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Should Cadillac Re-program MRC to create a softer ride setting

9K views 44 replies 24 participants last post by  TAWashington 
#1 ·
So, I have seen a couple of reviews of the CT6 3.0TT that criticizes the ride for being too firm. So, the solutions can be, as Car and Driver suggests, and go back to old fashioned air springs and tradional dampers. But, is it possible for Cadillac to re-program MRC to give a fourth setting of "Plush"? Or you could go to Cadillac's heritage and call the setting "Fleetwood." So, instead of Tour, Sport, and Winter, you could have Fleetwood, Tour, Sport, and Winter. Touring cars traditionally have firmer dampers. Remember the original STS and the ETC back in the 80s? The T stood for Touring. These were meant to be sportier variants of the Eldorado and Seville. So, why on earth, in a large luxury car like the CT6 would the softest setting be Tour?

The only way Cadillac will convince traditional customers to accept the new Cadillac and move them from the XTS into the CT6 is to give them, at least, the option for a more traditional ride quality. It seems MRC should be capable of this. In fact, had the rear seat dimensions of the CTS had been appropriate for a 196" long car (37 inches of rear legroom), and a Fleetwood setting available on MRC, Cadillac may have convinced more XTS shoppers to become CTS buyers. If such packaging were available in the CTS, they would not have needed to cheapen the CT6 with such a low starting price. Then they could have given it better interior materials, eliminated the cheap sounding 2.0T from the line-up, and given it a more flagship starting price in the $63-65,000 range, and had a more appropriate range-topper.

So, what do you think? Should Cadillac create a Fleetwood setting for MRC?
 
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#2 ·
I think they should, if it is just a setting there is no reason not to. However, I thought I read that the system doesn't have the flexibility to support the range of settings you are suggesting. But I could be wrong - I'll let the more knowledgeable people correct me.
 
#20 ·
The Denali's are even a little stiff.

Buy a Buick.
Cadillac isn't an old persons car the ride is hard because it's the best handling cars on the market now bar none get over it you want a soft ride get a Buick.
Sophomoric at best.

Yeah, like I said it's called a Buick LaCrosse it's a full sized full blown luxury sedan that has a soft ride. People don't buy Cadillac's for ride anymore.
Apparently they do, as XTS outsells CTS, ATS, and CT6.

BTW Buick is not luxury.

Having ridden in the CTS and ATS with and without MRC, I wish my MRC ATS had the same "comfort" to the suspension as the non-MRC ATS and CTS as an option. Nothing wrong with the firmness, its just sometimes a bit jarring.
Therein lies the issue.

Hmmm, are sales numbers suggesting that there's a greater preference for "softer" American luxury sedans? Let's see, in November the XTS outsold the CT6 2,653 to 1,169.

And, Lincoln's newly introduced Continental outsold the CT6 1,419 to 1,169.
People have always wanted a comfortable ride and they always will. Sport is a niche that is hitting the point of diminishing returns. Even in sporty luxury cars (not track cars) its always been just one piece of the puzzle.

There's a message in there somewhere. But it doesn't matter because most all those XTS and Continental buyers aren't the ones Johan is looking for anyway...
Their money is still green.
 
#4 ·
I think with MRC they could offer a soft ride and with computer control tighten the shock up quickly in a maneuver and relax it as soon as the driving "calms down"
so you have the "pillowy" ride BUT retain MOST of the handling and still have the sport / track modes

I think the NON V / C sport should be tuned softer all around so NO "fleetwood mode" but that would be "comfort" and add in touring and sport modes whereas the V sport would offer "tighter" ride / handling along with the GO-FAST bits
 
#5 ·
I don't find it too harsh to be honest.

I picked one up yesterday morning and spent all last night pothole hunting the construction warzone that is downtown Toronto. You can almost feel it pretense as you approach the bump.

Any softer and it would get too floaty like a boat. As it is, I find the ride coddles you, keeping you level and making sure you feel as minimal movement as possible.

It does stiffen right up if you use the paddles though.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I've driven the Lucerne CXS with MRC and it rode very nicely.
With that suspension, you could fling the big boy around pretty good.
Combined with the Northstar, it's a real sleeper.

People don't buy Cadillac's for ride anymore.
Cadillac's best sellers aren't sport models.
 
#9 ·
I don't want a soft ride. But I imagine that are plenty of folks who buy full size luxury cars who expect softer rides than what the CT6 offers if Motor Trend and Car and Driver's critiques are correct.
 
#14 ·
I would like Caddy to "branch" there trim levels like HOLDEN did with the VE commies and have a LUXURY and a SPORT line

i could see the "soft" LUX version pushing TECH like "supercruise" and high end materials whereas the Sport ones would lead into the V-sport and V series amd would offer the key tech as optional "packages" and would come standard with sport/ track features like the VF HSV has with the "track computer"
 
#15 ·
Having ridden in the CTS and ATS with and without MRC, I wish my MRC ATS had the same "comfort" to the suspension as the non-MRC ATS and CTS as an option. Nothing wrong with the firmness, its just sometimes a bit jarring.

This comes into an interesting debate though - some cars give you the option to set all of the suspension parameters via the DIC or Center Stack - but does the average buyer have any clue what bound and rebound are, much less cars with adjustable spring rates? Or where the profile isn't linear (like MRC is) and can be on a curve? People would inevitably make their cars handle and ride absolutely AWFUL and blame GM for it.
 
#27 ·
I drove a non-MRC ATS 2.0T and 3.6 AWD on 17"s before I got my Premium RWD, I didn't feel like either of them rode much more comfortably in MRC's Tour mode - in fact I'd say they rode slightly worse because of the reduction in body control. When you think going to the stiffer FE3 suspension and shorter sidewall's on the 18"s, MRC is doing quite a bit to smooth out the ride compared to the standard setup if you chose to juice up the tires and anti-roll bars.

I'd say Sport mode on the ATS can be pretty brutal, in fact I almost never use it - a midway between Tour and Sport would be nice. We all have to remember, MRC doesn't adjust the shock valving, spring rates, or bushing composition - it merely changes the viscosity of the shock fluid. I'd rather see GM upgrade the MRC dampers with adaptive shock valving - I ran Koni FSD's on my old Mazda6 and felt that those had better body control over certain road conditions compared to the MRC dampers in a single setting.
 
#16 ·
If I were in charge of engineering at Cadillac, I'd have MRC come with a "classic" setting that does ride like a boat. In addition, I would include a "comfort" wheel and tire package with higher sidewalls.

Better yet, maybe a dual-mode MRC setup that acts like the current MRC on "automatic", but on "custom", the driver is given a slider where they could adjust the ride stiffness, like a "sleep number" for car suspensions.
 
#17 ·
If I were in charge of engineering at Cadillac, I'd have MRC come with a "classic" setting that does ride like a boat. In addition, I would include a "comfort" wheel and tire package with higher sidewalls.
You'd probably make an effective argument for it by pointing out that the XTS is still outselling the CT6, and that the Continental's first couple of months have been pretty decent too. Of course, all those buyers aren't likely Johan's target audience anyway...
 
#18 ·
I have early MRC in my 2002 STS and it can be quite brutal. My Miata is actually smoother and I've taken it on more road trips as a result.

In the DTS Platinum it's crisp but still comfy. Havent tried it in any later Cadillacs (at least not knowingly).
 
#19 ·
Hmmm, are sales numbers suggesting that there's a greater preference for "softer" American luxury sedans? Let's see, in November the XTS outsold the CT6 2,653 to 1,169.

And, Lincoln's newly introduced Continental outsold the CT6 1,419 to 1,169.

There's a message in there somewhere. But it doesn't matter because most all those XTS and Continental buyers aren't the ones Johan is looking for anyway...
 
#22 ·
YES!

This is the biggest complaint I have with my '16...it rides like a Corvette.
I feel every pit, pebble, ripple, etc in the pavement.
My GMT900 Escalades "rode like a Cadillac".

I even traded out the standard BridgeSTONES for Michelin Premier LTXs, which helped some with bump absorption, but overall the ride is still too firm.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I lay most of the blame with car reviewers and the automakers themselves. They're so desperate to get "good reviews" from all the writers that they almost exclusively tune their cars to their specifications.

Problem is, they don't buy any vehicles. I'm not saying I want to go back to the ride/handling of the 1970's land yachts....but I'm buying a luxury vehicle which I expect to transport me, and any passengers, as comfortably as possible. I do expect competent handling, but Nurburgring lap times and g forces are the last thing my mind.....
 
#26 ·
And, Lincoln's newly introduced Continental outsold the CT6 1,419 to 1,169.
Oh Lord, not this again.


I will say it again:

The Continental WILL AND SHOULD OUT-SELL THE CT6, AND BY A GOOD MARGIN. It's average sticker/transaction price is/ will be considerable lower. That's not to say there's anything wrong with that, it just "is".

The XTS is no doubt Cadillacs go-to for fleet sales, but the Continental is most closely aligned with it as a product and I think that's a far more fair comparison for retail sales.

And the XTS, now in its 5th year on the market, outsold the Continental 2653 to 1419.

I'm a little surprised that the Continental isn't doing better, but it's still early.
 
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#36 · (Edited)
Congratulations for showing a 2016/17 Navigator picture, and the interior center console trim from the 2nd Gen Navigator, which did not have real wood. Real wood on the interior was one of the changes on the 3rd generation Navigator, which started for the 2007 model year.

Yes, that's right. Real wood for the last 10 years.

Let's see, we have tried the Town Car, and now the Navigator...............

Next.

Oh, and BTW, real wood started on the Town Car for the 2008 model year.
 
#40 ·
Good lord there's a lot of misinformation here. Lincolns have used real wood in a long time minus the Town Car I think and that's only because those interiors need to be durable since 99% of them are limos or taxis. The reason why that panel looks like plastic on the back is because that's the process they use to create the trim piece. The wood in my LS and my MKZ is real. See this quote from the Mark VIII club:
The wood in the Mark VIII is 100% real and so are the shift knob and the steering wheel on the 1998 Collector's Edition. You might not think so if you take the panel inserts off and look at the back. The back is plastic. It is a new process that a thin wood veneer is laminated over a composite structure and then a new type of resin is laid over the top to give it the correct finish. It is real walnut burl and if you tap on it you can here the density of it. Now go to the Town Car and tap on it you can hear and feel the difference. That is fake plastic. The wood on almost every car such as Lexus, some Jaguar's, Mercedes and Cadillac are real and made the exact same way. They are just different finishes and different types of wood. This lamination process is called appliqué. This is a very expensive process and therfore most manufactures don't like to use this process. The 1998 Collector's Edition wheel is formed out of 1/8 inch strips bonded together to make the wheel.
 
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#43 ·
Wrong again look at the picture it's plastic! I don't care what a Lincoln fan boi website says they will spew any garbage to make themselves look better and Cadillac doesn't do that they use real pieces of wood.

WTH does this Lincoln debate have to do with reprogramming of the MRC?!?!?!
This is what happens when FORD fans think Lincoln competes with Cadillac they get schooled.

Now back to the Cadillac! :dro:
 
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