Cadillac Advertising on The Academy Awards

[Big Apple Caddy]

If you want a big roomy comfortable Cadillac that actually rides like a real Cadillac should, you're in Escalade country, which, it comes as no surprise is Cadillac's best selling model, not to mention its most profitable model.

The XT5, which replaced the SRX, is Cadillac’s best selling model and the SRX had been before that.  The Escalades (Escalade and Escalade ESV combined) are actually second best.

I could make the Cadillac division more profitable with the stroke of a pen without spending a dime: Axe every single model but the Escalade!

More profitable per unit sold but I don’t know that it would make the brand more profitable overall.  That is, unless Cadillac is essentially losing money on everything else they sell.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

More profitable per unit sold but I don’t know that it would make the brand more profitable overall.  That is, unless Cadillac is essentially losing money on everything else they sell.

Wouldn't surprise me.

Figuring in all the fixed costs of designing all the other models, it'll be a long hard road before the break-even point is reached for each of 'em. My guess is that it may well never happen for most models, possibly all.

And of course, all that must occur before the next styling generation, after which the clock resets to zero.

An awful lot of Cadillacs need to get sold to make up for a $12B outlay - and that's before figuring in RRR of say 5% which is ridiculously low. Given current sales levels, I cannot see how it can be done this side of a miracle.

[Scot Minesinger]

12b outlay!

That is $10,000 x 1.2 million, $20,000 x 600k, $30,000 x 400k, or $40,000 x 300k, how many cars does Cadillac sell each year?  Hope I got the decimal point and number of zeros right.

Anyway back on topic, like the Cadillac advertisements!  They certainly will not hurt!

[Caddyjack]

Mercedes, BMW, and Audi ALL have multiple convertible models. Yet Cadillac? Not a single one. And they haven't even produced a factory 4 seat convertible in 41 years (32 if you include the 85 Eldorados). Apparently the German manufacturers realize enough people enjoy convertibles to make them. Why not Cadillac?

[Walter Youshock]

Buick was making a Park Avenue sedan for the Chinese market with an interior that rivaled a Maybach...  I've seen maybachs on US roads but never this Park Avenue.  I guess if you want a big, luxurious AMERICAN GM car, you gotta buy it in China...

[Big Apple Caddy]

Wouldn't surprise me.

Figuring in all the fixed costs of designing all the other models, it'll be a long hard road before the break-even point is reached for each of 'em. My guess is that it may well never happen for most models, possibly all.

And of course, all that must occur before the next styling generation, after which the clock resets to zero.

An awful lot of Cadillacs need to get sold to make up for a $12B outlay - and that's before figuring in RRR of say 5% which is ridiculously low. Given current sales levels, I cannot see how it can be done this side of a miracle.

I imagine that the XT5 is helping the bottom line decently and the upcoming XT3 and XT7 (?) should help too.  Cars obviously aren't doing as well but I'm not sure they're all money losing.  I just don't know.

The $12B is to fund eight new models by 2020 and two others after that so an average of $1.2B per model with each one presumably having around a five year cycle.  I'm not in the business nor do I know many details about the investment but $1.2B on average per model actually doesn't sound that unreasonable.

[Big Apple Caddy]

12b outlay!

That is $10,000 x 1.2 million, $20,000 x 600k, $30,000 x 400k, or $40,000 x 300k, how many cars does Cadillac sell each year?

Cadillac sold around 309,000 vehicles globally last year.  The U.S. was still the brand's #1 market with 55% of the sales but China is growing fast.  It may not be long before more new Cadillacs are sold in China than in the U.S.  Buick already sells far more vehicles in China than in the U.S.

[Big Apple Caddy]

Mercedes, BMW, and Audi ALL have multiple convertible models. Yet Cadillac? Not a single one. And they haven't even produced a factory 4 seat convertible in 41 years (32 if you include the 85 Eldorados). Apparently the German manufacturers realize enough people enjoy convertibles to make them. Why not Cadillac?

The German brands are stronger in markets where convertibles have tended to be more popular.  They're not particularly popular in Cadillac's main markets (North America and China).  The only non-sports car convertible that is offered by ANY domestic brand right now is the $30Ks priced Opel-based Buick Cascada which has averaged around 600/month in sales in the U.S.   I'm kind of surprised that Cadillac still even offers a coupe as that market has shrunken here too.

Still no word on what Cadillac's "flagship that isn't a four door sedan" is going to be but perhaps it will be a convertible or available in convertible form.

[jdemerson]

Buick was making a Park Avenue sedan for the Chinese market with an interior that rivaled a Maybach...  I've seen maybachs on US roads but never this Park Avenue.  I guess if you want a big, luxurious AMERICAN GM car, you gotta buy it in China...

Maybe... The other day I was walking and saw a 2017 (maybe 2016) CT6 Platinum all-wheel drive with Twin-Turbo. I have seen this car before, but I stopped and walked around it. To me, it's a very impressive model.

This morning I went to the Mercedes-Benz website to make a head-to-head comparison of the MB S-550 AWD model and the top model Cadillac CT6 (as described above). Here is what the MB web page says:
1. MB has 449 HP V8, and Cad has 404 HP turbo V6
2. MB is 400 pounds heavier
3. MB is priced $12,000 higher than the most expensive CT6
4. EPA gas mileage is the same for both city and highway
5. MB is 2 1/2 inches longer with 2 inches longer wheelbase. MB is 1 inch wider
6. CT6 has 5 inches more front legroom and MB has 2.5 inches more rear legroom
7. MB has 1 1/2 inches more front shoulder room and almost 3 more inches of rear shoulder room than CT6

I think that the CT6 is closer to the S-Class than most would assume. Note that I have used the very top (Platinum) version of CT6 for a "fair" comparison. If we look at the CT6 Luxury model with Twin-Turbo V6, the price differential becomes $35,000. For that difference we could buy a VERY nice 1960s Cadillac classic...

For some on this list, price is no object and so much of the comparison is not particularly of interest. But the CT6 IS a big car with very competitive performance, handling, and equipment (in my opinion).

All of us are waiting to see what the Cadillac flagship model is going to be.

John Emerson
Middlebury, VT

[Big Apple Caddy]

Buick was making a Park Avenue sedan for the Chinese market with an interior that rivaled a Maybach...  I've seen maybachs on US roads but never this Park Avenue.  I guess if you want a big, luxurious AMERICAN GM car, you gotta buy it in China...

The Park Avenue in China was a rebadged Holden Caprice/Statesman (briefly offered here in police/fleet form as the Chevrolet Caprice) and was discontinued in 2012.  Were you ever actually in a China market Park Avenue?  From what I've heard and read, it isn't/wasn't as impressive as you seem to think but I have no person experience with car.  China's current flagship sedan is the LaCrosse like we get here.

If you want a big, luxurious American GM car you have to look no further than the CT6.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

For a company who's mantra (at present anyway) is "Dare Greatly", I cannot imagine a less daring product lineup than the current crop of products from our favorite GM division is all I can say. Instead of leading with distinctive styling that once provided irrefutable proof that one had "arrived", seems to have been progressively watered down, lost and without a clear sense of purpose or direction. 

I sincerely pray that one day Cadillac will once again be restored to its rightful place among top luxury cars. Heaven knows they have the resources, the talent and the ability to do so.

As for the CT6 - from the front, it looks as if it's shedding tears. That's what GM execs will soon be doing if they keep on this path with Cadillac.

One man's opinion.

[Big Apple Caddy]

I sincerely pray that one day Cadillac will once again be restored to its rightful place among top luxury cars.

When, in your opinion, was Cadillac last in its so-called "rightful place" and what made it so?

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

When, in your opinion, was Cadillac last in its so-called "rightful place" and what made it so?

There is no specific cutoff; the decline was evolutionary.

If you can name one new Cadillac product today that defines status, glamour - or whatever you want to call it - the likes of say, the early '30s models, any '50s Eldorado, and perhaps to a lesser extent, the '67 Eldorado, '76 Seville, '79 Eldorado & '80 Seville  and countless others had done when they were new, I'm all ears.

Once upon a time, a brand new Caddy in the driveway meant something! It stirred emotions - whether celebrated as a symbol of material excess - or denounced for the same reason - few would dispute the car had a pronounced effect on the onlooker. Even the VP of Corporate Enthusiasm at GM would have a difficult time declaring a new Cadillac product capable of eliciting similar emotions with a straight face. 

Thirty years from now, I can easily see a '58 Biarritz still being a highly prized & sought-after collector car but can you envision someone turning handstands over an '85 DeVille or an XT5? I sure can't.

[WTL]

Just wondering, whats yalls take on the 2017 Continental?  How does it match up? 

[Big Apple Caddy]

There is no specific cutoff; the decline was evolutionary.

I think what defines status, glamour, etc. can simply change era to era.  I don't think Cadillac is particularly less glamorous today by today's standards than they were in past years/periods you mentioned and competes on largely the same level (again, by today's standards) now that they have in the past  It’s just a different environment these days with more and different players, different tastes and preferences, and other factors.  Some love today's era of luxury cars while others don't and miss those of times past, but that commonly happens generation after generation.

My biggest issue with Cadillac in general as far as status isn’t really specific to Cadillac and carries over to other luxury brands too and that is they’ve become too easy to afford thanks to lower pricing and/or aggressive lease deals and/or increasingly longer financing terms.

[Big Apple Caddy]

Just wondering, whats yalls take on the 2017 Continental?  How does it match up?

Style preferences are subjective so I won't go there but I think on paper it compares closest with the Cadillac XTS as far as both being FWD or AWD, similarly sized, similarly priced (at least sticker prices), etc.   The Continental as yet doesn’t offer a "performance" version like the XTS V-Sport but does offer a twin-turbo engine almost matching the V-Sport's TT in horsepower.

I much prefer the Continental name, versus XTS or CT6, but I'm still old school in that way.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I don't think Cadillac is particularly less glamorous today by today's standards than they were in past years/periods you mentioned...

I guess we'll simply have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[Bentley]

The only true, big luxury 2-door convertible that I know of on the market today is the Bentley. Is there room in this niche for Cadillac to introduce another one?

[Scot Minesinger]

I agree with Eric.  When I was a kid in the 1960's and attending high school in the 1970's it was a big deal to own a Cadillac, now not so much.  Today owning a MB is bigger deal than Cadillac.  It is a long road ahead for Cadillac to overtake MB as the luxury car leader.  A great flagship though results in a powerful start, such as a RWD V-8 full size (seats 4 comfortably) convertible.  Keeping my fingers crossed for an amazing Cadillac flagship!

[Big Apple Caddy]

The only true, big luxury 2-door convertible that I know of on the market today is the Bentley.

I wouldn't necessarily consider the Bentley Continental GT convertible a "big" car but there are other luxury convertibles out there that are as large or larger including BMW 6-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, plus the Rolls-Royce Dawn which is larger than all of them.

Is there room in this niche for Cadillac to introduce another one?

Perhaps.  We'll have to wait and see what Cadillac's new flagship will be.  If it is offered as a convertible, my guess is that it'll be more Audi R8 than MB S-Class but you never know.