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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    It is for women and younger people. CUVs in most cases don't make sense, doesn't matter what brand is making it. There was a Top Gear episode where Jeremy drove a BMW X6 and made the comment how it has less room than a 5-series wagon, gets worse gas mileage, handles worse and is slower, yet costs more. He tried to drive the X6 up a grass hill and in snow, in both cases it cost stuck and it had AWD. This year they looked at some other small crossovers, from Mazda, Toyota, Honda, etc, and the same thing holds true, a Civic is quicker, handles better, gets better mileage and is cheaper than a CR-V. Yet people will pay a premium for small crossovers. Buick Encore is another good example, it sells at nearly the same rate as the Verano, but the Verano has more power, better fuel economy, is larger and has more features on it and costs less. There is a small crossover market, women think they are safer, fools think they are better in snow, or they think because it is a box, it has more cargo room than the trunk of a car, when most of that cargo space is useless anyway. So Mercedes wants a slice of the small crossover market. Why should they let Acura or Buick or Lincoln or whoever have it, when they can build a better vehicle and force those brands out.
  2. smk4565
    I am not a fan of the styling, in the CLA it works, but not so much here. It does give Mercedes a cheaper and more gas friendly crossover to sell though and that could win buyers, especially since the GLK is very blocky and this is rounded off. But the GLK diesel gets like 33 mpg, so they have a gas friendly SUV already. As far as the name, it makes sense, GL stands for "Geländewagen Luxus" German for luxury SUV. Add a K for Kompakt so that is how they get the GL and GLK names. Same way they have an SL roadster and SLK. GLA I guess is Luxury SUV on A-class platform, so it sort of works.
  3. smk4565
    Encore is doing well, imagine if the engine had some more power to it. But it sits in a space there there aren't any direct competitors, which I think is a good thing. I wonder how long until they put the Regal out of its misery, that thing is bombing, as is the Malibu. You need to bring your A-game in that midsize car segment. The ATS seems a bit lackluster for being a new model and the entry Cadillac, but I think the cramped interior and front end styling hurt it. I am curious how the new CTS will sell with the higher price, and how that ATS-CTS-XTS will shake out and if all 3 will sell 2900 a month like they just did. I read the old Impala was still being sold along with the new one, which I don't know why but must be like when they did Malibu Classic and sold 2 Malibus for a while. That 12,000 Impalas might be due to the old ones being sold.
  4. smk4565
    I would take a 328d over an i3 because the 3-series looks better, and is cheaper, and faster. I'd take a 328d over a 328i because the diesel has far more torque and gets about 10 mpg more. The only hard decision would be 335i performance vs 328d efficiency. The C-class will go down the same road, the new model will have the turbo diesel 4, which is 201 hp and 369 lb-ft, if that gets 45 mpg, how much appeal is there for the 300 hp/273 lb-ft V6 at 29 mpg. The good news is some good stuff is coming, I think it is exciting to see 45 mpg on something that isn't a Geo Metro or a Prius.
  5. smk4565
    I just read the 328d is rated at 32/45 mpg, I'd rather have that for less money than an electric car with low range. But that being said there are fools out there, and people in California or big cities that will buy it just because it is electric and says BMW on it.
  6. smk4565
    I like the wreath, and I like the current logo. The shield or crest if you will looks modern, and I think the wreath and crest is a good combo
  7. smk4565
    At $64k I'd take a Hyundai Equus over this. Which makes me think, has any magazine or website done a comparison test with a Hyundai Equus in it? Because on price, you'd compare it to a XTS and Acura RL, on size more Lexus LS460L.
  8. smk4565
    It can steer itself and navigate traffic on it's own up to 31 mph, but if you take your hands off the wheel for 10 seconds it will disengage the system. Plus it has the radar cruise control, and lane keep assist for the higher speeds. But it will drive it self and I read a test that said with the magic body control turned on, they hit a speed bump at 30 mph and didn't feel it. The others in the segment can't do either of those things. Plus you won't be able to buy a 7-series or A8 convertible, but there will be an S-class convertible. Perhaps Cadillac can jump into that segment with the Ciel.
  9. smk4565
    I am curious if Cadillac's car will be better than the Equus, who has been at it for a few years now, and has a 429 hp DOHC V8. Cadillac has a twin-turbo V6, but V6 is not V8, and many in this class will just want a V8. The other question is will it be better than a Lexus LS, which has had about 25 years on the market to build a following. I think $65-70k is low, no other car in this class except for the Equus is in the $65k range. The S-class may have been discounting some, but it still has a higher transaction price than any other car in the class, and that last year it was in it's 7th model year, competing against an A8, 7-series and XJ that were all redesigned for 2012. Few cars in year number 7 still dominate the class, the CTS was redesigned more recently than the W221 S-class, and look how dated it looks now, how sales have tanked even with discounts. The new S-class also just moved the goal post, it can drive itself, and the A8, 7-series, LS460 and XJ can't.
  10. smk4565
    I like the updated dash and center stack. It gives it more their own look, and less Lexus copy, and the wood doesn't look so cheesy. It is no S-class and never will be, but it is sort of close to the Lexus LS, and for $61,000 that, is the price of a loaded XTS, and you do get 429 hp, rear drive and the 8-speed. I think the car has great value for money, although the people at this price point and above aren't shopping value.
  11. smk4565
    There shouldn't be a Jaguar SUV, just like there shouldn't be a Bentley, Rolls Royce or Maserati or Aston Martin SUV. The Porsche SUV is bad enough.
  12. smk4565
    I like that leaders lead and the rest rebadge, good line. These commercial vans seem all the rage, maybe in 10 years time we won't even have small cars, but instead the Transit Connect and the Puegeot Partner will take the place of Civics and Rav4's. Some of these car companies seem more interested in getting a commercial van than they do in building a good mid-size car. You'd think that the Cruze diesel would be a good basis for a van, because if you took that chassis and strengthened it and beefed up the suspension, all you have to do is convert the unibody to a box and you have a van, with the desired torque and fuel economy that the business customer needs.
  13. smk4565
    Horrible idea, Jaguar builds sports cars, and sports/luxury sedans. Jaguar has always been XJ luxury sedans and the XK120/140, the E-Type, now the XK and F-type. They have Land Rover for SUVs, what the Freelander/LR2 thing, LR3, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and 3 and 5 door Evoque are not enough SUVs? On a side note, the Range Rover Supercharged does 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, that is crazy fast for a 5,000 lb SUV, so why do they need a Jaguar version. What is next a Land Rover 2 seat roadster?
  14. smk4565
    The coolest thing about the S-class is that there will be this version that will post Prius beating fuel economy, the S250 bluetec gets over 40 mpg in Europe, and at the other end they offer a twin turbo V12. So in the same model they have the greenest luxury car, and they also have the most powerful.
  15. smk4565
    To dfelt's point, I don't think the Dodge car lineup is too appealing to the US market either. I think the US car market, especially as 2025 CAFE standards draw near, is going to become more like Europe's car market. Fiat's lineup may not appeal to the US market now, but as the current 18-25 year olds start buying new cars over the next 5-10 years, they may like something like a Fiat.
  16. smk4565
    Why did Mercedes build an all electric SLS AMG? The answer is because they could, Mercedes has a pretty big ego as far as car companies go.
  17. smk4565
    With over 2/3 ownership, seems like they'll be able to do whatever they want. And I don't think they bought Chrysler because they loved what Dodge has, or the 200 or 300. I think they saw Jeep as a profitable unit and this is a way to get Fiat/Alfa out of Europe and into the American Market.
  18. smk4565
    Mercedes claims it will do over 70 mpg. I don't think they are building this car because they think it will sell in any good quantity, I think they are building it just because they can. Sort of a screw you to the 7-series hybrid and the Panamera hybrid.
  19. smk4565
    Right, except... mercedees sells a million plus (mostly to low-margin fleets), contaminates their portfolio with garbage trucks & cargo vans, is supposedly massively profitable, is on an intergalactic quest for The Most Sales Possible..... yet even they could not make a case for a tarted-up s-class sedan -their ultimate & SO important flagship- that started stickering at $380,000 !!! So much for 'economies of scale'! lol Mercedes worldwide makes over 4,000 Euros per car profit, that is over $5,000 per car. Most car companies are lucky to crack $1,000 per car. What they do works, and Daimler is largest truck producer in the world, so Mercedes is going to have trucks. It is what it is, and their revenues keep going up so they'll keep doing what they do. The Pullman will be good, maybe they even put plug-in hybrid technology into it, because a plug-in hybrid S-class is coming for sure.
  20. smk4565
    There isn't really anything they can do that the others can't, or haven't already done. The German brands have a global sales network and economies of scale. Audi has gotten back in the game since they have VW's size and money, combined with Bentley and Lamboghini under the umbrella so they can put a Lambo V10 in an R8 or Audi sedan and make cars that stand out. Cadillac just has to make a full size luxury car, put all they have into it and see what happens.
  21. smk4565
    Pullman will be an extended length trim level. If you took an S600, you are already over $150,000. Making it longer, with more stuff, and fancier materials on the inside will let them go over 200k. They have sold a $200k S-class for the past 7 years, they sell an armored S-class limo for over $1 million and have a waiting list for that. They can make this car custom order, and they'll be fine. Mercedes and BMW each make over $4,000 profit per car, these guys know what they are doing. And Maybach failed, but they at least took a chance, the gamble didn't pay off, but cars like the SLR McLaren and SLS AMG did pay off, as did the Grosser Mercedes of the 1960s and 70s.
  22. smk4565
    CLS is built on an E-class chassis. It has nothing to do with the S-class. There isn't an automaker out there that wouldn't trade their flagship car for the S-class and the revenue and profit that comes with it. If Euro fleet sales were so damaging to Mercedes, Audi and BMW, why can't Cadillac, Lexus or Infiniti sell cars there. Regardless of what Mercedes does, Europeans will buy them, and keep buying them over American or Japanese imports.
  23. smk4565
    The only thing I was wrong about in my May 2013 comments was I thought Impala sales would go down from the old one but go up in profit. But the Impala sales have gone up and the new one is selling as well as the fleet queen did, which is a good sign. The Maligu is hurting, perhaps more are moving to the Impala and paying the higher price for the better car. My point from May was GM has too many models to advertise all, and they advertise pickups all the time because that is where the money is made (which makes sense) and they let other cars die on the vine. Look at Regal and Lacrosse sales in the tank, even Camaro down 20% against a dated Mustang. Trucks and cars in the first 2 model years get marketing dollars. GM has been advertising pickups a lot lately because they want to clear out the old model, I've seen $8-9,000 off advertised on a $30-40k vehicle, that is over 25% off, that is why the Silverado and Sierra had big months, remember there was over a 100 day inventory of those a few months ago.
  24. smk4565
    S-class sold over 91,000 in 2007. They can potentially sell 100,000 in 1 year, the W126 S-class sold over 825,000 from 1981-1990, that is about 80,000 per year for a decade. It doesn't just win in volume either, it has more status/appeal than an A8 or 7-series, higher price point, more power, better gas mileage, more technology. The S-class won world green car of the year a couple years ago, no other car in that segment has won that. When the S-class convertible comes out, another advantage, as there is no A8 or 7-series convertible.
  25. smk4565
    They have too many models to advertise them all, that has always been a weakness of GM. GM puts the marketing dollars behind new cars and the big sellers like pick up trucks. The Regal isn't going to sell, might as well buy ads for a truck instead.
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