My Vision of Cadillac (REDUX)

[Hurricane]

Great list!

I would also suggest the maintenance be included for 4 years, not three.

[Ambalanche]

I like alot of what you have put up. And you're right, with the exception of the CTS, Cadillac's line up leaves allot to be desired. I do like the XLR, but like you, I think they missed the mark with the Update. How much does that side vent cost?
I think you went a little heavy with the coupes. They go out of style way too fast and are in constant need of updates. Plus, with the prices the options (standards) you propose, it would be prohibitively expensive to do.
Other than that, the dealership experience desparately needs work! When I bought my '08 CTS, the people there were nice enough, but if I was cross-shopping say a BMW, there's no way I'd buy from them. They weren't up on their products, the dealership was old, and I got that 1970's salespeople feel. That could be because they have had the store for that long and longer, many elderly people work there. I've seen many new or updated Cadillac stores and while they look good, marble tile on the floors etc, the salespeople could work at a Chevy store in their approach. One Cadillac dealer here in town still advertised brand new DTS's as Deville's. I guess they figure that name is more recognizable, hopefully that's why.
Yes there is work to be done. The CTS is a wonderful car, and the derivitives of it appear to be pretty good also. Let's hope the rest is going to be very good, if not class leading and get here sooner rather than later!

[mbukukanyau]

Mge, it would be great if you added pictures to your thoughts

[YupYupYup]

Cadillac might throw technology and gizmos at the situation, but they have no clue on how to package a luxury product. So what if Cadillac projector lamps have the Cadillac logo etched in them if the dashboard has gaps the size of canyons?

XLR is the worst offender of them all. Slap on new foglamps, slap on a side vent and a new exhaust. But the fundamental problems of the interior remain. It doesn't exude luxury. It's a cheap imitation. it's like buying a leather jacket at WalMart. It might be leather... but my God its butt-ugly, with poorly threaded buttons, polyester lining, and a plastic zipper. Or you can go to Saks and get a beautifully tailored leather jacked with a nickel zipper and silk lining.

It just confounds me that Cadillac cannot figure out the interior thing, not counting the CTS. The XLR interior looks like it was designed by engineers, not luxury goods designers that it should have been designed by. Way too simple, lack of attention to detail, and now so dated. At that price point...Well, it has been said before,

Cadillac has wonderful technology and engineering...And they have shown they can build a world-class interior in the CTS. How hard is it to use sophisticated woods or other accents, as mentioned by Mg and used by so many other car makers? How difficult can it be to at least implement a unique gauge cluster and small details where the drivers and passengers touch? Where are the unique leather colors you see on so many other luxury cars? I just don't get it.

[jasaero]

On the XLR update. This is exactly what happens when you have a Cadillac low on funds trying to develop DTS/STS replacement, CTW, CTC, and Alpha car all at once. And even they keep getting delayed due to lack of funds and need to ensure they all make money. The XLR looks worse to me, but is about what was expected when you ask them to update with chump change.

BUT, I consider it a GOOD thing that money is apparently being focus on the different CTS variants and the STS/DTS replaceement and Alpha. All those are more important in the long run than XLR. Even Lexus doesn't do any more updating to their SC. And that is one of only a few cars that answer MB's SL.

[PAULSTS1]

I like the line-up mostly, I too believe it's too Coupe heavy for the 21st Century. Want a smaller roadster perhaps dirived from the SKY/SOLSTICE PLATFORM, the XLR replaced by the Cien mid-engine. And a Cadillac Ultimatim ULS, about 2020.

In order to to this the DT7 replacement for the STS/DTS must be a hit, cash cow, runaway success. The revenue that must come in would have to be enormous. Also the CTS update would also have to be a runaway success.

I like the idea of scaling down the Escalade, not taking away any luxuries of features, but placing it on a lighter more efficient platform, so the MPG and range could be much better than todays Escalade is.

[Caleb02]

Caddy needs to do the following inorder to live on.

Drop all trucks no more esclades please
Become a Porsche fighter in evey way
even make a 4 door dts into rwd like the proscha 4 door but with a hybrid with over 1000 hp and it would get over 100 mpg! just use an air compressor like the Tata car.

[YupYupYup]

Originally Posted by Caleb02

Caddy needs to do the following inorder to live on.

Drop all trucks no more esclades please
Become a Porsche fighter in evey way
even make a 4 door dts into rwd like the proscha 4 door but with a hybrid with over 1000 hp and it would get over 100 mpg! just use an air compressor like the Tata car.

Getting rid of trucks/ SUVs might not be good...Porsche builds them (Cayenne) and they are very popular around where I live. The answers are scaling down the Escalade a bit, making it more tight; adding hybrids/ Volt-style on a large scale (torque is great for big SUVs); and contuning to improve handling and comfort details.

They need to continue to build ont he CTS in a fast way...Get the DTS/ STS replacement out fast and done well...Then use the cash from that to bring the ULS out fast. They are taking too long, but that is partly from lack of money. Although I also think that is an excuse when you have the engineering and design talent. Find a way!

[steve333]

BTS (Compact RWD) (3 series fighter)
CTS Sedan (5 series fighter)
CTS Coupe
CTS Wagon
CTX Small Crossover
DTS (7 series fighter)
DTX (larger crossover)
Cien (Flagship Sedan)
Evoq Roadster (CTS Covertible)
Provoq Roadster (XLR replacement)
Escalade Hybrid

[ral1960]

Yup brought up interior color, I would add exterior color also. How many different shades of gray and brown are needed?

Choices of wood, but no choice of fabrics? Now you have to get a V to get fabric seats, which some of us prefer to leather (though I admit my cooled & heated seats make leather tolerable).

Make MagnaRide available on more models and without requiring every other option. For that matter, get rid of the ridiculous option packages of unrelated features.

[Caleb02]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

Getting rid of trucks/ SUVs might not be good...Porsche builds them (Cayenne) and they are very popular around where I live. The answers are scaling down the Escalade a bit, making it more tight; adding hybrids/ Volt-style on a large scale (torque is great for big SUVs); and contuning to improve handling and comfort details.

They need to continue to build ont he CTS in a fast way...Get the DTS/ STS replacement out fast and done well...Then use the cash from that to bring the ULS out fast. They are taking too long, but that is partly from lack of money. Although I also think that is an excuse when you have the engineering and design talent. Find a way!

Cayenne is not a truck a truck is body on frame rear wheel drive with a pickup bed, also bof esclade avalance types are also so any gmt90x is a truck. The porsche is a Cute Ute for women, its a chick car. I say caddy needs to be a Porsche challenger and offer hybrids with air compression

[Sgt Beavis]

Originally Posted by Caleb02

Cayenne is not a truck a truck is body on frame rear wheel drive with a pickup bed, also bof esclade avalance types are also so any gmt90x is a truck. The porsche is a Cute Ute for women, its a chick car. I say caddy needs to be a Porsche challenger and offer hybrids with air compression

To be more precise, the Cayenne is a crossover. And that is what mgescuro is calling for from Caddy. I'm in complete agreement with him on that...

However it should be noted that the Cayenne (and the VW Toureg) have true off road capabilities.


I also think mgescuro is right that Caddy needs to go significantly upmarket and be the tru luxury leader. The BLS should be very luxurious and sporting and sit at BMWs mid 30k range while the CTS should START at the 40 to 45K range. That can be done with the CTS buy simply selling them fully equipped (no stripped down model with CLOTH seating)

If GM moves Caddy up market, then Buick finally makes sense as a near luxury division with their most expensive car selling at 45K fully loaded (A fully loaded Enclave CXL can run $47K) If Caddy sticks to its current market level, I think Buick has no reason to exist. If the cheapest Caddy is a compact 3 series competitor that starts at the low to mid $30K range (the 328i starts at $32K) then a midsized Buick sedan makes sense at that price point.

I also think Caddy should run on exclusive platforms. The CTS, BLS, STS (whatever) shouldn't share with Chevys. However, once the platform moves onto the next generation, the older platform can move downmarket to help get every dollar out of a car. It would be nice to see a RWD Buick that is based on the previous generation CTS's platform (I'm talking down the road when the current CTS gets a complete makeover) Daimler sorta did this with the Chrysler 300 basing many of its major structural components off the previous generation of the E class.

Nice work mgescuro. I don't think it will happen but at least its been said..

[babyfacedkayos]

Originally Posted by PAULSTS1

And a Cadillac Ultimatim ULS, about 2020.

Anyway, Caddy being a Porsche fighter is about as original as i have heard. I dont ever remember Cadillac being about small 2+2 (lmao) and 2 seaters...

And you know, Corvette has its hands full dealing w/ those pesky Porsches

[CadillacBoy87]

Love the concept of the Emerald Edition. It says "I drive a hybrid" but with elegance.

[ral1960]

Originally Posted by Sgt Beavis

That can be done with the CTS by simply selling them fully equipped (no stripped down model with CLOTH seating)

You have to buy a V series to get cloth (ultraseude) in any Cadillac. The CTS has vinyl (bleh!) standard, all others have leather. Up until the late 70's, every model had a choice of 2 cloth seat coverings, with leather (vinyl in the Calais) optional in 8 or 10 colors. Then they added d'Elegance interiors with different seat cushions and more choices. All this while producing up to 300,000 per year before computer-aided manufacturing.