- This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 10 months ago by
chevtothemax.
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September 6, 2011 at 9:17 pm #38194
Manoli Katakis
MemberWhat is something you’re looking for in the Cadillac ATS? Are you hoping for a cutting-edge design? Up-to-date technology? How about when it comes to the powertrain? Some variety?
I, for one, am expecting sharper angles outside, touch-sensitive controls on the inside, and perhaps the implementation of flappy paddles in the ATS.
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October 18, 2011 at 9:26 am #38451
PontiacRulz
ParticipantI’m hoping for a great looking automobile inside and out. A very striking, “Cadillacish”, sharper angles design on the outside. On the inside, A very luxurious but also sporty looking interior. The best a luxury brand has to offer in the segment. I also hope we get a V trim. I hope this car blows the BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class away! Cadillac is the best. I love how Cadillac is competing directly with the sporty European luxury brands while Buick is going after the sorta regular Asian luxury brands.
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October 18, 2011 at 5:24 pm #38452
Alex Luft
KeymasterHere’s the thing, though: Asian doesn’t mean anything any more. Infiniti is right in BMW’s territory while Lexus’ main objective is to be like Mercedes – luxurious first, sporty second (for the most part).
Even then, Buick isn’t really trying to compete with the Asian luxury vehicles. The segment leader for the last 10 years has been Lexus — by a far margin against Asian competitors, and by a respectable margin against The German 3. So it’s obvious that the brand to beat is Lexus — it’s the leader (except for this year due to earthquake and tsunami).
What makes a Lexus so popular is its utter lack of focus on driving performance, instead focusing on pure luxury features like cabin silence and a disconnected, almost coddling, driving experience. Buick isn’t doing any of those things. It’s promoting the Regal as a sports sedan, with German roots. Those attributes are important to BMW buyers, but not those of Lexus.
So, what is like to see is a newfound focus at Buick to target Lexus directly — and best it at its own game. It does pure luxury the best right now — but it doesn’t have to. Instead, Buick is busy trying to lure Acura and Audi buyers with the Verano and Regal, but Acura doesn’t need competing with (they don’t do enough volume to warrant a direct competitor) and Audi is clearly Caddy’s performance luxury territory.
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March 14, 2012 at 11:42 am #39281
chevtothemax
Participanthaha lol i agree with you ^ but the regal may be marketed as a sports sedan but so is the lexus gs sedan just saying i think buicks biggest rival is lincoln and they dont even come close……yet
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March 14, 2012 at 3:03 pm #39286
Grawdaddy
ParticipantTo be honest, I don’t think Lincoln is anywhere near half the threat to Buick as you make them out to be.
At this momment, Lincoln is nothing to no one. Now, provided FoMoCo can change this image in the next 2 or 3MY’s and this new MKZ is truly something to behold (something not unlike Cadillac’s A&S revolution with the first gen CTS), then I don’t think Buick, or even Acura, is going to feel the heat from Lincoln.
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March 26, 2012 at 10:56 am #39403
chevtothemax
Participantwell you just blew me out of the water thanks. lol well i think its good for licoln to get thier brand moving somewhere. a little healthy competition from thier neighbor will be good for caddy
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March 26, 2012 at 1:01 pm #39404
Grawdaddy
ParticipantExactly. Competition for the luxury buyer would be great for all, and I think Lincoln “could” pull it off. “Could”, however, comes with some strings attached. FoMoCo needs to hussle really damn hard.
If I’m going to use the CTS as an example, then in my books, I hold that the CTS was as big jump for Cadillac as “1+1=2” is to infinitesimal calculus. To me, it’s that big a gap Lincoln has to jump across.
And then consider Cadillac on the world’s stage; the brand hardly registers while conguring images of the “unreliable american car covered in chrome and fins and leaking oil”. Granted, the CTS isn’t any of that, and I hope the ATS gets more of the world’s attention.
And that’s where I stop and look back at Lincoln. If the CTS and ATS are steps in the right direction, then Lincoln is already 2 steps behind and not well positioned to do anything about it. Sure its has a lenghy and storied past as Cadillac does, but would Mr. average Chinese business man standing at the doors to a Lincoln showroom in Beijing care? Probably not as his demands in a luxury car might not reflect what Lincoln presently offers.
At present, Ford knows that they can’t let Lincoln stagnate because of consumer indifference, but I don’t feel they are doing 100% to make Lincoln stand out, not as much even in North America, not just the US.
Hussle some damn hard.
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March 27, 2012 at 8:44 am #39408
chevtothemax
Participanthaha agree with you on all accounts. man you make some good arguments
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