smk4565

I don't think he'll say they are looking to borrow money, that will make it look like bankruptcy is near. They have enough cash to survive this year and 2009.

Hopefully this is a real plan, that can be implemented quickly. Not another pledge to cut down on rebadges (the lambdas and epsilons proved that to be a lie) or claim that they are investigating diesels and hybrids while the rest of the industry is building them. Hopefully he isn't conducting a press conference to discuss attractive new lease offers for the full size Chevy Traverse, or the new Hummer H3 pickup and reminding us that the Saab 9-4X and Cadillac BRX/SRX are coming because the General needs some more SUVs. I am guessing he does some PR spin, says they are considering the sale of Hummer, and are committed to fuel efficient cars in the future, and hope that keeps the stock price from going under $9 by August. I think investors are looking for action and not talk though. We've heard "wait til next year" since they hired Lutz 5 years ago.

My logic behind it was that Europeans look at a Cadillac as 2nd class, like we in the USA look at Hyundai as second class. The way people here think the Genesis is not a worthy competitor is exactly how Europeans think of Cadillac. But the comparison is valid. $42,000 for a Genesis V8, A CTS DI can easily go high $40s (the one I test drove was $50,200). Their skid pad numbers are the same, options lists are similar, but the Genesis has a 17 speaker 500 watt stereo compared to 10 speaker, 300 watt in the CTS, and the Genesis is faster and roomier. The Genesis V8 even gets 17/25 mpg, the CTS V6 is 17/26. The CTS is closer to the Genesis than it is to a 335i or 535i.

The XF uses aluminum trim not gray plastic imitation stuff like some cars. The leather wrapped dash (premium or supercharged) is real leather, not imitation, and I happen to like the gimmicks. I'll agree that it can be a little tight feeling because the console is high in the middle. The XF interior is better than the A6, 5-series or E-class. The XJ is like a fancier, better made Town Car. It has that old fashioned feel with gobs of burled walnut wood trim.

The Tundra isn't a total dud, they sold nearly 200,000 of them, all pickups are falling now. The Tundra is ugly as can be, and pickup buyers are generally loyal, that is what really hurts it. Plus the Tundra is not better than the Silverado. The Tundra faces the same problem Cadillac has breaking into Europe. To break into a new market you have to blow away the competition, not just get 90% of the way there. Toyota has the new Sequoia that is nicer than the Land Cruiser and does 0-60 in 6.2 seconds, so people will buy that instead of the Land Before Time Cruiser. I am glad that the CTS-V is going to Europe after all. I hope Clarkson tests the regular and V versions of the CTS.

Tata turns a couple billion a year in profit and their revenue grew 29% in 2007. They are a growing and profitable company, Tata can get Jaguar turned around. They already approved 2 new engines, and the return of the E-Type and an all new XJ. Ford is a shrinking company that is losing money, they had to sell. Plus Ford can focus on their core brands, maybe sell Volvo.

I don't have to go through the tunnel. I got the Aurora because it was cheap for a 2 year old car, and was one of the nicest GM cars at the time. The Aurora handles better than the Seville I think and didn't have as much as the old person's image that early 2000s Cadillacs had. I also did more highway driving then, and do more windy PA road driving now. What I like about BMWs is they feel agile and you feel connected to the road. The CTS feels heavier than the Aurora and feels a bit isolated from the road. I like the Aurora, I like the smoothness of the V8, but I don't need a big car and would like better mileage and better handling. I have yet to drive a CTS rear drive with FE3, that might help, but the dealer only had awd ones. The A4 is noisy if you have the 2.0 and the ride can be a little rough and the interior is boring. Solid build quality, but not a car I'd buy.

BMW's badge matters because they spent years of building that image. Every BMW product is near top of the class and has been for 20 or 30 years. (the Z4 so-so but that is a niche car) The reason people keep buying them is because they don't take the easy way out and rebadge a Chevy Tahoe or sell a sedan with a 4-speed auto and engine from 1994. The CTS is decent, I'd take it over any car from Japan or Lincoln but it is doesn't handle or perform like a 5-series. I've driven the current and previous generation 5-series and the current and previous generation CTS, the BMW drives better. I don't like iDrive or the styling of the current 5-series, so that would probably keep me from buying one. All new E-class, A6 and 5-series within the next 18 months, so there will be choices out there.

I think it is about time to fire Wagoner, although they may hold on to him because there is no one better to replace him with. He's had 8 years, and they are operating with the same mentality they used in the 80s and 90s. They need to wipe out some layers of middle management also. GM seems to be more of a marketing company trying to sell a deal rather than an engineering company selling a great car. I agree about the "wait til next year" thing. GM has been saying that for years, they are always a little behind the curve. GM is in trouble for sure, they can't lose money at the current rate for very long, and "wait til 2010 when the union contract kicks in" is not the answer. The economy can still get worse, gas could hit $5 a gallon, and things could get worse. Leases on full size SUVs that they did a year or so ago based on projected resale values are going to hurt GM also, because at the end of the lease those SUVs aren't going to be worth anything and GM gets stuck eating the difference. The number that hurts GM most is R&D spending. Toyota spends about $8 billion a year for their 40-50 models worldwide. GM spends $6 billion a year for their dozen brands and nearly 100 models worldwide. GM is spreading less money over twice as many vehicles and 3 times as many brands. I say kill or sell Saab and Hummer and kill Saturn. Saturn is a brand of rebadges so it has no value to anyone else. They don't need GMC truck, Chevy already sells them. I could see a place for GMC as the work truck/fleet brand selling pickups and vans to cable, phone companies, etc. That cuts their marketing budget to about zero and still leaves some sales for B-P-G dealers.

The A4 and CTS get dusted by the 335i because the 335i has more torque, flatter torque curve, more horsepower (that engine is making over 300 hp), less weight, and better gear ratios. One strong suit of the A4 2.0T is gas mileage, my mom averages 25 mpg in hers which is very good for an all wheel drive car. I do like the LED lights that the A5 and new A4 have under the headlights.

The Genesis gets .86 g on the skidpad, same as the CTS, and the Genesis does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, which is better than the CTS. I have driven the CTS, but obviously not the Genesis, I would guess the CTS is firmer and handles better since the Genesis is aimed at comfort/luxury not performance. Although the CTS to me feels too heavy and not as agile as I would like. My real point was just as we laugh at the Genesis, the Europeans laugh the same at an American performance/luxury car. Cadillac's challenge is to make global cars that are respected everywhere, so they need better cars. Even in the USA they are the #4 selling luxury brand, if they can't be #1 here, how can they compete in Europe.

The Jaguar XK came out in 2007. I wish the XF had headlights more like the concept, but the car looks better in person than in pictures. Plus they have 2 new engines and a hybrid system coming. The new XJ is an all aluminum chassis, 8-speed transmission, all new 5 liter DOHC V8 with plus hybrid option and the styling is said to be more modern and aggressive than the XF. The 2010 Audi A6 is all aluminum, Mercedes is cutting the weight of every car by 5% and hybrid S-class coming this fall, the 7-series has in car internet and a new twin turbo V8 that gets better mileage than the old V8, the 3-series has an 80 gig hard drive now. Where is Cadillac's aluminum car, or 8-speed transmission, or diesel engine or 2-mode hybrid sedan.

The Jaguar XF is the real deal. Ford ran Jaguar into the ground, they are going to make a comeback with TATA financing behind them. Car and Driver like the XF a lot, Edmunds.com said it was better than the 550i, E550 and A6, Motor Trend said it was better than the 550i, E550, and GS460, even AutoCar magazine in Germany said it was better than the 550i, and obviously the UK car rags like it. Jaguar went through a bad time in the 70s and 80s, but they are back. The XF interior is amazing, it is better than anything short of an S-class. It is a car you have to see in person and sit in to appreciate.

Agreed. First Saturn was a dent resistant door car for young people on a budget, now they are supposed to be euro-styled and more upscale than Chevy or Pontiac. Saturn with only 1 model in 1994 had better sales than they did in 2007 with 5 models. Saturn fans that complain about lack of dealers are full of crap also. Lexus has fewer dealers and sells more cars than Saturn, and Lexus costs double the money. Saturn, Saab and Hummer need to go away, and GM needs to focus on the core that they have forgotten about.

Europeans that want neck snapping performance can buy a Mercedes AMG, BMW M, or Audi RS. Or the Jag XF-R that is coming. The CTS-V doesn't have the class or image that those cars have, the Europeans will see it as no more than a muscle car. It does have a great Nurburgring time, which is a plus, but the interior isn't good enough, it doesn't have a DOHC engine or 7 or 8 speed transmission or carbon fiber body panels, etc. Just as most Cadillac/Lexus buyers in the USA doesn't see the Genesis as an equal, the Europeans don't see Cadillac as equal to their cars, they see it as a second rate car, that sells at a discount for a reason. The Genesis actually stacks up well against a CTS, it is cheaper, roomier (which people always say make a Cadillac better than a BMW) and the Genesis handles just as well and is faster. The arguments used as to why a CTS is better than a BMW (roomier, cheaper, bigger engine) can be used to say a Genesis is better than a CTS, but when you get down to the little details and the image there is a difference. I want to see Cadillac challenge the Germans, but the CTS isn't enough.

Cadillac needs to sell cars in every part of the world to be considered a world-class brand. Right now they are a tier 2, US luxury brand. Unfortunately I don't see them ever getting to tier 1, although I wish they would. Europeans would see the CTS-V's engine as too big, too low-tech, and wouldn't respect the car enough to consider buying it. It is kind of like Hyundai attempting to sell a 500 hp car in the USA, although at least they took a try at aiming upward with the Genesis, GM seems to not even want to try the CTS-V over there, which is sad.

Audis ride about as stiff as they come. My mom drives an Audi, my grandmother has a Buick, they are polar opposites. The Audi is way better built, though Audi is not a car I would buy. I like the new Lincoln look, if Buick could even get on par with Lincoln that would be a huge step forward, they are still far form Lexus/Acura. Buick's cars are closer to the Camry/Avalon. For the Invicta to be a contender, the interior should be about what the current STS is. That would make it comparable to a lower end Lexus.

I have heard the Mercedes V6 is very good, but haven't been in one. The BMW inline 6 is a good engine, more refined than the Northstar even. The 3.6 is way to harsh and unrefined in the Aura and SRX. The DI V6 is a little better, but it still isn't as good as what the Germans have. I drove an 08 CTS about a month ago, they only had AWD ones at the dealer, and the awd car felt way too heavy, it is nearly 300 pounds more than my Aurora. The engine was not very impressive and had to rev a ton to move the weight. I was always around 3500-4000 to get the car to feel remotely quick. If Cadillac can't do better, l will be getting my first non-GM car. My favorite car now is the Jaguar XF, I can just save for one of those.

GM doesn't know how to design global cars and that hurts them. Cadillacs should be made to sell anywhere in the world, like Audi, BMW and Mercedes do. The 2.8 liter is too old of an engine, they need a 240-250 hp DI V6 that gets over 30 mpg highway, and a really good diesel. The CTS needs to get on a diet also. I am eagerly awaiting Clarkson's review of the new CTS. Europeans tend to laugh at pushrods, but if the CTS-V's engine isn't viable in other markets, then they picked the wrong engine.

The G8 is not refined, I've sat in 2, and the interior belongs in a Cobalt or low end G6 at best. Too many panel gaps and it is all black plastic. I've driven the Aura, SRX, and CTS DI and the 3.6 is too whiny and unrefined in the Aura and SRX, in the CTS it isn't bad, but they used a lot of sound deadening. BMW's inline six (even without the turbo) is a better motor than the 3.6 DI. I drove the CTS DI AWD and a 530i back to back, the 5er has better steering, braking and handling, it almost felt faster despite having 50 fewer hp. Personally I don't like BMW styling or iDrive, but no sedan GM has can drive like a BMW. Almost anything rear drive would smoke the TL on the Nurburgring. The TL doesn't make a lot of sense, they are trying to make a performance front wheel drive car. Front drive works for geezer cars like the Lexus ES, but not for sporty cars.

The current TL looks ok, it has sort of a sleek look to it. The 09 is hideous. All the new Acuras with the new grille look bad, not surprising that their sales keep dropping. Plus their engine is mounted the wrong way and driving the wrong set of wheels.

Z28 used to be below SS. I think the LS3 is plenty of motor for the Camaro, that is still 400-430 hp. Those that want more can go to the Corvette. If the Camaro with 500 hp were to cost $45-50,000 why not just get a Vette? They should worry more about keeping weight down. The base 3.5 liter pushrod V6, which they figured was unfit for the Malibu, but it's still good enough for the Camaro? I can't get too excited about a 2010 Camaro with the same V6 in the 2004 Malibu. They need something new like Ford's Ecoboost that has economy and power. The 3.6 DI engine is a good mid-range engine, although gas mileage on it isn't that great. The 2.0 DI turbo only gets 20-21 mpg combined, that isn't good enough either, the Hyundai Genesis V8 gets 20 mpg combined.

Because No-Va was such a hit in Spanish speaking countries the first time around.

Hummer sales were down 55% in June, Saab sales were down 54%, Buick down 34%. Saab and Hummer are competing for worst selling brand in the USA (besides Maseratti, Rolls-Royce, etc) and Buick is the 6th best selling GM brand. They aren't attracting buyers. Pontiac and GMC sales have been down all year also. Bankruptcy costs more than closing a couple brands. GM stock is in the $9 dollar range today, lowest in 60 years.

Buick sales are down 21% in 2008, and were down 34% in June. That is decay, not rebirth. Look closely at the wood trim in the Enclave, what is on the steering wheel is not the same as what is on the console, not even the same grain, one is straight grain, one is burled. Details matter on luxury cars, and Lexus doesn't miss details like that.