smk4565

Very true. There are a lot of Toyota loyalists that will never go elsewhere. Lexus vehicles are reliable, and those buyers don't seem to care about style, performance, handling, good looks, etc, they just like the reliability of their appliance.

That does not appear to have much "sport" in it.

Agreed on CUE not being a good fit for the target demographic of the XTS, but I think they are trying to make an old person's car appeal to younger buyers by offering technology in it. Not sure that it will be cheaper to own or more reliable than an E-class, or depreciate less. Mercedes was #6 in long term dependability in JD Power this year, Cadillac was slightly ahead, but Buick and Chevy behind (and there is a lot of Buick and Chevy in this car). We already know this car will be fleeted a lot also, the DTS and Town Car had miserable resale values, Mercedes usually hold value fairly well. But I also think people buying an E-class are concerned about "cheap to own" they want the best car on the market from the most prestigious brand. Although I don't see many people cross shopping the XTS with an E-class or A6 even.

Well Cadillac's website lists the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-class as the competitors for the XTS, but I thought that was what the CTS was for? Once again the product planning fails. I don't get why they even list those, Cadillac can't seriously think this car competes with the E-class.

I like the new Escape, Ford has a really good design theme going now.

MKS got a turbo in 2009, not like it helped any. Not sure how much cash the XTS will infuse, and it does nothing for the brand image, which is the area Cadillac needs the most work.

Looks like it will be a blend of the current car and an oversized GS. Hopefully the horrible looks scare the old folks away and people stop buying this car. With carryover engines, it is going to look rather underpowered compared to the Germans. Actually, it will look underpowered compared to the Hyundais.

XTS isn't going to get another engine. They can't put a V8 in a front drive car (well they could but they don't have one and it is pointless), and a 4-cylinder is too weak for that much weight. The only option down the line would be a turbo V6, but GM hasn't seemed in much of a hurry to develop one. And more power means more torque steer, and it still doesn't solve the transmission, unless they make a new tranny as well.

In Caprice trim it looks much more rental grade than the G8 did. To me this car looks really cheap and not worth the money. You could find a slightly more used CTS for the same money and on the CTS they at least bothered to paint the door handles the same color as the rest of the car.

Not for $4500, maybe $3500

I have read four reviews on the XTS, all like the interior, which is a good sign for future Cadillacs that materials and build quality seem to be up. All liked CUE, but complained about the slowness and fingerprints on the screen, so a few bugs to work out there perhaps. Personally I don't like the LCD or TFT screens for speedometers, but it seems many are going that way. All the reviews also brought up the steering, engine and transmission as weak points and drew it back to being based on Malibu/LaCrosse underpinnings. The XTS seems to be typical of GM, they get a lot right, but miss in key areas and come up short. They can't seem to put together the total package. And no matter what you do with the interior, it is still a LaCrosse underneath. I think the cars.com review was the best, as the guy said would he buy an XTS over an A6 for equal money, heck no. And if you just want a soft cruiser, (and most old folks won't care about the technology) why not save $15,000 and get an Avalon, Azera, LaCrosse or ES350. I see this as the problem with the XTS (and MKS also) it doesn't really target a big demographic.

The wheels really hurt it, otherwise I like it.

Autoblog posted a review of the XTS, they liked the interior and the soft highway ride, but said the powertrain was a major disappointment. My guess is the current powertrain is all it gets, so the XTS could get uncompetitive quickly.

SV6 just like the Pontiac Montana. That will create EXCITEMENT!!!

Or, it can simply be that GM does not have a suitable Hybrid drive train for the XTS. The Volt's is too underpowered and not particularly adaptable use the 3.6 V6 as the ICE. A BAS-II system ala Buick LaCrosse does not do enough to be worth marketing. An all new system for the XTS does not not have enough volume to make a reasonable business case on its own. The XTS could have been the springboard for a new hybrid system that would then be spread to other vehicles, just like the CUE system. Again, the XTS was pitched as a sumptuous, techno-cruiser for people that want a comfy ride and plenty of toys. Similar to the Phaeton. Not implementing a new hybrid system just feels like a missed opportunity. They pitched it that way, but GM likes to over sell and under deliver. This car was never going to be more than a fancy LaCrosse. Although I think they are making the right move, because GM doesn't have a good hybrid system, they don't sell many hybrids to begin with, and the XTS target market won't buy it.

It is still front wheel drive (with awd added on). Adding more power to a bad handling car just makes it a faster, bad handling car which is a scary thought.

Glad to see more rear wheel drive.

I'd say Jeers if buying it as a collectible. Roadsters or sporty cars, sometimes luxury cars are much better for that. Pickup trucks basically look the same over generations so they aren't as interesting as cars that have more styling changes through the decades. And at $17k you could get a more modern pick up if it was going to be a daily driver.

Nor surprising, as luxury hybrids don't sell well. On a smaller car like an MKZ or Lexus ES it may work, but not at the XTS's price point, nor the demographic that will buy it. A diesel makes more sense, especially for the livery market that wants durability and better fuel mileage. But I suspect the XTS for it's lifespan has only the 3.6 V6 and 6-speed auto combo.

I didn't know how to post the pics without a website link. But this was the most expensive car in the world when it was introduced in 1963. And it was owned by Castro, Saddam Hussein, Nicolae Ceausescu, Josip Broz-Tito, Pol Pot, Leonid Brezhnev, Idi Amin, Hirohito, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-Il, a sort of murders row of royalty if you will. Other notable owers were Jack Nicholson, Hugh Heffner, Elvis and Elizabeth Taylor. A downside to this car, if you have to replace the switch that controls the 4 windows, it currently retails for $11,200.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item3a74d74670

Cheers to that. It may be a base model car, but it is 52 years old and in excellent condition, and not very expensive. And it is Mercedes diesel so it will run forever and it is still covered under Mercedes roadside assistance in case you break down.

No thank you.

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes. Need to get rid of the tacky stickers in the back window, and it should be black also.