vonVeezelsnider

After someone else has taken the first couple years worth of depreciation, I would totally consider a 200 V6 Convertible as a second car.

I'd go with the Passat, seems to tick many of the boxes and the price is definitely right.

The yellow paint on the flex fuel badge on my 07 Impala faded away years ago.

I would pay for the leather package if it didn't have memory foam.

Regardless of what they do with the XTS, it won't ever out handle the 3700 lb CTS with 50/50 weight distribution and the same magnetic shocks and RWD. FWD/AWD can't do it. So the enthusiast buyer is going to pick the CTS, because the 2014 models of XTS and CTS will probably be priced the same, and the CTS got bigger and on the inside should be nearly as roomy.

Um... No.

2013 XTS | 2014 CTS

Front Leg Room 45.83 | 42.60

Rear Leg Room 40.00 | 35.40

Front Hip Room 55.12 | 53.80

Rear Hip Room 54.29 | 53.30

Front Shoulder Room 57.87 | 56.90

Rear Shoulder Room 56.34 | 54.80

Front Head Room 40.08 | 39.20

Rear Head Room 37.80 | 37.50

Trunk (cu.ft.) 18.00 | 13.70

A large coupe or convertible, the Mercedes CL is close in concept, but something more pedestrian and reasonably priced The Lincoln MK9 concept came close to what I'm thinking of here. Failing that, a proper big american luxury sedan with world class fit and finish and the right styling proportions (level of detail and proportions of a Ciel sedan).

Just build the damn thing.

To me this is code for "S-Class competitor? Don't count on it."

From what I've seen of Don Butler over the years online, I get the impression that he really "gets it" when it comes to the brand and where it should be going. I think putting a guy like him in a strategic role is a step in the right direction.

I'll wait for the numbers, but the XTS feels larger inside front to back, width is where it may lose ground. The CTS is amazing in the flesh. I don't see the rear as bland but as a nod to 1967.

Judging by the live pics of the red car @ Jalopnik I agree completely. That rear end is much more detailed and intricate than the Jalop-leaks indicated, I knew it had to be. Bear in mind that the back end of the leaked car was silver, which hides these kinds of things. I'm overall even more impressed with the styling in the live pics. That front end looks like the front end of a transcontinental locomotive compared to the daintier faces of the BMW and Audi and the rear end has much more imagination and detailng than the E-.

All I can say is holy crap is this thing awesome. I think they really nailed what they need to be going after. Easily competitive with Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series.

The exterior is a solid freshening. Like DF, I do not like the angle of the rear fascia but from the C-Pillar forward it's certainly an improvement. Nice new face. My gripe with this car is the interior which they seem to have made look cheaper through the use of that nasty nasty wood and less attractive looking plastics than the outogoing car. Not enough bling to my eye and way too much matte black plastic on the IP. While it's proportioned better than the XTS it just falls flat inside to my eyes, whereas Cadillac seems to be bringing its A-Game. As such my ranking of the EP-II cars are as follows.

1. Impala

2. XTS

3. LaCrosse

I had an opportunity to see the first saleable MKZ in town a few weeks ago and I was not impressed... Sure it was cool looking and I like the glass roof but the switchgear was cheap for the price and the push buttons for the transmission especially felt low grade-flimsy. Dash and door panel materials were not a significant enough improvement over the Ford Fusion and easily outclassed by the Lexus ES, Acura TL, Volvo S60, the new Cadillac interiors and even their own MKS. This is not the car that will save Lincoln, in fact it might put them out of their misery.

Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y

I hope for their sake they've fixed all that's wrong. At the local auto show last week, the MKZ there had front seats where the bottom of the seatback (where people's shoes slide under) that were essentially fraying away to nothing just from people hopping in and out at the show. Mind you that is a lot of people but in all the time that I have attended these shows I've NEVER seen a car with that kind of an obvious issue. Maybe they were hoping people would get distracted by the giant roof.

In city-speed acceleration I noticed a whistling noise in the two I have rented...

Checked out the first MKZ in town at a local Lincoln showroom. Styling is quite nice in person and the retractable glass roof is super cool but otherwise not really impressed. For real wood the trim on the dash feels cheap, the plastics aren't nice either. Not up to the quality of the XTS or even the ATS. Barely padded dash with not great texturing. Seats not significantly different on a $45k MKZ from a $25k Fusion. For the money the new CTS will be better value.

I think the rear end is an improvement vs. the old model and the front end I am withholding comment on as I think the North American version will have a different grille and slightly different detailing on the headlamps.

As for the interior... My understanding is it will be similar except for the center stack and floor console, which will somehow incorporate a Lexus-style touchpad.

I suspect the North America version will be a bit blingier up front but more or less this is what we will get and I think I'm fine with that.

The wagon was never a seller and the Coupe version of the CTS in my opinion should be more a GT car like the 6-Series is, rather than a derivative of the sedan. Cheaping out on the flagship on the other hand, is not something I think bodes well.

I wouldn't knock the interior build quality on the 'bu. I have had a rental Fusion SE 2.0T and Malibu 1LT in the last two months and I was not impressed by the quality or fit/finish of the Fusion relative to the Malibu. Squeaks and rattles, some really cheap feeling finishes, a flaky headliner around the moonroof, some parts that had way too much give in them. Certainly inappropriate for a car with less than 3000 miles on the odometer. I will have a full writeup on my impressions on the new Fusion later this week (I generally liked it) but if there was one area the 2013 Malibu wholly outclasses the Fusion it's that.

base fusion's cloth is atrocious and the interior plastic in the fusion is quite cheap too.

Mine had leather which was pretty nice but that don't excuse being able to flex the buttresses on the IP with little pressure from my knees

Mostly the Northwest. When I go down to Arizona and surrounding area I usually fly down and rent.

I think the rear of the CTS will look better in a dark color like Sapphire Blue, Black Raven or Graphite.

I wouldn't knock the interior build quality on the 'bu. I have had a rental Fusion SE 2.0T and Malibu 1LT in the last two months and I was not impressed by the quality or fit/finish of the Fusion relative to the Malibu. Squeaks and rattles, some really cheap feeling finishes, a flaky headliner around the moonroof, some parts that had way too much give in them. Certainly inappropriate for a car with less than 3000 miles on the odometer. I will have a full writeup on my impressions on the new Fusion later this week (I generally liked it) but if there was one area the 2013 Malibu wholly outclasses the Fusion it's that.

Looks great, this is how the Malibu should look!

I thought it was just me, but they did not have to go there with the Town Car. Town Car was not a bad car, but why show it like this?

Exactly. I felt the same way too, it was the first thought I had when I saw the ad as well. Seems in bad taste especially since the Town Car (and Navigator) carried the brand for so long. Especially since Cadillac's product strategy seems more about taking the great things people loved about their cars in the past and incorporating that formula into a modern luxury formula whereas this one just says to me "Look! We used to build cars like that but you apparently didn't like them so now we're going to do this instead!"

It was at least not campy cartoon stupid like the Fallon spot.

Looks like Chrysler is going to make a few "premium" vehicles (200, 300, Town & Country Crossover), Dodge will make Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and maybe the Challenger and the Dart, Jeep is Jeep and FIAT will cover other segments of the market. I'm not sure I like this but here's hoping it works.