smk4565

I don't like the idea of the 2.5 liter, that belongs in Chevy, not a Cadillac. If they want a 3rd engine, it should be a turbo diesel 4-cylinder because they need it in foreign markets anyway. I do like the 2.0T and V6 choices. Although I think the V6 needs more torque to set itself apart from the 2.0T and compete better with the 335i. Problem is Cadillac is stuck with a 6-speed transmission while Infiniti, Mercedes and BMW have 7 or 8. So will the fuel economy and acceleration numbers be able to match up what that class has to offer. This new 2.0T has less horsepower and torque than a Hyundai Sonata Turbo, so I hope the tail pipe emissions from the ATS can cure birth defects in baby seals.

Well the Aztec is correct. The Cimarron should be top 5 worst all time. But hard to compare to such legends as the Morris Marina and Reliant Robin. The Saturn Ion though bad, is not top 10 or even top 40 bad. The Ford death trap is worse than that.

The Cimarron returns!!! This will no doubt be a sad car, but Acura was never going to compete with the Germans, so at least they realized that and have aimed low. They are better off matching up against Buick, and to some extent Volvo, VW and Chrysler. Lincoln will probably be going this route soon too.

How has Bentley "always" been a "V8 brand?" Prior to the VW purchase, Bentley had used TWO V8 engines...a Rolls-Royce engine from 1959 and a BMW engine from the late 1990s. Prior to that, they had six-cylinder and inline eight-cylinder engines (up to 8 litres). Ok... for the last half-century they have been a V8 brand... Perhaps...but not necessarily by choice. Who chooses to use only ONE engine for nearly 40 years (and its still in production)? Buick 3800???

Has a lot of CLS in it, but it looks good.

Bentley always was a V8 brand, and 500 hp and 25 mpg is nice, not that Bentley owners care about fuel prices. Although the Continental/Flying Spur always seem sort of like "fake" Bentleys to me.

GM is about due for a new batch of 4-cylinders. That 2.4 liter has been around close to 10 years it seems, with just a few modest power bumps along the way.

The interior colors aren't my style, but the interior design, materials, and fit and finish look excellent in the photos. I like the suede head liner and the stitching in the seats. I like the 480 lb-ft @1700 rpm from the twin turbo V8 as well. But why is it so freaking big??? BMW is making a lot of large, heavy cars lately.

I thought about that too. It is really a bad car, so out dated compared to others. I am actually surprised Toyota has let it go so long without an upgrade. But the people that buy it don't care about cars, they want an appliance and believe that it will run a long time without braking down (cheap to own) so they buy it. Chevy still sells 12-14k Impalas a month, that thing shouldn't sell either.

Agreed. When I drove the CTS with the 304 hp version it felt like you really had to rev the engine, especially on hills, to feel like it was doing anything. That car needs more low end grunt. The 335i makes a lot of low end torque, even an A6 has 325 lb-ft @ 2,900 rpm, better mileage than a CTS as well.

Maybe a competitor for the Smart-for-us pick up truck.

I think they need to find a way to get the price on the SL to drop a little, $104,000 base price is a bit steep. They need to cut that back to about $90k. The SL does usually go on 10+ year model runs, that one generation was sold from 1972 to 1989 or something.

I think in response to this, the Hyundai Sonata will be getting a 12 speed automatic!

The Germans aren't retreating from the V8, Mercedes just came up with 2 new V8s in the past year, the 4.6 liter bi-turbo and the 5.5 liter bi-turbo AMG. Mercedes, BMW and Audi still make V12s. Plus the Germans have diesel power to big torque where needed. BMW does have the triple turbo inline six diesel on the way, rumor is that has over 500 lb-ft of torque. E-class and up has always had V8 power, and they still do. Cadillac of the 90s had a V8 in just about everything, today it is a CTS-V and Escalade, otherwise enjoy your V6. To me, Cadillac has retreated from the V8 more than the Germans. Although the six cylinders with the technology we have now and the turbos/superchargers are almost more compelling because of the fuel economy.

Once you build a 2.0 liter inline four, why not build a 3.0 liter inline six??? Or perhaps a 4.0 liter V8 (twin turbo). Or both.

C-class outsold the 3-series this month, that is big. Although the 3-series is in transition since the new model comes out in January I think. But still, C-class was #1 and E-class was #3 selling luxury car. Strong showing my the M-class too. The SL needs an update, that thing is dying.

LoL...just a 6spd. I do wonder if Chrysler is working on an 8 speed for their FWD models..they already have one for the good stuff.. No, Marchionne said the 2013 model will have an optional ZF 9-speed. It's going to be the S-class and the Dart leading the way, haha.

Could be an Epsilon 2 Impala concept. GM loves economies of scale and the W-body doesn't give them that any more. More likely will be some lame city car concept with an electric motor and 52 horsepower. Those are popular on the auto show circuit recently. ATS is what I am looking forward to the most. The Encore is a vehicle they need, GM needs a small girly crossover because they lose sales to competitors in that segment.

It will have an optional 9-speed transmission. It is going to be like the S-class!!!!

If Hyundai can design and build a DOHC V8 from scratch, then I am sure Cadillac can also. They did it for about 90 years, I'm sure they can do it again. Hyundai is also not coming out of chapter 11 in need to revamp several divisions and with no current V8 design to put into production. At some point the bankruptcy excuse isn't going to be valid anymore.... Agreed! People keep blaming bankruptcy, that was a self inflicted wound and GM still uses some of the same thinking that got them into that mess in the first place. It's time to move on and compete, if they can't afford to fund Cadillac then maybe they still have too many models, too many brands.

What is annoying is how well the Prius and Lexus ES350 sell. I guess I can see the Prius, it has little direct competition and is the best know hybrid. But the Es350 is probably the 4th best selling luxury car and there are so many better options at that price point. Wait, they still make the FJ Cruiser?

This is about as interesting as the new Kenmore refrigerator getting the energy star sticker.

If Hyundai can design and build a DOHC V8 from scratch, then I am sure Cadillac can also. They did it for about 90 years, I'm sure they can do it again.

Both are premium brands though, and they share engines between the R8 and Gallardo. BS. A $114,000 R8 sharing engine with $182,000 Lamborghini is same as a $30,000 Buick sharing engine with $50,000 Cadillac. Audi may be premium but Lamborghini is supercar. The R8 V10 is $150,000 base and $199,000 for the GT model. The $114,000 R8 gives you a V8, not a Lambo engine. Cadillac though goes beyond the engine sharing, they share a lot of platforms and other bits. Escalade/Tahoe, ELR/Volt, XTS/LaCrosse, SRX/Equinox. There is a lot of similarity there, the CTS is the only Cadillac that sets itself apart. 5-6 years ago Cadillac had more unique models, it seems lately they are becoming more and more like the rest of GM. That trend is what bothers me.

The important questions are:- Will having a unique engine architecture for Cadillac lead to substantially better performance and/or refinement Whether a majority of Cadillac buyers will want to pay an additional $5000~8000 for a unique engine architecture built in small volumes The answer to the first question is especially critical since it heavily influences the answer to the second. The extra cost becomes an especially hard sell when it is not backed by substantial superiority. The current breed of I4 and V6 engines shared between Cadillac and Chevy matches the performance levels of competing luxury marques so I do not see room for substantial improvements to be hard by going to an independent engine architecture. A 270hp 2.0 liter turbo or a 315~323hp 3.6 liter V6 is up there with the very best from Audi, BMW, M-B, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. Although I find the DI system on GM engines to be insufficiently "silenced" -- this however is more of a sound deadening issue and not really an engine architecture issue. On the V8 front, the LS3/L99 pushrod engines currently offer lower weight, smaller size and better fuel economy than competing DOHC V8s of similar output. This is an advantage to be capitalized on not something to frown at. The upcoming Generation V smallblock engines will bring VVT, cylinder deactivation and direct injection to bear, so I fully expect them to be competitive. Given the current landscape, I personally do not support the idea of doing a unique engine architecture for Cadillac and/or Buick. However, I do find that there is room of more substantial tuning differences between engines destined for Chevies and those slated for Caddies. One area, for example, is in fuel requirements. While the typical Chevy buyer will probably pay a notable amount of attention as to whether the car he buys will drink regular unleaded, somebody sinking 40, 50, 60 or 70K on a luxury car is much less likely to care. The difference between 87 octane and and 91 octane is a good 0.5~1.0 points in compression ratio. Higher compression equals more power as well as slightly better fuel economy. Hence, I'll like to see Cadillac V6s and V8s feature a compression bump along with the expected 5~7% power increase at the expense of requiring a 91 octane recommendation. I'll also like to see additional silencing on the Cadillac and Buck engines -- especially for the medium frequency DI groans. I agree on the differentiation of the V6. Making a 280-300 hp V6 for Chevy and a Cadillac V6 with a few different parts and higher compression ratio with 320-325 hp is a good way to start, and they are basically on that path. Nissan/Ford/Honda all do it with the 3.5 liter V6, then the 3.7 liter versions for Infiniti/Lincoln/Acura. GM could go down that road too with 2 displacements or maybe a supercharger on Cadillac V6s. Either way there should be something to set the Cadillac V6 apart from the Chevy/Buick versions, even if it is just 25 hp and maybe quieter operation. I disagree though about the V-series engine, and a Cadillac V8 in general. Cadillac should have a DOHC V8 that is theirs only. $5,000 extra isn't that much on a V-series product. V-series isn't supposed to be "cheap value" it is supposed to be "standard of the world." And the Audi A8 gets 28 mpg highway, and the Mercedes E550 coupe gets 27 mpg so good fuel economy can be had from a DOHC V8. The Mercedes V8 has the same highway mileage as a CTS V6 and the Merc has an extra 243 lb-ft of torque. That is a considerable difference.