 and still not catch the S-class in my view.
  16. smk4565
    Audi's $30 billion figure is correct, I don't know why I thought it was 24, I went back and found the news article. But $9-10 billion is going into plants and production, so they'll have $20 billion for product. There is definitely a constant game of one upsmanship going on with the Germans, Cadillac will need deep pockets to hang with them. Cadillac can use a car smaller than the ATS, they could make it hatchback or coupe. Cadillac needs more body styles of existing cars I think more than they need more sedans.
  17. smk4565
    Their small crossover will be like the Lincoln MKC or Lexus NX is my guess, something in the 180-183 inch long range. Bigger than an Encore, and interior similar to the ATS. Starting price around $34k. It would be nice if they did this on Alpha, and not a FWD platform. SRX or XT5 or whatever it is, I think will stay lined up against the Lexus RX and probably start around $40,000, maybe $44,000 with some inflation by then. There could be space for a 4th SUV between the SRX replacement and the Escalade in the $60k range, but I think it would have to be based on a CTS V-sport and have some performance to it for people to spend extra money over an SRX type vehicle. Johan may think $12 billion is a lot, but it isn't really compared to what VW/Audi and Mercedes spend. Audi is spending $24 billion on new product from 2014-2018. VW spends more on R&D than any other company in the world, 13.5 billion last year alone. Daimler spends more on R&D than Ford or Honda, Mercedes spent $1 billion just on the 2014 E-class refresh. If Cadillac spends $1 billion per refresh on their current models, that eats up half their $12 billion just keeping the current products competitive, leaving enough money to make 3 new products, so I guess small sedan, small crossover, and S-class fighter are it. It is funny how all these car makers have an S-class fighter coming soon. The CT6 was going to be the flagship, now the real flagship is 5 years away. And Cadillac isn't alone, the 2018 Audi A8 will be able to drive itself up to 37 mph and have suspension that scans the road ahead and adjusts for bumps before it hits them. Both those technologies were on the 2014 S-class. These people can't catch up, they might as well just shut down 7-series and A8 production, it's over they lost.
  18. smk4565
    S-classes don't depreciate that fast. Lincoln has probably the worst resale value of any luxury brand. You can get a 2012 MKZ for under $20k. I am just saying that if you were looking for a crossover in a few years, the MKX will probably be $5-10,000 less than a used Lexus and about the price of a new CR-V. You'd have to be a fool to buy a Lincoln new, but they make a great deal when used.
  19. smk4565
    Without any google help, my guesses are: 1. Dodge Monaco 2. Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chrysler 3. Springfield, Illinois 4. 1953 Bell Air 5. Dodge and Ferrari Daytona
  20. smk4565
    If you watch a lot of Top Gear it helps. I suspect the people that made the quiz did.
  21. smk4565
    The Avenir looks more like the Model S or almost Panamera shape at the back. I like the car overall but would prefer more trunk. The CLS I think looks good, but my favorite Mercedes designs have always been E and S class which are more 3 box design.
  22. smk4565
    Ugly outside, looks like an old F150 with Japanese styling cues. The interior looks fine, it is what you'd expect. Cummings diesel is nice, they got the engine right, but they got the body wrong.
  23. smk4565
    The best thing about Lincoln is all their products after 3 years cost about half what they were new. So you can score a used one of these for under $25k in 3 years. That is good value.
  24. smk4565
    The Ford GT has always been awesome, this is way cooler than an NSX.
  25. smk4565
    The inside looks like what you'd expect from a Malibu, it is a little nicer than a Cruze. The back end looks like a Civic and the front looks like a Toyota with an Acura beak. This looks like a Japanese car, gen 1 had a better front end I think.
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