Cadillac has done its best to position the CT6 as a luxurious value proposition. The full-size luxury sedan starts at just $54,790 and tops out in Platinum guise at $84,790.
In the meantime, the Germans are pushing forward, with latest 2019 Audi A8 doubling down on technology and luxury. While the new executive sedan from Audi may not look much different—we also think the CT6 has a much better exterior design—there’s no denying it shames the CT6 with greater technology.
The 2019 A8 features a 10.5-inch touchscreen display with hundreds of commands (400 to be exact) and Audi’s virtual cockpit. There are also friggin lasers beams within the LED Matrix headlights. Not to mention, the 2019 A8 also includes a footrest for backseat passengers with massage function. That’s coupled with heated and cooled seats as well. The CT6 will massage drivers, at least.
Audi is excited about its autopilot system, too, which it says will be capable of driving the vehicle at speeds under 37 mph in traffic situations and on divided highways. Here, the CT6 scores—General Motors’ Super Cruise will arrive this fall and can completely take over driving functions on the highway.
Again, it comes back to value. The 2017 Cadillac CT6 offers a lot for the money, while the technical force that is the 2019 Audi A8 will start well over six figures. When the Audi A8 goes on sale this fall, it will start at an eye-watering $103,000. For tens of thousands of dollars less, maybe it’s OK if the CT6 won’t massage our feet.
Comments
No doubt about it! The A8 has brought the tech goods to the table! I just wish Audi went a little more aggressive with the so-called “clean-sheet design!” It ‘s not even much of an evolution of the current model, let alone a whole new design! Be that as it may, we once again praise the Germans for delivering innovative tech! As it was mentioned before, today’s luxury car tech will be tomorrow’s entry-level car tech!
Not to mention the slew of powertrain options available for the A8! Including the availability of their stellar V-12! That supposed Cadillac flagship can’t come soon enough……I believe it’s fair not to compare the A8, as with the other genuine flagship sedans, to the CT6! While it’s only comparable in size and handling, it can’t touch the A8 in tech! Even the current A8 destroys the CT6 in the tech department!
There will not be a V12 option when the A8 is introduced. In fact a V8 isn’t available until a later date.
The BMW 7 series has a bunch of tech stuff too and still the CT6 outsells it.
Clarification. V12 will not be offered at all.
I stand corrected. Although I do believe the W-12 is slated for Europe; or at least for the yet-to-be-announced S8 model.
I honestly really just can’t get pass the fact that the German luxury guys make their executive cars look like their smaller size counterpart a la S class looks like E class and C class but bigger, 7 looks like 5 and 3 but bigger , A8 looks like A6, etc. at least CT6 doesn’t look too much like CTS and ATS to certain extent.
I think there is a tethered design “language” in the Euro makers which is why their various model ranges look a bit samey, only scaled in size. That said it doesn’t seem to affect their sales levels in their respective target markets; for eg. a 7-series buyer will generally replace with an updated 7 series, they won’t “downgrade” to a mere 5 series.
I’m sure there’s some research stuffed away somewhere that confirms this.
I mean every time I either see a 3 or 5 or C or E I’m just thinking like oh it just looks like their larger counterpart but a size smaller. For me it really just doesn’t really surprise or amazes me like ” WOW that’s a new 5 series? Holy cow!!!”. It’s certainly more like ” oh it’s the new 5 series. Okay cool. It just looks like their larger counterpart”
What’s wrong with cars from the same company having the same design language?
There’s nothing wrong with it. But for me I would like to have a little differentiation between each. Like how the Cruze looks a little different than the Malibu etc while having the same design language.
So you sound like a guy that is constantly looking over the fence to see what your neighbors have?
Why do you care if models from a certain company have a similar look? Are you going to buy all three of the BMW sedans that have a similar look to them?
Are you worried that somebody will assume you are driving a 3 series when you really bought a 7 series?
Do people really think this way?
Honestly it’s just personal preference. So calm down sir!
Brian, based on comments I’ve seen over the years, a huge part of the thinking by BMW buyers is that they DO care about what their neighbors think. So yes they would hate it if they bought a 7 series and the neighbors thought they only had a 3 series. Which does make the lack of differentiation a bit defeating for the bigger, pricier models.
Also it’s functionally unsound for smaller models to look exactly like scaled down versions of bigger models, and vice-versa. Unless of course the people buying the smaller cars are proportionately scaled down vs. their large car buying counterparts.
This seems to be the trend with almost all luxury brands now! The one-design-fits all motif is seems to be the most prevalent in European luxury cars though. Unfortunately, it’s not much better with Cadillac either. I saw a CTS and CT6 the other day that looked almost identical from a distance, the front fascias of the two sedans could use more distinguishing!
I disagree, the CTS and CT6 is distinctive enough that you can tell from a far away distance, particularly, the front end, same as for the rear too.
I love the front end on all Caddy models, day or night you can tell whats coming down the road because of the vertical LED lights. Think about it, very few automakers have headlights that are so unique where a person can tell what it is just by the headlights.
Not to worry if your caddy won’t massage your feet. Because the Lincoln Continental will kiss my @$$.
I get the value proposition, but why not have the option to configure your Caddy with all the bells and whistles you want? If the consumer wants to pay for more toys and options, it should be offered.
the CT6 is just bigger ATS/CTS with an XTS rear window….nothing special…it looks a little blocky in the exterior design and I think the A8 looks better in some areas.
But that could be said the same for the merc bmw and Audi right?
Of course you think anything looks better than any Cadillac. No surprises there.
Sean
Just a little clarification! The Platinum comes standard with all seat massage and heating ventilating for thousands under the A8!
If the expectation is it isn’t standard on the base it shouldn’t be at $55k. Besides many buyers could care less! Personally I’m going to hold out for my next Cadillac purchase until they offer automated manicure and pedicure!
Cadillac is improving yes…but hardly comparable to an A8. Closer comparison is A6 as Cadillac does not really have a sedan flagship currently. And Audi is leaps ahead with quality.
A6 is covered by CTS already. CT6 is a flagship placeholder that fits the bill adequately until further notice. Remember it’s not a *wink* flagship *wink*.
I still prefer the Audi for its quality craftsmanship!
the CT6 dosent even come close and the A8…. the CT6 isn’t competitive to the A8.
Cadillac… say it again, but to yourself. Think of the words flowing. It sounds like corroded metal on metal, nails on a chalk board. Audi. Now that sounds like a superb premium automaker that knows luxury, has amazing handling, and isn’t an American automaker subsidiary that is imitating German luxury.
i bet you were the funniest guy at the ashram.
You can’t ask people to think of what a name sounds like when you purposely lead to the answer you’ve scripted in advance. If you were a cop interviewing a suspect in a room at a station, you would have invalidated your investigation by leading the suspect to answer you want to hear.
If anything, the word ‘Cadillac’ sounds French, and indeed it is of French origin; that’s all that anyone could ever realistically take away from the name. Also, good luck finding any chalk boards for you to drag your nails across, seeing how you 20 years out of step with reality.
Based upon you rationale, what do I think of when you say Audi–unintended acceleration!
I’m old enough to remember prehistoric auto history like you!
Add foot massagers to the Options list Cadillac… just don’t charge an extra $18,210 for the privilege! ;-P
$103,000! Wow they are targeting Mercedes for that price. Besides, i think the CT6 holds its own for its top trim. Yes 20,000 dollars can put you in a different marque in a base trim, but honest Cadillac is working on it and theres proof. I just want GM to continue pushing Cadillac in to those territories, where it belongs!
There was a time when Cadillac and GM put everyone else to shame in terms of new tech and innovations. Sadly it seems now GM/Cadillac have to play catch up in this arena. Hopefully the A8 and other new flagship model’s from Genesis, Lexus and BMW will show GMs slow and tunnel vision upper brass that yes, you still need a flagship sedan, and no its not the CT6 or a crappy CUV no matter how popular they are.
The Escala looked so much nicer then this and showed new and innovated technology such as OLED headlights and instrument panel. Cadillac, you can do it. We have faith in you.
The Genesis are currently just rebranded Hyundai Genesis and Equus and so far are overweight old tech with hints of future potential. The G80 Sport is a start, but a few 100 lbs. too heavy. Time will tell. One feature GM has that no one else has is OnStar…the hot spot is a real bonus. The HUD display is making its way into other brands…but it is a GM innovation dating back over 2 decades. I don’t know if the rumored 4.2L V-8 will hit the CT6 in 2018, or the 9-speed auto but they could be out soon. The CT6 is a bit lighter than the same CTS in RWD, but the V-6 includes AWD.
How can auto mags compare cars that have a sell price so far apart? Nobody has ever answered this question!
Should they test cars and trucks based on what the cost?
I say they should be based on cost within 5k to 10k something like that
Well there’s one magazine that compared a CTS-Vsport to the Genesis G80
Pretty sure the CT6 is aimed somewhere between midsize and fullsize.
motor trend highlights the “amazing” tech features.
http://www.motortrend.com/news/15-amazing-2019-audi-a8-amenities/
i guess the perfume dispenser and foot massager are a package deal. or you could go to walmart and get a good deal on odor eaters and a can of tennis balls.
heated arm rests? seems silly. buy a snuggie.
seems like all of the driver aid technology can be found in cars costing 1/2 as much.
The 2019 A8 blows away almost every other player in terms of new innovations, including OLED taillights which I would love to see. However in terms of style, I would still give the CT6 the nod. The new A8 looks like a Audi from the mid to late 2000s in my opinion.
Cadillac is simply not in the same league as the Germans. They compete more with their cross-town rival, Lincoln, and perhaps Acura. Even Genesis is better equipped. Cadillac cheaped-out on the interior and used GM parts-bin engines. They are a bargain brand pure and simple. They are still trying to live off their reputation rather than living up to it. If it wasn’t for their history nobody would even consider them worthy of mention amongst the Germans.
I wish that wasn’t true and have had high hopes for them for a long time but the reality is that they are a Tier 2 luxury brand. Furthermore, given that they cancelled CT8 and are keeping the XTS instead, its obvious they intend to stay in the Tier 2 lane.
As they say in Texas: Cadillac is all hat, no cattle. JdN is a master at hype but he’s yet to deliver much of anything product-wise.
So you think Cadillac is not in the same league as the Germans and I assume you also mean the Asians as well!
If this is the case as you say then explain to me why the Cadillacs routinely lap the field when these cars hit the track or we take the performance numbers of each cars!
This is the problem with people like you ( I have to call you that because I would get banned if I said something different) you focus on things that that can’t be measured, things that are subjective, things that you can dismiss because you don’t like them which is ridiculous.
Cadillac is in a no win situation with people like you, no matter how well they build a car that performs it’s never good enough.
If the Cadillac out performs the competition then people like you focus on interior or exterior looks that can’t have a stop clock applied to it!
People like you will change the way you evaluate luxury cars based on what Cadillac is good at and find ways to push the focus to things other makes to well!
Ditto +100.
Can’t win for trying with some so why waste the keystrokes.
Track performance is not what drive luxury car sales, as Cadilac has (or should have) discovered by now. What most luxury car buyers want is reliability, style, power, refinement, roominess, comfort, luxury materials, top-notch electronics, all in a “status symbol” brand that is accepted as such by the public.
Cadillac in recent decades seems to think it can ignore most of the above as long as it puts up the best lap times at the Nurburgring for its “class”. Sorry but only a tiny minority of luxury car buyers will ever even consider pushing their cars as track racers, and thus they don’t care about this alleged “luxury” feature. In fact the main reason to even have a “sports” ride at all in a luxury car is to please the auto critics, who in turn may convey their imprimatur of status, which is what (some) luxury buyers actually crave.
You are in the minority that think FWD Acura and Lincoln sedans are in the same league as a RWD V or V-Sport and none of their AWDs compete in that power range…the Continental still has a 6-speed tranny. So far Chevy hasn’t needed to make an AWD Vette. I grant the new guy has not made big impression, yet. His prior positions with Ghosn and Audi portend a better future, but product cycles don’t change overnight. Seniors in the snow belt are fond of the roomy, easy to get in and out of, reasonably priced AWD XTS. You don’t sound like someone that is really into this price group’s demographics.
Joe Sesto, all of Audi’s luxury sedans (starting with “A”), including the A8, are FWD. Also the new Volvo S90 is FWD. It’s a myth – and a fairly recent one – that FWD can’t be taken seriously in a luxury sedan.
As to denigrating a transmission for being “only” six speed, I’ll take a smooth and reliable six speed or even four speed over a fluky, harsh, and/or unreliable 8 or 9 speed. Very few automatic transmission cars had more than a 4 speed, until the recent decade. Now the “we have x speeds” is more a marketing pitch and maybe a slight improvement to fuel economy, than something functionally important to a luxury car buyer.
I’m not saying that an 8 speed tranny is inherently less smooth or less reliable than a 4 speed, but the added complexity of the extra speeds seems to have added more to go wrong. And in any case I don’t think the bugs have been worked out of most of these extra gear transmissions. So the net result is that I feel today’s high gear number transmissions are in fact not as good (net) as the prior, lower gear number ones. Over time that should change as engineers figure out how to make better transmissions with those extra gears.
The marketing problem is that today you can’t sell an expensive car with a 4 speed, because the public is frankly too stupid to appreciate that sometimes less is more, when it means greater smoothness and reliability. Too many in the public just figure that 8 must be better than 4, and only a “cheap” car would have only 4 forward gears, so that’s that. It’s not that simple.
Drew, I thought this thread died. First, I’ve owned 2 Audis, but this discussion was more in the area of sports sedans…mostly high performance and those normally are Quattros. I was under the impression that all Audi base sedans stated with A and were FWD. FWD doesn’t cut it with the high performance group. The CT6 is only available in RWD with the basic I-4 turbo. IIRC the Continental is AWD, too. At the last LA Auto Show I told the factory rep that I would bet the next version Continental has the 9-speed that Ford and GM collaborated on…no comment, but a wry smile. Your thoughts on the smoothness of modern trannies aside…they are not that bad and it can depend on the mode selected. C-7s now have an 8 speed…the 2018 LaCrosse spec has the aforementioned 9-speed that has been in development and testing for some time now. Economy and performance are obvious reasons. 4 and 6- speeds have to drop too much rpm to stay in the torque range The C-7 manual is now a 7-speed.. The ratios are obviously much closer the more gears there are…3 or more may be overdrives for economy. In the old days 3-speed overdrive manuals had 6-speeds even really old ones had 2 speed differentials. The base Volvo T5 is FWD…the T6 is AWD. I repeat FWD is not for high performance sedans, but there could be exceptions. Admittedly they are better in snow than RWD. But I live in sunny California. I don’t think we disagree, but our personal car experiences may differ. Mine covers over 5 decades…and next month my CTS lease is up and I have been researching its replacement for months. It is one thing to be reading about them in car mags and another to be buying/leasing and test driving them.
Joe, you are the one interpreting this topic as being about “performance”. The title topic however is about Audi offering a “foot massager” for their cars. That’s about luxury, not performance. Ci2Eye said that Cadillac was “not in the same league as the Germans”, I assume he meant in terms of luxury, rather than performance.
Cadillac is a luxury brand, not a “performance” brand like Porsche or Ferrari. I can’t see Porsche or Ferrari building a FWD car, but there’s nothing wrong with Audi doing it on their flagship A8 luxury sedan or any of their other A sedans, which are all FWD.
I did grow up in an area where it snows in winter, I’ve lived in various snow climates, and currently live in one. I would never consider getting a RWD car. Been there, done that, never again. But I don’t particularly care about “performance” anyway. I like a car with strong acceleration, but I don’t feel the need to zig and zag in and out of traffic like a maniac. I honestly just don’t feel that need or even desire.
There are other things I enjoy more in life than weaving in and out of traffic, and I like to get there in one piece, in comfort, style, and luxury. I don’t feel a need to feel the wheel slippage “drift” which RWD lovers can’t live without. I like having traction in snow and slippery conditions, and I like having the extra legroom FWD affords, since I am 6’3.
So I personally don’t see that “performance” (aka “handling” or “road feel”) has any bearing on the “luxury” status of a large sedan. Which seemed to be the topic here, when talking about a foot massaging feature in Audis. In fact I find most “performance” cars trade off comfort for handling, thus reducing luxury rather than increasing it.
So yes, it all depends on your point of view, but I find it strange that someone would be claiming that no FWD car can measure up, when the topic seemed to be luxury rather than “performance”. Audi and Volvo are doing just fine selling their FWD luxury sedans. They can even handle snow.
Sounds like you are giving excuses to hide your driving ablity, I also see that you live in fear!
Not wanting a car that handles great means your afraid of pushing the limits of a car. Being scared of new technology because it might break is sad and pathetic.
What I hate hearing from people who talk about cars is that you people feel like cars should be made just for you, only you in mind, to your specifications! We do not need this!
What we need this, what we need is a company that can offer options that allows people to choose weather they want only a luxury car with little to no performance or cars that can run circles around the compitetion!
I don’t want things forced on us with zero options. This is where I see Cadillac going creating a mix of cars and trucks that are truly luxury version’s or performance versions!
The next topic would be is Cadillac there yet, answer is no. But will people have the mindset to wait until Cadillac delivers? I will!
Brian, not everyone views a car as a toy that they can childishly and dangerously weave in and out of traffic and deliberately cause their RWD car to “drift”. Look at Paul Walker, the “Fast n Furious” actor; he thought he was such a great driver and that it was important to him to “push it to the limits”. Now he’s dead at age 40, he won’t be able to enjoy his fame, looks, and his multi-millions of dollars. So I hope he had “fun” in his RWD car during his brief life. At least he didn’t kill or injure anyone else while he was being childish, beyond himself and his 38 year old passenger.
Do I live life “afraid”? Absolutely not. Do I take deadly risks for no gain (other than a supposed “thrill ride”), with my life and the lives of others? No I don’t. A car is not a toy. A Cadillac is not a sports car, it’s a luxury car. Getting from here to there is not a NASCAR competition.
You say that I want the cars to be built to my personal specs, and that I’m not leaving options open for others who have different taste. No, it’s actually the opposite. I’m not the one insisting the only valid luxury car is a RWD car. I’m saying that FWD makes a perfectly acceptable luxury car too. Although FWD is my personal preference, I am not saying that all luxury cars should be FWD and never RWD. I am clearly more open-minded about this than you are.
You say that you want to be able to buy cars that can run circles around the competition, which I assume you mean literally, in terms of track performance. Fine, buy that car if that’s what you need to feel good about yourself. It’s extremely juvenile for someone to be fixated on “my car is better than your car” – but I get the feeling you are someone who has been teased about your inadequacies all your life, so I guess you think buying a certain car is going to make up for them. Guess what, it won’t. But there will always be “toys for boys” like you; the only problem for carmakers is that such customers have a shorter lifespan and thus the repeat business is not as good as it otherwise would be.
By the way, no RWD car drives as well in snow as FWD. And no amount of driving skill can compensate for that. RWD fanatics who think they are great drivers are fooling themselves, just like Paul Walker. Any smart athlete will wear shoes that give them great traction, they don’t wear slippery shoes and figure their athletic ability will compensate.
Brian, you sound like a very immature guy without much of a life beyond trying to drive fast among everyday traffic. You might want to rethink your values if you want to have a longer life than Paul Walker. But there will always be RWD “performance” cars for you to “drift” and harass other drivers like a jackass, and ultimately kill yourself in. So don’t worry about that.
Dude you must of came in 2nd alot when you were a kid, and I am sure not much has changed since! What a pathetic life you live!
Now on to Cadillac this is where we differ I don’t think Cadillac should only build performance luxury vehicles but pure luxury ones as well.
Give the people a choice instead of just building cars for you and only you!
Here’s a idea stop being so boring and live a little!
Driving fast is not dangerous if you know what your doing and you clearly don’t know what your doing! Your scared of driving like that because your afraid your lack of talent will get you hurt!
Zero confidence is depressing!
Drew,
Paul Walker was not driving the car; he was a passenger.
That’s all I’ll say. The rest of your post insulting a fellow commenter for disagreeing with you is undeserving of response.
Ci2Eye – my mistake on Paul Walker driving, but ultimately it didn’t matter. Walker apparently approved of that type of driving, 90 MPH in a 45 zone, attempting to “drift”. He made movies about driving like that. I doubt he was an innocent passenger there, held against his will.
As to Brian, he’s the one who started the insults flying, so I responded in kind. I’m glad he did though, it gave me a chance to tell him what I really think of his juvenile, reckless attitude toward driving and life. He already responded with more of the same. Some people are easy to peg. I guess the kid never outgrew his “Hot Wheels” toys. Some people think you aren’t “living” unless you are constantly risking your neck (and endangering others) for no gain, other than if you are lucky you come out the same as before you took the risk. That’s also called stupidity, but hey I’ve already used my insult quota for now. Enjoy your toys, boys.
the CT6 is currently Cadillacs flagship and that not enough….the S-Class is the altemit land yacht and the CT6 isn’t…. as the CT6 strides more towards SPORTS-PERFORMINCE rather than actually be true luxury….the CT6 is just large luxury sports sedan nothing more.
Drew, there was a TV documentary last weekend that tried to explain the accident cause. It suggests, Rodas, the driver let the Carrera GT get too close to the right curb where there were 2 dips in the far right for drain openings. The first dip upset the car…the 2nd launched into 2 trees and a concrete utility pole that cut the car in half.
Joe Sesto, it’s a shame that the accident happened. Two lives wasted, many others impacted in sorrow, and for what? So it may have had nothing to do with the Porsche being a RWD car, but I’d say it had a lot to do with someone pushing a “sports car” to the limits.
Sure the driver was doing about 90 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. That’s breaking the law (by a wide margin) as well as being irresponsible. But I think the auto makers bear some responsibility for building cars with the Nurburgring in mind, then turn around and sell them to consumers as everyday vehicles. When you note that your car can do 200 MPH on the ‘ring, as a selling point to consumers, you have to expect that some of them are going to break the law in a major way – and probably their necks, or someone else’s.
And that’s only slightly off the main topic here. How is being able to do 150-200 MPH on the Nurburgring a “luxury feature” for most US based consumers?
The fastest legal speed limit in all but 3 states is 75, in your state of California the fastest is 70, in only one state can you go faster than 80, and that’s 85 in Texas in a limited number of rural stretches. Now this is the land of the free, where you can legally own a grenade launcher or flamethrower, as long as you don’t use it illegally (which is pretty much anywhere beyond your own property, if that). So I guess some people just like owning some “bad boy” car and never plan to use it.
But having something you’ll never use, just to “impress” the neighbors, is in the category of “status symbol” rather than useful luxury (like a Rolls Royce, which gives you both, if you are into that). Frankly the foot massager makes more sense than 200 MPH capability as far as “luxury”, though I can also live a very happy life without ever having a foot-massaging car.
Drew…there is not a car made today that break every legal speed limit. One of the auto gurus, Bob Lutz, once said that the law says you can’t exceed the speed limit, but doesn’t say how long it takes to get to it. Or words to that effect. Also, there are many tracks where you can take your own car and run after you meet their requirements. There are also production cars that are designed to run on tracks. Top speed is just a measure of performance…most look for 0-60, 1/4th mile, 70-0 and cornering Gs. Others only mpg. That’s why they offer so many versions of the same car. Nurburgring time is a metric by which many constructors compare themselves. It is also a test track, just not as crowded as the Autobahn. Which can be eye-opening for many Americans. Speed limits are what is on the white signs…but you can get cited if you are going slower and not if you are going faster. Go 65 in the #1 lane in CA and traffic is going 75 in a 65 zone…you might be surprised who gets pulled over. Might not get a ticket, but a warning about obstructing the flow, which causes accidents. My commute is 10 mi. freeway at 75…occasionally I take a rural road where it is 55, and there is less than 10% of the traffic and triple the CHP presence because drunks avoid the freeways. Every one on the freeway has cell phones and all are eager to call 911 to report DUIs.
Drew, look at your definition, “luxury buyers want reliability, style, power, etc.” Then Cadillac is “not a performance brand” and though I agree with the general impression…there are exceptions. Just as changing the A8 to an S8…there is an ATS V coupe with a 464 hp twin turbo V-6 that is only a couple mph slower than the S8…both in the 190 range…not price or size-wise. My CTS has the same MagSelect shocks as my 2005 C-6…which incidentally has a 4-speed auto…0-62 in 1st gear…the 6-speed didn’t arrive until 2006. They pulled the same stunt on the C-7…2nd year got the 8-speed auto. You might be surprised to find the Made in China Volvo sedan sales are not doing well as the world is abandoning sedans for crossovers. You won’t find that many FWDs of the new generation. For comparison look at the sales of Subaru…only AWD…years of continuous monthly sales increases. Audi has been experiencing steady increases, too…though I have never seen a breakdown between AWD and FWD sales increases. You might check this out but it appears that since 2013 only the A8 Hybrid is FWD…all others are Quattros of either fuel. At no time have I ever attempted to imply Cadillac had a flagship to compete with the German big 3 in terms of luxury. My other half has only owned German …2 Bimmer 7-series and a couple Benz most recently. Others have said the CT6 was a tweener between a 5 & 7-series…but it is a better bang for the buck. I don’t disagree with either comment. The 4.2V-8 in the concept may appear someday, but it is not yet announced for 2018 models. For full disclosure I own GM stock and a 2015 Silverado 3500 4WD Duramax. The invoice was greater than the 2014 CTS V-6. I sold the Vette a few months ago…wife hated the “go kart!” I’ve driven the C-7…big improvement. Just not practical on long trips with her luggage.
Joe Sesto, the Audi A8 and all of the Audi A sedans are on FWD platforms. Even when the A8 is sold as AWD, it does not “perform” like a RWD car. The self-described “performance” people feel only RWD is acceptable. That’s why you can only get an ATS-V or CTS-V in RWD (no AWD option).
Personally I don’t like AWD – although I’ll take it over RWD – because it’s costly to own and maintain, it makes the car heavier, generally more sluggish and stiffer riding than FWD (of the same engine), and it potentially robs legroom vs. pure FWD designs. All for what is a negligible gain in traction over FWD. It also gets worse gas milage vs FWD, though that probably doesn’t matter to most luxury car buyers. If you are a “save the planet” type, it might.
What’s really been pushing the RWD fad in luxury cars are the professional auto critics, not demand from the general public. Numerous polls have shown that the average car driver doesn’t even know if they are driving RWD, FWD, or AWD. But it matters to the professional auto writers, who carry their desire for “performance” to every segment, not just sports cars per se. They’ll give low marks to any car that doesn’t fit their own personal biases.
Rather than fighting the reviewers and trying to educate the public, the car companies have thrown in the towel and they make cars in large part to please the professional auto critics. But don’t confuse that with what the vast majority of car buyers, in this case luxury car buyers, actually want. Unfortunately most people can’t decide what they want in life, unless someone else tells them what they “should” want. So they see that some professional auto critic rates a certain car “best” without understanding that the critic’s criteria might differ vastly from their own, if they ever bothered to develop one independently.
This is 100% spot on. Even if everyone argues that this is incorrect, the fact that passionate and well-informed car guys have this opinion shows that Cadillac at least has an image problem.
People think Lincoln is in the same league as Cadillac? Okay
The “people” you refer to are not “car” people. Except for the Navigator and Escalade the 2 brands really do not compare as all Lincoln sedans are FWD, only the Cadillac XTS is FWD…the Lincoln MXS (Taurus) their XTS equivalent is no longer in the line up. The Lincoln sedans are pretty just re-badged Fords with better features and interiors. Notice the garish grilles are improving to Jag and Bentley-ish. Whoever thought that the Tesla Model S is not the top US luxe sedan is delusional. I’ll never own one, but nothing is a close 2nd at this time…maybe a loaded CT6. BTW I doubt we will see the mythical CT8…take a look at S-class, 7-series, LS , etc., sales in 2017 YTD…they are falling badly.
I honestly look at lincoln as more of a Buick competitor instead of Cadillac. I was honestly surprised some folks actually think Lincoln is in the same league as Cadillac in which Lincoln technically only have one (Navigator) that’s comparable to a Cadillac (Escalade) and that’s it.
Look at the 2018 Buick LaCrosse and try to find a Lincoln equivalent in the line up. This is not the Buick of old. The specs are closer to Cadillac than you might imagine. The 3.6L V-6 might just be a detuned version of the Cadillac’s…and the 2018 LaCrosse gets the new 9-speed.
The lacrosse equivalent would be mkz mks or the conti
My mistake…I have not considered Lincoln in my research. I don’t think there still is an MKS. None of the Lincoln MKZ small engines compare well with Buick’s V-6, but the Lincoln 3.0 TT is the same as the Cadillac option in at least the CT6. I did not check but I would bet that does not go in a FWD. That may be the Continental option, too. 1998 MKVIII LSC was one of my favorites, air suspension, Cobra engine 290 hp Romeo 4.6 L. Booked at over $6k when I sold it this spring.
MKZ would be only the V6 option that could go head to head with LaCrosse. Other than that, MKZ would go head to head with Regal. But again MKZ is going away. I brought up MKS just because even though it’s going away, you get more discounts. Then there’s the Continental as it can be served as where the LaCrosse is all the way to where the CT6. Even though Conti is just a glorified Chinese Ford Taurus that’s on the Fusion platform with longer wheelbase and other nice stuff.
Ford use that same 2013 Fusion CD4 platform for several Ford and Lincoln models. GM and others have similar multi-model platforms. It is an industry-wide concept…economy of scale. Most have a 112.2″ wheelbase the Continental adds about 5.5″…that is hardly re-engineering as someone mentioned earlier, nor is the mesh grille though it is a huge improvement.
Now, I am not much of a Lincoln fan by any means, but I do know better not calling it a rebadged which the current models are not, but re-engineered. I would agree with you if Lincoln continuously produces rebadges like they did few years ago. The only rebadge technically is the Navigator.
The jury is out for the CT8, so we have to wait and see.
Tesla Model S has made a name for itself just like the second generation Escalade did in a major way. All you see is Model S’s.
I think Cadillac should creat a more advanced FWD platform like the A8 platform and put the CT8 or some flagship on it and just call it a day.
Why do you try reaching new, hilarious, silly comments about Cadillac, man?
Times have changed. Comparing Audi to Cadillac on the merits of technology or luxury is akin to comparing Ferrari to Corvette. The product lineups have comparable performance objectives, but are simply in a different league and target totally different buyers. Cadillac is a budget luxury car by today’s standard. It has no halo car and no declared flagship. If you want American luxury today, the only option is Tesla.
you think Telsa is Amarecan luxury…..WHAT A JOKE.
I agree that Amarecan luxury cars are terrible; Kadilllyack, Lonkin, Blooick, Kriselar, all of them are crap. Those Amarecans simply don’t know how to make cars.
By contrast, however, American luxury brands now include Tesla, in addition to Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick, and Chrysler. Those Americans simply need to work much harder to make even better luxury cars.
they said that there will be a $300.000 flagship by 2029 and they canceled the CT8…I don’t know what’s going on….there should be about 2 cars between the CT6 and that $300k flagship…..the CT6 isn’t in the same league as Germans and it’s 5 inches shorter than the new A8.
You might have meant by 2019…and you have a point. There were some early indications that Cadillac was aiming for an S-class, 7-series and LS competitor. Sales in that segment have declined and the importance of a compact crossover at least, if not a 3-row, too…are probably going to be priorities. EVs and hybrids, etc., are becoming more of a factor in recent months than predicted 2 years ago and it is not just Tesla creating the trend in that direction. If you are really in the $300k buyer range, you might need to look elsewhere. If you are not…what is your point?
But, it does not mean that Cadillac should not invest for that segment because the declining premium flagship category. As long other segments under the flagship category is strong, there is no reason for Cadillac not to reach higher.
The CT8 will be produced but when, we don’t know for sure.
my guess is that we will see a CT8 by the mid-2020s.
Cadillacs are going upmarket in the future. $300K halo car is too soon to think about as long Cadillac continues to undercut certain material quality and technology. Revisit in a decade, then we can decide if Cadillac is on the equal of image and status like the Escalade for the brand to deserve such a car.
The reason I say Escalade is because it is the status vehicle by default and, imo, a vehicle no flagship sedan can touch on image alone. Even the Mercedes, Audi and BMWs image may be a step below the Escalade.
The 2 Escalades and XT5 SUV sales for 6 months YTD 46,878…CTS, XTS, CT6 17,806….total of all sales 72,073. XT5 alone, 29,798…41% of all Cadillac first 6 month sales. Of the top 20 YTD US luxe sedans…XTS 7,350…S-class 7,583…Model S 14,400. No 7-series, no Audi A8, no Lexus LS in the top 20. Total worldwide XT5 sales…65,250. Which is why Cadillac would be nuts to invest in the development of a flagship sedan. They need to round out the crossover market in a way that does not effect Escalade sales…which a 3 row XT could. GM is not just thinking of the US, but China, South Korea and Japan are serious considerations. GM has essentially bailed out of Europe and Oceania in comparison
a large 5-door liftback would be nice for a CT8 flagship…