ccap41

Awwwww... why..?

EXACTLY what I want. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=62249&endYear=2017&modelCode1=ATS&showcaseOwnerId=570119&makeCode1=CAD&startYear=1981&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=200&maxPrice=22000&showcaseListingId=434571337&trim1=ATS|Performance&mmt=[CAD[ATS[ATS%7CPerformance]][]]&listingId=442375948&Log=0

The Conti is the first to get its own switchgear and I would assume that would trickle through the brand. That is a HUGE step to get out of Ford's shadow.

Aaaaaaagreeeeed!

I'd wager very good money that 90%+ have no clue or care that it's on a Ford chassis. Most people aren't like us car guys who even know that. Like I'd bet the same thing that people have no clue my Escape is on the same platform as the Focus. People don't know because it isn't relevant when buying. I do as well it's just a lot for a brand that hasn't had much in the last 10+ years. But you get out of a slump by doing things right..and those things cost money.

I'm kind of conflicted on that because doesn't it start around 45k? On one hand they've been harassed(by myself as well) for cheapening out on things by being too Ford. So they attempt and succeed at making it very much not Ford but now it costs too much.. so on one end it competes with 45-60k cars buuuut it can reach nearly 80k which is up there with some serious luxury cars. And at 80k those are base XJ, 7 Series, A8 and it will oust them in options. Its just kind of at a weird spot right now for Lincoln But I think it is what Lincoln needs too. A true Lincoln.

No 10 is not uncommon at all. 15 or 16 years is very long though.

Yeah a ten year span seems acceptable and companies need to start stretching them out to amortize costs better. The LX will be 16 years old for its last year of production 2005-2021. That's the one in question, the LX not the Ram. I'd also think trucks could last longer on an existing platform just because their intended use is a little more direct whereas cars they are using them for multiple names and variants.

The D4 platform the Flex rides on is from 2005 and it's on its way out..because nobody buys Flexes.. Taurus is on the D3 according to Wiki.. The "New MC" platform the Corolla rides on came out in like '05 but the Corolla adapted it in 2014..If I read it correctly. I guess it just seems ancient because where the Mustang and Camaro have come from since then. As for a sedan for the Charger/300 it doesn't seem as large of a deal because tuning for lap times and performance just isn't what they're striving for. But looking at the past platforms and how many years they've been around this is definitely going to be the longest. Platforms in general hang around longer than I thought. Good information to know.

LOL I don't even know what to think or say anymore about this. It's been around since 2005 and it already a dated platform.. The Avenger and Caliber are newer than this. Their Pacifica/Grand Caravan is on its second platform in this time.

Same here. It was the golf/GTI not too long ago though..

I know I've only been to one Cadillac dealer and it was a stand alone Cadillac dealer but their loaner cars were Cadillacs as well. I would be pissed if I bought a Cadillac from a dealer and their dealer loaners were freakin' chevys. Not that the Impala is a bad car or anything but he paid premium money for the premium car for a reason. The dealer I went to actually has a really good loaner/used vehicle program. They use them as loaners for a certain number of miles or 1 year and then they can sell it as a used car with all the dealer service and warranties and whatnot. That's the dealer I drove an ATS 2.0 at. I loved how the car drove but I was in a lesser trim that I didn't like...and it was that baby blue color. No way would I have bought a car in that color but I just wanted to drive the car. Yeah it definitely helps the sting in his case but people buying them new off the lot and still having those same issues hurts the brand image really bad. World class chassis or not.. if the car has bugs it'll turn people away.

Happy Birthday @Drew Dowdell!

Is he taking it back to a Cadillac dealer?

I've heard that's really good. I'm yet to watch it though.. I heard it's quite eye opening.

I think a written review by journalists like Drew are a much better source than people who may or may not subscribe to JD/CR and may or may not report their issues back to them as well. According to that link Audi is more reliable than a Ram or a HONDA. That's why you take that with a grain of salt.

Those ratings are to be taken with a grain of salt... The things that get reported and the people who report them completely skew the results.

I think it is more for while you're driving to power smaller things so less is taken away from the main battery pack and there aren't going to be many(or any) parked outside while at home but parking for work or shopping there will be plenty left outside.

Very good to know. I would have thought the larger of the companies in Benz to have nailed that down the best. Goes to show you were companies place their resources.

This. This was my whole point. I don't think it looks bad and I even think this could be on lower trim models but I think an inch larger would make a much better impression. Something that may seem petty to pick at is one of the very first things a couple looking at one of these and cross shopping these to their competition will see and analyze. For something pushing 80k I just think larger would be better. Not Tesla large, but larger. Personally, I dig the S Class's setup. I think the dual screens looks super fancy and high tech. I am still a fan of actual buttons to touch but I have a feeling in a car of that caliber those screens work near flawlessly and I probably wouldn't have much of an issue with them.. but that's also in a car that starts at like 96k.

It is definitely much larger than the Continental's screen size.

Definitely, I'm not suggesting that they should have put a screen the size of the Model S's in there but a larger screen with larger icons(buttons) is definitely more luxurious when it makes it easier to navigate though. The screen in the Conti is most likely the same screen size(and likey the same exact screen) that is in my Escape. It's not small but I would want more in a car that can tip the scales with the 7 Series, A8, CT6, and Jag XJ. Looking at those three the Jag's looks the same size and those other 3 are all larger. But if I'm not wrong, the XJ is the oldest of them.

I don't think a Dodge Charger falls into "sport lux" or "premium". A Chrysler 300 could fall into the "premium" category but not a Dodge. As much as I love the ATS the engines just don't mesh well for premium. A n/a V6..kind of sucks.. and the 2.0T(which I want BTW) just isn't a $50k engine to me. I want north of 300 ponies for that much money. Jaguar XE PRESTIGE Supercharged V6, 340hp. (I couldn't afford any color other than black or white because they cost $550 and that put me over budget lol)

"Tesla has created its own glass technology group, CEO Elon Musk announced this week on a conference call, reports Eletrek. Not only will this special glass be used for solar roof tiles, but it will also have automotive applications. In fact, the first car to receive the new glass will be the Model 3, Musk confirmed. Last week, Tesla announced it would create actual solar roofs (as opposed to solar panels) that are highly durable and can provide power for homes. In a video posted to Twitter, Tesla showed off the strength of its new solar roof glass tiles. But the ultra-strong glass technology will apparently trickle down to the roof or windshield of the Model 3. The entry-level sedan offers a full-length glass roof spanning from the windshield to the rear window, making it the perfect vehicle for this tech. Then again, the Tesla Model S already features an open, airy panoramic roof, and the Model X has the largest glass panoramic windshield in production. Musk took to Twitter to explain the benefits of the special glass. Ads by ZINC "Solar glass tiles can also incorporate heating elements, like rear defroster on a car, to clear roof of snow and keep generating energy" The director of Tesla Glass is Mike Pilliod, who was a top materials engineer at Apple. He has patented innovations relating to glass, including glass touchscreens. Source: Eletrek, Business Insider " http://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-model-3-use-glass-technology-solar-roofs/ I just thought this was waaaay too cool not to share!

Agreed @Frisky Dingo. They entered the market of the two deepest rosters with the heaviest of heavy hitters in the Camry, Accord, and Malibu and just didn't execute it well. It would have ad to have been absolutely perfect but like you said the segment is shrinking anyway. I'm sure all of the other mid size sedan companies are glad to see somebody leave the segment to get a few sales back. The segment was just too damn deep. They need somebody else to leave the segment as well but I don't see that happening right away.