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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    It needs reworked, but you wonder how they let such a poor car out to begin with. At any rate, I don't think adding an inch here or there in the back see or re-working the grille is going to increase sales that much. The Malibu is selling around 10k a month, the Sonata, Fusion, Altima and Accord are closer to 20k, the Camry sells over 30k a month. People just don't seem to look much at the Malibu.
  2. smk4565
    The 2014 S-class has the ability to drive itself, however Mercedes won't allow it to. The legal issues if that system fails and the car hits a pedestrian are too big. The technology of self-driving cars will arrive soon, but I suspect the legalities and liabilities of such systems is what will hold it back.
  3. smk4565
    BMW pulled the 335d, which used to cost about $43k. A 4-cylinder diesel should be cheaper than that, and I suspect the German trio will all have one here sooner rather than later. The problem with diesel, hybrid or electric in the USA is gas is still pretty cheap. If gas were $5 a gallon or $8 like it is in Europe, then diesels and electrics would have more appeal.
  4. smk4565
    Aside from the CTS-V which has best in class power anyway, what engines does the CTS have that are out of the Chevy Parts Bin? The 3.6 and 3.0 both went to Cadillac first and both have higher ratings than the same engines in the other divisions (save for Camaro). But the 3.6 V6 is all over GM, it is like the Nissan/Infiniti VQ engine. Although in time the 3.6 may be seen less and less in Chevy/Buick models as engines are downsized. But I think it would be nice if the CTS got a turbo V6 and an 8-speed transmission, since Audi and BMW have boosted engines with 8-speeds and Mercedes may introduce a bi-turbo V6.
  5. smk4565
    Your favorite Mercedes S-Class 350 bluetec, with as tested price of $113,000 ran 0-60 in 7 seconds. According to your logic, it is twice the cost of the ELR it should have done the time in half. Even the lowly Camry V6 is faster than that. Chevrolet Silverado Duramax outruns it. The S350 Bluetec gets 31 mpg, which is a lot more than any of the other big luxo sedans. Plus you can get the V8 for the same cost and that is fast. And the 2014 model can basically drive itself at speeds up to 124 mph, so that puts it in a class of 1.
  6. smk4565
    You realize that not everyone is a speed freak right? The 0-60 may be in the 8 second range but that doesn't mean the car will feel slow in normal driving. Drivers appreciate the low end torque of Voltec. The Fleetwood was also an 8 second car and few people would find that car to be slow in normal driving even today. I know everyone isn't a speed freak, that is why they should make a turbo 4 diesel for the ATS. It would probably do low 7's in 0-60 and get 40-42 mpg, and it wouldn't cost $60,000, it would be more like $40,000.
  7. smk4565
    I think the Passat CC, Volvo, Acura, the Regal, and that segment of lower volume Euro premium cars that live in the $28-35,000 class are in trouble. The CLA may not look as good as other Benzes, but it looks better than any Acura or Volvo and it has the 3-point star on the front, and that badge alone can sway buyers. Too bad it isn't rwd though.
  8. smk4565
    The Viper and Vette look a lot alike now up front. The 911 always has the same shape, but it seems to get more refined and expensive looking with each new generation (aside from the flashy GT3 trim). The 2014 Corvette has the Corvette shape, but instead of refinement or pretty styling, it just seems like they loaded it with tacky vents and scoops. I think the shape, especially around the C-pillar is better is better than the C6, but the styling is let down by some tacky bits and that rear end. What does everyone think of the interior, because it is always the #1 complaint and they never seem to fix it. I think the 2014 interior looks like it came from 1995.
  9. smk4565
    Car and Driver is estimating $60-75,000 for the ELR, 0-60 in 8.0 seconds and top speed of 100 mph. This is a 4070 lb car that is longer than the ATS sedan. The ATS is a really good car and sells about 2,500 a month, I just can't see people paying double ATS money for less car because it goes 30 miles on battery. And if it is about styling, then make the ATS look better and sell more of them. I do think though that the Gen 3 CTS could kick ass though as Cadillac is finally getting Sixteen and Cien styling cues into their cars and upping the interior quality, and that CTS should have new powertrains that aren't out of the Chevy parts bin.
  10. smk4565
    They need an ATS coupe to erase this car away. Imagine how good an ATS coupe could look with the ELR's front end. And the ATS coupe would weigh 500 lbs less, and have 100 more hp, use Alpha platform not Delta 2, and cost $10-20,000 less. They could also make an ATS 2.0 liter diesel with 200 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque that posts 40-45 mpg.
  11. smk4565
    That is just an offensive looking car with a terrible interior. I can't believe Lexus sells as many cars as they do, as the German trio and ATS are so superior to the Lexus IS and it's carry over engines that have been around for 6 years. My favorite car in this class is the C-class, but the ATS, A4 and 3-series all have appealing designs in their own way. This new IS is just ugly.
  12. smk4565
    516 lb-ft of torque, yes please!
  13. smk4565
    I don't care for the new look of Lincoln on any car, but it looks better here than on the MKS. I bet the new Escape and the MKC (which sounds like the name for a coupe) steal sales off the Edge and MKX. That euro-Focus platform just seems so much more modern and better than the Edge/MKX. So how long before the Lincoln Fiesta comes out?
  14. smk4565
    They have some good features, but this is basically the same interior look and feature set of other Cadillacs, mainly the XTS and ATS which cost less money and have over 300 hp, not 207. The Lexus Prius bombed, I just can't see this working well, even though the ELR has good styling and the Lexus hybrids have terrible styling. I do like the Sixteen-style grille on the ELR, I wish that was on the ATS. The ELR front end on a rear drive proportioned car would look good, and the ATS front end just don't pop, it is missing something.
  15. smk4565
    This car makes no sense, it isn't all that much cheaper than the 328i and it gets the same gas mileage. They should have put the 320d on sale, it would probably get around 45 mpg and much different than the 328i. This 320i is just pointless.
  16. smk4565
    The new CLS looks fantastic, the current C-class I think has great proportions and a timeless look to it. I like when Mercedes sticks with classy, dignified styling. The 2014 E-class has those huge air ducts below the bumper, it looks terrible. They are trying to make it overly aggressive looking, but that isn't Mercedes. The current E-class front end is better than what they are replacing it with, aside from dumping the 4 headlight look which I hated, that new front end is bad. The CLA is borderline too aggressive, but they are going for a younger buyer, so I think they can get away with it here. But the C, E, and S-class need to retain that classic and dignified styling in my opinion.
  17. smk4565

    Here's Your ELR

    smk4565 replied to ocnblu's topic in Cadillac

    The interior is very consistent with other Cadillacs, but at the same time it doesn't look any better than an ATS or XTS interior. The piano black console with the little buttons reminds me of the Ford Touch system, I am not a fan of those. They don't look good and they don't work as well as normal buttons. So here we have a car with overly huge wheels giving it awkward proportions, an interior like an ATS, less practicality and less performance than an ATS, yet could cost $20,000 more than an ATS. For the good of Cadillac, I hope this thing bombs more than the Allante, so they can get back to working on rear drive sedans.
  18. smk4565
    The proportions look odd because it is small and FWD. I think that is what hurt the look of the car, overall the styling themes work, but it is just a bit more overdone than it is on some of their other cars. I hope Mercedes doesn't start making a lot of overly styled cars, they always had timeless designs. Parts of this car look really awkward, the front end especially, and over the front wheels. Amazingly low drag coefficient, so kudos for that. I think this car will bring in a new type of buyer to Mercedes, although I myself would never buy one.
  19. smk4565
    I am not a fan, I thought the C5 for the time was one of the best looking Corvette's. This car has the same profile shape, but I don't like the back end and there is just too many black plastic air vents all over this car. It is like since the C5 they kept the same shape, and just tacked on more and more bling to try to make it look modern. The headlights look too much like a 458 Italia. The interior seems no better than the last Corvette. The design looks dated, unless the build quality is fantastic I think they dropped the ball on the interior.
  20. smk4565
    BMW Brand (no Mini or Rolls) sold 281,000 cars in the USA in 2012. Mercedes Brand sold 295,000. Because the Sprinter wears the 3-point star rather than a Frieghtliner or other badge, Mercedes outsold BMW.
  21. smk4565
    Porsche is owned by VW, they make more 40 mpg cars than any other automaker I believe. Ferrari has tiny volume, and I'm not sure how they factor in with Fiat and Chrysler, or if Ferrari is just exempt all together. BMW has Mini, and the Euro-BMW line gets about 38 mpg average because of all the diesels, they have an easy CAFE solution if they need it. But Europe will want more than 38 mpg, thus the electric i-cars are coming. I don't think the Corvette will need a V6 for CAFE reasons, I was thinking more for sales and price point. The Corvette in the 50's and 60's was priced at about $28,000 in today's money. Ten years ago a Corvette was $41k, which is $50k today with inflation, and the Corvette still costs $50k base. But my worry is because of the price premium on V8s, they push the Corvette to $60k base and then it isn't so much the affordable sports car that it once was.
  22. smk4565
    The Aztek wins, everyone else is playing for 2nd place.
  23. smk4565
    LaCrosse down 25%, Regal down 50%, the Verano is eating away at those two. Especially the Regal, I think the Verano is a better car even at even money, being $5k cheaper than a Regal and it is no contest. I am a little surprised the XTS is selling around 2900 a month, I wonder what % is fleet sales. I thought that car would be closer to 2,000 a month, but it is year one, and it may cool off, especially when a new CTS arrives. Also interesting is that the 2013 Malibu sells worse than the model it replaces. That car is a big disappointment and the CamCord duo are back with a vengence. The Sonic and Cruze both went up in sales, even with the Spark coming in to market. Shows the small cars are going well, actually, those 3 are performing far better than the Malibu/Impala.
  24. smk4565
    Thanks to Sprinter, Mercedes beat BMW.
  25. smk4565
    I agree that cheap V8s are going away, suppose a V8 Corvette bases around $60k with the C7. Wouldn't it be nice to have a $50k V6 model to get some more sales? But it depends too on what they want the Corvette to be. It used to be a more attainable car, then as the Z06 and ZR1 models came, they sort of pushed it into Porsche 911 territory. If they want it attainable, put the V6 in there, if they want it to be expensive, keep it V8 only.
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