WTH is Wrong with Cadillac?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- #acwj #cadillac
Cadillac is one of the most storied US brands, and for much of the 20th century literally defined American Luxury.
But with the multiple hits in the 70's of fuel prices, emissions, gas mileage requirements, and the ever-growing threat of the Germans to up-and-coming buyers, Cadillac found themselves struggling with their identity and how to respond.
Literally, their answers have been hit-and-miss for nearly 40 years.
But now, my opinion is their products look good, their interiors look good, and their highest performance options can run with the best of them.
But they don't come across with any American "SWAGGER", or the sense they're actually aiming to be "the best". And their sales have stagnated in the 150k range for years.
So what is wrong with Cadillac?
Be sure to subscribe to our channel and show the love!
This channel is supported by viewers like you! Please consider supporting our histories and news-pinions: / allcarswithjon
Got a Car you'd like to see me review? Just fill in this easy form to reach out to me!
forms.office.com/r/YdDkTnJRfr
OMG! We're on Instagram now!
/ allcarswithjon - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
The market Cadillac competes in ranges from Infiniti, Acura, Lexus up to Jag, MB, and BMW. With Genesis (and others like Volvo) thrown in.
I truly believe Caddy is *right there* but perhaps a little 'cheap' around the edges. A smooth Honda engine in an Acura works. A Chevy Equinox 4-cyl in a Caddy doesn't translate well. And the interiors are great looking, but just a bit chincy feeling.
Thus, I think they're about 90-95% of the way there, but my huge fear has been they're content. They get their 150k sales and are happy.
But recent developments like the Lyriq show (to me) they're getting some swagger back. Still not there, still not class leading, but maybe, just maybe, there's a renewed dedication to be better.
You can't tell everyone you're a luxury brand and sell garbage for as long as they did over 30-40 years. I don't believe what the other poster said about Cadillac appealing to ghetto desires, because Rolls Royce and Bentley do the same as well. I think people are just tired of GM laziness and cheapness. German cars feel so much more bespoke and special.
Exactly. Sh*t like the Cimarron and Catera hurt them a lot domestically. So did the whole Northstar head gasket disaster which took them years to fix. They make better stuff now, but as other brands like Jaguar have discovered, it's not easy shedding the image gained by previous failures no matter how cool your current product line is. All that cost-cutting might save you a few bucks in the present, but you risk mortgaging your future in exchange.
The irony is that the German luxury automakers are doing the exact same thing today.
Selling mediocre cars while riding on the brand reputation.
@@vadim6385 German car decline hasn't gotten anywhere near as bad as Cadillac has/had gotten.
@@Rudenbehr Yeah laziness won't be punished now, that's something for the future
You said yourself, Jon. Everyone aspires to go foreign. GM stopped shooting for the luxuries mixed with sportiness that the Germans do. Unfortunately, when you’re too busy catering to putting money in the pockets of your investors, you make the cheapest vehicles possible while selling them as expensive as possible
But the Germans are down to the American level with their own cost cutting. I think Cadillac excels in quality compared to a lot of German premium cars out there.
The car market is more compressed than it was back in the day. The “stripper” car no longer exists, and the definition of luxury has been blurred when you can buy an Accord or Camry with luxury features. The label really doesn’t resonate with people like it did 40 years ago. Just my opinion.
What's a stripper car. That's sounds weird.
@@baronvonjo1929The English language is extensive and varied. I suggest you use the context to figure out the meaning.
@@baronvonjo1929 "Stipper" in the context of cars means a bare-bones car stripped out of any extra luxury features.
It's a base model car with next to no features. They still exist, but usually when people fight against cars, unless they're real cheap skate. They'll spend the extra few 1000 what's an extra $50 a month and get heated seats?@@baronvonjo1929
@@baronvonjo1929 Base model
If you look at the quality of the interiors and compare them to Lexus, MB, or BMW, and they look and feel more like an upscale Chevvy.
I think GM's badge engineering has really hurt them. Everyone is well aware that Cadillacs are really just expensive Chevrolets. I feel like many of the customers that purchase GM products are just as satisfied purchasing an upgraded Chevy model and saving a few bucks. Lincoln suffers from the same issue. Both brands also still have the stigma of being brands for old people. While they are both doing a better job to fix this; it still exists.
One could argue that the same is true about Lexus, however, i think you nailed it with mentioning quality. Toyota has a pretty good reputation for quality and reliability. This makes a stronger base for Lexus to build upon. Lexus (and other luxury brands) also don't have to combat the old people image of the past.
Brands like Mercedes and BMW get by with claiming their vehicles are built for luxury from the ground up and leaning on their so called "German Engineering" prestige. Audi is somewhere in-between, being based on VWs.
The luxury segment is a very different beast in the automotive industry. It's all about bragging rights and perceived quality over actuality. Luxury buyers usually lease their vehicles and only keep them until the lease runs out or trade them before the warranty expires. These original owners don't care about long-term reliability as most will trade them in before many of the ugly issues appear.
Brands like Mercedes, BMW and Audi would never make it in the traditional American car market. While their fit and finish is second to none, their long term reliability is pretty poor. VW is a fine example of this. Most long term owners in America look at reliability first and foremost. VW does better in Europe due to most buyers incorrectly associating build quality with reliability.
American Volkswagen buyers are a curious group. I guess the plan is to just get a new car before things start going wrong.
Only the Cadillac crossovers and the Escalade share a platform with a Chevrolet vehicle.
@@johnnymason2460 But is not that too much. It is just people buying the Cadillac/Chevrolet simply showing they have better credit?
@@bigun447 Brands do that all the time. It's a matter of saving costs. BMW and Mercedes-Benz don't have to do that because they are all luxury and costs a lot anyway.
@@johnnymason2460 Isn't that pretty much every Cadillac model?
GMs bean counters are the problem. Taking cost out, and cheapening the vehicle in the process
Cadillac is also growing globally. I think last year was a record year for them. So the Americans who know Cadillac’s past reputation are leery, but the rest of the world see Cadillac making something special. I think the success of Cadillac is going to be more global than regional. It’ll take awhile for the American consumers to get their perspectives straight because right now they’re so in love with the Asian and German luxury imports.
That's their main problem. They don't have the volume, sales being essentially confined to North America.
The Germans sell big in 3 continents.
Without volume, they always have to resort to some form of rebadging.
@@michaeloreilly657Cadillac isn’t “rebadging” and even if they do, they’re much better at it than VW and Audi. But yeah, they are slowly catching onto the global luxury market.
@@mrgurulittle7000 I didn't say they're rebadging. Perhaps I can rephrase.
Without volume, in order to be profitable, they always have to resort to some form of rebadging.
They have little infrastructure outside North America to catch onto the global luxury market.
@@michaeloreilly657But my point was that Cadillac is catching onto the global market more than North America, perhaps because the global market see Cadillac trying hard, whereas the Americans see any domestic brand through rose tinted glasses.
I think that they will end up like Buick - shipped off to China
GM destroyed their reputation with dubious quality. I grew up in a GM family driving Oldsmobiles and Buicks (and a few Mopars). Many years ago a coworker, who was a previous GM owner, encouraged me to try a Toyota product. Later on when it came time to move into something a bit nicer I purchased a low mileage Lexus which I still own nine years later. From previous GM ownership experience buying a pre-owned Cadillac was not an option. The German brands are money pits as they age hence buying one of them used outside of the warranty is risky. I have been satisfied with Lexus to the point where other luxury brands are not on the radar. Unfortunately I believe that Toyota / Lexus products are not as good as they used to be. The shift to smaller engines and turbos will more than likely affect their reliability making them less appealing as a pre-owned vehicle.
At least you’re smart enough to recognize that Toyota quality isn’t what it once was. Toyota (and by extension, Lexus) have been coasting on their reputation for reliability for quite a while, now. Any 90’s or early 2000’s Toyota/Lexus that has been even halfway taken care of will run for a very long time, but the newer Toyota products are far inferior to the Toyota products of old.
My mom traded in our Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser woodie-wagon, for a new 1990 Escort wagon in white. That Escort broke down so often when it was new, after a couple of months, she REALLY regretted her purchase.
She never should have gotten rid of that Oldsmobile. I think it was an 81 or 82.
It seems here lately that Cadillac has tried to shift from being an “old man’s “ car to trying to appeal to a younger market. Not saying there is nobody in my age range that can afford a caddy, but that young-ish luxury market is small and the competition is tight.
It’s best to take a generic approach and forget builder loyalty. I like a smooth and quiet sedan. I don’t have a luxury sedan. I have a 2023 NISSAN ALTIMA and love it. It’s smooth and quiet and a decent highway car. I never thought of I would buy one but FORD discontinued sedans and MALIBU while decent was a bit lacking in standard HP. The CT5 was way too costly for its size. CADILLAC shows more promise than LINCOLN.
I sold Cadillac for several years, and here's the deal.
The people that can now afford luxury cars are the same people that in the late 80s, early 90s as young adults saw Audi, MB, BMW, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti show up strong. Those brands at the time brought sport, luxury, and class. Cadillac at the time was "your dad's" car. Caddy missed the boat. They were WAY too late to the game (hindsight). This is why Caddy changed the logo 10ish years ago. Will Cadillac ever shake that old man's car stigma? Probably not but only time will tell.
I'm the target market for luxury car makers...high income earner, multiple homes owner. My two thoughts:
1. A Toyota can be equipped with all the luxury and tech features of a Cadillac or Mercedes.
2. Cadillac was a market leader when status was a thing....back when people wore suits to restaurants.
These days luxury cars are the domain of influencers and badge seekers. Not everyone, of course, but to a great degree.
I see your point. Luxury cars are now bought by mainstream buyers rather than those who can actually afford them. The type of people who shun American brands.
ikr. Why spend double if a Toyota or Ford do the same thing?
I want to see Cadillac bring back the eldorado as a top of the line coupe that's missing from the lineup.
I work at an auto shop and honestly it's not only Cadillac, pretty much every American make has become outpaced and overvalued. The competition from German, Japanese, hell even Korean cars makes domestics laughable by comparison. The most common cars with the most issues I see and work on are always American brands. They're cheaply made, hastily developed and thrown together with no real care for reliability or quality. As long as it's enough to keep the customer's attention at the dealer long enough to buy it, to hell with everything else in their eyes. I never have, and never will own an American car they're nothing but rolling liabilities.
I have a small and growing auto repair shop. And..by far... I see the most issues with Ford and any GM with that miserable little 1.5 turbo.
I'm a Mopar loyalist.... but they too don't have all their ducks in a row.. haha.
Typically, when someone comes in with a Toyota or Honda... especially Toyota.. I know they are going to be easier to work on and better built. And that does pain me to say it being a Mopar guy.. haha.
Phord has a lot of work to do as far as reliability and quality.. a lot of work..
And GM, they need to shit can that 1.5 turbo.. and make the interiors more user friendly and better quality...
"Eldorado," "Seville," "Fleetwood" These are iconic names for iconic cars.
Now it's all numbers and letters. German-style.
Americans are known for giving cool names to our cars, and I think something as small as Cadillac giving interesting names to the lineup would reintroduce the "cool" factor.
Americans now are at a point where they would give any newcomer like Genesis a chance, but they won’t try out a traditional American luxury brand with a tarnished reputation without a full convincing. The reason why Americans would give a newcomer like Genesis a chance over Cadillac is because all the German and Japanese newcomers in the previous generation have set up a good reputation to where Americans think any new luxury import is worth trying out. In other words, Genesis’s success is based on the reputation of the past Japanese and German brands, whereas Cadillac is a lone American brand with the job of restructuring American luxury perception all by themselves. In other words the ground that Cadillac is competing in is biased against the American brands because of the past good reputation of the imports, and the bad pst reputation of the domestics. But I think if Cadillac keeps pushing it, they WILL overcome and win the hearts of those that are tired of the Germans cheapening out on their cars. As products are concerned, I believe the Cadillacs are superior in build quality and driving dynamics than Genesis or the Germans. And I say that with confidence because I’ve done some research on the V series and the specs are just staggering! I’m rooting for Cadillac because I think they’re really onto something special. Right now I’m pissed with the German brands and their crap engineering so I’d easily choose a Cadillac over any of the German three. If only more people realized just how good Cadillac is. I guess it takes a few car meetups and drag strip winnings.
Genesis actually spun off from Hyundai years after it was part of Hyundai's lineup--similar to how Ram was with Dodge.
@@KTJohnsonkidThunderYeah.
I am of the generation of the Cimmaron. I can say that it still hurts Cadillac's reputation to this day. Fast-forward two decades, circa 2005, and I rediscovered not a lot changed. This sticks with consumers.
My dad has a Lyriq and he loves it. Nevee thought we would own a Cadillac. However, the interior is cheap and flimsy, which is the case for all Cadillac models.
What does he love about it
@@hjer731 my dad's in his 70's. he wanted a quiet, isolation, relaxation car. he doesn't drive long distances anymore, so the ev range is more than enough. The ride height is perfect for him for easy entry/exit. and he loves super cruise.
Reading the comments I see why Cadillac has a problem. Half the posters on here think Cadillac is an old brand and should try to get younger. Others think it should stay "old" comfortable and American-luxury. No one seems to have a good idea of what the brand means or how it can succeed. I think whatever it does, Cadillac should offer great quality, whatever that means for an American brand. It should mean something extra when you buy a Cadillac.
The Northstar engine in the early 90’s was beyond world class in terms of its sophistication, output and performance… it’s a shame that they had the reliability issues that they did.
The problem with Cadillac is design. The last Cadillac that looked good was Cadillac De Ville 1999. Seville STS 2004 was also ok. After that their cars became ugly. Buick was beautiful until it disappeared. GM made Cadillac ugly and kept it.
Cadillac has a lot going for it - the CT4 and CT5 Blackwimgs are killer performers, and the automotive press has raved about them. The Escalade is iconic, and the new interior is stunning. So what’s missing?
A large sedan, I.e., a Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series competitor. I own a Cadillac CTS Sport, and this is an excellent vehicle.
However, my choices at the dealership are luxury SUVs or BMW slayers-nothing in between these segments.
GM - herein lies your opportunity.
I mean, the only vehicle they have that anybody cares about is the Escalade, and the cheapest one I could find new on auto trader was $79,995....
True statement!
This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Remember, the true Mercedes (now Maybach) experience from the 80s and 90s was had at 2-3x the cost of a Cadillac. Since the everyday car is now $40k, a Cadillac should be double the cost at a minimum (just like in the 90s). But for Cadillac to truly compete with the Maybach/Rolls-Royce luxury standard, they should truly be competing in the $150k-$300k category, which is where they're going with the Celestiq. I hate to say it, but Cadillac should be starting in the $100k category and GM should use Buick/GMC for the $70-90k territory (I too, though, remember when prices were far more reasonable...)
The problem with cadillac is GM tries to make the brand German-competitve as possible but misses out on the most important aspect, interiors. The interior you've compared to the latest models of Mercedes, BMW, and Audi does show a lot of improvement compared to the 80s. But the biggest gripe would be the materials. Sometimes, GM neglects certain areas as if no one will focus on them, such as inputing the cheapest material (plastic) at the rear of the center console.
Cadillac is getting there with reliably and interior build quality, but I believe GM needs to give their engineers the ability to input high quality materials for consumers to be satisfied and hit the European market.
For too long GM was run by accountants. It's hard to recover from that. And as you point out, Lincoln is hopeless. Ford changes strategies ever week, seemingly. The will announce a grandiose strategy--remember the "Lincoln Motor Company" ad campaign from 2012?--and then promptly abandon it. Cadillac has suffered much the same fate. (Hey, let's move headquarters to New York. Oops, we need to move it back.) And Jon, you know the auto business is a scale business, and GM has nowhere near the market share the once had, and that is a big problem if you seek to innovate on a large scale. So if they are 95% there, as you say (you are an easy grader), that's probably as far as GM wants to take Cadillac.
An easy grader... I like that. :)
The market Cadillac competes in ranges from Infiniti, Acura, Lexus up to Jag, MB, and BMW. With Genesis (and others like Volvo) thrown in.
I truly believe Caddy is *right there* but perhaps a little 'cheap' around the edges. A smooth Honda engine in an Acura works. A Chevy Equinox 4-cyl in a Caddy doesn't translate well. And the interiors are great looking, but just a bit chincy feeling.
Thus, I think they're about 90-95% of the way there, but my huge fear has been they're content. They get their 150k sales and are happy.
But recent developments like the Lyriq show (to me) they're getting some swagger back. Still not there, still not class leading, but maybe, just maybe, there's a renewed dedication to be better.
So sad how many people don't know how good Cadillac was prior to the Malaise era, especially their first 50 years or so. First mass produced V8 engine (1915 314 cu. in.) First synchronised manual transmission in the 1920's, V16 engines from 1930-1940. That was a time when Cadillac was true competition for Rolls Royce.
You did an excellent job on this video. All the points I would have made, you covered them all and explained. I will say this they offer a CT6 at Cadillac in China, but not in the United States. You can see the car here on You Tube. The downsized era at GM ( 1985-1990) hurt all GM brands. Cadillac actually started doing well when they upsized in 1989-1992. Then they started trying to be "international" and "European". That has not worked out either. Lincoln did it too. I agree with you on the 1992 Seville and Eldorado. GM is a victim of its management and marketing errors. It was not just Cadillac that suffered. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for the kind words!
I think the problem is that they only offer SUVs and Crossovers except for 2 cars. Audi, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz all offer 3 to 7 sedans along with the Crossovers or SUVs (Lexus is the line with 3 sedans....IS, ES and LS). On top of that only the Escalade has any name recognition. What does the CT4 compete with (without a Google Search)? How about a XT5? Buick and GMC probably eat into sales too. If an entry level Cadillac is too costly buyers might buy a vehicle from those two lines.
IMO, Cadillac is no longer the aspirational brand that they were in the 1950s - early 1980s. Big, cushy and luxurious cars. Today, they have just one arguably aspirational model in the Escalade…which is still a fancier Yukon Denali. The rest of their ICE lineup are cars that are nice looking wannabe European sports sedans and a trio of decent but uninspiring crossovers that are still based on lesser GM models. Nothing that screams “special” at all.
I would buy a Cadillac if they would bring back the classic names, they are not German so numbers and letters don't cut it ! It's sad knowing that Cadillac use to be the standard of the world and you use to aspire to a Cadillac you knew you had arrived when you owned a caddie
They lost their reputation as you pointed out on many points. In order to get customers back, GM can't sell Cadillac's at the same premium as others in the same class. When you go to purchase for high price automobile, you have to cross shop. Cadillac is missing as you stated "something special". I agree, need to offer something better, special, unique that they are currently missing. Good review.
Cadillacs do not last. I buy cars and keep them. I owned a 2008 Acura TL-S for 14 years trouble free with >265K on the odometer. I sold it and it still runs like the day I took delivery with 18 miles. I currently own an RDX and this is another solid built vehicle. Cadillacs I think old or midlife crisis. The upcoming Celestiq looks amazing but no thanks. Look at the Honda Prologue and ZDX based on the Lyriq. They look cheap and those that like Acura products will lease or stay clear. Lexus are also built to last. People that invest a lot of money in a vehicle whether leased or bought do not want to time calling Roadside assistance and spending a lot of time in the dealership and driving loaners. You are correct GM is working from the bottom up.
Like their current design language but despise their current Logo. Looks like someone took an older one and used silly putty and stretched it.
John, you're absolutely right. Cadillac has a relatively small (competent, good looking) portfolio that competes very little with the British and German flagships. Without the trickle down that's inherent from reaching that lofty level, Cadillacs are still very good, but they're not "special". It's my sincerest hope that the Rolls-Royce/Maybach-priced Celestiq will change that. I'm also hopeful that the Asian and German race to the bottom (quality and longevity) will finally be realized by the buying public. Remember the 90s and 00s: Mercedes cost $90k while Cadillac cost $50k with the Mercedes being a better equipped and more reliable car, now they're roughly at parity in terms of cost and reliability - conclusion: Mercedes is lesser than it was.
The last time I went to a car show (San Francisco Auto Show) in 2017, I stopped at the Cadillac display and sat in a few cars that were of interest to me. The exteriors looked great, very stylish and cool. The insides felt very cheap, plastic and low-quality.
My mother had 2 Cadillacs in the late 70's/early 80's. A 1977 Coupe De Ville which was an absolute boat, but built like a tank and rode beautifully. She also had a 1982 Eldorado, which sadly had been hit before we bought it, so it had some issues with the driver's door closing with the trademark "thunk". It felt less like a Cadillac, more like a high-end Chevy.
Cadillac needs to find their market because right now I think they're floundering. The Escalade is nice, but the sedans...meh.
They forgot a long time ago what a Cadillac stands for and what it was. The art and science look wore on me about 2 years after its debut in 2003. The Escalade is the closest thing to a true Cadillac that they have.
For me, Luxury = quality. None of the "luxury" brands don't really offer that above their volume brands. Why should I buy a Lexus when the Toyota is the same car/suv at a lower price point? Why buy the Cadillac, when the Chevy is the same car/suv at a lower price point? There is no exclusivity outside of the style of the car and the badge. Then again, all contemporary vehicles are a hard pass for me.
GM never understood or embraced a premium buying experience that Toyota grasped with Lexus. Sharing product with Buick and GMC in dated dealerships devalues customers. Cadillac also needs a halo product in the same way that Corvette is to Chevrolet. A “no holds barred” luxury vehicle that swings for the fences is needed.
All gangster movies seem to have the black Escalade (Tahoe with a different grill and a few amenities) which makes me think that Cadillac is trying to get their badge in movie cars. Now every 2-bit drug dealer wants one so why would the old person who wants to show they have better credit buy a black Cadillac SUV? Buy a MB, Porsche, or Audi and look like a good upstanding citizen?
I think the naming convention is also part of the struggle. What's an ATS versus a CTS? What was wrong with Eldorado or Fleetwood? This also happened at Acura and Infinity, which was also managed by the same guy who decided to make Cadillac based out of NY - remember that? Lately, the styling isn't doing anything to help, whereas Mercedes has the best styling inside and out.
Great point. I realized later I hadn't mentioned the confusion Cadillac went through with changing their naming to alphanumeric (you know, because the Germans do it!) but also they didn't do it for every model.
I like Caddy luxury sport theme which would make a great replacement for HSV Senator, at the time Australians love there home-grown HSV. Now theres hole in market for Caddy to fill.
I think Cadillac has so much potential if they were spun off from General Motors into their own niche luxury car company
That would actually make sense and make Buick relevant again. Right now Buick and Cadillac are fighting over the SAME market Cadillac should be the flagship brand Chevy the bread and butter blue collar brand. How GMC stayed is beyond me honestly
@@americanbadass88 there is enough market for both brands. I prefer the GMC models over their Chevy equivalents myself as the GMC is typically nicer and currently less controversially styled.
Also most men now aspire to own a big pickup truck with all the luxury trimmings
My least reliable most hated car I ever had was a Cadillac CTS. It was also the nicest car I ever had. It would have been the best, had the motor been reliable.
Jon, most will disagree with me, I'm 71 years old and owned two sedan
Devilles in the 70's that I would buy from a family member, very good cars. I also recently owned a SL 500, a great car. My opinion is Cadillac needs to focus on cars only and move production to the South to control cost and boost money spent on design. Why buy an Escalade when most know a GMC is the same thing at less cost. Everyone is building SUV's, you can't be everything to everyone.
I liked the looks of the Cimarron and Catera, but I’ve made a lot of questionable decisions in my life. @7:25 Loved that graph of the comparison of the vehicle sales!
I think you are right that luxury brands should offer more comfort oriented cars. It's OK to have sportier models, but not everything needs to be like that. I'm 35 and would love to have something ultra comfortable like what Cadillac used to make.
I’m glad you mentioned the Audi TT. If Cadillac made a coupe that felt that special, I definitely would’ve considered (or purchased) it.
Although my TTS shares a platform with the A3 and Golf R, it feels bespoke and it doesn’t have a bunch of screens inside.
I feel like Cadillac is trying to fill in where Pontiac left off … making high performance with edgy style.
I just wish they would at least make ONE car that exudes the elegance of a Genesis G90 or a W222 S-Class. The Celestiq is priced in Roll-Royce territory and for that price, why not just get the Rolls?
It's harder to get it back once you lose it. Even if you have good product. Too many mistakes over the years. I don't see them being around in a decade.
I’m a new subscriber and like your WTH series best. You need to do similar for Jeep
Thanks for being here. I've been pondering a Jeep version of this, so one might be coming.
It’s a tragic downfall of a great American brand that’s fallen victim to chasing markets that aren’t theirs with Fiat based vehicles that aren’t good. Build quality and engineering has collapsed while prices have shot to the moon. WTH Jeep?
Before the 1990's and say to a lesser degree in the 1980's, Caddy was not a sport-luxury brand. Their focus was luxury sedans, lots of chrome, and a smooth ride. When the downsizing started, that's when things started to change, and not for the better for Caddy. Caddy was not known for smaller luxo vehicles and had to change the format. That didn't work well for them. The Seville looked like it was missing a quarter of its ass end when that abomination came out and let's not even talk about the abortion they call the Cimarron. The late 80's had the Northstar which was a mess. Oh, yeah, remember the Catera with ads by Cindy Crawford and Ziggy? Yeah, that's Caddy taking a Europe GM platform and trying to make it a Caddy Sport Sedan. Look how that turned out? Yet another disappointment for Caddy. Caddy lost its way while trying to compete with BMW and Mercedes. Caddy started out as a luxury vehicle. It never tried to be anything but a high-end luxury brand until it changed to compete with German brands. They may have finally figured it out but I wonder if the public's view of Caddy doesn't see the company as a sports-luxury brand. Caddy had many failures over many decades. Perhaps the buying public is having a tough time seeing Caddy as a real contender to the German sports-luxury brands.
Wish I still had my 87 Sedan De Ville... If I was able to buy a winter rat when I bought it I could have taken my Caddy to car shows and cruise nights since you are seeing more 80s cars at shows ..
Personally I am tired of cross over SUVs, but that's where the money is. They need to take what makes the Escalade great, and apply it to their lesser SUVs. Cadillac cross over SUVs (and Buicks too) feel like Chevy Trailblazers with nicer looking interiors. That has to change. Maybe I am wrong, but that's the vibe I get when I look at them. I think their sedans are fine, but you can't out German the Germans, and that's a shrinking market in North America anyway.
Good video. Thanks. A Blackwing would be welcome in my garage.
GM did an excellent job of losing the brand’s importance. The “Arts and Science” mindset came about when they started to design with rulers. The goal was to look nothing like anything else. That’s when they focused on German handling, bragged about the track testing results. They were sold as Yankee BMW’s. Then came the “cool Escalade’ and the Hip Hop crowd. Where did luxury, innovation, class leading, prestige go? Lexus means luxury with bulletproof quality. Benz means superb and yes complicated engineering and people pay up just to get that Star on the grill. If anything Cadillac became what Oldsmobile might have become as that brand moved more into Euro influence before it was cancelled. IMO Cadillac now has finally some decent product but no meaningful brand image to attract enough buyers here and globally. GM did a great job of confusing everyone of what the brand stood for. Not the only one that GM screwed up either. I doubt that this brand will ever perform well again. Too badly damaged.
“American luxury” now means Lexus to the oldest generations buying these types of cars. This happened in the 80’s when Toyota became the new Chevy.
Great video as usual. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
People liked what Cadillac was building but they were a piece of junk. Everything broke down a lot
You either get a Range Rover, or a Cadillac Escalade with GM build quality. Both have the same reliability, but why not just save and get a Yukon?
25+ year Cadillac Salesman/Sales Manager, now retired...Cadillac problems 2 fold...first they're still trying to beat the Germans at their game, trying to "out-do" the Germans....2nd and larger problem is you have bean counters running a car company...an accountant running any business is a guarantee for mediocrity at best
My personal opinion is every single domestic brand has been so poorly managed as to be comical. Every single one. Lincoln, Cadillac, Mercury, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, jeep, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Jeep, Saturn, Plymouth. If you want to know what not to do, just look at how the big three have manage their brands. It's truly sad what has happened to all these brands. Utter incompetency.
I beg to differ. Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ram, and Jeep are pretty well managed. In fact, I’m surprised the tempting packages GM offers with their cars nowadays with a very low starting price point. GM is beginning to shine a bit and I think if we look at what GM is doing, we’d see they are trying hard. BUT! I agree with you that virtually all the other American car brands like Saturn, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln were mismanaged. I can’t believe Ford has that many recalls and no affordable vehicle segment. Henry Ford is rolling in his grave watching GM becoming a better brand than Ford.
@@mrgurulittle7000 Both Chevrolet and Cadillac are shadows of their former selves. There were years in the 60's and 70's where every model of Chevrolet sold are considered classics now. In 1965 the Chevrolet Impala sold over a million units. Cadillac's were the best selling luxury cars in America as late as 1985, so Cadillac is no where near where they used to be.
Ram used to be part of Dodge and the benefits of creating a separate brand for the Ram truck while letting Dodge whiter and die are questionable.
All of these brands have produced great cars in the past. Most people don't know why Chevrolet and Cadillac were desirable in the past, which is sad.
@@michaelfrank2664Time have changed. If Chevrolet and Cadillac continued making big land yachts like the 60s and 70s, they’d be bust now. At least Chevrolet and Cadillac are making competitive products compared to Ford who doesn’t even compete in the low end segment. I agree Dodge was mismanaged totally.
As a 28 y.o. guy I love the CT5 V and CT4 V black wings. I would so buy one 100%. But as far as the normal ones, I don’t like them that much.
The car needs to be good and reliable. Size doesn't matter
You'll notice that the Cadillac model that's currently (and perhaps long has?) been crushing its competitors is a model that fits in the most with Cadillac's history: the Escalade. GM has wasted decades chasing rainbows while the key to success for Cadillac was always right there in front of them. Just like the Fleetwood Brougham of the late '80s was, or like the Town Car was for Lincoln.
No matter what anyone says Americans LOVE big cars. The fact that SUVs (and large pickup trucks) have displaced regular cars so much puts paid to the idea that Americans want high performance sporty sedans and the like.
I bet if Cadillac put out a somewhat smaller two row Escalade to be the next Eldorado it would be a big hit.
BTW, you'll also notice that Escalade is a real name that people can identify, like Eldorado, Seville and De Ville were. Not retarded attempts at sounding European like AT5, XT4, XT5, XT6....
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
I'm a prime candidate for a Cadillac but I'd be afraid to buy one used because of their questionable quality. I wouldn't think of buying one at full retail, new. Too many doodads to go bad on them.
Cadillac and Lincoln have both lost there way imo. When I think Cadillac I think Eldorado, Deville, Fleetwood etc.... imo the last true Cadillac was the 93 - 96 Fleetwood. I totally understand the market has changed. As much as I love big floaty traditional luxury cars, im not the majority. I think Cadillac & Lincoln need to find that spot between sophisticated with a touch of retro. Chrysler got it right with the 300. It found appeal in every demographic.
Cadillac is like Buick they can't shed that "old peoples" stigma they have had for YEARS. It also doesn't help that Cadillac made absolute JUNK since the mid 70s. Cimaron, Caterra, The death star engines. just to name a few. And the people mid 40s to 50s remember this era very well.
People don't believe in the reliability of a Cadillac and quality of materials
I think it's the American car company issue as a whole. People can trace the 3 series and others for decades, all amazing
Americans in the other hand drop the ball cancel the name and no one knows what the model nam means
I hope that makes sense
When you say CADILLAC, I think of a large sedan not a rebadged SUV. I personally could care less whether the engine was from a so called other GM division or not. GM had a long history of duplication and overlap. A good friend had a 2005 DTS. The car was clean and immaculate. A few weeks later, the NORTHSTAR V8 crapped out beyond reasonable repair. GM could have just used proven V8 or V6 engines in the CADILLAC line. The CT6 was a beautiful car that was discontinued way too soon.
As the years go on more and more people will never remember their large sedans. Those aren't option for them to sell anyway. Any large sedan they build will always be perceived lesser than the competition. I do like the Celestiq sedan their making tho.
Their sedans also shared platforms with Buick and Olds back in the days.
@@runoflife87 As long as CADILLAC did their own thing was the body itself, then there’s no problem. But just sticking the CADILLAC badge on a BUICK or CHEVROLET isn’t going to cut it. But then as again some GM fans will never buy GMC pickup truck as opposed to CHEVROLET and vise versa even though they are the same blasted truck.
Escalade a.k.a. expensive Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon.
I think Cadillac has nailed every recent product with a bullseye. I’m very impressed with Cadillac and where they are today right up to the Germans. In fact, the V series outperforms some of the German competitors.
Here’s what I think is going on. I think the Germans are living off their reputation now, without actually making a competitive product. Sure, BMW, AMG, and some Audis are ok engineered products, but overall, their reliability is down, their quality is down, and their design is definitely worse than the past. The Germans are definitely overrated for what they are. On the other hand, I think many people have yet to discover about Cadillac and their evolution to where they are now. The boys driving ugly, expensive, gimmicky new BMWs probably don’t realize that there’s a much better looking and outperforming Cadillac CT4 V series sedan out there. And I think Cadillac’s lackluster sales is down to the fact that, people don’t realize how good the new Cadillacs actually are. So I think Cadillac needs to keep up the good work, but they should also advertise hard and let people know just how competitive they are.
So GM's reputation is also following them around. Nobody cares about what they're doing aside from the Escalade. I don't care if a V is faster than an M or AMG car, I'm getting the BMW or MB. Then again, when I was growing up I was watching European racing while everyone's grandparents were driving Cadillacs. That's the stuff I remember...and will always remember.
@@klaushuxley3342My point is that, if Americans are receiving newcomer luxury cars better than their own domestic marques even when the domestic marques like Cadillac is trying hard, then that’s their own bias rather than Cadillac’s fault. But I think Cadillac will nevertheless catch on. They finally are growing market share overseas which is a good sign. You may prefer MB or BMW but those brands are definitely not what they used to be either.
I think you hit the nail right on the head whenever you compare the interiors and said that the Cadillac just doesn't seem as special. Cadillac keeps holding back despite their investment and they just need to take the bean counters out of the room and just let Cadillac the Cadillac. You can't build a world standard car without a world standard budget.
Being that I desperately need a comfortable car, I would be willing to overlook some of Cadillacs reliability history issues if they were to offer such a car. Just get a warranty or lease it and get rid of it whenever the warranty is up much like what people do with BMWs and Mercedes and Audi. Cadillac has had more than its share of reliability problems but honestly I don't think Mercedes, BMW, or Audi are that much better. In some cases I think they're worse than Cadillac. The only luxury brand I would even consider today would be Lexus and even that might be going away taking into account their move into turbocharged four-cylinder engines.
GM has to learn how to use their divisions correctly and have a clear plan of which division is to compete against which market. Cadillac in my eyes needs to aim specifically at the rear wheel drive German offerings. Buick needs to focus on the front wheel drive Acura Lexus offerings. I think it's also important to remember that even a dedicated platform rear wheel drive luxury car doesn't necessarily guarantee success even from will respected name plates. Look no further than the Lexus GS as an example of this. There was nothing wrong with the car, the market just wasn't there anymore. The other challenge is having a bean counter removed situation for Cadillac doesn't guarantee it's going to be successful immediately. They have to overcome decades of bargain bin luxury that they've earned for themselves. They need to offer something to stand out that everybody else is an offering. A big part of why I think Mercedes and BMW were more successful in higher and luxury than even Lexus and Acura is the fact that they offered extreme powertrains that nobody needs like a V12 engine. That's the essence of luxury. It's not necessary it's cool. I think that the best way Cadillac and from that matter Buick can stand out in the market today would be in both of their classes to at least offer one model that features more old school comfortable seats. It would be the only luxury car competing in the German focused luxury segment that would actually have good comfortable seats to go along with the rock hard suspension. I would give it a specific trim to designate it in this capacity something like delegance trim and add the wreath and the crown to distinguish it from the rest of the Cadillac versions. You could still have one with the rock hard seats for those who like those dreadful things but if you at least have one version that has this you could potentially reach a market that isn't being reached anymore. Comfortable does not mean it has to be gangly and boring. You can make a comfortable car cool looking and you should make it cool looking. For Buick I would go with something like a LeSabre trim and revive the old logo specific for that model to distinguish it from the sportier versions.
Another point that I would make along the same lines is I think Cadillac should consider If they can't get the reliability right on their engines or the smoothness down on their engines, swallow their pride and just buy one from someone who can do it correctly. Look no further than Aston Martin as an example of this. It wouldn't be the first time GM has used another manufacturer's engine. If they were willing to do it for the Saturn Vue via a Honda J engine why not Cadillac?
If you like quality, reliability and less maintenance fees go Lexus, possibly Acura. For performance and prestige (lease) go merc or bmw. If not for the Escalade or navigator I don’t think Cadillac or Lincoln would have US relevance. Less prestige than Mercedes, less quality than Lexus, thus no reason to purchase.
The car industry is in flux right now and putting most of their money and resources into electric vehicles. Now everyone is finding out that electric is not the answer, all the brands were just trying to follow Tesla. Now everything has changed, inflation has reduced people spending power. The American market is not the target anymore, we are not driving the economy, China, Korea and Japanese markets matter now.
Besides the Cadillacs of yesterday were not as good as we remember. And it’s a global market now, no longer just a North American market. And reliability, longevity, performance is the only factors.
I grew up in a domestics household, now nobody drives them anymore. They are just not worth the risk.
Cadillac remained stuck in the past, for far too long...To a greater or lesser degree, so did the entire American auto industry - they shot themselves in the foot...😢
When Cadillac started adding “sport suspension”, that’s when they lost their market share.
Senior citizens - Do Not Like - sport suspension.
The NorthStar engine didn’t help matters either. (Blame their buyers for their engines defects… smooth move GM)
I heard 2 big cadillac dealerships dropped out because Cadillac wants to go all-electric in 2025. Thats probably why. Soon other companies will have this problem.
The problem with Cadihack is that it has forgotten how to build a luxury car. They are under this impression that they can compete with German cars and they cannot face the reality of them being total pretenders. At least with Lincoln, they went back to understanding interior luxury which elevates them above Cadihack once you open the door. Both automakers have no clue about exterior design.
To consider how badly Cadihack has done, you can go back to the start of the putrid "Arts & Scientology" (!) design disaster that started out looking like pre-dented cheap-ass cars that had zero appeal and the interiors were third rate on a good day. Cadihack with A&S has never outsold what it did in 1990 in sales. And with the infestation of borderline improved Professional Grade Chevrolets in the truck segment, the company has become a joke of stupid people overpaying for the hint of aura that Cadihack hadn't killed. When Rappers pick your car, you are trash.
Today, Cadihack has still given us frumpy, dumpy products that are not svelte and sleek but continue to throw tacky design elements of what is left of A&S cues. The cars and trucks simply are not good looking. And the thought that you can come up with a V-Series upgrade only shows how foolish management is. The V-Series should be the base Cadihack so at least it would have a chassis and an engine to appeal. But the exterior styling is still horrific. It is a foolish modernization of ugly and disjointed concepts. And now the interiors are barely better looking than a modern Kia.
I will contend that Arts & Scientology and its modern derivatives have killed the brand. No longer classic, no longer American looking, and being handily outdone on interiors by Lexus (though their exteriors are vomit inducing ugly) and by Lincoln. Cadihack must start building lower and sleeker vehicles with real luxurious cars all while taking their V-Series and using that as the starting point for their base models and to take it beyond that with hybrid power trains to add more horsepower and torque.
Lastly they need to start naming their products and to get away from the stupid alphabet gimmick. When your premium car is a CT-6 that sounds like "Seedy Six" you know your company is clueless.
I think that they should learn from Coca Cola and their New Coke fiasco.
Maybe Pepsi tastes better, but people buy Coke because they want Coke specifically, not a soda that out-pepsies Pepsi.
So I think that they should capitalize on the "big, luxurious, American" car image.
And they almost got it right with Chevy Cruze of all cars, too bad it was still unreliable and badly made.
But it felt distictively American. Big, massive, somewhat luxurious compared to a corolla or a civic. Only if it was more reliable.
GM sucked the life and prestige out of their brand in the 80s and only 60 yo men bought them. They branded themselves as old and outdated, and then made them cheap. Nearly 20 years of brand damage killed it for a whole generation. Now the brand has no prestige, despite some fantastic products. Still, they just feel like modded up GMs to me. No class, no pedigree, no status. The current gen vehicles are good, but they are GMs and that’s all. Maybe if they keep doing what they are doing, the newer gens will appreciate the brand. But I think GM will screw it up somewhere. GM does not equal prestige for me and a lot of people....and I’m 50.
Well I've said it for years, we should put the same tariffs on the Japanese cars that they put on American cars in Japan.
Cadillac is just a more expensive Chevy.
It started with the Cimmaron, and it failed so spectacularly, that GM has kept trying ever since.
Cadillac also exudes a certain aspirational goal… for a certain negative stereotype (gang members, drug dealers and pimps) that prevents the high-class public from associating with the brand.
That and the depreciation is INCREDIBLY steep for a luxury product.
Can't help but wonder how much the American unions have hurt the brand image, being unhappy workers manufacturing the vehicles.
CT6 was a good car
Why do so many mechanics talk badly about the Northstar 32V?
American auto makers and the UAW have had a contentious relationship for decades. Whose fault is it? Probably a fair amount of blame for both union and the companies. As a consumer, I really don’t care whose fault it is. I just know that UAW plants don’t build good, quality cars. American workers build good, quality cars for foreign auto manufacturers in non-UAW plants. But UAW plants seem incapable of replicating that level of quality.
Also Cadillac is stupid for only offering the manual version on the model that costs like $100k
I wouldn't have even thought about Cadillac but I insisted on buying a small SUV that was made in the USA with union labor. I liked the Bronco Sport, Equinox and Jeep Cherokee (also American made but wife already has one). I went to the Caddy dealer and got a new AWD Cadillac XT4 for 40K. Edit: I've had it for 1 1/2 years now and not a single problem.
They need more 6 speed manuals
imo the only cool stuff Cadillac made is the CT4,CT5,CT6,XTS, Escalade, Celestiq,and the US presidential state car.
In most of their vehicles, Cadillac's styling is not stand-out aspirational. Their CT4 & CT5 are frankly boring & dated looking, & are too small to have any "presence." They are letting their main-market SUVs (XT5 & XT6) die on the vine while other brands are modernized. The XT4 was improved with a new interior, but it is still high priced and not refined enough for a Cadillac. They've put too much emphasis on low-volume, high-price EVs.
Why they don’t resonate like other luxury brands?….. Cadillac are just really nice Chevy’s… period!
Cadillac and Buick are two brands I have no idea what heir purpose is
It's simple, really: They can't shake off their sins of the past, such as the V8-6-4 engine, Cimarron, and Allanté. And they probably never will, as long as one person remains alive who's old enough to remember those sins.
cadillac, mercedes, and bmw are all equally lousy. the germans don't stand out anymore.
Jon, Cadillac sold a lot of cars in the 80's because of fleet buyers. Mercedes always relied on private sales, this decision made their car better by early 70's. And yeah, Cadillac had cheap interiors by that time too. Especially if you look at Fleetwood Brougham - awful car inside and outside compared to European cars of that time (including French or Italian ones). That "smooth ride" wasn't good thing too - you had ZERO handling, just like driving 1930's Ford Model A.
hey jon how are you my brothers name is jon. LOL
I would love a caddy 1948/9
Lol. not many of us without the 'h' out there (and no it's not short for 'Jonathan'!)
I love the style of that '49 Caddy. Just gorgeous!
@@AllCarswithJon Awesome here down under we had Holden ( GM-H ) So look up if you get some spare time
Holden HQ caprice :) very much a Aussie caddy buy GM same guys who made caddy
Who in their right mind would own any of those Makes, Get a Lexus and save the "Brain Damage" High parts and service cost's all that other "Crap" will give you! Toyota and some Honda's, Acura work too. No Nissan and No Korean challenges. My Humble Opinion.
Let's face it. They're overpriced and filled with made-somewhere-else parts. Plus, the marketing has been extremely lacking.
The real problem has to do with the executives at GM having ZERO clue as to what to do. They're so accustomed to nickel and diming every single aspect of their products that even Cadillac is severely lacking in long-term quality. Cadillac also doesn't have what Cadillac has always been known for, a LARGE sedan that wafts in total isolation with all of the gadgets. When the Fleetwood was put into the grave after 1996, Cadillac had nothing. The Escalade sort of makes up for the loss of the Fleetwood, but it's literally just a dressed up Tahoe. Would a LARGE sedan do anything for them now? Too late. What can they do? Honestly, I don't know.