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Cadillac CT6 First Impressions:  A Tight Fit

4/3/2015

 
PictureWatch those knees!
We spent some time in the last two days examining the much-publicized Cadillac CT6 and it seemed to make the biggest impression on our knees.  You see, with the driver's seat extended all the way back, it's hard for a six-footer to find room directly behind.  Unlike the luxury boat we expected, this big sedan is more of a cocoon for four passengers, in the style of the Porsche Panamera.  Luxury buyers who want capacity will likely not be pried away from the roomier, five-passenger Mercedes S-class, the CT6's prime target.

With that said, there is much to like about this car.  Fit and finish is superb and the sedan is another tribute to the craftsmanship of American workers.  The exterior design, while not groundbreaking, should give the Mercedes a run for its money on looks alone.  Weight has been reduced down to the level of a BMW 5-series, so the car should move quite well with its 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6.  But that depends on whether Mercedes buyers are willing to downgrade from the S's 449-horsepower twin-turbo V-8. 

Cadillac's interior designers have slathered the surfaces with leather exuding such a heavy smell that you feel like you're sitting inside a baseball glove.  And the genuine wood trim is so "natural," that Cadillac stopped sanding it to a point where you can feel some of the pits and grooves.  On the console, the wood's satin finish is unsuccessful, making it look more like the contact paper your mother used to buy in Woolworth's.  We may sound like fogeys here, but please, Cadillac, bring back the richer-looking shiny laquered veneer of old.

We wonder whether our tight fit is somehow symbolic of the way the CT6 is shoehorning itself into a very competitive luxury car market.  The real question is whether -- at an MSRP about $20K less -- the Cadillac can compete in the world of the S-class, which has used its advanced engineering to jump well ahead of the pack.  The New York Times raises some important questions in a recent story, noting that this is the most difficult and competitive time ever for the introduction of such a luxury car.  And the readers of The Times also note wisely that Cadillac is still a little behind the times in moving its headquarters to downtown New York, epicenter of the anti-car crowd.  We'll agree with that.  The brand's Soho-focused advertising is so, well, 20 years ago.   The cool people long ago left for Brooklyn, where the focus is more on consuming the latest artisanal mayonnaise than driving a big Caddy. 


But for those of you who still enjoy driving, we provide these photos of the new CT6:

Can Cadillac and Lincoln take on the Mercedes S?

3/31/2015

 
PictureContinental concept (Photo: Lincoln)
As we write this, Cadillac is unveiling its full-sized CT6 sedan in trendy Brooklyn and Lincoln has already announced a Continental concept four-door that is surely destined for production.  Both will take center stage at the New York International Auto Show beginning later this week, but can either grab the spotlight from their clear target: the vaunted Mercedes S550?

We have driven the Mercedes and have been overwhelmed by the quality of its ride, the interior ambiance (including the variable mood lighting and available scents), and its driverless-car qualities that are fed by gobs of technology.  It has vaulted so far ahead of its competition, including such rarified brands as Rolls-Royce and Bentley, that at an MSRP of $94,400, it is widely considered to be a bargain.  

It's clear that the engineers and marketers in Stuttgart sat around a table and pondered the next generation of super-sedan.  They had to.  The competition from Lexus, Audi, BMW, and even Hyundai and Kia, was obviously catching up to the old S.  It was time for Mercedes to come up with a breakthrough ride and the 2015 version has more than delivered.

Will we see the same from Cadillac and Lincoln?  Cadillac has risen like a phoenix, delivering small and mid-sized sedans that, in some cases, have dethroned BMW from its top spots in the hearts of auto writers.  Lincoln is another story.  It's a brand that was near death and has no place to go but up.  It's unclear at this point whether the Bentley-esque Continental concept can even be a success on its own, much less compete against the big Merc.  

Right now, our money is on Cadillac to come close, if not meet, the new standard that has been set by the S.  More to come on this as we get a closer look at both new cars.  In the meantime, visit our home page to enjoy an early video view of the new CT6 cruising the streets of lower Manhattan.

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class: Out of its League

7/28/2014

 
PicturePhoto: Mercedes-Benz
I never think of Mercedes-Benz as being “out of its league” in any category.  If anything, that term means to me that the company’s technological leadership has created an entirely new class of cars to which other manufacturers could aspire.  A prime example is the new S550, which takes luxury automobiles to new heights and may be the closest thing to a driverless vehicle available in any showroom.  It leaves other large luxosedans, such as the Lexus LS, in the dust and is considered by many to be a bargain at over $100K with options.  It has truly set a new standard at the higher end of the market.

Unfortunately, there’s the other end of the spectrum, where Mercedes is certainly out of its league in trying to field near-luxury sedans known as the CLA250 and CLA45.  We had a chance to drive these cars not long ago and they simply felt cheap.  If you could close your eyes behind the wheel, you’d never guess that you were in a car made by one of the world’s premier makers.  The ride was harsh, the engines felt buzzy and sound insulation was sparse.  The stick-on dash screen is an abomination worthy of Pep Boys at a time when the competitive new Audi A3 (which actually drives and feels like an Audi) provides one that slides down automatically.  Make a fist and knock around the plastic dash areas of a CLA and you’ll hear the hollow sounds of an econobox.  Perhaps it was no surprise that, during testing, the base model was put out of commission by a pothole.

Yes, the CLA sedans look good, but that’s about where it ends.  With a decent set of options, they sticker in the mid-$30K range and you can get a lot of good cars for that money.  If you must have the Mercedes badge on a limited new-car budget, go buy one at the parts department and then stick it on the hood of your Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Mazda6 or Subaru Legacy, all of which seem to be better cars for the price . . . or less.


BY THE NUMBERS (CLA250)
Price: $29,900
Horsepower: 208
0-60: 6.9 secs (Mercedes)
Curb weight: 3,262 lbs

TO LEARN MORE

Mercedes

Car and Driver

Motor Trend


Cadillac CTS Vsport:  World's Best Sport Sedan?

7/18/2014

 
PicturePhoto: Cadillac
Is the Cadillac CTS Vsport the world's best sport sedan?  To my mind, it is . . . especially for the price.  This car just does everything well: ride, handling, composure, fit and finish, looks, and on and on.  To drive this car is a revelation, even against competitors such as the BMW 5-series or Mercedes E63 AMG (with its 33% higher price tag).  If you read about GM's current rash of safety problems and then hop into a Vsport for a spin around the back roads or the track, you can't believe the media are talking about the same company.

Cadillac is now on a roll, with solid models in virtually every category except for luxury crossovers, where the SRX is sorely in need of updating. (A new version is scheduled for launch in 2016, along with a revamped Escalade.)  Next on the horizon might be a Corvette-based revival of the XLR or an ultra-luxury personal coupe based on the concept
Elmiraj. 

If Cadillac can inject the Vsport genes into the full product line and sustain its recent record of innovation, it can truly reclaim its position as "Standard of the World."

BY THE NUMBERS
Price: $59,995 (MSRP and as driven)
Horsepower: 420
0-60: 4.4 secs (Cadillac)
Curb weight: 3,952lbs


TO LEARN MORE

Cadillac

Car and Driver

Motor Trend

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    David Fluhrer has been a classic car columnist for Newsday since 2008, as well as a new car reviewer for the auto section and a feature writer for Newsday's glossy magazines, Luxury Living and Long Island Living. 

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