smk4565

I agree that interior and exterior style are most important to most people, but the car's weight hurts it. The CTS's track numbers are well behind it's competitors except for the C-class, and the CTS's gas mileage is rather so-so as well. Sales were up a ton over the old model that has slowing sales toward the end. Plus STS sales drop every month, the CTS I think it taking sales from it, as it should the STS is terrible, although it has nice seats, better than the little ones in the CTS.

Well the Enclave isn't the best in class either, the Mazda CX-9 gets better reviews than it. The Lambdas suffer from the same weight problem as the CTS. Reputation of cars/brands is huge, I agree that is why Lexus sells cars and Buick and Pontiac don't. GM's brands needs a better reputation, to do that they need to dump low image models, mainly the cars that are fleet sale gods. Camry has reputation on it's side, so it can outsell the Accord, Malibu doesn't, so it better be the benchmark if they want to get new buyers, otherwise the import lovers will just buy more imports. I know the CTS doesn't compete with the 5-series, as much as some people want it to, but it doesn't really compete with the 3-series either, because of the huge performance gap. The Cadillac lineup is all messed up, GM's slow transition and too many models to fix is hurting their chances to truly compete with the imports.

Toyota's quality will be fine I think, they don't get lazy or complacent. Even though they slipped they are still top 5 out of 37 car brands, it isn't like they are Dodge. Either way, if I were GM, I wouldn't be waiting for Toyota to screw up, I'd assume they are going to try hard, so we have to also. 2008 Accord is better than the 2008 Malibu, Malibu looks better, Accord has better interior, more power, more fuel economy, more resale value and about 16 years in a row of 10 Best awards from every car mag there is. The Malibu is a big improvement, better than most, but not the class benchmark. How many Malibus are sold in Europe and Asia? To beat Honda and Toyota, they need to sell them outside the US, and go for 500,000+ per year world wide. Great cars sell at that level. (without rental fleet sales) Buick sales are down 23% this year, the Lexus RX easily outsells the Enclave and the Lexus is more dated and costs a lot more. If I am GM, I am not looking toward Buick to ensure a good future. CTS has the best styling theme of any entry to middle luxury car, however use of cheap gray plastic and cheap base wheels (and lack of fog lights on base car) leads to an average execution of a great design. And Road and Track just rated the G35 better than the CTS, the CTS needs to get on a diet fast. The next 5-series is going to be crazy good, if Cadillac wants to compete with it, they need have a lot of work to do. The 535d is coming here, it is just as fast as a CTS and gets better gas mileage than an Aveo or Malibu Hybrid, not to mention a twin turbo V10 M5. I am still waiting (and hoping) for Cadillac to get the hardware to compete with the upper echelon of luxury cars.

It is time to get rid of Saab and Hummer, the sales of both are tanking hard, I don't see why they keep introducing models and spending money to advertise for vehicles no one wants. Pontiac and Buick are struggling also, Buick is down about 23% on the year and will sell under 190,000 units this year. If they give up Hummer and Saab and focus all those resources to Buick and Pontiac, maybe they can save those 2 brands. At the rate they are going, all 4 brands will be dead by 2020. The other brands are doing fine, I am not too excited about the CTS's increase over the old model yet, because it is still new, and the STS sales are going to nothing, so I'm not sure they are really beating the competition in any way. If next October the CTS is a year old and goes up 10% in sales, that will be impressive.

Wagons don't sell, especially American ones, and they aren't image boosters, no surprise to the the Magnum die. I am surprised they aren't dumping the Aspen and Durango too, maybe after they launch the hybrid versions and see people still don't want them, they'll give up on them later down the line. Crossfire and PT Convertible hardly sell, makes sense to dump them. The PT is mainly a rental car now, I could see that going in a year or 2. I think Chrysler is in trouble, the Dodge Journey I don't see as being a hit, and the Sebring/Avenger aren't doing much. They have Jeep and the 300C and minivans, hard to survive on that.

Notice how BMWs never have plastic body cladding or super sized wheels, or those vinyl or canvas carriage tops that Devilles always have. The classy approach seems to work for them and Mercedes, I don't know why Cadillac doesn't try to be like them, and less like Pontiac and Chevy from the 90s. That CTS sport is horrid looking. The IS-F is horrid looking too with a bad interior, but it does to 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, it is impressive in that regard at least. I bet their handling lags behind the Germans though.

It looks better than the current one, it is a good blend of Camry and Yaris, so it fits right in. I don't like the styling on any Toyota, I think they are all ugly, but the Toyota faithful will like this car, and they got a better engine option finally and 5 speed auto optional, so it will be competitive for sure. Probably isn't a better car than the Civic but it will outsell every other compact because it is a Toyota. The current, really dated Corola is the #3 selling car in the country, I am sure this one will maintain that spot.

I think the IS-F is ugly and the interior of the IS is rather cheap, too many shared parts with Toyotas. But the fake exhaust tips aren't much worse than the fake air vents on the Cadillacs or Buicks. Lexus and GM are just trying to dress up their cars to chase Mercedes and BMW that make cars that are expensive and not just try to look the part.

I think it is good that they don't have a huge wing or plastic moldings all over it, the old supercharged SS looked kind of tacky. The problem is the Cobalt looks like a boring rental car, so the SS still looks boring. If the car looks good to begin with, then a simple wheel, grill and spoiler kit with a little change in molding can make the car look really good. Like and AMG Mercedes. Looks sporty and better than the base version, without looking tacky or cheap.

I have an Auora (2001), and I agree the transmission is smooth, but it could definitely use another gear or 2, the car would be so much more responsive. The 4-speed limits the engine. I am buying rear drive next time also, front drive limits a car a lot also.

The Vette is noisy, but so are most other sports cars. So it doesn't hurt the Vette that much. Put that noisy engine in a Cadillac, compared to the quiet, smooth Lexus, BMW, and Benz models and the Cadillac doesn't match up as well. It is the same reason the Malibu is all DOHC now, they can't compete with the Camry with a pushrod and 4-speed auto. Pushrod V8s aren't as bad as pushrod V6s because the V8 is naturally smoother, and in a sports car or pick up truck you can get away with it still. And for a pickup, it is alsmost better because of low end power, and refinement not mattering as much, but they have no place in luxury cars, and I know Bentley has one, but they are Bentley.

Corvette is a different kind of car. I was talking about people trading in 5-series for STS or CTS, it isn't going to happen with a lot of frequency. That is why BMW sales go up every year 5-10% and Cadillac sales have been stagnant or falling lately. Cadillac is still at a similar sales level as they were in the early 90s, when Lexus, Mercedes and BMW were hardly making a big impact, now those brands all sell far more than Cadillac. Cadillac's average buyer is still over 60, along with Lincoln, Buick and Jaguar. They need new products, fast. And while GM is studying a 7 speed transmission, Mercedes is is in their third year actually making one.

My car has a DOHC V8, it is better than any pushrod, much quieter and smoother. The CTS is an entry level car, it is $32,000, that is less than a C-class or 3-series base model. $42,000 is where luxury tax starts. Cadillac's dimensions are just all wrong. $50,000 is middle luxury, an E-class is $51,000 base. An S-class is $89,000 base, although many other upper end sedans start in the $75-80k range. Cadillac's most expensive sedan bases at $43,000. There is nothing wrong with the CTS's interior when compared to other entry level cars like the TL, G35, etc. And their V8 model will be a pushrod, Mercedes and BMW drivers are not going to trade their car in on. Cadillac is hoping that a Charger or Mustang driver that got a pay raise will come buy their loud, rough, pushrod, 1970s muscle car engine and think it is a fitting for a luxury car. I admit I hate pushrods, I owned one, I'd never buy one again. Luckily for me there are 10 other luxury brands that offer all DOHC, so not like I'll have a hard time finding a car.

This is why the CTS shouldn't be compared to a 5-series, the price gaps are big. I looked at a CTS awd a few days ago at the dealer, it was $48,400 on the sticker, I assume that is every option. And oddly enough, there was no V8, 2008 model there, wonder why. The 550i can run up near $70,000, the portly and dated STS is the car to compare to the 5-series. The CTS is a good entry level car, it has some flaws, but most cars in that price class do. For less than $48,000 one could get a Chrysler 300 SRT-8, that can crush the CTS V6 in performance, does that mean it is a better car? It is the same when comparing a CTS-V to the 550i. The 550i beats it in interior and features, the CTS-V offers more performance. It will be interesting to see how good the 555i is and what happens when the M5 gets a twin turbo V10. Meanwhile Cadillac will be stuck with a pushrod as their top engine, nice., Pontiac and Dodge/Chrysler do it, Cadillac should want to be in that elite class. Cadillac has better design than the Germans, I don't see why they can't use better materials (there is a lot of plastic inside and out on the CTS) and build a legit competitor in various classes, rather than 1 midsize, low price luxury car and a pair of one foot in the grave, also rans.

I don't think the CTS is close at all to the 5-series. I just sat in an 08 CTS over the weekend at an event one of the dealers did. I sat in a $48,000 model and it had 2 way power lumbar and an 8 way power seat. My 01 Aurora has 8 way and 4 way lumbar, how can the CTS not at least have that. The 5-series offers a 20 way seat, and you can pull out the lower portion of the headrest and wrap it around your neck like an airplane pillow. Their seats are unmatched, not by Lexus or anyone else. The 5-series has a tool kit, first aid kit, rechargeable flashlight in glove compartment. The 5-series has a V8 (and a V10), CTS does not. 5-er 13 speaker 7.1 surround, CTS 10 speaker 5.1. The 535xi is 5.4 seconds 0-60 (550i is 5.2) the CTS is in the 6.5 second range with awd. And the 5-series is in it's 5th model year, with a very mild refresh this year with a new engine choice. The CTS matches up great against a MKZ, TL, G35 might be a little sportier, but is not as luxurious, it is better than a fair amount of cars, but it is not in the league of a 5-series or E-class.

GM seems to be the one that compares the CTS to the 5-series, I think the CTS should be compared to the 3-series and deal with the fact that is in no way can match the 335i in performance. Cadillac has no 5-series competitor or Lexus LS460 or Mercedes S-class competitor. What Cadillac has is 3 sedans that cost about $45,000, and nothing people are eager to drop $60-100k on. What they need is a small car, and a car people will drop $60-100k on. The 3-series was popular 12-15 years ago, I don't know why they are still waiting to make a small luxury car. GM has some weird belief that size and price must go up together, and Cadillacs must be big since they are luxury cars.

It's good to see toyota fall, but they still have Scion and Toyota in the top 5, and 5 spots ahead of any domestic. It isn't like they fell behind Ford and Dodge, it isn't really a big deal. And Consumer Reports recommendations aren't based on how a car drives, I never listen to them anyway.

Since it was the first 8 speed automatic in a car, it makes Lexus look like the technology leader. The LS460 gets 16/24 mpg which edges the 15/24 from the STS with 60 fewer hp, it beats the BMW 750i also, so the transmission must help in some fashion. It is likely that the 8 speed offers almost no advantage over a 7 speed, and only marginal over a 6 speed, but it is perception. People see 8 speed or 400 hp and they want that more than 6 speed and 320 hp. The 5-series is getting an 8-speed, so if the CTS is a 5-series competitor, they will need an 8 speed also, otherwise there are in the Acura, Lincoln, Volvo luxury tier, which are all going more towards a premium brand, not a luxury brand. I am just saying GM has to keep up with the market, whether it makes total sense or not. They neglected mid size sedans for years, now the Malibu is 100,000s of sales behind the Accord and Camry. They neglected minivans and didn't match what Honda was doing, now they are down to 1 bad minivan in it's final model year.

Bowtie Dude is right, GM is really late to the party and they don't even realize it. They don't realize they don't have a choice with what they make anymore, they have to build what others are doing. Lexus, BMW, Mercedes have 7-8 speed so Cadillac must do it. Accord and Camry are all DOHC so the Malibu has to be. They are chasing the trends and standards set by others. I don't remember the last time Honda, Toyota, or BMW saw some thing GM did and said, wow we have to copy that. Aside from making a pickup truck maybe. Of course Toyota went with 381 hp and 6 speed automatic vs the Silverado's 315 hp and 4-speed, at least the Silverado is really good in so many other areas to make up for it.

Hopefully they get them on the market semi fast. But they do need to get rid of all the 4 speeds first, even the cobalt and Aveo should get at least a 5 speed auto. The GMT900s need a six speed. Cadillac is going to need 7 or 8 if they want to keep up with the market. The next 5-series and 7-series will be 8-speed automatic. I hope they act fast, Cadillac is a follower right now, and Lexus and BMW are dictating what goes in the market, and setting the standards. Even with an 8 speed automatic on a Cadillac (in 2010 or so), they will just be equaling what Lexus did on the 2007 LS. It would be nice for once for Lexus or BMW to be chasing Cadillac, but I am thinking that is becoming more and more unlikely.

The car I was thinking of was the Subaru SVX, the 2 door sports car with the plastic line through the windows. It was an odd looking car, I forgot the name of it.

Bad idea, it will get confused with the V-series, and drag the V-series cars down. Maybe they should not use RX, since RX is a Lexus, there is already the SRX, it will just get lost in the shuffle and people won't know what it is. VRX sounds like an 80s Japanese sports car anyways, wasn't that a Subaru already?

I really like the exterior styling of this car, but interior and gas mileage won't compare well to the Accord, and the Accord has more power. They better not forget about the Altima either, that has become a sales winner. I just hope they don't do "this is our country, this is our car" ads with John Mellencamp. I read they are going to limit rental fleet sales to 20% (down from 40% currently) on the new malibu. The Camry and Accord are closer to 7%, so I think the Malibu will still seem like a rental car when 1 out of 5 is a bare bones silver one on the Enterprise lot.

Decent, but not great mileage. I am still most impressed with the Escape hybrid that gets 34 mpg city. Motor Trend just had a hybrid comparison with the Altima, Camry and Aura, they finished in that order. The Aura had a 10.5 second 0-60 time which is really lousy, this thing may be slow too. The Altima was 7.1 seconds 0-60 and 33/34 mpg I think, both were impressive numbers, GM needs numbers like that.

February 09 seems like a long time away, I wish it were summer 08. The positive will be that Transformers 2 comes out in the summer of 2009, so they can tie in the Camaro with that. Chevy needs some excitement, their car line up (aside from the Vette) hasn't had any in a while. The 3.5 V6 is bad now, it will seem really bad in 2010. I think the 3.6 is even a little unrefined and could be improved, especially when it comes to fuel mileage. The Impala's base engine needs to be Accord V6 level. A 6.2 liter V8 seems like a huge jump up, there is no middle ground, like the 5.3 liter. I wonder how much gas that engine will use also. The Chrysler 300 SRT sucks gas and that is a 6.1 liter and I don't see many on the road. I am all for offering the big engine, but they need something smaller I think too.