Forbes recently put together a list of “truly wretched cars,” so they could “openly and readily ridicule” them as some of the worst cars on sale for the 2015 model year. The automotive industry has made great strides in modern times and there are few new cars that will be horrifically slow, unreliable, or unsafe, traits which defined a good number of cars from the 80s, 90s and even the early 2000s.
The list of the 15 worst cars seems to consist of models that are becoming a bit long-in-tooth, or ride on aging vehicle platforms. There are little to no cars with controversial designs currently on sale, like the Pontiac Aztek, and even historically weak nameplates like the Chrysler 200 have grown up quite a bit for 2015. So to help find today’s worst buy, Forbes studied the initial quality, long-term reliability and estimated deprecation rates of the industry’s offerings.
General Motors is absent from the 15 Cars To Avoid list until we arrive at the second slot, which is occupied by the Cadillac XTS. The full-size Caddy received low marks for initial quality and performance from J.D. Power and also had a below average projected resale value from ALG. Forbes also noted that XTS “falls short” when compared to other offerings in today’s “sophisticated luxury car market.”
This result probably isn’t surprising to the high ups at Cadillac, or very upsetting. The XTS was never meant to be the brand’s flagship and is actually a product left over from GM’s bankruptcy era. The model is intended to fill the full-size sedan slot in Cadillac’s lineup until the CT6 arrives, a position which otherwise would have sat empty.
Forbes doesn’t have any disdain for the XTS, saying it’s one of their “guilty pleasures,” but notes the Chevrolet Impala with which it shares a platform offers similar amenities for much better value. If your fixed on buying a full-size Caddy, you’d be best off to wait for the arrival of the much more advanced CT6 sedan.
Comments
Let’s face it, there’s nothing interesting about this car. It’s just ok.
Buy an Impala instead.
I’m woundering if the same thing will happen to the Lacrosse…it looks to same as the XTS…the 2017 lacrosse doesn’t seen that exciting…and it looks like they could put a larger more radical car above the Lacrosse….possibly a plug-in Electra like the CT6….but the Electra doesn’t have to ride on the Omega platform…maybe a larger more advanced E2XX.
Do you have anything else to add other than your thoughts about the Buick LaCrosse or potential Buicks larger than it?
My father, in his 80s, LOVES his XTS. And that is all that is important. I think its a pretty decent car. Maybe it doesn’t match up to a 5 series, or maybe its not the best value on paper, but it doesn’t seem like there’s anything about it that would be considered “Wretched”.
I won’t even disagree with the lists arguments, although to say you should avoid the cars at all costs is somewhat silly. I don’t think there are any (or many) cars you should TRULY avoid. For my father, the XTS is perfect. An impala would be fine, but he has his retirement money to spend, and he’s not going to drive around in a chevy (even if I do!).
Side note, who the heck buys a caddy for its value proposition anyway? Of course Caddy will never be a good value….
The XTS is a great car but isn’t a flagship….same with the Lacrosse.
I think it is an attractive car, though it has an awkward stance, and it is a bit too pricey when compared to the MKS. But there is definitely a market for a FWD luxury boat that perfectly drives down the highway at a reasonable speed and makes you forget of any potholes or undulations in the road, in absolute luxury.
IMHO, Cadillac should continue building this car for N.A. well into the future.
While this is not a bad car it is like the Malibu a somewhat dated car as it is an old design. It also is not the direction Cadillac is working to any longer so the resale will be in the ball park of the DTS not the CTSV.
It is true the Impala is a better value as much of the investment in this car has been trickled down to the Impala making it a much better car if the Cadillac had not been made.
I would like to see this car axed soon and some of the options like AWD and the TT V6 move to the Impala making it more affordable than the XTS.
The trouble is this car is too close to the Buick and Impala now and if you want people to think Cadillac has really changed this is not the car to convince them. While it is a good car it is not what the new Cadillac needs to be represented by.
The Buick Lacrosse I expect will get many more features as well as a higher price to fill the niche of this model. In turn for the higher price the Buick will also be much better car as the price will support better things they can’t do at the cheaper price.
For years people have defected from Cadillac as Cadillac changed over time. I had a great Uncle who was a GM engineer who bought a new Caddy every year till 59. He skipped a year and went to Buick as they were more to his conservative taste. There will be a ship in customer base and many will not leave GM. It has happened before and it will happen again.
While I hate to see higher prices for any of these cars it will spread them out to give more room to each. Also the higher prices will bring up levels of features and quality you just can’t do at $35K.
You can save on wine in a box but if you want the good stuff it comes in a aged bottle.
If you want GM to be a contender and not a pretender then they will have to make some changes some will not always like.
The XTS is a good representation of where Cadillac is today. It is a damn good car but to be what they want to be it is no longer good enough. As long as they replace it with much better product we all should be happy GM is working to do that. It was not all that long ago they would have tried to convince you that this was the worlds best knowing full well it was not.
To me this car seems to be a left over trying to cater to the crowd that Cadillac sort of left behind while changing it’s image. It is a nice car but it needs to be dropped in favor of a worthy successor.
I agree as I always called it the bridge to the future model.
It is what I hope is the last competitor from Cadillac aimed at Lincoln. This is just not where the market is and the future lies for Cadillac.
I expect the next Lacrosse will be even better car than this once they are done and will serve this segment well.
I like the XTS and it is a beatiful car. Although not selling well like it did at first, it is still the best selling FWD large luxury car in its class over the TLX, S80 and MKS.
The Lexus ES 350 does not count since it aims mostly to the Lacrosse on price.
I think everyone would agree this car is not a model that the “new” Cadillac” wants in the lineup. The problem is that as Cadillac is trying hard to change its image as long as these models remain and continue to get on lists like this (especially from influential publications like Forbes) Cadillac will have a hard time changing the perceprion no matter how many other great cars they build. They must make this dinosaur extinct to survive as a recognized and perceived premium brand.
My neighbor has a XTS and loves it . She always drove Coupe Devilles and DTS’s . And that is exactly what the XTS was for . To fill the gap in the line-up till another replacement could be built . Was she does not like or even use is CUE . GM needs to do something withe their User Experience . It doesn’t rate well even withe the editorial staff of much of the industry . Time will tell on just how long it remains on the market .
I doen’t like how the Lacrosse and XTS are shaped…..too chunky….and they doen’t appear to be top rangers.
This is what I see. The Cadillac clientele who have driven the “land-yatch” based DTS and DeVilles love the XTS; just like Zach mentioned about his neighbor. The XTS allows this owner to still have that big car ride and still get a decent MPG.
Personally, with all the incentives that are being offered on the XTS, I’d go straight to the Premium and Platinum lines with the magnetic ride control. Because I am at a Cadillac dealership, I have the opportunity to drive everything, and with that one option I can say driving a larger vehicle with controlled agility is a great drive.
As much as I like the nbs Impala and LaCrosse, I still don’t see them having the same comfort as the XTS. Their interiors are not as inviting, JIMO. And the ONLY Impala I’d consider would be the SS, it’s just the way it is. I’m still trying to figure out where Buick fits in here; still waiting for the Grand National…but then again there’s the V-Sport.
Who cares what these jerks say. Buy the car that makes you happy.