JR’s $70,000+ Cadillac CTS Vsport Premium Also Doesn’t Have An Auto-Dimming Passenger Mirror: Mailbag
28
Sponsored Links
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.
Sponsored Links
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