This article is part of the GM Authority Mailbag series, where the GM Authority Crew features and replies to your questions, comments, and observations.
The following comes to us from JR.
I remember reading a letter from a new ATS owner who was surprised to find that his fully-loaded ATS did not have an auto-dimming passenger-side mirror. I just wanted to chime in and add my dissatisfaction to the mix.
Ten days ago, I decided to give my 2013 BMW 535i to my son and splurge on a new 2015 Cadillac CTS Vsport. Mine’s an Opulent Blue Metallic with the Kona Brown interior and the Vsport Premium trim level. The car stickered at just under $73,000.
Two days into having it, I was driving on the interstate and kept getting blinded by the light from the passenger-side mirror. I chalked it up to the truck having his brights on and sped away in an effort to avoid the glare and didn’t think twice about it. The next day, coming home from work, same thing. Major glare from the passenger-side mirror. To make a long story short, I discovered that my CTS only has the auto-dimming mirrors on the driver’s side, as well as on the interior. Not on the passenger side.
Cadillac: are you kidding me? How can you allow this to happen?
First of all, I didn’t even look for this to be a feature simply because a luxury car needs to have auto-dimming rear-view mirrors on both sides of the car standard. It needs to be standard on every Cadillac. My BMW, which cost me $15,000 less than my CTS, has these (I just checked).
The omission of this tells me that Cadillac is content on cutting corners by foregoing features that should be standard. My solution is not elegant: I am getting tint installed on the mirror to prevent the glare. But my question still stands: are these the lengths to which Cadillac wants customers to go to in order to have a basic convenience like a mirror that doesn’t shoot light directly into one’s eyes? Is this appropriate on a brand new, $70,000 Cadillac? It is not; not on my CTS Vaport, not on a base CTS, or a base ATS.
As an owner of a fine restaurant, not putting in an auto-dimming rearview mirror would be the equivalent of me giving my customers an exquisite meal, and then making them eat it while staring directly into the bright headlamps of my CTS.
I was going to recommend the CTS (Luxury or Standard) as the next car for my mom. But after this, I wouldn’t feel right doing it. I’ll let her get the Benz E350 she’s had her eye on.
My call to action: fix it, Cadillac. Fix it on cars coming off the line, and fix it with existing owners like myself. I would gladly part with $100 to get a replacement passenger-side mirror that dims itself.
As with the previous letter, we could not agree with you more, JR. This “omission”, if we may call it that, is simply ridiculous.
What surprises us the most is that Cadillac spent so much time developing a car that is nearly perfect when it comes to driving. This is rather difficult to do, but it did it. Then, it goes on to omit details like this, details which are actually quite easy and simple to bring to market.
Like you, we hope that Cadillac addresses this head on, not only for future products, but for existing owners as well.
Comments
Someone has to tell Johan that BMW offers auto-dimming passenger-side mirror.
Just when it appears Cadillac is on top of the game, you find out about issues like this! Until these details are addressed, Cadillac will remain low tier in the luxury department!
Just tint it.
There a little features that Cadillac vehicles are missing that are becoming more prominent on other luxury offerings. Auto dimming passenger mirrors is on of them. Another is power folding mirrors. Many cars in the segment of the CTS feature mirrors that fold in when the door is lock and unfold when the door is unlock. Not Cadillac. Also popular in this segment is a power trunk. Not Cadillac. It’s little luxury touches like these that get peoples attention and think, “Wow, this is a good car.” I hope they address some of these areas.
Those are features that have been around for a while, but are also on lower tier GM brands. Chevy Trucks have folding mirrors, BMWs and Mercedes have for at least 10 years…
ITs OK not to include those if you want to brand yourself as “95% of what they offer for 90% of the price”, but “95% of what they offer for 99% of the price” doesn’t cut it.
1. Can I volunteer to be that guys son? I’d love to be given a 2013 BMW 5 series.
2. I agree… But we’ve seen this in the past. A fully loaded 2008 CTS- a car which at the time was herolded as competing squarely with the germans- didn’t have an autodimming passenger mirror OR an autodimming driver mirror…. And before someone says “but that was 2008…” Our 2006 BMW 3 series does. My old 2001 mercedes SLK did. My 2005 Chevy avalanche does, and even a 2010 Camaro SS… but not a fully loaded CTS?
The reason it concerns me is it reminds me the “bean counters” at GM are still having too much say. There is no way that auto-dimming mirrors on both sides weren’t in the initial design specs. Sounds more like cutting corners where possible.
While I don’t love BMW, even though I’ve happily owned BMWs, I never felt like they cut corners. When you notice a corner cut like that, i can’t help but wonder “Where else did they cut corners?”. BMWs might be expensive to repair, but I never felt like it was because they were too cheap to do it right.
That has me worried about the Cadillac marque. They jacked their prices up, their margins have to be solid, and yet they are still cutting corners like that to squeeze out a few dollars? even on something that I’d just about guarantee every buyer would gladly pay the cost difference for?
Some will say its “minor, whats the big deal”- but the details tell a story of whats going on behind the scenes, and that is what really worries me about the brand. If you can’t get the obvious details right, your process is broken.
Now before some of you get in a tizzy you need to note what Csdillac has stated.
Frost johann just got here and I am sure he has noted these and many other thing they should offer and do. This is why he has made it clear the CT6 is not the flagship and will see a car over it. It is also why he stated texts and ATS will also be replaced.
The guy has been here less than a year so let him have some time to work. These changes could not be easily done in a short time while convincing GM to come off the money to fix Cadillac.
Besides most of you Internet CEO’s never noticed these and other issues till some did a story on them. Ah if you did why wait so long to complain.
These while needed are no make or break deals. Cadillac still has bigger fish to fry and these details will come with the major corrections.
Boo who. Talk about first world problems.
First world problems, my thoughts exactly.
Buying a $70,000 is a first-world kind of action. Ironically, Cadillac only competes in first-world markets.
It’s “Dare Greatly”! Cut corners, sell at high price, make money. You are just supposed to pay more than it’s worth to be a desired brand. Not going to happen to me. ( currently a multi BMW family) we have one fully loade ATS we tried, but next year back to BMW or MB.
Its sad that even the SRX have auto dimmings on both mirrors and even rear view mirror
Tho I agree with you Scott3, this is still truly Blasphemy for Cadillac not to offer these no matter how long the J man has been here cause this is just Basic No Brainer Luxury Items!!!! 😉
Now I don’t feel too bad that my 2015 Chevy Traverse LTZ does not have one on the passenger side rear view mirror. I thought it was a poor choice by GM.
It is simple if you take a look at were Cadillac was a year ago where Mark was fighting for better door handles.
Today we have new leaders that have convinced GM to step up with 12 billion dollars.
Now they are just now daring to take path and we will see progress over the next 5 years. Then we wil see total change from that point forward.
I would be worried if there was not this great change. As of now we need to let them do their work with the proper funding.
GM was trying to cut corners but that has changed and it will take time to fix all these corners that were cut.
Though that’s all fine and dandy, you still haven’t addressed how Cadillac plans to retain customers who have been highly dissatisfied by the corner-cutting like the one described in this story.
Referring less to the “bigger picture” and more to this specific customer, what Cadillac should do is simple: order the auto-dimming glass in the passenger-side mirror housing and make it available as an accessory. All in a day’s work.
This is A-Typical of the old GM , letting the bean counters come in and cut development costs and hope the customers dont find out . It really doesnt matter whether it was Johan or not , doing things like this is part of the culture at GM . Johan still needs to be concerned withe the products that are out there right now . To say he has only been there for a year doesnt cut it to the cunsumers that are buying the products now . He should not only look to the future but keep an eye on the product at hand . Its these people that are going to be frustrated with their purchase and there goes another future consumer . John ( Jane ) Doe doesnt give a hoot about who is running the company , if they are displeased withe their purchase. Johan needs to keep his eye on the product his division is selling now . There is no excuse . Even my SRX has all 3 dimming mirrors and I didnt spend 70 grand for it . Again its the old cultural GM .
Precisely for those little details; German cars have taken advantage, GM can not forget the little things that make most perfect a car.
Especially in equipment and interior decoration details.
For many; a chrome button opening windows is a detail of elegance for instance
General Motors should be fixed at these things, the things that make the difference between a good car and a “very” good car
Regards from Spain
I tint the windows of all my new cars, so this would not affect me. I do agree that for $73K, Cadillac should be offering more content than the Germans to entice people to try their product. This is Cadillac’s biggest hurdle. People that are shopping the German luxury brands are NOT looking at Cadillacs.
I agree, especially as it seem so common in even lesser cars (mine not included), that this is a dumb oversight. However, if you can see a following vehicle’s headlights in your passenger mirror, you’ve got it set incorrectly.
I have a 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport, which I truly love. To be honest, I really have not noticed this as being an issue and I consider myself extremely astute to details, especially in cars. Maybe there are many others out there like me, who haven’t noticed or doesn’t think it’s a big deal. With how amazing the CTS is in general, it’s hardly a deal breaker and certainly not enough to not recommend such a fine car.
I’m sure Cadillac will address these and other consumer desires, such as folding mirrors and power trunk. I think I’m most disappointed with the no power down trunk, but then again, not a deal breaker. Having those features are nice, but I don’t think that having them necessarily means a ‘better’ car. Is the auto-dimming passenger mirror maybe on oversight on Caddy’s part, yes. Is it a deal breaker on the amazing CTS, I think not.
Ok we get it GM came up short. I think they have admitted such with the $12 Billion they committed to Cadillac in August. If they had it right I don’t believe any company that feels they have it right would have made such a move. This tells me they believe the issues are even deeper than the right hand mirror.
Second for someone to come in last summer they would have little effect on the next years line up as they are pretty much locked in. Few things can be changed in six months. The mirror for instance is not just a bolt on deal. I has to be made to work with the cars electronic system. It also has to be approved by DOT that takes time. And then the company that produces it has to be contracted and given time to schedule production and be able to make enough of them for a year of production by Cadillac. This does not include all the other incidental test they have to so for warranty and other things that we on the outside seldom consider.
The key to building an pricing a car is what you pick and choose to put in the car. Often there is compromise even in this segment. For GM they have not always chosen wisely but even so this is a small issue vs. leaving off the magnetic ride or some other greater gaff.
It has been well documented on the fights over the quality of items in the CT6 and that is why it is not your new flagship.
But when all is said and done the Cadillac is a good car, perfect no but in the room with the others. Johann and other have convinced GM that to be the leader they can not just be as good or close to the others and they have to lead. For all those demanding change you will get it but it will come in small doses in the next couple models and the major changes will be starting in 2020.
I have dealt with GM on TSB issues like bouncing headlamps etc. It took them a year and a half to fix that. They had the design right off but it took time to deal with all the other issues to put it into production and to make enough parts to fix the cars. We saw the same on the ignition deal as it took better than 8 months to make the part that already existed.
So if you do understand how a large automaker works you need to consider this and if you do not know you need to learn and it will give you a better time line on how and when things happen.
Not an excuse just the reality of time it takes to make a change.
Note the Malibu was not a quick fix either as it was in the works before the car came out. They had to beat the Fusion and so they had to go with what they had and let the fix come the following year.
By the way it is not all bean counters either. It is also that people mess up too. My HHR has a self dimming mirror inside.
Why? I have all tinted windows and it really has not reason to be.
I see it as a case where someone added it and did not consider the tinted windows negated it’s need.
I see this in all automakers including the Germans.
Well part of that comment is true , its not just the bean counters but engineering staff as well that are paid and actually given bonuses for cutting costs on the development of future product lines . That my friend is a fact . To some a mirror may be a small deal ,I understand that , the point is it should be a common accessory on a so called luxury car selling at 70g’s . GM overlooked what it would cost . And Johan being the boss of Cadillac should be concerned with the products being sold now whether he had a hand in the design or not . Its very possible that there will be a fix for the oversight soon. And I believe there are more than one person on this forum that may just know a bit more about how GM operates along with their suppliers . Some may have even been in on product development and know a bit about the operations of GM , and have actually been down the halls of the Tech Center and it was like being a kid in a candy store . 😉
I never denied cost as a factor as it mostly came from the board if you have really been keeping up with this. The folks who rule over Mark Ruess have been the ones watching cost. So pay attention my friend.
Second what the hell do you expect Johann to do in 6-8 months that he has not already done. He had a 2016 model line locked in and he has 12 Billion to fix the coming as much as they can and to produce all new models that are on target.
He was given a CT6 that he could not change a damn thing on and he has come out to make it clear it is not a flagship. He has admitted it is not good enough to be the flagship. Now it is not a bad car but it has to be better yet in his opinion and his expectations.
If you expect him to bolt on a mirror for 2016 it is not going to happen as it is too late to change what they have.
I just don’t know what you expect. Is he to come out and flog himself on stage in Detroit?
Time for you to wake up to the reality that any changed he will bring will not come before 2017 and a all new platform and Cadillac V8 will come no sooner than 2020.
It is clear some folks know how things work at GM and the industry but you do not based on your comments appear to be in that group.
GM screwed up ands should have included this but it is what it is for now and if it was ordered changed in August we would not see it till 2017 and no sooner.
Also who is not to say he has stepped this up even more and has added the new Rear View from the CT6 To the CTS and ATS too. I think from this point on momentum will build and more things will happen in the coming years than you can even comprehend right now. The new Cadillac has just started and for once we know for a fact it is finally funded in a way that we have not seen in years.
Don’t believe me then look back and find the last time Cadillac budgeted Over $12,000,000,000 dollars for 5 years going forward.
When was the last time a division manager faced the GM board and moved a division away from Detroit to keep the board from meddling? When was the last time any GM division faced the board and said we want to go back and build our own engines again? Anyone with the balls enough to do that will make sure you get your damn mirror.
Notice the whiny eurocentric writer complained about the absence of a passenger side auto-dimming mirror, but only offered to “gladly part with $100” for the option!?
That’s why you just do the best job you can and to hell with the critics!
Stop whining you little cry baby and go by another BMW.
Never noticed this one time after 20k+ miles on my 2014 vsport