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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Scott is right about the tax, if you tax diesel and gas the same, then the price of diesel and premium should be the same, and all these German cars run on premium so it makes the cost per gallon the same at that point, and the 30% mpg gain for diesel gives it a huge win. Also with more demand, maybe supply is upped, no reason diesel couldn't end up cheaper than 87 octane in the future, again taxes could play a role there. I think diesel is the near future, BMW is running ads like crazy too, when people see 400lb ft of torque and 40 or 45 mpg, they are going to want that. And I still believe whatever Mercedes, BMW and Audi do becomes the hot thing, and everyone else will copy it. When Audi had Quattro and Mercedes 4Matic, suddenly every Lexus and Infiniti, then Cadillac and Jaguar started doing all wheel drive.
  2. smk4565
    That is Cadillac's problem, the XTS, ELR and Escalade are based on a Chevy product. The Escalade gets away with it, but it is also the #2 seller in a class weak competitors; the Navigator, LX470 and Infiniti Q56 are based on a Ford/Toyota/Nissan product that is inferior to the Tahoe.
  3. smk4565
    At that price this thing may sell in the dozens per month. Way too high, Cadillac couldn't sell a V8 convertible based off a Corvette at this price, they think they can sell an electric coupe based off a Volt at this price? This car will flop and possibly need $20k incentives to move them.
  4. smk4565
    MB does make a full size SUV, the GL is full size and the #1 selling full size luxury SUV. I see GMC Terrain in the front and sides with all those straight lines. Gl might have out sold the Escalade by just 2500 units, but it cannot pull a trailer like the Escalade and does not have as much interior space. Plus the maintenance cost on the MB compared to the Cadillac SUV is huge and I would go with Escalade which has a better reliability record. MB might have cutting edge tech, but the cost of keeping it functional is way higher. Course in this group, most have the disposable cash to pay when things break. I doubt people paying $70,000 for an SUV are too worried about maintenance costs, but lets also look at fuel cost. The GL350 gets 19/26 mpg, while the Escalade is 13/18 mpg. It works out to about an $800 a year savings for the GL350 even with the higher cost of diesel and putting 87 octane in the Escalade. Over 5 years you are looking at $4,000 in fuel savings for the Mercedes. The tow ratings are pretty close too, 7500 lbs for Mercedes 8100 lbs for the Escalade AWD, and I've never seen either of these vehicle towing a trailer. !st and 2nd row leg room and head room are with in an inch of each other, 3rd row leg room the GL has a 9 inch advantage (it has a longer wheelbase) and the Escalade has an advantage in shoulder room in ever row and cargo space with the seats folded.
  5. smk4565
    MB does make a full size SUV, the GL is full size and the #1 selling full size luxury SUV. I see GMC Terrain in the front and sides with all those straight lines.
  6. smk4565
    Another lame car company idea, this is like Range Rover Sport and Evoque, but there is really only one Range Rover. Making cheaper knock offs just cheapens the original. Why not call the SRX the Escalade Evoke, then do an Escalade Sport crossover, then of course they need an Escalade 4-door coupe SUV.
  7. smk4565
    I think it is a dumb idea. The ML is a good seller, but why make an MLC, that won't sell that well and will only take away from the ML. I am sure the business case they are talking of is it will be identical to the ML, except for the sloped rear end and it will cost $10,000 more. They'll get a few dopes to buy it for a few years, then like all the other niche cars it will die.
  8. smk4565
    Still looks like a dressed up Tahoe. But I wasn't expecting anything different, the Escalade is what it is. The front now has more GMC Terrain in it, and the rear has Saab 9-3 wagon tail lights. Not a fan of either of those cars. But as I said it is what it is, it's a luxury Tahoe and it has a good profit margin and there is that following that will stay pay for it. Like and Acura TL, it is just an Accord, but there are enough people that will pay the extra price for a grille and some dash trim, it makes good business sense to make it.
  9. smk4565
    I don't think Toyota-Lexus-Scion offer one convertible. That is pretty lame from such a huge car maker.
  10. smk4565
    True, but those awful Silverado ads about a man and a truck and a sheep and a fence end with claiming 23 mpg. It isn't even good, they should just throw the horsepower number up there, that is what people care about anyway. If they wanted gas mileage they wouldn't be buying a truck.
  11. smk4565
    Why don't they just do it instead of saying they are ready. GM is always ready to do something or it is "coming next year" but only after the competition beat them too it. The new trucks should have 8 speeds standard, and the diesel option should be there already. The 30 mpg pickup is coming, I bet the Ram diesel is near 30 mpg highway in real world, if you get some weight savings like the F150 is planning, you could have a 30 mpg highway rated pickup. And yet Ford and Chevy run ads bragging about 22 or 23 mpg, highway, imagine when Dodge starts claiming 27 or 28, or if the next-gen Tundra hits 30 mpg, and GM and Ford are still putzing around with 23 mg.
  12. smk4565
    He was amazing.
  13. smk4565
    The Regal costs all most as much as an ATS, why move the Regal to Alpha? And then would it be mid-size, like a cheaper version of a CTS? The Regal is a car that GM doesn't need, especially if they have a more desirable Malibu Turbo. The real solution is to make the Lacrosse a bit smaller, so it is closer to Hyundai Azera size and hold the price where it is. Then make a Buick Park Avenue in the $39-50k space and kill off the XTS. Then Buick has 3 sedans all with similar focus, and Buick would do battle with low end of Lexus, the Avalon, Azera, Cadenza, low end of Acura and cars like that. That frees up Cadillac to make sports luxury.
  14. smk4565
    Agreed with Onc, traditional Buicks sell, and the Regal doesn't fit the brand. The Regal is like a luxury + sport trim Saturn Aura, although the Regal has less horsepower than the Aura at least when you compare the 2.4 and 2.0t to the 3.5 and 3.6 V6's in the Aura. The Verano works because there are people what want some luxury and a smooth riding, quiet car and don't want any performance. Most new car buyers are older, and many Americans sit in traffic or go down a highway for their daily commute, so they aren't looking for M3 handling. The Verano hits a sweet spot of people that want a Lexus-like car in a small size and a small price. The Lacrosse hits the sweet spot of the traditional Buick buyer that wants a full size car (Impala sort of does this too). The Regal doesn't hit the sweet spot for anything.
  15. smk4565
    To me it doesn't look any nicer than an ATS and this thing will probably cost twice as much. All the Cadillac interiors look too alike to me. Brand continuity is important, but the Escalade should be wow, just as any flagship they do should be a wow interior. I guess the center console in the Mercedes GL is nothing fantastic either, but the diamond quilted leather they have is nice, and their arm rest looks better, the Escalade armrest looks out of a Silverado. As far as column shifter, again the Silverado uses one, and the previous Escalade had one too, it is just how GM does the full size trucks, and the GL, the S-class and E-class all use a column shifter and they are all #1 seller in their class, so people must not care.
  16. smk4565
    What will be curious here is how the CLA affects the C-class. The C-class is in its final model year with a new one coming next year, so will the CLA eat into C-class sales, or will the new C-class sell as same as the old and the CLA be gravy on top. The E-class is on fire, it is dominating all rivals, only the 5-series topped 1700 sales last month in this segment and the E-class was near 5700.
  17. smk4565
    So the 3/4-series get combined so that it doesn't look like the 3-series is losing in sales to the C-class. How clever of them. The 5-series is getting smoked by the refreshed E-class.
  18. smk4565
    The Lambda SUVs are cooling off, although they have been strong sellers for a lot of years, maybe they are growing long in the tooth now. I am surprised the Impala got outsold by the Malibu, yes the Malibu is cheaper but not by that much and the Impala is a much nicer car. The Cruze seems to have fallen off a cliff, that i a big drop unless it is just a on month fluke.
  19. smk4565
    Automakers need to stop the insanity of 4-door coupes. Most don't even look like coupes anymore.
  20. smk4565
    The Avalon is the polar opposite of an 80s Pontiac, no EXITEMENT!!! I have sat in this Avalon and the previous ones, I have to say the build quality of the interiors is pretty good, everything is a tight fit and the materials are near Lexus level. However, this car and the previous Avalons have awful layouts and the design of this interior is really bad.
  21. smk4565
    Sheeple love crossovers. Crossovers = safety Crossovers = prestige Crossovers = more passenger space
  22. smk4565
    Coupe they need, but the V8 they don't (other than in V-series). A 420 hp engine is plenty and really more than you can use in every day driving. The E550 is dying, the A6/S6 doesn't have a V8, I bet the 5-series loses the V8 soon. The V8s are going to be gone soon, even the 7-series and A8 and S-class are offering V6s, often with turbo or in diesel form, but still. I love V8s, but over 400 hp you can't really use, for the great majority, 300-330 hp in a small turbo V6 getting 30 mpg is what buyers want, or even a turbo 4 getting 33 mpg.
  23. smk4565
    The E-class is the most expensive car in the class and the best selling, so they must do something right.
  24. smk4565
    The Volt has a gas engine in it. The Volt is the electric car that admits electric isn't as good as gas. I am not against electric, I think a quiet car with instant torque that is cheap to run is a great idea. But electric cars won't begin the take over until there is a 0-60 in 7-8 seconds, 400 mile range quick charging car that costs about $25,000. Because there are a dozen mid-size sedans for $25,000 that can do that. The day the Volt costs the same as a Cruze is the day electrics begin the takeover.
  25. smk4565
    Mercedes interiors may not be flashy, but they last. Look at a 20 year old Mercedes interior and in most cases the trim pieces are all still in place, the leather isn't cracked or torn. Mercedes may use a simple design, and I agree that the all black interiors look drab, but they are built to last. My car has the Designo interior so it is better than a base E-class. It may not have a leather wrapped dash, but it also won't have cracked or sun faded leather on the dash once it gets older. The new S-class showed they they aren't going to just continue with function over form, and are putting more design into the interiors. As far as BMW goes, I not a fan of their styling or that their cars keep getting bigger and heavier, but he 3-series now is selling better than it has in years, since the ATS went on sale 3-series sales have gone up, and C-class sales are still high despite entering its 7th model year. No one is really hurting BMW or Mercedes right now, Audi is maybe a little bit, Lexus has regained sales but it is with blue hairs and entry level cars, the GS isn't selling, and Infiniti is almost dropping off. I am curious to how the CTS will sell and what prices they can get for it. The XF, GS, A6, M37 are all sort of slow sellers, so I think the market is open for someone to step and challenge Mercedes and BMW. But you can option the 321 hp CTS up to $70,000, so will people pay that much for a CTS?
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