smk4565

And hopefully they go after the Germans for real, instead of just talking about it. CTS should take over the price range of the STS/STS-V or go even higher.

The good thing about the CTS-V is having 3 body styles so it appeals to a wider base of people. However, I wonder if the V wagon will be short lived if sales are too low. On the lack of rear arm rest on CTS coupes, that shows the cost cutter that lives with in GM. If they cost cut on something passengers can touch, I know they cost cut on places the consumer doesn't see. So the CTS-V is what it is, its and entry level luxury car with a big engine. It is the same formula used on a Shelby Mustang or SRT Charger, just with a slightly better starting point. So if you want an entry level car with a big engine, it is the car for you.

Yawn. Looks pretty similar to the current one, which will appeal to current Camry buyers, but others will probably think the car looks a bit stale. Even the interior looks like a refreshed version of the old one. Same engines too. It is like they took the previous Camry, and told the engineers and designers to improve everything 10% and use no imagination in doing so. And this is the result.

Well, the new M5 does have 560 hp, and development of a triple turbo diesel M5 with ridiculous torque is well under way. I like the styling of new Mercedes models (although not a fan of the rear end of the CLS), but hard to pass up a Jaguar XK if buying on styling. Yeah it is slower than an AMG or V-series but on looks alone it kills all these cars.

Because Cadillac is run by General Motors, who likes to cut corners and save $$$. I think the interior could be better, it would look fine on a lower end ATS, but not on a car aimed at the German mid-sizers. I am not a fan of the piano black trim, but the regular gray looks really cheap also. Where's the real aluminum or some carbon fiber trim or something. But I must say I don't like how almost every car company does their performance line in all charcoal gray and black interiors. At least Jaguar (especially in the XJ) has a selection of leather colors and woods to pick from, more brands should follow suit.

Cadillac may be able to sell a few at $50k, but not many. Cadillac has never figured out how to sell a high dollar car. The Alante failed, XLR failed, STS-V (and really the whole STS line) failed also. The problem is Cadillac's current customer base doesn't spend over $50k on a car, and many of their conquests are Lincoln or bottom end Lexus drivers that also don't spend over $50k on a car. If Cadillac wants the $50-100k car shopper, they have to convert people that for years have been buying Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, and Jaguar. That customer set is not going to be wowed by a FWD compact with 150 hp, or even if with a 25% increase to the Volt's power, it is still 187 hp. Nor do they want a 17 foot long FWD barge with chrome and vertical tail lamps. All that is going to attract are people trading in Town Cars that are confused as to why Lincoln doesn't make it anymore. All these quick fixes and stop gaps are going to come back to haunt. If/when they ever do make a S-class fighter, how much credibility is it going to have when their line up is full of front drive, Chevy/Buick based cars. This is partly what hurt Pontiac, how could they be a performance brand (G8 and Solstice) when you have crap like the G3, G5, badge jobs like the Torrent and Montana, and a mediocre at best G6. Brands need image, and you think GM would have learned that after how they mishandled Olds, Pontiac, and Saturn.

Agreed with Oldsmoboi about the ELC name. And I agree with Oncblu about putting a good body on an otherwise underwhelming platform/powertrain.

I agree that sales matter but look at what sells in the $50k and higher luxury segment. Front wheel drive sure doesn't. Even at $40-50k look how the RL and MKS struggle and the DTS went from 100,000 sales a year to 25,000 a year. I support the idea of an electric Cadillac but it should not be a Chevy clone. Cadillac deserves better than to be a Volt trim level. Make an electric CTS, that would be much better. Cadillac has a second issue. They struggle big time selling high dollar cars (xlr, sts-v). Rumor is the ELR is $60,000, it has to be special. A volt isn't special otherwise it would sell.

I like it better as a hard top. Mid engine cars look a bit weird in convertible form, although the Audi R8 looks pretty good. But the great looking convertibles seem to be front engine with the longer hood, like an XK or SL.

Well my main point about the speed is the Delta and Epsilon platforms are not made for high speed travel or razor sharp handling. Same with the Accord and Camry platforms. That is why those platforms are bad to use on performance/luxury cars, and they the Germans are the luxury leaders. The problem with Lincoln and Acura is they offer the same performance as a Ford or Honda, Lincoln is basically a trim level that is why they run a risk of going out of business. Cadillac should not be a Buick or Cadillac trim level, and changing the sheet metal doesn't solve the problem.

An entirely absurd (and incorrect) statement. CTS, STS, SRX (either generation) and even an old 2001 Eldorado would like to have a word with you in the back SMK. Hell, a '96 Fleetwood as a top speed over 140mph. Just because the car has a top speed of 140 mph, doesn't mean it will be as stable at high speed autobahn cruising as an S-class, or handle the Nurburgring like a 3-series. On paper, Lexus sedans have good stats, but they don't perform or feel like a German car. Nor do the IS and GS sell like a 3-series or 5-series, because they just aren't as good.

No, there is a difference. Mercedes had the A-class and B-class that if sold here would be in the $20-30,000 range, basically being a luxury alternative to a Focus or Civic. BMW and Mercedes don't use that sort of platform on their $35,000+ cars, they use purpose built RWD platforms. This is where Acura, Lincoln, and some Lexus and Cadillac models fail. They want to use a platform and powertrain from a $25-30,000 sedan on a $50,000 luxury car. The Ford Fusion isn't made for 150 mph autobahn cruising or tearing up corners on the Nurburgring, nor should it be, that isn't its job. But when you turn that into a Lincoln and compare it to a Mercedes, that shortcoming is going to show up. One of Lexus's top engineers was recently interviewed about the GS, and how Lexus took the current GS to Germany to compare to an E-class and 5-series. Lexus's own engineer admitted that at 115 mph the GS350 didn't feel stable and he was confident in driving any faster than that, and he said that their chassis was not as good and not as stiff as the Mercedes. Cadillac wants to compete with the Germans, yet the CTS and ATS are the only cars even on the right track. The SRX, XTS, ELR, Escalade are not built for performance, they are built to the same standard as Chevrolets and Buicks. Lincoln, Acura, Lexus ES350, RX350 are all in the same boat. And some of those cars sell well, because some people don't care about performance and engineering. However none of those vehicles are the global standard.

They made a convertible version of the Lincoln Sentinal. Why build a concept for a car they can't and won't build. Even as a styling exercise, I can't see Cadillac making anything with that front end. This brand is going in so many different directions, they have no focus.

BMW i3 is rear wheel drive. And that is a city car built for a different reason. The ELR isn't being built as an urban only car. ELR, like the XTS, Lincolns, Acuras, etc is built on a platform designed for $20-30k cars. Cruze, Fusion, and Accord platforms don't cut it against Mercedes, that is why those brands struggle. The luxury buyer demands more than what the mass market family sedan buyer demands. Cadillac should electrify the ATS or CTS instead of making a Volt rebadge. Think about it, they want to ask CTS-V money for a FWD compact car. This car's interior better be Rolls-Royce level if they want that to succeed.

Because the Honda CRZ proved that everyone wants a sport-hybrid coupe/hatch, and we need a $60k luxury version. Oh wait, no one buys the CRZ, or the Lexus CT200h or HS250h for that matter.

Mercedes has an electric car on the way also, except theirs has 526 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque. Much cooler than a 149 hp front driver.

If XLR is a rear drive convertible, why is XTS a FWD sedan and why is ELR a 2-door hard top. These names don't make any sense, but Cadillac doesn't always plan things out too well. Another slow front drive, anti-performance car for a brand that keeps saying they want to compete with BMW and Mercedes. The Volt's top speed is 100 mph, I assume this will be the same. And here is why Cadillac, Lexus, Lincoln, Acura etc all trail the Germans. Their cars for the most part are made to not go above 100 mph, they are engineered to not do anything more than run of the mill everyday driving. Mercedes engineers their cars to travel smoothly at 150 mph, thus their chassis are so solid. The American and Japanese luxury brands don't strive for that high standard, they are satisfied with mid-level, and that is why they are chasers, not leaders.

Now we're talking. The Holden Cruze diesel has 360 NM of torque which translates to 265 lb-ft of torque to us. That much torque with even 45 mpg is a pretty tasty combo.

I don't see price as being offset by gas savings when the $43k Volt offers no additional space, luxury, or performance than a $23k Cruze. Plus, the Volt costs $1.50 to charge and that gives it about the same range a Cruze has on $3.75 in gas. So the Volt costs half as much to power, but that isn't nearly enough to recoup a $20k price difference, or $13k with a tax credit, while that lasts. Problem #2 is the battery warranty. It is 8 years/100,000 miles, which to me isn't nearly enough. Whether buying the Volt new or used, I'd be scared to death that the battery will need replaced when the car is 8-10 years old which could cost over $10,000. A gasoline engine can last 20 years, 200,000 miles without worry of having to replace it. The Volt's residual values could be terrible once the car is beyond 5 years old.

Agreed on Regal over the Century. The Century has the 3.1 liter, I drove one years ago, and it was pretty poor. Plus it even look more like a car for the elderly than the Regal does. That black Regal isn't the answer though, the leather is all ripped, and the car looks beat. I'd look for another Regal. The Grand Prix or Grand Am/Alero of the same era are good options also. Depends on how big a car he wants. My guess is insurance rates are low on a Buick, so that could work in your favor.

Too expensive for a small, slow Chevy, that isn't overly luxurious. The amount of exposure hurts it, although the Volt was heavily advertised before it went on sale, and articles were written about it, so people should know what it is. The real killer is the cost, the car just isn't worth what they charge for it, even with the tax credit.

The 2 main problems with this car are that used ones, even like 2008 models with low miles, sell for less than half what it costs new and secondly, the a CTS is better. So there is no reason really to buy one new when you can get a used STS for half, or a better CTS for less. I test drove a V8, rear drive STS once, and it felt floaty and body rolled a lot. I was really disappointed with the handling, that is what turned me away from it.

Car design of the 80s (especially early on) was so boxy, long, and boring. The Town Car was the poster child of that. I agree with oncblu, I think that is the cheese they are cutting lose.

I am surprised that adding an airbag would cause such financial strain, you'd think they could source it off another automaker. But at the same time, to block a car that might sell 10 units a year, is pointless. Plus, this is basically a track car anyway, and race cars don't have airbags either, but the government lets them race every weekend.

Case in point BMW i brand. Vehicles which are going to have all the attributes mentioned above. And you love that brand, don't you? The BMW i3 is RWD and the i8 is AWD. The i3 city car does 0-60 in 8 seconds, which is better than a Smart For2 or Aveo/Fit/Yaris type car. The i8 does 0-60 in 5 seconds, thanks to the electric motor up front and the 220 hp turbo 3-cylinder in back. It also has 50/50 weigh distribution, gets 94 mpg Imperial, and top speed of 155 mph. And I don't love that brand, Jaguar is my favorite luxury brand, and I prefer Mercedes to BMW. BMWs have great driving dynamics and mechanical bits, but I never cared much for the styling (especially during the Bangle era). Although I think the new 5 and 7 series look better than the old ones.