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New Cadillac XTS & Chevy Spark Fail To Make Grade At CR

9K views 69 replies 49 participants last post by  phileaglesfan 
#1 ·
November 20, 2012

DETROIT -- Some of the latest new car models from Detroit automakers received mixed reviews from Consumer Reports and have failed to win a recommendation from the popular U.S. shopping guide.

Consumer Reports also failed to recommend the all-new Cadillac XTS and the Lincoln MKS sedans. The XTS scored much higher overall than the MKS in the matchup, but both cars underwhelmed the magazine’s testers in a segment dominated by German, Japanese, and Korean models.

The XTS is a replacement for the DTS and STS sedans in Cadillac’s lineup.

Consumer Reports said the Cadillac XTS was “wonderfully luxurious, with a very spacious and well-appointed cabin.”

But Cadillac’s new flagship is hampered by its CUE infotainment system, which testers found to be “convoluted and frustrating.”

The magazine also tested the Chevrolet Spark and said the four-door subcompact produces excellent fuel economy of 34 mpg overall and 42 on the highway.

It has a surprisingly useable rear seat, a comprehensive assortment of features, and is affordably priced at $15,420, Consumer Reports said.

But sluggish acceleration, stiff and jittery ride and very noisy cabin dropped the Spark’s overall score to 34, the magazine said.

It is one of the lowest scoring cars tested by the magazine in recent years and is too low to recommend.

Article continues here.

Cadillac XTS Article from Consumer Reports

Chevrolet Spart Article from Consumer Reports
 
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#3 ·
A few months ago I read that Ford has one or two employees that work with and try to improve comments from CR, by making recommendations to Ford management based on their testing.

Perhaps GM could do the same - if they don't already have a team in place.

Comments will be written about CR in the pages to follow, but one thing remains a cold fact: Millions and millions of people get their automotive information from their pages, and the words printed on them should be considered of utmost importance to those in Detroit.

You can't fight city hall.
 
#4 ·
THIS IS SHOCKING!
WHERE ARE THE FRONT PAGE HEADLINES?
WHERE ARE THE ARC LIGHTS AND BOMBERS IN FLIGHT?

This is truly heartwrenching and completely surprising.
 
#46 ·
Yes, indeed.

'Specially..... since these are two of GM's stable that are gonna' be most felt by Toyoski - and also as a separate consideration by them in Cali.
 
#65 ·
No offense...but the two cars are not in the same class. The A6 is dynamically superior to the XTS. It is aimed at a much more sporting driver than the XTS. The XTS is aimed at the MKS...nothing more. People may claim it goes up against the other makes...but it simply doesn't. I was actually surprised that the XTS interior was as nice as it is, but it still is a big FWD Buick with fancy clothes on. Some may argue that the A6 is just a big VW. Yes...but when you see what Audi can do with the A6 line...from standard sedan up to the S6...and it simply blows away anything Cadillac has to offer in terms of total refinement.

As for CUE...it is horrible. I went and test drove an ATS that had CUE...and it will prevent me from getting an ATS. I hope to god that GM doesn't put anything that horrible, slow and buggy in the next Corvette. I honestly think that CUE will cost GM lots of sales. It is slow and in my opinion makes the dash look cheap...not the screen which is nice actually...but all the "buttons". Simply the worst (except for maybe Ford's) touch interface I have ever seen. If Cadillac made an ATS with heads up display, navigation and standard buttons and dials on the center console...it would be one of the best compact luxury car interiors on the market.
 
#8 · (Edited)
how can the xts be recommended when its new? the article is misleading. Only Japanese sedans can be recommended when brand new by CR. This is common knowledge so until the XTS has a reliability track record it cannot score a "recommended" rating. Why is the entire news media obsessed with CRs rating? Is there ANY proof that a lack of a recommendation affects sales? The Darts sales have increased every month its been on sale to my knowledge and its generally gotten good reviews. CR comes along and said the vehicle is so bad that its score prohibits it from ever being recommended. The dart has class average acceleration, nothing impressive but nothing close to unacceptable.
 
#9 ·
I know this is cliche, but we all know that if this were a Benz or a Lexus they would have said it was the greatest vehicle ever produced. CR says it is super in the inside and styling is good, but because it is American they could not let themselves possibly recommend the vehicle. How they can rate the Spark as the worst test rating is beyond me. They did the same to the Dart too. Now what would they have done if the CUE wasn't in the Caddy? They would have said WHERE'S THE INFOTAINMENT? So darned if you do, darned if you don't. A lot of people like the CUE System and praise it.
 
#10 ·
Meh... its CR. I rate them poor.
 
#11 · (Edited)
If the name Toyota was on the XTS & Spark, CR would have rated it the greatest. Those morons at Consumer Reports should not be able to get away with that kind of reporting. I know in this country we have freedom of speech, but that should not give anyone the right to maliciously try to destroy a companies.
 
#25 ·
If the name Toyota was on the XTS & Spark, CR would have rated it the greatest. Those morons at Consumer Reports should not be able to get away with that kind of reporting. I know in this country we have freedom of speech, but that should not give anyone the right to maliciously try to destroy companies.
True Very True. They are very biased.
Agreed with the above. CR is biased garbage.
 
#17 ·
Must be everyone else's fault, right? Folks, CUE is horrendous. At least in my personal, hands-on experience and is enough to put me in a new 335Xi (iDrive which I don't love either has a fully independent HVAC system with buttons and knobs and the Radio has designated buttons and knobs, so you only have to futz with iDrive for NAV and Radio display). Quite a shame actually b/c Caddy is throwing the system in every vehicle they make and I really liked the ATS, but I can't live with CUE. I know I am in the vast minority on this forum and probably the only person here who does not think there is a massive conspiracy against GM or Ford. The systems simply stink.
 
#18 ·
I own a 2012 1.2 Spark an there is nothing wrong with that car for its price you cant expect much, plus here in SA the Spark is not compared to a Honda Fit or Kia Rio. Those cars are bigger than a Spark.

Fit and Rio = Corsa/ Sonic VW Polo. Spark = Peugeot 107/ Kia Picanto /Hyundai i10
 
#23 · (Edited)
But sluggish acceleration, stiff and jittery ride and very noisy cabin dropped the Spark’s overall score to 34, the magazine said.
This makes the Spark the highest rated U.S. market city car it has tested. The other two- Daimler's Smart fortwo and Toyota's Scion iQ - couldn't manage to even reach a score of 30 in CR's road tests.

It's worth repeating: Chevy Spark is the best city car currently sold in USA.
 
#30 ·
Wow. I just look at their comparison chart. 4 out of 5 of those cars are NOT in the same class and they cost thousands more. How can you give a car an objective non-bias review if you don't even compare it to cars in its class? By the way, it faired better than the iQ. Crazy
 
#37 ·
This doesnt suprise me that they rated the XTS lower because of CUE. While the mylink/intellilink system can be picked up with relative ease by some, you still need a proper training session to use all of the infotainment systems offered by GM and elsewhere. I assume that they were just handed the keys and left to figure these out on their own, and NO ONE has built an interface as easy as an iPad yet. If this magazine is going to be advocates for "consumers", then they need to go through the same process a consumer would and have a qualified GM salesman or employee train them on the systems. Otherwise everything they say is uninformed bias.
 
#53 ·
I already know how to turn on my radio and adjust the heat. Why should I have to undergo a training program because somebody with their hat on backwards thinks the glowing light of an electronic screen is cool? CUE is unneeded and is a marketing affectation for people who can't afford to buy an XTS.
 
#38 ·
This is supposed to be a surprise - big friggin' deal.

I think the best judgment of anything is how you, as a consumer and a driver, feel about it. Personally, I really appreciate my XTS and the Spark that I sat in was a nice vehicle. This is CR we're talking about, from them, even a jockstrap would merit a poor rating if they couldn't get it to fit.
 
#42 ·
Consumer Reports aside. I think GM should do a Sedan DeVille without CUE. There are older buyers who may find the CUE system a bit too much. I know my old man would have a heck of a time navigating CUE knowing him to be a very analog type of guy. We have a older member here at GMI who bought a XTS. I wonder how he manages with CUE?

I like how CR pits the Spark small car against subcompacts like the Fit and Rio, which goes to show their inherent bias. They should be sued..
 
#43 ·
Is there an "infortainment" system that CR actually likes? Maybe GM should have given them an XTS to test with a corporate black tie radio
 
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