I've owned two CTS "Luxury" sedans. I must be living a charmed life because both cars have been fantastic. The physical dimensions of today's Americans and low gas prices are driving SUV sales. It's too bad because there are some great muscle cars on the market but that market has aged and todays "motor-head" doesn't exist, or is at the very least, more interested in something else. Hopefully Cadillac will come up with another compelling model of something that consumers want to buy.
16
I drove a 3.0L CTS with a manual (yes, clutch) 6 sped transmission today and what a great car. I'll take a Cadillac over any other car.
23
Unfortunately for Cadillac, they don’t make beautiful cars. Even if the public weren’t so enamored of ridiculous SUVs, not many people would buy these ugly cars.
32
I guess I am unusual in that SUVs are not appealing to me. They all look like an airport courtesy shuttle, they don't fit in a lot of parking spaces, and they cost a lot more than most other vehicles.
53
One of my uncles used to say that everybody should own a Cadillac once in their life. But he (now deceased) came from an era when Cadillac was still truly "the standard of the world." If I ever decide that I am in the market for a Caddy I think I will do my shopping in the classic car market. Nothing post 1965 for me thanks. I like my Cadillacs with 2 full size leather couches, plenty of chrome, tail fins and the turning radius of an ocean liner (with similar fuel economy) thank you very much.
32
Cadillac must be a duplicate of the German brands in every facet of design, engines, design, materials, construction and eventually reputation. Until they are recognized for such improvements, they will not compete at the higher limits. Perception is the key and currently, Cadillac is a second fiddle.
14
I'm going to follow the lead of the majority of commenters on this one, ignoring the point of the article and telling you about my best car: my 1966 VW Karmann Ghia.
32
My next car is a Tesla. The cheap one. It’s on order so I have to wait. But the anticipation is fun. The idea of buying any other vehicle did not excite me. But Tesla does.
14
Cadillac does indeed make beautiful and luxurious cars, a pleasure to experience. But they also have a history of cars which fall apart more quickly than many other makes, making them a poor investment.
16
Cadillac should look at the success of the "modern-retro" craze which started with the VW Beetle and the Ford Thunderbird for inspiration. Ford, Dodge, and Chevy have enjoyed sustained success with the new Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro. These cars all put a modern twist on classic, proven designs from a time when car design was paramount.
Their current "stealth" look is pretty much the opposite of their classic designs. Cadillac has an enormous design heritage to tap - I can't believe they haven't already.
15
Who is stupid enough to buy one of those cars. My Honda Accord has twice the room at a third the price.
44
The only people who buy Cadillacs are hoodlums buying Escalades and fogeys who want a barge but don't want a mundane Buick.
Otherwise, they are a forgotten brand with nothing but plagiarized BMW wannabes (And why buy a wannabe when you can buy the real thing?) with too much Chevrolet cheapness leaking thru the cracks.
Go back to fighting Lincoln, and worry about what Hyundai (Genesis) has up it's sleeves to knock you a few steps lower on the luxury food chain.
16
Did anyone ever buy a Cadillac because it was a very reliable auto ? That’s where the Germans and Japanese shine. And they look pretty good and hold up resale values. Maybe Cadillac is just following Chrysler, Rambler, Studebacker, etc. into “history”.
15
Being a stodgy, retiree, I bought a Toyota Camry.
22
Only until gas hits 4 bucks a gallon again. then you'll find these SUV's abandoned on the side of highways
17
What's the point of having a nice car anymore? It will simply be stuck in traffic and inevitably hit by another car or debris. And the offending party won't honor their responsibility. So now you're driving an expensive piece of junk.
15
Cadillac does not make a smooth luxurious automobile. Today's Cadillac reminds me of a truck. What makes a Cadillac a Cadillac? It appears to be an expensive Buick.
17
Be careful what you wish for. I suspect another whip lash is coming to the US auto industry as they build bigger and heavier trucks and SUVs and passenger cars that can achieve speeds of 200 MPH in stock form powered by 800 HP engines.
The "Hellcat" supercharged engine used in Dodge Charger and Challenger at full power can empty the fuel tank in 13 minutes.
The price of gas is going up, and is now over $3/gal in many parts of the country.
The last time gas prices rose dramatically was in 2007 when they reached their second highest price, adjusted for inflation, after 1982 prices.
The used car lots filled with Escalades and Excursions and Explorers and Rams as people dumped their gas hogs for more fuel efficient cars, which the Big 3 then offered.
Today, the Big 3 are almost out of the passenger car business.
12
I drive many test cars in a given year and I can say without reservation that Cadillac cars are superb. It's not the cars, but the image. Cadillac frittered away its reputation with junky rides for old people in the '80s and '90s, even though most of its vehicles today are as good or better than anything produced by the Germans. The brand still struggles to find its identity.
This has caused many well-off Americans, who are woefully ignorant about cars, to gravitate to European brands just for the badge. They assume that if they buy a BMW or Mercedes, it must be good. Plus, the prestige name gives buyers a sense of self-worth and something to flaunt at the country club. But the truth is that some European makers produce fairly ordinary cars, especially at the lower end of the luxury range. Motor Trend magazine, for example, recently deemed the new Honda Accord Touring sedan as a better (and cheaper) vehicle than the Audi A4.
Just yesterday, I drove both a loaded Mazda CX-5 crossover, which sells in the low-$30,000 neighborhood, and the new BMW X2 crossover, which stickers over $50,000 with options. The Mazda is clearly the better car, but many ignorant consumers will still be bamboozled into buying the BMW. After all, who wants to brag to the neighbors that you just bought a Mazda?
81
Your article complicates and confuses the real issue. Cadillac's cars, when compared with every single competitor, are appalling. Badly made, crassly styled, great for grandpa if grandpa doesn't give a hoot about quality. Audi, BMW, Mercedes and a host of other manufacturers are successful for very good reasons. One of them is that their cars are nothing like today's (or any era's) absurd and dismal Cadillacs.
11
Maybe Cadillac should re-introduce a full-size 6 passenger sedan (that's a front bench seat) that rides smoothly, looks different than everything else and sells for less 40K. Car dealers don't seem to do that anymore. Who'd buy it? Anyone with: a large frame, or creaky bones (due to age or injury), or a couple that who wants to take 4 people out to dinner. My family has resorted to buying used Crown Victorias (last made in 2011) and used Buick Park Aves (last made 2006).
13
Agreed. I hate those bucket style seats.
11
America hasn't built "beautiful" cars since the 50's. Try 20s-30s for some beautiful car designs. NOW we have boxes, rectangles and SUVs--they are bad designs and gas hogs to boot. Wait until gas goes to $6/gal as donny continues to trash the world economy and politics.
Some people are buying crash protection--very few really need an SUV or a pickup---it is the advertisements that cause them to buy what they do. Calif is pickup-crazy and most of them can be found in RESIDENTIAL areas, not industrial work sites. A guy (gals now too) with a shiny pickup doesn't need one.
I've driven the same Mazda for nearly 30 years and it starts the first time, every time.
13
I have to say that the ad Cadillac ran in 2014 with the entirely obnoxious man criticizing Europeans for taking too much vacation has forever turned me off the brand. Whoever thought that was a good idea should be canned.
34
Here on temporary assignment in Michigan, land of the ENORMOUS truck and SUV culture, it's perfectly obvious why people drive these ridiculous, uber-consumption monsters: it makes them feel powerful, king-like and invincible. Why drive a "car" when you can feel like the master of the universe!
15
If your temporary assignment is in the Metro Detroit area you may have noticed our roads are in despicable shape. All of us who aren’t driving big pick-ups and SUVs (with their superior suspension to absorb the pot holes) wish we had them!
10
There you need them. Its cheaper to drive ruggedized vehicles than to fix streets in the aggregates. See any of the African countries or most of Mexico. Too bad about the poor though.
1
I beg to differ. Their cars are ugly, with hard lines and aggressive looking. No wonder they are used so much by government officials to sneak around in.
17
My complaint with SUVs is that compared to their Car counterparts they:
Handle worse
Look uglier
Cost more
On top of this the irony for me is that US consumers rejected hatchback cars (which reminded them of station wagons). But they rush to buy compact SUVs that are....hatchbacks.
I won't go as far as to say the consumers are dumb, but it edges perilously close.
30
Like most Americans I buy cars because I like them - not based on gas mileage or value. SUVs just don't make the cut. They aren't even close. They handle like junk, offer subpar acceleration for your money, they're annoying to drive in cities/tight roads/parking spots, and they look stupid. The only thing worse than an SUV is a pickup truck or a minivan. Give me a sleek, fast coupe any day and keep your ungainly land yachts.
So please, keep making cars Cadillac (and break more Nurburgring records!). Just because most customers can't appreciate a car that drives well doesn't mean we're all that way!
12
Selfish Americans who don't care about climate change still want SUVs. That should have been the title of this article. Until that last gasp, Americans will pretend that nothing horrible is really going.
18
Today's Lexus is the 'new' Cadillac. The thing that Cadillac sells best is their Escalades. Primarily used as the 'new' urban limousine. Stick with those. The people who are being chauffeured in these don't care about the price of gas.
10
I have an AWD American SUV that is very efficient, seats 7, minimizes harmful environmental effects, has many outstanding features, is beautiful to look at and extremely fun to drive. Check out the Tesla Model X!
8
I concur with James L's comments below. I question the whole premise of this article. Cadillacs could hardly be considered beautiful. I think they're downright ugly. The designs appear to the result of giving a 10 year old (admittedly a moderately talented 10 year old) nothing but a straight-edge and asking him or her to design a car. The driving dynamics might be nice, but to shove all that in a package like this pretty much negates all that. Considering you can get comparable road feel from any average European coupe or sedan.
10
Great article! Business 101 - produce products that your customers want.
This obvious lesson in the automobile sector should have been learned years ago after the debacle trying to sell "electric cars" and other silly products.
2
Ugh. Every person that votes Democratic accepts that climate change is happening on some level and should be a part of the solution by driving the most fuel efficient cars being sold. We primarily drive a Prius C (family of 5) and many families of four in our neighborhood use a regular sized Prius as their "large" family car.
We are in Cadillac's economic target bracket but we would never consider buying anything that got less than 50 mpg. Where is Cadillac's high performance (efficiency is a type of performance) car?
13
At a certain age, one finds it difficult to get in and out of a car with the low, aerodynamic profile that has been generated solely to meet federal MPG requirements. The drivers and passengers became an afterthought, to be placated with electronic gee whiz bells and whistles.
Build cars for people, and they will come.
7
If only the elderly were buying all the SUVs. The age of mobility impairment has been on a steady decline. If you're not old and have full use of your limbs and it's still too much work to get into and out of an ordinary sedan or tie a pair of shoes, the problem is you, not the product.
2
"Cadillac has nothing to prove" was a powerful 1950s Cadillac ad line. Sure hasn't worked lately.
8
Aside from their image problem, how is their quality actually? I wouldn't mind buying a Cadillac as long as they are on-par with other luxury brands (ie. not rebadged GMs).
7
Wouldn't take an American SUV if they were giving them away for free on the roadside--too big and inefficient, too damaging to the environment for no practical reason other than vanity. Americans who are worried about climate change don't want them, thanks anyway GM. Trump/Pruitt's attack on emissions regulations is determining my next car purchase all the way. If US manufacturers want to make carbon-spewing guzzlers with no regulations and no care for the environment I'm opting out; European and Japanese brands are just fine for me.
24
Americans want SUVS and trucks because car companies want the big profit margin and have aggressively marketed them for decades, probably with a big push from oil industry. It’s what happens when a nation gives away to corporations the unfettered freedom to do anything to make money, even at the expense of the environment and ultimately mankind.
14
If they can trickle the fine engineering down throughout the line... at reduced cost, that would be great!
But then, how to prepare for the future of a rapidly changing industry ??
1
Gas prices will be going up soon and many will regret those gas guzzlers SUV . I am most happy with my Ford hatchback, made in the USA , spacious and practical.
7
Be great, be new, be fresh and different, be less expensive, and drivers will knock down your door. Cadillac fails miserably at all the above.
I will always think of Cadillacs being driven by retirees with too many shirt buttons open and a lot on chest hair smoking a fat stogie. I myself am prettty close to that age now, and over my car buying career Cadillac has done nothing to change that impression. If I'm going to spend that kind of cash I see no reason not to buy a German car. Better value, reliability, driving experience, resale value, and better overall cache. Its been like that for the past 40 years or so.
8
Growing up, my parents bought a new Cadillac every year, driving to Detroit to buy it from the factory and driving it back across the country to California. It's very sad that Cadillac has become so anonymous and frankly their emblem with its modern look has lost its luster. Although I own a small SUV I recently bought a coupe. But not a Cadillac, A German luxury brand.
4
All of my vehicles, until I turned 40 were American and Canadian built cars. I remember how expensive they were to keep running and that after 3 or 4 years they had to be in the shop at least a couple of times a year. We now call that planned or built-in obsolescence. When I started earning a higher salary and could afford a German car, I decided to buy one. I kept the first one for 10 years. Other than general maintenance, I never had to take it in for any repairs. It ended up costing less to own that car than it would have to own a Cadillac for instance. I'm on my third one now and the pattern has held, it goes in for annual maintenance to change oil (synthetic), and whatever else they do, and it costs about $300.00. Breakdowns just don't happen and the equipment doesn't fail. I'm sure some people have occasional issues, but not on the scale of repairs needed to keep a GM car running. I'm not planning to buy another American company built car again.
14
With the exception of the Escalade the Cadillac badge has forever signaled an old man's car. GM buyers traveled through the Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile brands when they were young and raising families. If you made management you might buy one of their top tier models and as you aged there was a nice Buick or Cadillac to greet and carry you into retirement. They're very good cars but they're not inviting to the younger, more active buyers who want to strap a bike on top of their car or take it for a weekend camp. They're luxurious, low slung and long. There's a GM design out there that the public wants; it just may be in need of a new badge.
3
I owned a CTS and it was a fabulous vehicle. But I became an "SUV" person. I have an XT5 which is everything one could want in an SUV and more. In addition, when you purchase or lease a vehicle it is wise to consider dealer service performance. My dealer has provided me a level of service beyond compare.
2
I think it's way too simplistic to blame Cadillac's failures on the changing automotive tastes of the American public, and I'd go so far as to posit that the company would be in equally dismal shape even if Americans hadn't started abandoning sedans in droves.
Quite simply, Cadillac tried, and failed, to reinvent itself as an American version of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Yes, its cars are finally at -- or at least near -- the performance levels of its German competition. No, that doesn't matter one bit. Speaking as a member of Cadillac's target demographic -- a fortysomething who's owned nothing but German sedans for the past 15 years -- I wouldn't even consider purchasing one, for the same reason I'd never buy a Corvette: their brand images are still -- despite their admittedly very impressive performance specs, along with drastic improvements in build quality -- ones I associate with advanced middle- and senior-age drivers (and in the Vette's case, 60ish men trying to act 20 years younger than their age).
In hindsight, what GM should've done is follow in Toyota's and Nissan's footsteps as they did 30 years ago with Lexus and Infiniti and introduce an all-new luxury marque, one with no "baggage" in terms of negative brand identity. The Japanese automakers successfully overcame their "economy car" reps in large part thanks to Lexus; now we'll likely never know if GM could've done the same.
5
This is the same sorry story from GM and Cadillac that I feel like I have been reading for almost 35 years.
Wait. I have been reading the same sorry story.
17
Rising oil prices won't dissuade people from buying $60,000 fully-loaded pickups and $80,000 luxury SUV's because folks who can afford those vehicles don't really worry about the price of gasoline.
6
My husband and I are great fans of mid-90s GM, and actually own a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood... hearse. Strongly for practical reasons, as we are both itinerant artisans, and the vehicle makes perfect sense in terms of cargo space, ease of loading and unloading, and gas mileage. It's also a great rolling advertisement, as well as a streamlined variant on the classic station wagon. That said, we're constantly getting asked about how to find one like it (Craigslist!), and hearing the laments regarding the disappearance of station wagons. The SUV killed them, with less convenience, transport space and typically lower MPG- as well as an apparent sense of invincibility, judging from the carelessness of many SUV drivers. During excursions in our hearse, I'm still stunned by seeing so many on the road, and will never understand their appeal.
8
Wish the Fleetwood was back. The ubiquitous Korean and Japanese models are good choices for 80 percent of American drivers. My Kia is OK, but boring. Looking at the Chrysler 300, Chevrolet Impala or the Cadillac for long road trips across this great country.
1
First of all Cadillac makes SUVs so the premise of this article is obviously wrong, not only does it make the Mistress of bling escalade, that has made oodles of money for Cadillac, it also has been making the SRX for a while, a mid size SUV that has had few pickers. The issue with Cadillac SUVs is pretty simple, The Escalade is a blinged truck chassis that drives as such and is surprisingly tight inside for such a behemoth and people have become bored with what was a cutting edge look a decade ago. The SRX is a midpack offering in a very large segment of midsize SUVs. The best selling full size 3 row SUV is still the Mercedes GLS, which offers better interior dimensions that the Cadillac (regular version) and drives dramatically better since its a unibody rather a truck chassis. So the conclusions on this article are exactly all wrong, the issue is that Cadillac hasn't emulated the Germans enough!!!!!!! Cadillac may be a little late to the small luxury SUV party but only by a year, Ford doesn't have one either.
2
We're car buyers not alive ten years ago? Do people really think gas will stay below $3 a gallon forever?
I see the same thing with developers but this time fanny Mae won't be there to bail you out.
As for me. I'm happy with my BMW motorcycle.
6
The car in the picture is not beautiful; not even close. The last GM cars with any coolness were from the 50s and 60s...its all gone down hill from there. That’s the sad truth.
9
Wow! NYT is still dedicating this much attention to outdated fossil fuel powered cars. Does anyone really care?
9
Pop Quiz:
What percentage of Worldwide car sales are EV ?
When you know the answer, then you'll know the appropriate ratio of articles. People are interested in what they want to buy.
4
Every time I see a Cadillac I think reminiscently back to my '72 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Yes it had the world's biggest mass produced engine (8.2 liters or 502 CID), but it had Made In America proudly written all over it.
After the oil crises in the mid '70 it was as if all the great engineering vanished and only some European and most Japanese car manufactures were up to the task.
Bringing in a new CEO like Mr. de Nysschen from a German car company will not make a heck of a difference.
Today's great car manufactures rose from the ashes of WW II, Cadillac was born in the Horn of Plenty so when the oil crises and financial crises hit they were were too fat and big to get on their feet again.
3
"Cadillac Makes Beautiful Cars."
Huh?
18
Those monstrous Cadillac Escalades are about the ugliest thing I've ever seen on the road, and today there's plenty of competition. The size of a school bus, only black, I'd take the school bus any day. Garish is the kindest thing I can say about them. I pity those who would want one.
28
I've heard of Nürburgring. How fast a Caddy can lap it is meaningless to me and most car consumers. Cadillac has never been able to design a tasteful, good-looking car. The Escalade is a cheesy, blinged-out SUV that I can only rappers sipping Cristal in. A few months ago, a rental company gave me a Cadillac. It was ok I guess. Nothing special. I certainly wouldn't have bought it over cars such as BMW or Audi or Lexus.
"I believe that is a noble pursuit, worthy of an iconic brand such as Cadillac.": Spoken like a 70's Cleveland mafioso.
18
lap times may seem irrelevant, but attempts by carmakers to make their cars faster result in
1) faster acceleration
2) lighter building material
3) faster transmissions
4) more effective braking
5) better handling
2-4 all improve fuel efficiency. so, you feel those improvements at the pump. and you feel all the improvements hen you drive.
2
At long last, Cleveland mafiosi get a little respect.
4
In reading through the comments it seems many folks are still stuck on the idea that "SUV" is still synonymous with big body-on-frame truck-based vehicles and paint all SUV's with that brush. In fact the low-mileage Chevy Suburban type has long been eclipsed by crossover SUVs which are by far the most common now, and their gas mileage and driving manners are comparable to the sedans on whose platforms they are based; for example, the next generation of Jeep Liberties will be based on the same platform as the new Alpha-Romeo Giulia, which is a performance sport sedan and is also already available as the Stelvio SUV. No need any longer to decry SUVs as being environmental enemies. You can have your cake and eat it too.
9
I wish other car manufacturers (and Americans) besides Tesla would realize that just like we have passed 'peak oil' we are also peak internal combustion. We'll look back at this as a missed golden opportunity to re-tool GM to electric. Tesla has a great product, design, and brand but struggling with production and debt. GM has production scale but lacks the product and brand. If car manufactures would stop spending so much R&D for self driving cars that no one is asking for and instead concentrated on simple, reliable, well designed and attractive electric vehicles everyone would be better off as a result.
15
Except we haven't passed Peak Oil yet.
Much more likely, climate change will result in us leaving a lot of oil in the ground as we substitute alternate energy sources.
6
sorry not much of a difference between Escalade, Tahoe, Yukon and a Suburban.
26
It is perverted that SUVs are still being pushed over more reasonable forms of transportation, including smaller cars and infrastructure of trains and protected bike lanes, in this age of climate change. At the same time, Trump's cabal is cutting Obama's rules on gas mileage in cars, trucks and rolling back regulations on toxic pollution. We the people must remove this cyst on our democracy as soon as possible.
60
I don't think SUVs are being "pushed" per se; the automakers are simply responding to market demand. If anything, the modern-day SUV is a reinvention of the station wagon, but with a higher driver-seating position.
They're also certainly not the gas-guzzlers they were even as recently as a decade ago. The Honda CR-V -- now a perennial top-10 seller -- gets 34 mpg on the highway. The Toyota RAV4 -- which in 2017 became the first crossover crowned the top-selling car in America -- has a hybrid version with 34 mpg in the *city*. No, that's not quite Prius-level fuel economy, but it's an order of magnitude in improvement since 2008.
Finally, Trump and his spendthrift EPA crony Scott Pruitt can try to roll back the Obama's administration's exceptionally stringent fuel economy requirements, but as has been the case for the past 30+ years, California -- by far the largest auto market in America -- can, and will, dictate its own requirements, and it's not backing down from Obama's mandate. I'm sure Trump's likely to sue, but we've already seen how little success he's had in that arena.
12
Gas is back up to $3 and climbing.
Americans are going to be wanting smaller cars again very soon.
14
Cadillac's delay is perfectly understandable, at least for those of us who remember the station wagon and who admired Cadillac for NEVER making one.
There was a certain elegance to the big boats that they produced; it was inspirational, a place of arrival.
Who wants a 21st century station wagon?
Apparently lots who want a luxury emblem on a soccer-mom vehicle.
POO.
3
Seems like Obama’s multimillion dollar bailout of Cadillac and General Motors is going down the drain.
5
We'll see where Trump's bailout of the coal industry will go...
6
Actually, that was Bush who had to plead to Congress to get it passed.
5
One should never confuse what the public wants with what CEO's and the heads of car companies think they want, or can shove down their throats. We've been thru this before, remember Lee Iacocca and Mustang and the Kcar? As gas soars toward $4 many will rue they are driving a Hummer or something nearing the size of a bus. If what remains of the US car manufacturers won't build cars, the Japanese, Koreans and Europeans will.
105
The K platform concept was revolutionary. Turning the engine sideways, incorporating a "transaxle", and invoking front-wheel drive was a "game changer" in efficiency and design at the time whose technology lives on today.
15
Off topic slightly ...I remember my 1964 MG 1100 with sideways engine & front wheel drive. Fun to drive, with exception gas mileage.
Eventually Cadillac, & Oldsmobile came out with front wheel drive, but would have been better if they were much smaller in scale.
3
The first thing that Cadillac needs to do is build a car that is reliable. Our 2005 SRX is a maintenance nightmare and our mechanic advises that this is typical for the brand. It is our 5th Cadillac and by far the worst in terms of reliability.
10
Agreed. However, German engineering is highly overrated. The worst car I ever owned was an Audi (major electrical problems). The second worst was a Mercedes - drove like a tank. The best car, IMO, the Mini.
I’m waiting until Tesla figures out its production problems. Maybe Musk could buy GM and show them what real style is.
1
Cadillac
In 2017 , Cadillac sold 175,489 vehicles in China up 50.8 per cent from 2016. But US sales dropped 8 per cent to 156,440 units last year. Cadillac announced to expand in China lower-tier cities with the opening of 100 new dealerships before 2020,
Cadillac designs for the Chinese market, sells in the Chinese market and manufactures in China. It's most technically advanced model the Cadillac CT6 Plug-in Hybrid, Price: $75,095 , is fabricated in China.
The test models of the XT4 are assembled in the US, but production is expected to move to China.
Face it: You are dealing with a Chinese company.
18
Probably the most popular brand in Trident Lakes!
1
I remember the excitement of my father bringing home his new Sedan Deville back in 1968. What I see of their current designs Cadi seem to be trying too hard and somehow misses the mark. None of the elegance or nuance of the German vehicles. And to this Audi driver a brand association still stuck in 1968 despite all its efforts.
3
It's time for Cadillac to do the obvious: take a bite out of Tesla. GM has the technology, witness the Chevy Bolt (I own one). The recent relatively low gas prices will inevitably rise, and gas-guzzlers will fall in popularity. As for crossovers and SUVs, they are just tall station wagons, often with 4WD (which most customers don't need and which lowers fuel economy). I applaud Cadillac's work to make cars with excellent handling and performance, that's key for a luxury brand image even if such cars are a small fraction of sales. Great performance can also be achieved with electric and hybrid technology. As for moving HQ to Manhattan? Ridiculous: Manhattan is not a car town. Try LA. And as for "beautiful" ... meh...
8
$3 plus gas can change things in a heart beat, remember 2008 when all the car companies almost went broke.
5
Yes it seems trucks and upside down bathtubs are the flavors this decade. Ford could be on the right track by making trucks a priority. Personally, with so many sports cars and small cars that bring back the fun in driving, I would not be caught dead or alive in a sport utility vehicle especially one with a name like Escalade.
11
Gas prices are rising above $3 a gallon. Meanwhile, American auto makers keep pumping out giant trucks and SUV's. I drive a 2018 Subaru Outback (thankfully made in America). Its 4 cylinder engine has plenty of power, and gets 28 m.p.g. around town, and 35+ on the highway. When will Americans get wise and get off their fixation with pick up trucks and enormous SUV's like the Cadillac Escalade?
18
Being a person that dislikes SUVs I hope that market soon becomes passe.
17
Another person here who has no desire to drive an SUV. I'll take better gas mileage please, and I don't feel the need to be a bully on the streets. Pretty happy with my manual Mazda 3 hatchback.
21
Cadillacs, and, frankly, most American cars, are just ugly. They all look pretty much the same. Nothing says boring like Cadillac, especially as I live in SoHo and you see their cars on cobblestone side streets and just laugh at the incongruity. Where is the youthful, forward-looking visionary designer who can create the modern day 1964-65 Mustang and wow us. My dad went right out and bought one (and would buy four more Mustangs for us kids as we grew up). Apparently, all the youthful energy and creativity is in Silicon Valley wearing t-shirts and playing ping pong while working for the (equally boring) tech giants.
116
I'm all for sedans, especially with manual transmissions. Unfortunately, they simply don't exist anymore. And given the horrendous roads and infrastructure throughout NYC and the northeast, sedans simply aren't equipped to take that kind of beating. One literally needs to buy a vehicle designed for off-roading in the NYC area.
15
Agree. BMW finally pulled the plug on manual transmissions on their bigger sedans. The new M5 isn't available with a manual, and BMW has also pulled manuals from its entire lineup of 5 series sedans. My last gen M5 has a manual, and I'm keeping it until it dies on me, but it's brutal on Manhattan roads.
5
SUV is a misleading term. My wife drives a Chevy Equinox and my daughter a Subaru Forester. Both have the safety of AWD are considered SUVs yet get over 30mpg. Me? Errr.
4
SUV’s are defining the American car market, but there are effective alternatives once you understand your needs. Frankly, I desired a vehicle that was fun to drive, had great acceleration, a feel that the driver was in command, outstanding ergonomics, beyond expectations gas mileage, and all the storage for my stuff. The answer was the Volkswagen GTI. It does everything well and has been rated as a top ten best vehicle for years. Not very had to figure out,
once you desire to think logically about not being showy and not follow the crowds blindly.
8
I'd love a American sedan that gets great gas mileage and looks like it has some class. Cadillac does not design classy or classic looking vehicles. Further and perhaps more importantly, if you are asking me to spend that kind of money how about making a reliable car that can go 200,000 miles? Clearly I'm not the demographic Cadillac is marketing to.
12
The last time I owned and drove a sedan it was a Ford Taurus SHO. I loved that car because it felt safe even on the freeways and got great mileage. But I have to admit my other "car" was a Dodge truck which I used for my landscape/farm businesses. Now that I'm retired I drive a BMW X1 which gets amazingly good mileage and has plenty of room for carrying the plant material that I am still addicted to. (And occasionally groceries).
2
I want Americans to buy more SUV's. My MobilExxon stock is climbing. Can't wait when oil hits $110 a barrel and all these lunkheads start screaming about how they can't drive there SUV's because it's costing them too much. Too bad.
17
Spoken like a true Orange County capitalist.
2
As gas prices grow higher and higher, now is the time GM decided to go for huge trucks. This is why it went bankrupt.
12
I prefer driving a sedan to an SUV, but I want one that combines performance with comfort (including sufficient space). I considered Cadillac, but it doesn't offer anything comparable to the Mercedes S Class that I chose. That market, which I suspect is very profitable though limited in volume, is dominated by the German big three -- Mercedes S Class, Audi A-8 and BMW 7 Series -- with some competition at the margins from Jaguar and Lexus.
Could Cadillac develop a sedan to compete in that market? It would be very difficult.
2
Unfortunately, the generation for whom Cadillac was aspirational shrinks every single day. The prestige of the Cadillac badge is gone and has been replaced by a half dozen other car manufacturers. I am not sure if Cadillac ceased to exist that anyone would notice.
15
Taking cost out of the equation, an SUV is superior in every way . The biggest improvement in SUV's is gas mileage, you can 27 mph on most SUV's. A lot of people are leasing these days, so why not have a nicer auto, what you drive is a big part of your life.
4
I agree with Thomaspaine. Many of these comments are bashing SUVs but I think that many people, including myself, think that they are great
2
Ford has given up on sedans, as well. I bought a 2017 Fusion last fall, which I like very much, and I am very disappointed that there will be no more.
I can't imagine driving one of those SUV monstrosities, so I am going to take very good care of the Fusion!
7
We have an SUV and a midsize pickup. I prefer them because at the age of 67 they are easier to get in and out of and you get a better look at the road. Those lowriding cars were fine in my 20s and 30s but prefer easier access now.
6
Maybe Americans want a vehicle (SUV or otherwise) that doesn't lose over half its resale value in three years.
3
Cadillac makes ugly cars. Sorry. They drive like a sofa and are decked out with plastic and bling. They scream "look at me." A McMansion on wheels (both their cars and their SUVs). For some reason, American car designers have a hard time getting the simple, modern, elegant look that the germans and japanese have cornered.
238
Your point was correct 25 years ago, but not any more.
A side note: the Japanese automakers have lost their way in car design. The current crop of Hondas are especially ugly.
It appears that plus-size folks and aging baby boomers fit better in SUVs and trucks. All those pickups bring used as commuter cars and grocery-getters is a misallocation of resources, but we Americans aren’t currently making good choices in all kinds of ways.
90
Amen to that. Cadillacs are all angles with none of the elegance of origami. No Cadillac made today is as pretty as a 1998 VW Passat.
9
You need to test drive one of the new ATS's. They're wonderful little cars, extremely fun to drive. But alas, at 6'3", they're a little snug so I may also be moving towards an SUV
7
The big problem for Cadillac is that their midsize SUVs are ugly. They look like oversized Pontiac Aztecs with Cadillac badges - they barely hide that they are simply GM SUVs wearing lipstick.
22
Gas prices are on the way back up. Americans will soon rediscover their love for cars when gas gets above $4/gal.
142
out here in Calif it already IS 4$/gal. Coming soon to a neighborhood gas eater near you.
5
High gas prices are one more reason to keep on building high-performance sedans! In this highly specialized market niche, fuel economy is not a priority because the buyers are usually very affluent, and these cars rarely clock up big mileages anyway. On the other hand, ordinary (non car-nut) buyers will run away from pointless gas-guzzling SUVs as soon as they realize how it hurts their wallets.
10
I'm unclear what gas prices have to do with this particular topic. Cadillac sedans have only marginally better gas mileage than its XT5 SUV. Sure, the Escalade gets abysmal gas mileage, but it's also an anachronism: one of the few truck-based SUVs remaining in a field where the crossover now dominates.
Every top-selling crossover is based on the same platform as a top-selling car. The Honda CR-V? Based on the Civic platform. Toyota Highlander? A de facto Camry station wagon jacked up a few inches. BMW X1? Would you believe it now shares the same chassis and engine as the current Mini Cooper?
13
"Too Bad Americans Want S.U.V.s"
Haven't we seen this movie before? In the 1980's? 2008? Oil is already expected to hit $80/barrel and all it takes is for the wrong person to get shot in the Mideast and that will double. Dear Cadillac:
- your cars are not worth as much as an Audi so don't charge as much
- stop trying to out German, the Germans. Doesn't work. Be big, bold, American luxury.
- believe it or not, there are people over 40 who buy cars. Not saying your advertising should take place at the home of an early dinner special, but for crying out loud, it doesn't have to be only trendy, urban types with scraggly beards and nerd glasses.
To GM management:
- how did you spend $12 billion and have almost nothing to show for it? Oops, forgot that you are GM.
126
They have plenty to show for it. Check out the Bolt, the Volt, their ride sharing investments, etc. GM has been very low key doing a lot of interesting things behind the scenes.
11
Totally agree - the Volt and especially the Bolt are welcome surprises from GM, but one wonders if it's only to get their fleet MPG numbers down. That being said - the interior components of GM cars have never appealed to me and have kept me away. Then again, I still have no idea what people like about the interior styling of Teslas, so there you go...
2
GM built factories in China with most of that $12 Billion in US taxpayer bailout.
12
Slavery is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.
Trump is the second worst thing.
SUVs are currently in a distant third place.
But they are rapidly gaining on the other two.
70
I'd pit this country's trampling of the poor and working class as the third worst.
12
You left out the genocide of Native Americans and the wholesale destruction of the North American continent's ecosystems and wilderness. Oh, and the linchpin? A twisted demonic interpretation of Christianity: Manifest Destiny. The Lord provided all these riches for us to plunder. What hogwash. Take a look at what's about to happen to the Boundary Waters wilderness in northern Minnesota. Thanks to Trump's Interior Department a Chilean mining company is being given the go ahead to mine highly toxic sulfide ores that will pollute and destroy this marvelous wilderness area, an area virtually untouched and pristine. Can't have THAT!!! Time to ruin it for a few bucks and, what I think is the real motivation, to destroy it just to rub their power in the faces of those bleeding heart tree-hugging liberals. Hillary was right. Deplorable.
28
The unspoken aim of many car buyers these days is one of self preservation. The last time I was in a car I felt dwarfed by the plethora of SUVs around us, and it was frighteningly certain which side would survive an accident. Of course, if you want to stay on top of the fray now, you'll have to buy a Unimog.
11
Is it really that people don't want sedans, or is that people today don't want to be seen driving a sedan from a brand that is tired, lacks innovation and it seen more as the car of the Jersey Shore/Mafioso/old man Floridian retiree set than anything "cool"...because I see plenty of Subaru Wagons, Mini's, BMW/Audi/Benz, Prius, and Honda sedans out there. Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead or alive in a Cadillac...but then again, I never watched Jersey Shore and I don't live in Palm Beach.
15
If you ask people what they want in a car in terms of function and use they describe a minivan. The SUV is just a disguised minivan. People want to drive the car that better looking people drive. In reality, very few people care how you got there and for the most part you are wasting your money on SUVs trying to project an image.
6
Today's SUVs get better miles per gallon than the beasts of the Hummer era, but...they are no fun to drive.
Therein lies a sad truth: driving for most folks is no longer any fun. For all the journalistic teeth-gnashing about it, too, Millennials don't hate cars: they hate driving. Just look around you in suburban gridlock at the banal, cookie-cutter "development" and strip shopping (mostly services, given the the ongoing death of retail). "Drivers" in those settings prefer a plushy pod, not a spirited machine.
I own a Mini S convertible, the second Mini I've owned, and it is a hoot to drive. It's an older model, and when the dealership asked me if I wanted to drive a newer one and consider a trade, I told them flat out that I'd never buy a newer Mini. They are ugly and don't handle as well as my car. They slosh in curves and are heavy. We chatted a long time and after a few e-mails, I got in touch with a mid-level manager with BMW/Mini. He thanked me for my honesty, as he's a man who'd prefer to shift his own gears in a performance car, too.
But, as he said to me, "Americans don't want drivers' cars any more." So be it. I'm old enough to keep driving classics until 1) Autonomous cars make them illegal to run on the road or 2) I pass on. And thus ends the great age of the American automobile.
37
We tried to buy a Caddy. Sat in one, and left the dealership 30 seconds later. The standardized seats and headrest, which can't be customized, bend your neck forward as if you have scoliosis. The salesman noted they were the same in all Cadillacs. Good luck designing a luxury brand and not listening to customers, the same failure that afflicted GM management for years.
12
Cadillac will never fully commit to SUVs and thus will remain mired in it's mid 20th century image. Unless and until they put out a vehicle that can run with the G Wagon or Range Rovers, and offers that functionality and level of luxury at competitive pricing, they'll be wearing "I LIke Ike" buttons and watching "Father Knows Best" on their VR goggles, hopefully not while driving. Their best shot is to retool the Suburban/Tahoe line, extensively, it would still shave years and millions off a totally new vehicle's development. You could put Jesus himself in charge of the division but unless you gave him the keys he couldn't drive it. I hope Mr. de Nysschen got a hefty buyout for being pimped.
G Wagon a functional vehicle?
1
"Cadillac soldiered on with a legion of widely praised sports sedans, the kind of beautifully engineered" -- the only people who think that are Cadillac executives. It's called delusion. German and Asian manufacturers have no trouble selling their cars.
12
LOL but so true
5
Cadillac's initial hurdle is its own identity. The brand evokes old Detroit; inefficient, form over function, poorly built cars from a bygone era.
The second problem is that although Americans may want SUVs today, when the price of gas spikes again you won't be able to give them away.
The brand should have gone the way of Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
77
Pat,
Your "... old Detroit" almost single-handedly created the African-American middle class, empowered America as the "arsenal of democracy" leading up to WWII, increased living standards while reducing inequality from WWII into the mid-70's. I'd vote every time for "evoking" a lot more of that.
16
"old Detroit" is a reference to the products made by the American auto manufacturers, one of which is the subject of this article.
10
"...Too bad Americans want SUVs."
Not just Americans, sadly. Having just returned from 5 weeks driving across Europe, I was surprised at how many more SUVs you see there, too.
A little history is in order. The world-wide popularity of SUVs is the direct result of decades of American marketing triumphing over what's best from an engineering standpoint. And I say that as a long-time member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. The trend goes back to the dark days of the first oil crisis in the early 1970s. Detroit was caught with their pants down, unable to supply the fuel-efficient vehicles Americans suddenly demanded. Their response was to rush into production a slew of poorly-designed "economy cars"--remember the Chevy Monza, Ford Pinto, and AMC Gremlin?
Consumer response was swift and brutal. Once gas prices fell, Detroit realized that the best way to maximize sales and profits was to take advantage of existing truck production lines and put lipstick on the pig: Turn those trucks, which relied heavily on designs going back to the 1930s-60s, into "passenger vehicles" by dropping a fully-enclosed body on top of a truck chassis. Add "luxury" features like leather and power accessories, bake, and voila! High profit margins galore!
Most of today's SUVs are way better than Detroit's early forays, but that only proves that it's possible to start with an inherently inferior concept--heavy, gas-guzzling, poor handling--and make it work. Give me a well-engineered wagon any day.
27
"Having just returned from 5 weeks driving across Europe, I was surprised at how many more SUVs you see there, too."
Yes, after just returning from 2 1/2 weeks in France, I noticed that too. In fact, I've noticed that over the last several years. The car we rented, which was the smallest class available (called "Compact") was much bigger than the Toyota I drive here, much bigger than I'd like, and much bigger than what I used to get when I rented cars in France decades ago.
6
Great explanation of many of the problems Detroit continues to face. Many people of a certain age will always view their products as inferior and undesirable compared to their foreign counterparts, and the short-term thinking that precipitated this poor reputation continues to this day with the reliance on gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs.
7
How many sales has Cadillac lost to its corporate sibling, Buick, due to the push that Buick is somewhat a luxury brand.
2
None, I would venture.
1
Beautiful? The last time Cadillac made good-looking cars was in the early 1970s.
For at least the last twenty years, Cadillacs have been hideous, disproportionate agglomerations of jarring geometric shapes.
Who on earth would want to spend good money on such a monstrosity, especially when BMW and Mercedes make such pretty cars?
Might as well pick up a cheap used Pontiac Aztek.
116
"For at least the last twenty years, Cadillacs have been hideous, disproportionate agglomerations of jarring geometric shapes."
Substitute "American cars in general" for "Cadillacs" and your statement is even more accurate
13
That's gold, Eric....GOLD !
5
Thank you, Socrates.
Coming from a person with whom I often disagree politically, but whose arguments I respect, I am honored by the compliment.
3
My generation needs more exercise than luxury transportation in their lives. They are more likely to have a $5000 carbon bicycle in their garage than a Cadillac.
33
Like it or not, you will someday soon see that "your generation" is pretty much the same as every other generation. Those $5000 carbon bikes will soon be replaced by something that can haul kids and all their gear around to their after-school activities (and in most cases it will be some type of SUV). And that will be replaced by something that's comfortable on those aching joints that were overstressed years before by riding around on that carbon bike (and that will be something big enough to be easy to get into and out of, with comfy seats). The great wheel of life hasn't stopped turning for the millennials -- they just haven't noticed it yet.
39
At 60, I guess I am not a millennial. My joints aren’t aching yet, probably because I am riding that carbon bike for transportation and excercise every chance I get.
3
Kudos for the plot twist, but that makes your statement about your (and my) generation "more likely to have a $5000 carbon bicycle in their garage than a Cadillac" seem utterly ridiculous. Then again, I don't know anyone who has either.
1
People do want sedans, but they need them to be morphed into an updated hatchback-like configuration which sits higher off the ground and has back seats which all fold down to allow full pass-through room for the occasional bulky cargo. Think Subaru Outback wagon reconfigured for lots of headroom and footwell space for rear passengers...
85
I just bought a 2018 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hatchback. It holds as much as my wife's Acura RDX and drives like a go kart and gets 35 miles to the gallon and has every modern tech feature. The shame of it all is that all these crazed SUV buyers haven't experienced the joy and confidence of driving a "car". There is no comparison to the feel and handling of cars vs. SUV's. Making almost any evasive emergency maneuver in an SUV could rank as one of the scariest driving experiences. The right combination of SUV and cars are out there. You just have to find them.
38
The only Cadillac I have ever had any desire to own and drive has been out of my price range since the day it was made: a 1957 Eldorado, two-door hardtop. Black. Drop-dead gorgeous 60 years ago, even more so today.
36
Maybe if these huge cars and SUV's got better mileage and were actually affordable, they could sell a few more. I think most of us in the middle just want a car/truck/suv to get us from point A to point B without costing an arm and a leg. The price of gas isn't going to go down so I'm looking for the biggest bang for my bucks. It isn't Cadillac or any other "high performance" vehicle.
15
Cadillac as a brand is perceived below its European competitors, but their current pricing doesn't reflect that. They need to acknowledge their status and follow the Korean strategy of undercutting the competition by 10-15k while they build up recognition (actually, speaking of the Koreans, even their pricing strategy is a copycat, Lexus drew the original blueprints in the 90's).
13
I don't know what the answer is for Cadillac but it seems to me that luxury buyers these days appear fixated on keeping up with the Jones's BMW's, Mercedes, and Audi's. You can probably add Land Rovers to that bucket as well although I think they have an inferior ride. Cadillac doesn't carry the same brand attraction for those buyers, instead feeling a bit like an a brand that appeals to older generations. To fix that they will need more than a shift to crossovers. There are plenty of BMW 6 and 7 series cars on the road along with Mercedes and Audi sedans.
14
Working on my second Audi, traded up from my previous one which lasted 12 years. I laugh when I see these 90 pound women driving an 8 cylinder behemoth Excursion with no one in the car but them. They can barely see over the steering wheel, Lord knows how many times they have to fill those things. I hate them.
26
"Not one in 1,000 Americans even know where the Nürburgring is" - and yet, sales of extreme, driver-oriented supercars remain healthy and extremely profitable, with long waiting lists and exorbitant prices even on the used market.
There is a market for driver-focused, high performance cars, including high performance sedans (as the highly successful BMW "M", Audi "RS" and Mercedes "AMG" cars prove). The problem is that it is a highly brand-conscious market, with a limited pool of extremely savvy buyers who know about car technology and know what a Nürburgring lap time means. These very affluent and sophisticated buyers will naturally gravitate towards luxury European brands (generally German, Italian or British) before even considering anything domestic.
No matter that Cadillac builds some really excellent high performance sedans (living in Europe, I can confirm that the German specialized magazines absolutely love the CTS-V), as a brand Cadillac has not penetrated the entry barrier of German brands in this very tough market niche.
All I can say is that Cadillac should keep on trying, because its care are really excellent. And I say this as a BMW "M" driver myself.
35
"[A]nd yet, sales of extreme, driver-oriented supercars remain healthy and extremely profitable, with long waiting lists and exorbitant prices even on the used market."
In which alternate universe is this taking place, exactly? The BMW M2 is literally the *only* car that fits your description. I negotiated a $7K discount on my then-new Audi S3. A friend got $10K off of his S6. BMW had to cease production of the M6 because it was selling in such poor numbers, presumably because its price has bloated into Porsche Panamera territory while its sports abilities have become more and more Cadillac-like. (The old Cadillac, that is.)
Meanwhile, Benz AMGs still have the same gargantuan plummets in market value as ever. I've been tempted to buy a 2013 CL 63 with under 25K miles, listed for under $50K. Its original sticker was over $180K! Even the "cheapest" AMG as of late, the C63 S, can be had at a steep discount: $30K less than the original $85K sticker price of a 2016 model.
I'm glad you like your M, but personally, I like my performance cars sans artificial piped-in exhaust note!
1
The very concept of Cadillac is luxury - 50's and 60's luxury, that is. Sorry, the concept hasn't kept up with the reality. Cadillac is D.O.A. My father loved his. Until he passed. R.I.P. Cadillac.
17
I don't think Americans want SUVs. They want a sedan with AWD and decent storage space. The crossover is the closest thing going right now. Compact crossovers are closer to the mark. However, you could easily replace crossovers with hatchbacks or wagons. Compact crossovers are essentially an SUV/hatchback crossover. Depending on the model, the primary difference is usually ceiling height. If you've ever loaded the roof of an automobile before, a higher roof is not an advantage. Most people don't need the added height and clearance with any regularity. Rent a truck instead.
The real reason SUVs are forced onto the American market is car dealers have learned the can sell them for a higher profit margin. Look at it this way. The car dealer tells you they can special order the vehicle you actually want at a higher price or sell you the SUV they have sitting on the lot at a discount. The SUV was more expensive in the first place but the customer is supposedly getting a bargain. The dealer cuts 5% off their margin while gaining 25% in profit on a higher sticker price item. Dealers therefore prefer to stock SUVs. Manufacturers in turn prefer to produce SUVs.
63
"I don't think Americans want SUVs. They want a sedan with AWD and decent storage space. "
Every study out there shows that you are wrong.
4
Well, I don't want an SUV. I want an update of my 1992 flagship Volvo 960 wagon -- power, capacity, and turned on a dime. Until I come across that, I am keeping my 2005 XC70. although its AWD makes for a poor turning radius.
RFB,
I'm a research analyst. You show me your sources, I'll show you mine. I believe you're mistaken. Read the second paragraph for a partial explanation.
1
When will America learn? Sooner or later we will have a repeat of $4+ gas and what will we do when we realize our SUVs are getting 20 miles a gallon or less especially in the cities.
Mr friend bought a Caddy SUV and it pretty much sits as a showpiece in his alley since it gets lousy millage and he uses a smaller car to get around.
77
Not everybody lives in Brooklyn. My Subaru Forester gets 36/28. And it sits in my garage, not in an alley, since I'm not trying to get someone to steal it.
11
Thank you for your reply. When I think of SUVs, I think of the big ones but there are small ones.
I wonder what the breakdown in, re SUV sales by milage and/or size.
Brooklyn is littered with Subarus in the streets. Nobody steals cars in Brooklyn anymore, it's like' Disneyland, not the '70s NYC.
For some reason I don’t like to spend too much money on SUV as compared to Sedans. Even though SUV May be made luxurious and upscale it still feels like driving a mini truck not a car. I will stick to a luxurious, upscale sedan
39
That's because it IS a truck. The vehicle companies don't have to put all the safety features into trucks that they must in cars, so their profit margin is higher.
7
I love my CTS dearly, and planned to move to an ATS when new car time comes around (sadly, they're now discontinuing that model). The last thing I want is to be one of the suburban drones in a Mercedes or Lexus mall crawler (or a Cadillac one, for that matter). While Americans continue to buy vehicles they soon won't be able to afford to refuel, I hope Caddy keeps us loyal sedan folks in mind as well...
20
A few months ago, I bought a new car. I live in a Midwest city that has spotty air service, and I have to rely on my car for business travel. I spend a lot of time in my car. The Cadillac CT-6 was an option that I looked into, but ended up buying a Mercedes sedan that offered more comfort, power and fuel efficiency for a comparable price.
Cadillac is still stuck in a tough place. There are better alternatives to their cars at a comparable price and better resale value down the road and they do not offer a competitive line of SUVs or trucks.
6
All of these efforts seem to make sense: the performance goals, the style goal of moving showrooms into NYC, the hope of expanding their models. As the story correctly posits, buyers have switched to SUVs almost exclusively. A sad state of affairs, given that a good looking SUV is a bit of an oxymoron. The other troubling thing that goes unsaid here is the lack of mention of electric vehicles. What are Cadillac's plans in that regard? Why can't we see Chevy Volt tech in a crossover, or the Escalade, for that matter?
8
They sell Cadillac cars in the UK but not many are seen on UK roads. The reason - they are ugly, unreliable and too big.
About 30 years ago GM and Ford held about 60% of the UK market. Their cars were designed for the European market. Then both companies decided to make a "world car". The result was they sold US designed cars that Europeans hated. The result is that GM have left Europe and sold their business to the French, and Ford sell so few cars that they are closing most of their dealerships. In the 1990's Ford owned Range Rover, an SUV maker, and drove the company to the floor with their cost cutting. The result - badly made cars, poor quality control and unreliable performance. They eventually sold the company to Tata who invested money into the company, increasing quality, luxury and reliability and have, as a result, increased their market share.
Perhaps the new CEO should import some European designers and get rid of the financial officer so that Cadillac makes cars that people in the US want to buy.
57
I prefer a sedan over an SUV, of any size. For all wheel drive, I have my second Subaru Legacy sedan, which gets me through winter driving. The biggest reason is the trunk. When I had the wagon or have used my wife’s CRV, I couldn’t leave anything in the back without worrying about a smashed window and my sweaty gym clothes stolen while I am grocery shopping. The trunk is big enough to carry several suitcases and a guitar, which in an SUV, are out in the open for anyone to smash and grab while the car is parked and we’re having lunch somewhere.
34
I had my sweaty gym clothes stolen from my Chevy Nova hatchback back in the day! Very annoying -- not so much the loss of the clothes, but the broken window on a weekend, when I had to park on the street. I talked my mechanic into putting it into his garage overnight until I could get the glass people out.
My present car, a Volvo station wagon, has a nifty screen I can pull over the contents of the back. That seems like the best of both worlds -- carrying capacity and privacy.
4