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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The Germans are still not hurting, in fact BMW, Audi and Mercedes have had record years in terms of sales and profit the past 3 years while many others have struggled. And where else are people that spend over $80k on a car going to go? Suppose you have $100k to spend on a sedan or $150k to spend on a sports car. There are the Germans or Aston Martin and that's it. The Americans and Japanese don't make cars in that price range, save for things like the ZR-1 or LS600 hybrid. Same with Jaguar, they go above $100k, but only the top trim of a car starting around $75k. The German owned brands: Rolls-Royce, BMW, Bentley, Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Mercedes, are all doing well globally, and all have more sales now than they did 10 years ago. Compared to Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Lincoln, and Cadillac which are mostly in decline or treading water. Cadillac at least is starting to fight back in the USA, but Cadillac globally is weak. Jaguar depends on how much money Tata wants to put into them.
  2. smk4565
    Absolutely.... though I'm not sure their current 2.0 liter is up to the task. They can make a new one then. Need an 8-speed too. But this is often the problem with Cadillac, the powertrains are not up to the task or out of the corporate parts bin. GM needs to pump some money into Cadillac to get them some new engines.
  3. smk4565
    Hold on, how are the Germans hurting. The 3 most successful (mainstream) luxury brands in the world are BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The 2 ultra high luxury brands Bentley and Rolls-Royce are owned by Germans, and the 3 ultra high performance sports car brands are Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti, and 2 of those 3 are owned by Germans too. The Germans have the high end car market cornered.
  4. smk4565
    I hope Cadillac is paying attention. ATS and CTS need to get them some diesel power.
  5. smk4565
    Even at $80k, Cadillac, Lincoln, Infiniti and Acura aren't there. And the US economy and auto industry has been struggling, sales may be down but they are still #1 in the segment. Sales will pick up with the new model. Few cars define the segment, Camry/Accord share midsize sedans, 3-series has compact luxury, 5-series/E-class share mid-size luxury sedan and S-class has full size luxury. I suppose you could add F150 for pickups to that list as well. S-class is the segment benchmark and the rest have been chasing for 25 years now, few cars can hold that distinction, the 3-series is probably the only other.
  6. smk4565
    328d should be good, that should get over 40 mpg. They are considering an M8 supercar that looks similar to the M1, that could be cool too.
  7. smk4565
    How many $100,000 sedans did Cadillac sell last year? Or Lincoln or Acura or Infiniti? The S-class is king, let's see any of those 4 brands put a V12 sedan on sale or enter this class and sell 60-80,000 cars a year. Hyundai has actually gotten closer than those 4 have. S-class sets the standard, brings the technological breakthroughs and I look forward to seeing the new one.
  8. smk4565
    A lot of the German cars have free scheduled maintenance and free loaner cars for the first 50k miles, and the certified pre-owned take it to 6 year 100k miles. So the cost of maintenance isn't too much of an issue there. But my earlier point wasn't cost of scheduled maintenance, it is that German cars tend to hold up well over over time. If the Germans didn't know what they were doing they won't each be selling about 1.3 million cars a year while the rest struggle.
  9. smk4565
    S-class has been the #1 selling big luxury car in the world for a long time. Since 1951, 3.5 million S-classes have been sold, more than any other high end luxury car. So yes, the market has spoken for 60 years and 3.5 million vehicles. The base car probably won't change in price, but the convertible could be $150k, the Pullman over $200k, that is how they go up market, without losing the current demographic. The S-class has dominated this segment probably more than any other car has dominated a segment, with the 3-series being the next closest. Audi and BMW are at least in the game, Lexus has spent billions on a car that can't compete globally, and Acura, Lincoln, Cadillac and Infiniti haven't even tried. How many cars dominate the segment so much that Ford, GM, Honda and Nissan won't even make a run at it.
  10. smk4565
    It isn't just the engines it is how they hold up over time. My mom has a 136,000 mile Audi that has had hardly any mechanical problems, zero electrical problems, there are no squeaks or rattles in the interior, the trim pieces all still fit together tight and the car drives like it did when new. That car will blow by 200,000 miles easily. Compared to my GM car with 145,000 miles that has loose interior trim pieces, the carpet on the side of the footwell is loose, check engine light always on, etc. I've put about $4,000 in unscheduled maintenance into my car since 100,000 miles. It isn't perceived quality, it is reality, my car routinely has problems and isn't as durable as her German built car. Cadillac needs to build a car that holds up over time, any car looks good the first year, but how will it hold up over 10-20 years or 200,000 miles.
  11. smk4565
    The new S-class should push the price gap. But if you look at China, the LS460 sells at 68% of what the S500 sells for. Lexus sold 43,000 cars in Europe in 2011, but 17,000 of those were the CT200h. First half of 2012, Lexus sold 23,000 cars in Europe. Mercedes sells about 550,00 cars a year in Europe, I don't think Lexus is too much of a threat.
  12. smk4565
    --> What will it take to steal away present customers from BMW and not alienate the present Cadillac customers. Build quality is a good place to start. Though improved, Cadillacs just don't seem as well made as German cars.
  13. smk4565
    30,000 units out of their global total means 2.1% of Mercedes sold is an AMG. That isn't really diluting the brand too much. The 30 models will have to be counting body styles. S-class and E-class will have sedan, coupe, convertible, and the e-class has a wagon and the S-class has 2 AMG engines, so that is 10 right there. They make 17 AMG models already. I could see the CLA/A-class AMG cars selling 5-10,000 a year, that gets them to their goal. An AMG Sprinter really would sprint. Interestingly enough, Sprinters have remarkable resale value.
  14. smk4565
    Toyota should offer double the warranty to Livery customers to steal that market. Lincoln's retail sales are nearly extinct, if someone takes away their fleet sales, they'll be gone in 5 years.
  15. smk4565
    Next-gen C-class is getting a twin turbo V8 of 4.0 liters. But the 3-series wins on balance, steering, suspension, brake feel and handling. Others have put more power in cars, M3 is still the king. ATS-V can have loads of power, better bring then handling and smoke and mirrors intangibles that BMW uses to win people over.
  16. smk4565
    I suspect MB could care less what Lexus does, since Lexus is just a Toyota and primarily a US phenomenon. True that. The Lexus LS mostly only sells here, and at a $30,000 discount to the S-class. If a base V8 LS460 was $95,000 sales of that car would drop off a cliff. Lexus is no threat in Europe or most parts of Asia to Mercedes and Mercedes beats them in the USA.
  17. smk4565
    Well a fridge is an option, maybe in model year two there will be a hamburger press and grill option. I'd be happy w/ an in-dash coffee maker and bagel toaster. Maybe on the Pullman model.
  18. smk4565
    Well a fridge is an option, maybe in model year two there will be a hamburger press and grill option. I am actually disappointed on one thing though, it looks like the 7-speed transmission will carry over, I thought the 9-speed would be ready at launch. I guess time will tell. I also wish the convertible was a 4-door, that would be epic, but a 2-door is better than none at all.
  19. smk4565
    Engine choice will be interesting. We'll have to see if this can run with the M3 in the corners.
  20. smk4565
    The spy photos make it seem like the new car is very similar to the current S-class. But I like the current car's look and it keeps resale values high when they don't do radical changes. The S-class in its 7th model year is still outselling the A8, 7-series, Panamera, XJ, and LS460, those cars are in some trouble when the new one arrives. The options list on the new S-class is incredible, heated arm rests, HVAC system with filtration, ionization and 6 fragrances, hot stone massage package, magic ride control, magic vision control, all LED lights and the high beams that bend around oncoming cars are pretty slick too. I read the features list, the technology is unmatched. What other car can steer itself up to 120 mph? None of them.
  21. smk4565
    Wouldn't surprise me if we see the 3.6 liter V6 in the Corvette one day, and without turbos. GM dumped V8s out of Cadillac in a hurry in favor of a 3.6 liter V6, they took the V6s out of Buicks in favor of 2.4 liter 4-bangers. The Impala is getting a 4-cylinder for the first time ever. I can see them putting a 330 hp 3.6 liter V6 in the Corvette hard top priced at $46k looking for sales, and forcing people to pay $55k for a "Stingray." This is how the "new GM" works. The ATS got a 200 hp 4-cylinder just to advertise a low entry price and make people pony up more money for the engine you want. The biggest Buick sedan has an engine from the Chevy HHR, the biggest Cadillac has a 300 hp V6, not a V8. The next Camaro is getting a 4-cyldiner. Don't think they won't do it to the Corvette too.
  22. smk4565
    The vulchers are circling over Lincoln.
  23. smk4565
    I suspect when the new CTS comes out, CTS sales go up but at the expense of the XTS. I figured the XTS would sell about 25k units a year when new, but I think as that car gets dated, and a new CTS arrives that is priced closer to the XTS, that the XTS may drop to 10,000 or so a year. Big front drive luxury cars don't sell, GM may be able to fake it in the short term, but long term that car is a Lincoln MKS and will be a one and done. Interesting that the SUV's and pick ups are doing well since gas prices have been going up, perhaps people are accepting $4 a gallon now. The Impala outsold the new Malibu, I assume from fleet dumping the Impala, but that is scary sign that this Malibu just isn't cutting it.
  24. smk4565
    There should be a cheaper Corvette, the Corvette was always more about affordable performance, and recently the price has been going up and up. The Corvette needs to sell, and you don't survive on Z06's and ZR-1's. GM knows Corvette sales are down and their average buyer age is way up. I don't like the truck engine, but they have used one for 30 years anyway, so Corvette fans won't care. I'd rather see a turbo V6 but they probably won't go that route. Even with 350 hp, with a 6 or more speed transmission, and the Corvette's weight it should do 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, that is still pretty quick.
  25. smk4565
    I like the Focus the most out of those, but I'd take a 1-2 year old Optima over a new Focus. I like the new Fusion a lot too, that is cheaper than an Encore, although a lot more than a Sonic.
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