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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Agreed, but I think they want the volume to come by way of the ATS, CTS, SRX, XTS, Escalade and a future Volt variant and flagship sedan. I don't get the feeling that volume will come from $25,000 cars with Cadillac badges just for the sake of volume. I think they want volume from cars at $40,000 and up. At the same time, all these brands want to be #1, Lexus says they will be, Audi wants to be the global #1, etc. But Mercedes has the volume, the profit, the aspiration, the quality, the owner loyalty, etc. They are just better than all these other brands. It is almost like another amusement park saying they want to be #1 and dethrone Disney World, they can dream all they want, but it just isn't going to happen. Well, it is good for us to agree a few days a year at least, lol.
  2. smk4565
    Malibu Eco is not cheap, some of the hybrids are similar in price, and the base Altima has better mileage anyway if you want to live with that CVT, which most of these buyers won't know what that is anyway, they will just read the mpg label. The Malibu LTZ with a 2.0T may solve some problems of the Malibu Eco, but the LTZ will likely top $30k and will not be a lot of volume. The base Malibu and Eco are the trims that produce volume. I really like the new Fusion, still like the Optima and Sonata, and the new Altima has a rather nice interior. Plus the Accord gets redone soon too, and despite them being boring or maybe not even that good, people still buy Camrys and Accords on name alone. GM undershot on the Malibu. Back to the ATS, I don't think they undershot on it, from early reports it seems they at least took most of the necessary steps. But this is Mercedes engineering and safety, Audi interiors, and BMW braking/steering/handling they are going after. Not to mention the reputation of those 3 brands. I think Cadillac can get in the game, but I don't know if they have the big guns to prevail here.
  3. smk4565
    I don't think it is that aspirational, no more than a Taurus or Avalon is. The Impala is much better than the Malibu though, the Malibu reviews are fairly weak and compared to the 2013 Fusion, the Malibu is a dud. Plus with a new Altima and Camry, and a strong Sonata and Optima on sale, the Malibu I think is in trouble.
  4. smk4565
    You say that now, but when you're 70 with grandkids... But a 60-something probably isn't buying a 3-series. One might buy a 3-series then 25 years later get a 7-series, but my guess a lot don't go from one to the other quickly.
  5. smk4565
    True dat. 3-series lovers aren't going to go for a personal limo like the 7-series, they may go for a 5-series, but I think most would want a faster 3, like a 335i sport or M3. I think there should be an ATS coupe. Mercedes makes coupes on C, E and S class (CL for now) and 2 roadsters plus the SLS AMG in coupe and convertible. If they can make six 2-door cars, I am sure Cadillac can find room for two.
  6. smk4565
    I don't like the wheels or the Eldorado style fin tail light, but other than that, I like it.
  7. smk4565
    I think a 5 liter V12 would be a nice downsized engine. A V8 is as small as they need to go, it's an Aston Martin, it is supposed to have a big powerful engine. Although they did have a lot of straight sixes over the years too.
  8. smk4565
    Agreed. I think the torque will hit low and be very usable. 158 hp is 12 less than the current car though, would have been nice if this new engine was more like 170 hp and 185 lb-ft. They won't even notice the HP loss if the torque comes on strong enough down low. In fact, it might even end up feeling faster. True, it may feel quicker as torque affects acceleration. This engine is probably better than the 2.5 that has been around a while. But 170 hp and 185 lb-ft would be better than 158 hp and 185 lb-ft was my point as plus the marketing types like horsepower figures.
  9. smk4565
    Agreed. I think the torque will hit low and be very usable. 158 hp is 12 less than the current car though, would have been nice if this new engine was more like 170 hp and 185 lb-ft.
  10. smk4565
    Who cares about a 475 hp V8 when they already have a 450 hp V8? Reduced weight would be nice, but then it should just be a 750i with an optional M-sport package. And part of the sport package could be the carbon fiber panels, and lightweight wheels, etc. Not to mention this car has a V12 already, which would still dominate an M770 with 100 less hp.
  11. smk4565
    I like ridiculous cars, so I like this, however it looks like some water damage inside the camper part, and not a fan of the seat covers or that blue in the camper. Too bad it isn't in better condition, with a refurbished camper part that would be pretty sweet.
  12. smk4565
    Bad name, too hard to pronounce, and no one will know what it means. This car looks too much like an Asian BMW with an ugly grill. The Optima is a good looking car, they should have made it look like an Optima but maybe more flashy so it stands out. I had high hopes for this car because so few make a somewhat affordable RWD luxury car, but this is a disappointment. I dont' find BMW's all that good looking, and this looks like an ugly version of a 7-series. No mention in the press release of powertrain either.
  13. smk4565
    They already are 1 dealership around here. Hard to believe an stand alone Jaguar or Land Rover dealer could survive. Unless it is a Jaguar-BMW-Volvo or something like that.
  14. smk4565
    I like the sound of this. The 4-cylinder should post a huge mpg number and the inline six will produce monster torque. And hopefully this prompts Cadillac to offer a diesel also, especially with Mercedes offering some more diesels now.
  15. smk4565
    That's a pretty sweet ride. I wonder if it comes in Penn State blue and white... oh wait, bad idea for a van with hardly any windows.
  16. smk4565
    I don't even care enough about a couple of $25k cars with gutless engines to even bother bashing them for the badge engineering. The interiors on both are poor also.
  17. smk4565
    Haha, a 3-series competitor. Fun to dream but not going to happen. Electric cars are too far away still to be competitive. Too heavy, and batteries can't compete with gasoline. BMW will probably build an electric 3-series before Tesla builds one that can compete.
  18. smk4565
    Golf GTI (widely thought to be the best hot hatch of the past 25 years by the way) doesn't have the 8-speed transmission or chassis or interior trim of an A4 or A5. The 2.0T engine is shared, but every automaker shares engines. They do platform share on SUVs, but the Touareg is also more expensive than an SRX, RX350 or MKX. So they aren't really starting from a mediocre product, and the Cayenne and Q7 have different engines and transmission. I'm not saying VW doesn't share stuff across the range, but for the most part their luxury brands have plenty of exclusive equipment and it is differentiated from the other brands. They aren't doing what Lexus, Lincoln and Acura do, and take a $25k family sedan and change nothing mechanically and just change the interior and front and rear fascias and call it a luxury car. That being said, I wouldn't buy an Audi, they aren't as good as BMW or Mercedes.
  19. smk4565
    I actually think the ATS looks a bit boring and a bit too like a Chevy. It just doesn't look all that expensive to me. I actually hope the CTS is far less plain and actually more aggressive looking than the ATS. ATS just isn't exciting to look at. The current CTS looks chunky and blocky to me, I hope they can streamline and and make it more athletic looking.
  20. smk4565
    You mean just like Audis, Bentleys and Porsches are? Audi interiors are top notch, and their cars offer good fuel efficiency considering how quick some of them are. Porshce 911 Turbo S 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and 25 mpg, and Bentley is Bentley. There is no mishmash of mediocre parts in those cars. They have Lamborghini and Bugatti too, that group of brands is pretty good. Where as Lexus is all Toyota has, and most of the Lexus line is mechanically a twin to a Toyota product. Personally I don't care for Audi, Porsche or Bentley, but they are not parts bin junk for $35-45k like most Japanese and American luxury brands try to build.
  21. smk4565
    Maybe not $10k nicer, but it is nicer. Lexus build quality, as far as panel gaps and leather/wood quality is better than what Buick has. The ES and RX are all they sell since they do offer entry level luxury that appeals to people that don't care about driving dynamics, in those 2 cars cases, people over 70 and soccer moms. The rest of the Lexus lineup is a decade behind the Germans.
  22. smk4565
    But imagine the 2 liter turbo diesel with the hybrid system. The 320d is 181 hp and 280 lb-ft adding around 30 to each with the electric motor should keep 0-60 around 7 seconds and probably push it to 50 mpg. The greenies will like that, and the non-greenies can buy the 335i.
  23. smk4565
    I think they will Toyota parts bin together the new IS, that is why it won't be as good as the Germans, and it till be styled to look like every other Toyota, with chrome on front so you can tell it is a Lexus and not a Camry. This is why the Germans are good, the 3-series isn't pieced together from a parts bin, it is designed with purpose. This car will be a Scion chassis, Camry transmission, corporate V6, Avalon styling, etc It is just a mishmash of mediocre parts.
  24. smk4565
    Well the ES is nicer than the Lacrosse, but the ES also costs more than a CTS. So it should be nicer than a Buick and a $37k car should sell less than a $30k car (in similar segments). Plus the current ES has been around since 07 or so, it is pretty stale. Although the 2013 car will look and drive in a stale fashion anyway.
  25. smk4565
    Seems like a lot of extra money over a 335i, unless the hybrid has a lot of the equipment packages thrown in. But to pay $8k over a 335i for a barely quicker car, it better be posting 40 mpg to justify the price difference. And agreed with Oldsmoboi, what they need is diesel power!
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