You’ll be surprised to know how many emails we get about Cadillac’s plan not to continue making the XTS for a second generation. Each one of the questions comes from XTS owners and ultimately asks the same question: why is Caddy planning to drop the full-size sedan from its lineup? Here’s our take on the situation.
For the uninitiated, Cadillac will discontinue the XTS before 2020. In fact, the XTS might even become unattainable for retail customers much sooner than 2020, while remaining available for fleet and limo/livery customers until its final discontinuation. But why is Caddy dropping it?
The XTS never really fit in with the rest of the Cadillac lineup. Sure, it has the Art & Science design language and, to a certain extent, carries the design very well. But the biggest reason why the XTS doesn’t belong in today’s Cadillac lineup is quite simple: it does not represent what Cadillac is, what it wants to be, and where it is going.
You see, ever since the early 2000s, Cadillac has been moving in the direction of the sport-luxury market, a segment that’s is the most popular among today’s luxury car buyers. Today, the space is dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, while being defined by a balanced, responsive, and engaging driving experience, besides the expected niceties of a luxury car such as impeccable quality, a longer warranty, more advanced features, and — to many — the luxury badge.
To that extent, the XTS is simply not a well-balanced car. That’s because it is based on GM’s front-wheel-drive Super Epsilon platform. And for those who may not know this already, a front-wheel-drive platform results in a nose-heavy vehicle since it usually places the engine way ahead of the front axle. This changes the personality, the driving characteristics, if you will, of a vehicle.
For the XTS, this means that it simply can not match the dynamic, sporty handling and overall driving characteristics of the Alpha-based ATS and CTS, as well as the upcoming Omega-based CT6. If all that sounds like a foreign language to you, then we’ll simply say this: drive the XTS and the CTS back-to-back. We mean really drive them. Drive ‘em like you stole them. The CTS will be the better-driving car through and through, with better handling, a more composed ride, and a significantly better driving position. Now, the CTS might not be as soft as the XTS, but it is not a good thing when said softness comes at the expense of driver awareness and vehicle control.
Even so, it’s truly because of the upcoming 2016 Cadillac CT6 — the brand’s long-awaited and genuine flagship — that the XTS is going away. That’s because the CT6 will do everything that the XTS does today, but drive better, look better, and “feel” better in every possible way, shape, and form. And what’s not to like if the XTS is being replaced by a better vehicle?
Comments
The XTS was built to serve the lingering customer base that religiously bought DTS’s and would defect to Lincoln for their FWD boats if there wasn’t one.
Unfortunately Cadillac still has a long way to go in the balancing department. My mom would have bought a Pontiac G8 GXP. The Chevy SS was “too ugly”, and the CTS was “too old people’s” in her words (without outing her age, she’s eligible for Social Security).
Her BMW 335i with M Suspension will be delivered next week. A darn shame, and a shame GM doesn’t have a car for her. She had the cash – and GM didn’t have the car.
Even Baby Boomers don’t want the XTS. It will be a smash bargain as a highway cruiser in a few years on the used market… in the same vein as the final Mercury Sable was/is.
Ermmm… Christopher. Why not an ATS?
Same problem as the CTS. She felt like it was designed for old people. And to those downvoting: I did not influence her buying choices other than handing her a list of cars I suggested. Take the feedback, or drink the kool-aid… your call.
Personally I would have put her in a 2nd Gen CTS as that is less like that, but frontal collision avoidance and blind spot were must adds considering her age. That limited me to the SS, ATS, and CTS and Mustang on the American side.
FWIW, she liked the Mustang Turbo, but opted for the 335i because four doors. Camaro would have been in the mix had the 2016 Camaro been available.
I personally don’t understand how a person could think that a modern day ATS or CTS was designed for old people. What does that even mean?
I mean, is that brand perception (remove the Caddy badge and she would be in love with it) or something about the actual product?
I think it’s perception because the ATS and CTS exterior designs are too radical with their sharp lines, versus the industry trend of soft curves, to be for old people. With that said, where I live, the vast majority of people I see driving Cadillacs are senior citizens.
I don’t get it. She likes the XTS but moved to a BMW 335 with M suspension? Those are two completely different animals. Strikes me the XTS buyers should look at Buick.
Mommy is paying for his car and her name will be on the insurance. He’s not fooling anyone.
It’s very odd that an elderly woman would settle on a 335i with an M pack suspension after turning down an SS and a dowdy G8 GXP. Twin turbo and 300+hp for a social security tragic care-home bound elderly woman is worried about looking old…as mentioned in thread originally about the XTS; what a great derailment.
I bet she has no qualms about the no-charge manual option of the 335i.
I’m suspending the prohibition on talking to you because your assertions are personal… and totally wrong (as usual).
I don’t even live in the same area. I probably will drive the car a few times a year during holidays. Couldn’t care less what she buys/bought. But I DO care why she didn’t buy the ATS or CTS… because GM should care.
Enjoy pulling misguided concepts from thin air about my family’s lives though, great use of your time. Just a little creepy how you can get offensive about people’s families that you have never met. But this is the Internet, so I’m used to that.
Unlike you Grawdaddy, I won’t ever make insults about your family pulled out of thin air. And that’s why I don’t hate you – I just feel sad that you have been reduced to an Internet troll. It’s a sad, sad waste of your time.
Keep up the prohibition Chris. I’ll have you break it again next time.
I mean whats more believable? An elderly woman choosing a 335i with an Msport suspension after looking at an SS and G8 GXP, or your sponging of her disposable income?
Flimsy and frail.
Keep it up with the private browsing downvotes. Its one way to leverage some credibility on your part, even if it is shallow and 2-dimensional and makes you feel vindicated in some weak vicarious manner.
Bring back the XTS style, loved it.3.6 twin turbo, a ROCKET SHIP,again,LOVED IT.
Nowhere did I say she liked the XTS. She hated the FWD. But she rejected the ATS and 3rd Gen CTS because of the interior, not the exterior. The exterior was fine on CTS/ATS, but the interior is what felt aged-inclined.
That’s why she loved the SS, but for the facia. Hence why I said she would have bought a G8 GXP – more premium/sporty appearance outside, but without the elitist interior. Which is what a BMW 3 Series offers.
The XTS is large enough not to be compared only with cars, it is only a few cubic feet of space behind the SRX. It also beats most of the other luxury cars in total space.
With almost 100 horsepower/torque over the SRX in the XTS VSport the driving dynamics and lower center of gravity is just physics.
The old people thing makes me chuckle.. Probably because I’m in a Cadillac car club full of 25-35 year olds and I’ve never met a CTS-V owner over 45. I know they exist, I jsut haven’t met them. My wife said the CTS is to “kiddy and not mature enough”. I guess you can’t please everyone.
She also has the M Sport BMW 3 series. She bought it after having a G8 GT. She’s a huge GM fan, but also didn’t find a car that fit her needs. We both love the 2nd gen CTSs (and I have a CTS), but the value proposition for us fell apart with the 3rd gen. The CTS was bigger than the 3 series (plus), but way cheaper than a 5 series (plus).
When it comes down to it, you can’t please everyone. I worry they are going after only the “biggest” segments which is a problem because so is everyone else.
If there are 100 people in bucket A and 50 in bucket B, and 4 companies vying for bucket A and 0 in bucket B, at best you’ll see 20-30 customers. On the flip side, if you go for smaller bucket B, you get all 50. I see this happening to a flaw at cadillac. So obsessed with capturing the same markets as BMW and similar, that they are leaving too many potential customers without a solution.
Your mom should have bought Regal GS. It out rated everyone with Consumer Reports. While not RWD, it nonetheless is a driver’s car.
She passed on the Regal GS at first sight, much like the SS. “Ugly”
I suspect the cowl marks from the fogs (or, where the fogs were), much like the gigantic lower grille on the SS, were a turn-off for many. GM really should offer the standard facia as a sleeper option. Would cost nearly nothing and save a few sales.
Never read so much BS in my life . Most of the cars sold today in North America and Europe are FWD . This is because FWD is what most people want to buy , period !! If you live anywhere where winter driving conditions may occur , or if you want maximum interior space for yourself and passengers , FWD is the preferred . We got out of RWD generations ago for the best reason of all…..as I mentioned above and needs repeating…..this is what people want today . GM still keeps trying to tell buyers what they want the public to buy…..not what the public is buying . This attitude hasn’t changed since the 50’s when it indeed through the 70’s when it did , indeed , set the standard . Where is there a GM car in the top ten car sales for 2014 , in North America , other than the FWD Cruze ?
Actually, I think it is you who is full of BS.
Do you honestly believe that consumers ACTIVELY seek out FWD cars to buy them? No, they do not. The reason most cars sold today are FWD is because it is significantly less expensive to build a FWD car than it is a RWD car. Hence, the industry as a whole has moved to a more cost-effective structure. Not because people demand FWD cars.
Also, the spatial advantages of a FWD vs. a RWD car that you bring up is total BS. This was the case with old RWD cars, but not those of today. What you gain with a FWD car by not having a wide/tall tunnel in the second row, you actually lose by having a significant amount of wasted and unusable dashboard space compared to a RWD car.
But none of that even matters. Instead, tell me this:
1. Can a nose-heavy FWD car with a transverse engine (XTS) handle as good as a properly balanced RWD car? No, it can not.
2. How many LUXURY cars are FWD? Very few.
Your points have been invalidated.
I have 7 series and in Cleveland winters and spring my wife’s fwd minivan handles better.
Winter tires, good buddy. Winter tires.
Well Cadillac has had 3 ideas of a flagship.
The XTS was the first idea of a flagship pre bail out. They proceeded with the design as it was ready to go. If they had not the CT6 would have been the first full sized replacement Cadillac and they could not wait till 2015-2016 for it. They needed product in the show room.
The second flag ship attempt was the CT6 and up till last summer was still expected to be the flag ship. Be it Johann or who ever someone got GM to wake up and say this is a good car but it is not going to be the car you need as you still need to do better.
So the third time we hope to be the charm a the coming 2020 model is now the new flag ship. They also will replace the present ATS and CTS with even better product soon after.
The reason it is being discontinued is it was just filling gaps in the line up. It is better to offer something than nothing as you can sell an XTS vs. you can not sell an empty space in the show room.
GM dumped a lot of money they had left before the bail out that would have been lost in product like the XTS, ZL1 and other projects that got shelved. They did not want to get caught with no product for 5-6 years like Chrysler did and at least had new product to fill the gaps for a short while as the Malibu and Cruze have done. None of it was what they fully wanted but it was better than nothing.
The XTS was a decent better car than the DTS but it was never what they really wanted. But it has brought some money in and if anything made the Impala a much better car with the development money Cadillac did put in first.
I’d say there have been two flagship ideas within Caddy. The DTS and its successor, the XTS, and the CT6. Lest I forget about the STS/SLS, but neither one was really a flagship.
From where I stand, the CT6 is the flagship. I truly believe that the comments from GM/Cadillac execs to the contrary is just a nice way of saying that there will be a long-wheelbase CT6 with a few more rear-seat passenger luxury features and perhaps a larger engine. Whether it’s called CT6-L or CT8 is simply a technicality.
I am only speaking of the new GM Cadillac.
If you want to get that picky I can show you a flagship for each year all they way back for 100 plus years.
As my above comment was under the name of UNDEFINED , I thought I’d add one more comment , to the top 2014 car sales in AMERICA , only one , I believe mentioned in the whole list is RWD and that is the CAMARO !
I don’t agree with anything you just said but I don’t have time to really dissect it so I’ll answer your question about the top 10. The (RWD/4WD) Silverado was the number 2 best selling vehicle in the US behind the F-150.
When it comes to luxury cars RWD is what people want. Your confusing mainstream cars with luxury cars jim, almost every LUXURY car is rwd. Only Audi and Lincoln make fwd luxury cars for all the reasons listed above. If people want something practical and affordable they get fwd, if they want luxury they get rwd (or awd based on a rwd platform) and as far as your snow argument all of the Cadillacs are available in AWD which is much better the fwd in bad weather.
EXACTLY, Ian.
Hey usajym: what percentage of LUXURY cars sold today are FWD, and how many are RWD?
The overarching majority is RWD, including the majority of:
BMW
Benz
Infiniti
Cadillac
Lexus (split in half)
Jaguar
The first two make up over 50% market share alone!
The only ones that are FWD are:
Lincoln
Volvo
Acura
Buick
Not sure if any of these can actually be called luxury brands. They are more “premium” than luxury. Price, image, and product differentiate these significantly.
Audi is somewhat in a different league, since it still uses longitudinal engine placement, albeit the engine is still ahead of the front axle due to Quattro limitations. So, we can call Audi a tweener, but its cars handle much better than any XTS can dream of.
You forgot Buick on your list. Buick sales the last couple years trump all but BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Lexus…yes 4th on your list.
Again, just like Lincoln and Acura, Buick is not really a luxury brand. A premium brand? Sure. Not a luxury brand, however. There is a significant price difference between Cadillac, BMW, MBZ, Infiniti and Buick.
Wrong they luxury not premium. Hence the phrase, “paying a premium.”
^ Marshall, what did I just read?
Buick = Ford. They are both Premium Mainstream right now. Which is really what 90% of the market wants.
Both trump Chevrolet big time but neither will trump Cadillac. Especially in the future. However, all bets are off if that Buick concept goes into production as is. Might as well close down Cadillac then IMO and just give the Escalade to GMC’s Denali line. Nothing Cadillac has in their design language comes close to what Buick came up with there.
“Nothing Cadillac has in their design language comes close to what Buick came up with there.”
Stirring the pot, are we? 😉
I literally could not disagree with you more. For all kinds of reasons.
I just leased a 2015 Lacrosse that is FWD, it drives very well. Very quiet and smooth, it is also tight and handles well. This Lacrosse is my 4th Buick, and they’ve all been FWD. I’ve never had any problems with that.
The LaCrosse is, for the most part, an excellent Buick. And I don’t think anyone would argue that you would not have any “problems” with FWD in it.
But it doesn’t come close to the driving experience furnished by the CT6, it’s no 7 Series, S-Class, or Lexus LS.
Cadillac must define its definitive personality immediately.
It has to start making cars and leave them on the line, do a car XTS or ELR and be confusing and removed a few years, it creates distrust of the buyer.
Cadillac wants to be, it will be from now, without confusion, direct.
Comes “form” Owners?
Fixed.
I think the alternative way to say this is the XTS drives like a LaCrosse?
The XTS was always intended to be a stopgap measure until a more competitive full sized sedan was brought to market (CT6) and to appease former DTS/STS owners.
I like the XTS but it was always behind the 8 ball. It was badge engineering at it’s best. Clearly an Epsilon based vehicle.
How could it truly take on the luxury competition being a re-worked Impala /LaCrosse?
Pre-bailout Cadillac didn’t have the money to to it right and now they do.
Welcome the CT6.
What a balled up cluster $*%& this has become.
Time to stop the BS and accept the fact that people will pay $70K plus for a RWD or AWD car but they will not pay that much for a FWD.
The FWD starts to loose steam around $50K plus as buyers move to the more expensive cars and If tractions is all that important they go AWD.
Buick will remain FWD with AWD option giving them the ability to break the $50K barrier in the future and they may even get an Omega to help.
The XTS was just to replace the slow selling STS and DTS that few cared about and both had quality issues. The XTS bought them time to get to the CT6 and the good news it is a better car but they are now going to go for even better than that.
I saw this coming since 2013. I’m not surprised.
Nowhere in the world at the moment can you sell a near $70k car (don’t kid yourself with the low-ball $55k starting MSRP) with a FF-platform being shared with a $30k car like a Regal or Malibu.
Thankfully GM is quick to catch on & eliminate the potential criticisms the automotive press & its competitors can challenge Cadillac with. Let Acura & Lincoln rot thinking they can upmarket mass-market FF derived sedans to fools, premium prices command premium products.
After all, there is a reason why Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Audi almost exclusively use FR (& AWD) derived platforms for anything costing north of $50k.
To me starting from 1979 to the present, the only Cadillac models that I have liked was the ’79-’89 Eldorado Biarritz, 2010-14 CTS coupe and 2014 / 16 ELR. I loved the 1977-79 Coupe de Ville, the first time I saw that car I said that I was going to get one,10 month later @ the age of 19 I bought a brand new one.To me today that model still looks good,they should have made that model style longer than 3 years. All the other models looks real dated,even the new CT6 thats coming, looks like it will look dated in a few years. Cadillac, is charging too much for their cars,I have been saying this for over 35 years, in the past I was able to pay off my Caddy in 4 years, now I can’t do it, it’s too much. My 1978 coupe with a 425 engine too me,an I doesn’t know this for sure because I have yet to drive any new Cadillac,these new ones is probably not that much more powerful.