What is American automotive luxury?
Cadillac and Lincoln have repeatedly failed to answer that question for quite some time. At least until recently. Lincoln, a former pariah among luxury brands, has finally turned itself around, and in the process earned the respect of the automotive intelligentsia. Meanwhile, Cadillac is basically doing the “Bird Box challenge,” ambling around blindfolded in an effort to survive. General Motors has a real problem on its hands. And if they don’t solve it, their top tier brand is in big trouble.
Some of you might be scratching your heads at that opening statement. Cadillac, after all, beat Lincoln in total 2018 sales by about 50,000 units. And the Escalade and XT5 handily outsold their American competitors as well. The problem with that line of thinking is that it ignores the rapid (and continuing) sales climb the Navigator experienced when the vastly improved model arrived in 2017 for the 2018 model year. And the XT5 lost about 8,000 units in sales when compared to 2017.
Lincoln is essentially just one nameplate away from matching Cadillac in sales. And this year they revealed the vehicle that will probably do just that: the 2020 Lincoln Aviator. With fresh styling, an attractive exterior, and a cabin that mimics the Navigator in the best way possible, the Aviator is poised to be a hit.
On the Aviator, Lincoln’s twin turbo 3.0 liter V6 will be paired with Ford’s new ten speed automatic transmission and boast an output of 400 horsepower and 400 Ib-ft of torque. That powertrain is standard. A 3.0 liter twin turbo V6 plug-in hybrid is optional, and Lincoln claims that engine will be rated at 450 horsepower and 600 Ib-ft of torque. Pricing for the Aviator starts at $52,195.
By contrast, the standard powertrain in the 2019 Audi Q7 is a 2.0 liter turbo with 248 horsepower and 273 Ib-ft of torque on tap married to an eight speed automatic transmission. A 3.0 twin turbo V6 that produces 329 horsepower and 325 Ib-ft is optional and starts at $59,950. The Q7 has a base MSRP of $53,550.
When the Aviator arrives at dealerships later this year, it will boast extremely competitive powertrains and an attractive starting price that will no doubt entice many buyers. It will also be riding the wave of critical acclaim that began when it essentially debuted at the 2018 New York International Auto Show in near production form.
Cadillac will also introduce their first-ever three row unibody SUV this year. That is where similarities with the Aviator end. Critics almost universally panned the XT6 for its staid styling. And it gets worse: the only powertrain is the 3.6 liter naturally aspirated V6 that is featured in a plethora of General Motors products. With an output of 310 horsepower and 271 Ib-ft. of torque, the XT6 barely matches its competitors and does nothing particularly innovative. And that engine will be paired with GM’s nine speed automatic transmission, a unit that has proven troublesome in its platform mate, the Chevrolet Traverse.
Things aren’t any better in the cabin. The aesthetic matches every other modern Cadillac. And members of the automotive press that took the time to evaluate its interior concluded that it is notably lacking the interior quality of its competitors.
It couldn’t be more obvious that Cadillac has lost its way. And when they finally realized crossovers were the answer, they rolled out a mediocre product that is best described as a slightly fancier GMC Acadia. Or a Mazda CX-9 with all the passion removed from it.
In a few short years, Lincoln went from being the laughingstock of the industry to serious contender. Cadillac did the opposite. As Jalopnik commenter Maha pointed out, Cadillac has essentially become the stodgy and out of touch grump Kay while Lincoln stealthily evolved into the smooth-as-hell Jay. How did that happen?
Any humanities teacher worth their weight in salt will stress the importance of the thesis statement. What is a thesis statement? Its the section of an introductory paragraph where you outline exactly what your paper will accomplish. Cadillac has no thesis statement. There is no clear objective coming from anyone at the top about what the brand represents, where they’ve come from, or where they’re going. Take a break from this article and read Kristen Lee’s sit down with Steve Carlisle, now head of the division. It’s illuminating. He says everything about nothing. Here is a choice quote from that interview:
Carlisle attempted to explain it, albeit in very vague terms. “There’s a lot of Cadillac in the XT6,” he said. “The trims, styling and technology package are different; there are 20 safety and technology-related features. The packaging is different—we made adjustments in terms of spaciousness and third-row access. It’s a Cadillac.”
He didn’t add anything else, but a spokesperson sitting in on the interview chimed in to say that they’re counting on the strength of “the brand” here as well.
Cadillac cannot explain itself because they’ve been chasing the German luxury brands for years. Johan de Nysschen deserves to be criticized for his mistreatment of the brand, but Cadillac was emulating BMW and Mercedes long before he came on board. CT6? XT5? No better than names like ATS or CTS.
All would be forgiven if Cadillac actually got some results from developing sedans capable of going around a track in a way that matches its competitors, but they don’t even have that going for them. The Lincoln MKZ nearly outsold the ATS and the CTS last year. And the CT6 didn’t even break the 10,000 units for 2018.
The CT6 is the best representation of Cadillac as it currently exists. It’s the opposite of what the brand currently needs right now and is almost surely a money loser given its exclusive platform. It also demonstrates what could have been. A modern, real and all wheel drive platform with a twin turbo V6 capable of over 400 horsepower and 400 Ib-ft of torque? A performance engine that blows away anything else in the segment? Cadillac had the potential to create a monster of a three row crossover with a twin turbo V8 with 550 horsepower and 627 Ib-ft of torque. It could have had an Aviator killer. Instead, it seems that GM cut its losses and went the opposite direction by developing the cheapest and laziest full size crossover they could.
By contrast, Lincoln built its revival around two words: “Quiet Luxury.” Their opening statement explains what they’re trying to do and where they’re going. More importantly, they backed up their talking with relevant products. The Navigator, Continental, and Aviator all boast high quality interiors that match or exceed the competition. They have actual names again, a bold yet understated way of saying Lincoln is different from everyone else and even those MKwatdafuq imitators of yesteryear. And once you buy a Lincoln you’re part of an organization that completely takes the stress out of going to the dealership because they offer complimentary pickup and delivery. It’s basically the Lexus recipe for success, with some extra spice thrown in.
Lincoln reinvented itself without taking many risks. None of their new products dropped a bomb in their respective segments. The entire lineup received all their platforms, engines, and transmissions from Ford. They’re not pioneering some gee-whiz technology on some outlandish low volume halo car. But they didn’t have to. All it took was careful planning, the right vehicles, and the creation of a tactile experience that would resonate with the buying public.
Cadillac may just need some type of halo car to fight its way back from certain doom. They could at least have some sort of ethos guiding their product development.
Do they want to be a Tesla fighter? Currently, their EV program is the above rendering, and that’s it. Tesla will most likely have two electric crossovers in its lineup by the time Cadillac roles out its first EV. With a larger dealer network and the stability of an automotive company with decades of experience building cars, its entirely possible the division could compete with Tesla. But right now they’re not even standing out from their corporate brethren. And they’re running out of time. Baby Boomers won’t live forever and their kids don’t have the same affinity for the brand as they do. The clock is ticking. Cadillac needs to bring out the goods soon.
Sources/Related Reading:
“Cadillac: We’ve Got One Chance” Michael Wayland, Automotive News
“Lincoln is winning the battle against Cadillac” Richard Truett, Automotive News
“Cadillac Has a Lot of Convincing to Do” Kristen Lee, Jalopnik
Other than the 9 speed auto (which god knows the Acadia could use more gears in its transmission to be more competitive) can anyone name one good reason to choose an XT6 over an highly trimed Acadia? (Brand new that is. I’m sure that the XT6 will be a screaming bargain used.)
“And that engine will be paired with GM’s nine speed automatic transmission, a unit that has proven troublesome in its platform mate, the Chevrolet Traverse”
Interesting because that transmission was co-developed with FORD and Ford is choosing to only produce an 8-speed version of that same trans.
For some reason both companies led everyone to believe that they were working on both transmissions in a collaborative effort, but it turns out that was not the case. From the relevant Auto News article:
“Ford Motor Co. agreed to develop a 10-speed gearbox for rear-wheel-drive vehicles such as the F-150 and Mustang and let General Motors use it, too. And GM, in turn, would share with Ford a nine-speed designed to make its front-wheel-drive crossovers and cars smoother and more efficient.”
https://www.autonews.com/article/20180423/OEM01/180429934/no-thanks-ford-says-to-9-speed-offered-by-gm
It seems like Ford realized GM gave them a half baked transmission and decided to fix its issues before putting it in their vehicles.
XT6 sounds like a thirty-year-old Subaru.
Cadillac was the aspirational car of my parents, not me. And I’m 54. I’ve never wanted to own one – with their reliability, swift depreciation and underwhelming engineering, why would I?
Cadillac was also the aspirational car for my folks, too. But the older part of our Baby Boomer cohort (I’m 56) decided several decades ago that no way, no how that they would want a Cadillac. Or nearly any other domestic luxury automobile, really.
My question is, if you don’t aspire to a Cadillac, what do you aspire to?
I aspire to the older Cadillacs that i aspired to as a teen.(im 57). The CT6 is a really good car but as Ed said…….it could have been so much more(same for the traversty turned into a Caddy). i still have hope(though fleeting)for my favorite car. What amazes me is that they make the greatest concepts and people love them…………….they never listen. Lincoln is doing the right thing and i respect and admire them for what they are doing. They are making American luxury vehicles!! I hope Cadillac is paying attention.
I’m assuming the question is aimed at me specifically. If I received a modest inheritance, I would want to own a Lexus RC or GS. Anything higher priced than that is house money to me and I wouldn’t need anything flossier 🙂
19 year old reporting in. I “realistically aspire” to a Toyota Avalon. If I become genuinely rich and they keep it up, I aspire to a Lincoln.
Baby Boomers won’t live forever and their kids don’t have the same affinity for the brand as they do.
My parents are baby boomers(in their early 60s) and I can assure you that there is little affinity for Cadillac with them and their friends. My Dad used to make fun of me if I stared at an old Eldorado or something exclaiming “you don’t like THAT, do you?”. BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus are the brands boomers have a high affinity for, Cadillac was for their parents. The few boomers propping Cadillac up now probably are sold by the BMW imitation and don’t care what badge is in the grille. Not good for Cadillac either way, but even I’ll be the rare millennial to come to the boomers defense in this instance.
Oh yeah, and as a kid of boomers, I like the Cadillac’s they don’t. The big long low wide imposing 60s land yachts with lots of style and chrome. Cadillac doesn’t make that anymore.
This is the very first time I’ve seen(or noticed) the XT6, and what a dud it looks, it doesn’t even look art & sciencey… not that I care… but it gives no credible alternative to it, it looks like a Jeep Cherokee mixed with a Kia Soul. I absolutely loathe the trend towards SUVs and crossovers but even I have to admit the Aviator is looking ridiculously good, it has an elegant yet imposing presence that has been missing even on cars for a long time. It owes a whole lot to Land Rover of course, but the LS400 owed a lot to the S-class, recipe for success.
I’m a mid-boomer (just turning 65), and even as a kid I loathed Caddies – too flashy and gaudy. My mom was a good middle-class girl born in 1915, and she would have been mortified to be seen in one – every three years at car-buying time, Dad would tease her by saying maybe this time they should get a Cadillac. Her reaction was predictable – “I won’t be seen in one of those!” To her, a Cadillac was the automotive equivalent of gaudy jewelry or a fur coat.
OTOH, my husband has nephews who are captivated by the 59-63 Cadillacs. One owns a 63 convertible. I suppose to them a big gaudy Caddy is a symbol of a vanished age that they never knew
The kind of folks that are currently Tesla/EV buyers and intenders do not strike me as being likely to even remotely consider a Cadillac. I’d say most of them wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Now that may change, but then it may not. In any case, by the time Caddy’s EVs appear, everyone else will have them too, for better or for worse. If that’s what they’re pinning their future on, good luck with that.
spot on analysis
best article in days
Heaven help them, and heaven only knows what to do with the brand. Personally, I think they have a number of compelling products, from the ATS to the CTS to the twin-turbo low-and-sleek big-yet-agile CT6. And I like the Art and Science design language on the sedans. Angles in a world of blobs.
But, this is a Truck/SUV/CUV world and my preferences would bankrupt an automaker. The Escalade is perhaps their laziest effort and yet their most successful and recognizable. It’s big, it’s brash, it hits the right market segment, and it looks like money. Tasteless, wasted money perhaps, but still money. That brashness doesn’t translate to this equally-lazy XT6 CUV the way the Navigator translates down to the Aviator. Would a styling upgrade and bigger engine make the XT6 a suddenly hot item?
I don’t know what you do here. I don’t see anything that interesting in the German and Japanese luxury CUV camp, but those are selling. Big sedans, whether Brougham or Autobahn, are not the ticket anymore. Perhaps Escalade EXT again, but this time don’t make it look ridiculous & chintzy? Ford sold 900K F150s last year, that’s a hot segment.
Whatever identity Cadillac settles on, it has a vigorous uphill fight. It isn’t 1960 anymore, they have to take on 3 established German brands, Lexus, Genesis, and an ascendant Lincoln. They could create a gobsmackingly-good product and still have a big chance of failure due to market saturation. I’d be looking at ways of being profitable at low volume, if such a thing exists. Good luck to them.
So far the next generation Escalade doesn’t disappoint me as much as the XT6, but I will cross my fingers.
And Lincoln is indeed the inspiration this time,
The only Cadillac like Cadillac in the dealership is probably the Cadillac Escalade, ( Cadillac XTS hearse is pretty nice looking too, but it is a hearse. I think the hearse looks better than a regular production sedan, and sedan looks only as good as an ’86 DeVille ) And I’m glad those executives are aware of that. The next gen doesn’t look bad with lasagna layers of camo.
I drove Cadillac XT6 half year ago for validation and it looks like an Acadia in camo, feels like an Acadia and drives like one. It turned out it’s essentially an Acadia, with more specfications than it should sharing with Acadia, and Acadia is probably a typical generic large-ish GM middle-class American vehicle as GM as an Oldsmobile 88.
Interior on Cadillac XT6 reminds me of the similar generic feeling from Oldsmobile 98 in the 80s and 90s, just like XTS.
I happened to drive a Lincoln Aviator shortly afterwards, and it’s designed better, engineered better ( I’m not quite sure on this though, let’s wait and see. But Cadillac XT6 is only as good as probably GM H-body ) and put together better without the tacky feeling, greasy look. The only complain I have is the intrusive screen, other than that it’s great and I like the piano inspired button shift, something done at a higher grade than Continental. All the buttons I touched feel premium. It handles great, for a crossover too ( and the vehicle I was working on doesn’t have a working traction control, so I had the chance to feel more of the vehicle dynamics )
The story doesn’t end here. Cadillac CT6 doesn’t sell but it doesn’t spell the end of Omega platform. It will show up in another form around 2023, and I’m very curious to see how it would turn out. I know CT6 is just too small and bland and GM senior executives eventually think alike with me and those issues are going to be corrected. Maybe Cadillac Escala will eventually show up in another form? I’m expecting something highly exotic and lavish, with the smell of capitalism from every screw, I wonder if they can do it on this try.
Lincoln wise, I’m aware of the cancellation of next generation Continental, but from a history prospective, it’s still too early to say it’s a solid end. 1990 Lincoln Town Car wasn’t planned to be there initially but it was given a green light at a rather late stage and was a very big success ( as big as the current Lincoln Navigator ) Maybe they are still trying out with the public reaction and leaving the decision making to another day. I don’t have enough connection nor info on this side but I’m more curious about it.
It’s not a stretch to see the XT6 as present-day Cimarron – a tarted-up corporate clone with a shared powertrain, an (undoubtedly) huge price premium and no genuinely compelling reason to choose it over its siblings, much less outside competition.
After years of the wrong model mix, where every other company, from Lincoln to Kia was figuring out where the market was heading, they release a late-to-the-party 3-row crossover that looks like it had a three week development time. Even the interior is largely shared with the XT5, and it wasn’t considered great in that vehicle.
For a while, Cadillac at least had a distinctive look. The Art & Science had problems, and didn’t always quite realize its potential, but the vertical lighting was really not being done anywhere else. Now they can’t even decide if they want to be vertical or horizontal, so have an awkward combination of both. Ironically, LED technology has advanced to the point that they really could pull off the ultra-thin, knife-like lighting of their great concept cars, but instead they are abandoning the approach.
It’s been such a long time since Cadillac was truly viewed as an aspirational product by any but a small segment of the population, and with so many failed comeback attempts, what is left? The future doesn’t look great.
Lincoln, at least, seems to have carefully planned and carefully implemented a good strategy. How many people were expecting a 400hp BASE Aviator? They are making waves and I’m sure more surprises are in store.
XT6 isn’t on any shared platform with Chevy or a clone, it’s the Omega chassis. But, I agree that it ‘looks’ like it does. Why show concept cars and not bring their styling cues? I know they cant build them 100% like the show ‘queens’, but still?
Someone online [not CC] said “Caddy should bring back the unique cars they had up to the late 70’s.”. But, they forgot that they shared the C body with Buick and Olds since forever ago. Also, in 1959, the zenith of tail fins, it actually used some B body parts with Chevy, “shudder!”
Just need to put more into the products, not just badging. The worst decision GM made was diluting the brands in early 80’s. Cost cutting gone too far.
XT6 (which I focused on) is the clone crossover, sharing the Acadia platform, engine, etc. CT6 is the sedan on the Omega.
Easy to confuse, yes, which is another problem with the stupid naming system.
If only the Continental had been available with suicide doors when it launched. They would probably be beating Cadillac in sales already.
Great write-up! I had to laugh, as I’ve been working on a piece on the XT4 which will dovetail nicely with this. And I agree with your points overall, though I’m not convinced Lincoln is out of the woods. The Aviator strikes me as a “make or break” product in terms of its ability to actually woo import Luxury SUV buyers away from the foreign prestige brands. But it does look nice…
Cadillac isn’t even in the hunt. And I agree with Paul’s point that Tesla intenders won’t consider a Cadillac EV (Porsche EV and it’s ilk probably yes). It’s scary that GM is betting their future on autonomy and EVs but show no sign of being able to do either well.
While Aviator is important to Lincoln from a prestige/credibility standpoint, the upcoming Corsair (the completely redone and renamed MKC that is due soon) is most likely going to provide the necessary volume.
Wasn’t Corsair last used on Edsel, in the US at least?
Yes, but I’m sure that only hardcore car enthusiasts still remember this fact.
Too ugly to even consider.
“Quiet Luxury”. Lincoln described in two words what American luxury was always meant to be.
Trying to be German is just a waste of time.
While Caddy is “old folks”, Boomers/X’ers love GMC trucks and UV’s. Sort of how Olds and Buick were seen as less flashy and pretentious in 50’s through the 80’s.
Name everything a “GMC”, and they will come.
GMC is GM’s second largest division by volume.
In wealthy neighborhoods around here, it’s not uncommon to see a large GMC SUV or pickup sharing the driveway with an foreign luxury sedan or crossover.
The death of Cadillac began with the death of Sloan’s ladder in the mid-60s. Paul wrote about this a ways back – when all the exclusive luxury features of Caddy began drifting down to the lesser makes.
By the mid 70s, you could buy a Oldsmobile or Buick with every toy a Sedan de Ville had, but at least Caddy had exclusive engines.
Having exclusive engines was great – until the exclusive engines began to suck, like the V8-6-4 and the 4100. What few buyers still considered Cadillac found there were better choices.
Cadillac seems to be surviving on the Escalade now. From what I see, most of the Escalades simply have replaced Town Cars, the so-called “black car” market, and aren’t even going to retail buyers at all.
Unless you’re in love with the ol’ wreath-and-crest, a Yukon Denali is $10k cheaper than an Escalade. It’s effectively the same truck.
Cadillac is done.
The Chinese market is keeping Cadillac afloat. As long as the Chinese continue buying Cadillacs – and the brand is successful over there – it will most likely continue in North America, even if it just limps along.
Exactly. Cadillacs future is in China. I am sure they understand that. Their big task is to just be popular in China. They can bring some of the stuff here but for the life of me I cannot see a market segment for them now.
Any company that is not Chinese should not stake its future on sales in China.
You don’t even get a wreath for your $10K these days. All you get is an elongated crest. 😉
The question that Cadillac has to answer is:
“Why did you buy a Cadillac?
I can answer that, in my mind at least, for
Mercedes – German, status, quality
BMW – German, sporty
Audi – German, beautiful
Jaguar – English elegance
Lexus – Quality
Tesla – Cool, fast, electric!
Genesis – Just as good, for less money
Alfa – Italian flair, if you dare
Porsche – Cause it’s a Porsche
And now, Lincoln – “Quiet luxury”
Now, whether any of these are actually true or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is that if a friend asks, “Gee, why did you buy a….x….” you have an easy ‘justification’ for your choice.
I cannot think of answers for Acura, Infiniti, or Cadillac.
For Acura – “ It’s a Honda” doesn’t say luxury product.
For Infiniti? Maybe – “It has a big engine”.
For Cadillac? “Not bad looking and they don’t break down like they used to” …
just doesn’t seem like the justification I want to give to my buddies at the country club.
And Volvo – Swedishness. Complete with the beautiful untreated wood, and their OCD approach to safety
An interesting piece. Both Cadillac and Lincoln have been pretty irrelevant to me for a long time, even though I have a bit of nostalgia for both.
Lincoln, at its most successful, was about elegance and good taste and a subjective feel that coddled the driver.
Cadillac, at its most successful, was about an extroverted luxury that was as much about impressing others as it was about impressing the owner and passengers.
Lincoln seems to be re-discovering a classic formula. Cadillac has been trying to re-discover its classic formula but failing at it for about 20 years now.
400 HP could very well backfire. An albatross around Lincoln’s neck.
As the reality of climate change slowly dawns, repeated in more and more back yards, people will be more conscious of the image they cast. The luxury buyer, in particular, will not want to be associated with fire and flood.
“Cadillac had the potential to create a monster of a three row crossover with a twin turbo V8 with 550 horsepower and 627 Ib-ft of torque. It could have had an Aviator killer”.
Maybe they were wise not to.
I can’t see power ever not being an asset in a luxury car. Even the Tesla, the luxury car of choice for the environmentally conscious or those that want to be seen as such, has “Ludicrous” power available. People with money want power (in their cars). I don’t think there is any amount of climate change that can change human nature.
It’s not producing 400 horsepower puttering around in day to day traffic, it’s a peak number at a lofty RPM that’s there when you want or need it, where the rest of the time you return decent economy with no real drawbacks. I don’t think any luxury buyer would tolerate the driving experience of a Mercedes Benz 240d at this point.
Also if Cadillac made a twin turbo V8 I’d expect significantly better power than 550 to be honest.
“They’re not pioneering some gee-whiz technology on some outlandish low volume halo car. ”
They sure are with that suicide door Continental. Of course the regular Conti might also be a Halo car as it really does not sell.
I still think Ford will shitcan Lincoln well before the General waves goodbye to Cadillac.
My guess is that this Lincoln SUV will fall flat also.
I was at Apple Ford this past Tuesday helping my dad buy a car while we were waiting almost 4 hours for everything to be complete (and this is with paying for the car with cash) which in itself was an absurd amount of time to wait (especially since I was in and out in an hour with my 2018 Elantra)
We wondered over to the Lincoln section and my 70 year old father(who does not really curse) said, “these are fucking ugly”
Despite Apple Ford Lincoln being a large and popular dealership in a great area (Columbia MD) which the average income is about $100,000 and is situated in Howard County (in the top 5 wealthiest counties in the USA), you can go days without seeing a Lincoln around by contrast driving around Columbia, it would be rare if you don’t see at least 5 or 7 current model Cadillacs driving or parked about. There are also many Tesla, German and Japanese luxury vehicles out and about here. Heck there are loads of the fully loaded $50,000-$70,000 F series trucks all around Columbia also.
Nobody wants a Lincoln nowadays (especially ones that are nothing more then a tarted up Fusion, Expedition or Explorer )
By contrast, even though a lot of GM’s luxo division offerings are lame looking, I have no doubt Cadillac will survive for decades to come.
I have seen pics of the 2020 Aviator and to me it looks like it is a Ford Explorer with the front end(Grill) off a current Jag
Time for Ford to pull the plug.
The key to the survival of both marques is the ability to generate profits, not excite internet posters who buy something else, or wait to buy used.
I’m more than willing to bet that Lincoln makes Ford some money, given that the Lincoln lineup shares platforms with lesser Ford siblings.
The expensive platform under the ATS and CTS has never met the initial volume projections – and that’s even with the Camaro added to the platform. I would be surprised if the CT6 has made any money, either.
If it weren’t for the Chinese market, Cadillac’s outlook would be truly bleak.
As for all of the exciting new products around the corner that will really revive Cadillac…we’ve heard that tired old refrain for 30 years now.
Hence, the skepticism.
Good to see Lincoln doing better. As a ”boomer” neither Lincoln or Cadillac are brands I would consider. Their glory days seem long past to me. When both brands decided to rename their lineups with impossible to understand letter sequences in place of long known actual names, it felt like a cheap/lazy/desperate attempt to somehow become instantly cool/hip. It didn’t work. Even now , they too often present themselves as little more than a gussied up cheaper vehicle from one of their lower priced brands. If your selling prime Rib , it has to be more than the same old ground beef with just a fancier bun.
I agree.
Look, if you “were” to buy an expensive luxury car, what would you tell your friends?
I bought and ABC123? A XKD? A SVX?
No, you’d like to say, “I bought an Eldorado.” “An Aviator!”
Something that has a name- a name of an aspirational figure – it has to inspire a feeling of greatness.
A bunch of random letters strewn together has no feeling or emotion.
That right there is their biggest problem.
These are *almost* so good, it’s like GM needs to put in the final 20% into the whole lineup. So much potential but no one knows what to do with it. Cadillac really has an image problem. Lincoln is shaking off the grandma car image and makes a few vehicles I would seriously consider now. I would laugh if someone told me 10 years ago that I would find any Lincoln appealing, but personally prefer German to either if we’re talking same price. This is where I think the Aviator wins because it will be priced less than the Germans, but offers an incredible value. I would say it would rank with Infiniti and Acura. With Buick and GMC, it feel like there’s too much product overlap with Cadillac essentially being the top trim choice. Styling is a big deal and is what makes the Lincolns like the Aviator so appealing and really recreates the brand image. Cadillac should stop sharing so many parts with it’s less expensive counterparts and come up with a more unique experience.
“Cadillac will also introduce their first-ever three row unibody SUV this year.”
I think the old SRX would beg to differ, though some accused it of being nothing more than a wagon.
I remember my dad telling me back in the nineties how Lincoln was surging past Cadillac, youthful, fresh products against old-guard designs.
They absolutely must have a three-letter name that tells everyone just what that new Cadillac is? Try this combo: SUV!
Cadillac really has the best brand of the whole bunch…
“STANDARD OF THE WORLD.”
They just need to believe it in their heart. Make it their Mission Statement. And then execute everything they do to that standard.
Mr. Carlisle said…”There’s a lot of Cadillac in the XT6?”
STOP. RIGHT. THERE.
“There’s a lot of Cadillac in…” should be how you might describe certain models of Buick, GMC or Chevy. NEVER Cadillac.
BECAUSE Cadillac is supposed to be the STANDARD, right?
So every inch, every fiber, every component ought to be the best you can buy in an American vehicle. It’s never “a lot of Cadillac,” IT’S ALL CADILLAC.
Will they rise to the occasion? Remember just a few years ago it was Lincoln on the ropes. They’ve managed to capture the imagination AND the conversation on American luxury.
Electrification may well be their last chance. The Chevy Bolt and hybrid Volt show GM can design and build competent vehicles in the class. The question now becomes, WILL THEY do it to a standard worthy of the name…Cadillac?
Remember the Cadillac brand, even after decades of neglect and abuse, still has equity. How often do we hear…
“THE CADILLAC OF…”
…to describe premium products from HDTVs to candy bars.
Howzabout the General go back to designing and building the Cadillac of Cadillacs?
+1
Chas, I’ve heard this same basic comment expressed a hundred times over the years at TTAC and CC. “Make Cadillac Great Again”. Unfortunately, it means essentially nothing.
First off, that slogan “Standard of the World” dates back to 1908, because Cadillac won the Dewar’s Trophy by demonstrating interchangeability of parts during a durability test. That really meant something back then, in that the parts were all made to the same size standard, instead of individually hand-fitted as had been the case. It means zero now, and hasn’t really meant anything in well over a century. The Model T was just as much “The Standard of the World: as was Cadillac.
Cadillac was never the “Standard of the World” in the way you’re implying it means. Never. Ever. At its best, it was another luxury maker among so many others. It did some things well, it innovated sometimes, but it hardly ever stood out in some really exceptional way, especially in terms of superior technical or quality standards, say the way Mercedes did. Yes, the V16 was a fine engine, but there were others who had similar ones too, etc.
And since the late 1930s, a Cadillac has always just been a slightly flashier Olds 98 or big Buick. Just what was the difference between a 1949 Old 98 and Cadillac except 28 more cubic inches? Same basic engine design, same transmission, same body, same almost everything…but with fins.
And thus it has been ever since, except for the 1980s’ when Cadillacs became worse than Chevys, with their craptastic engines.
Not only was Cadillac never the real Standard of the World, but for what it’s worth, what you’re describing is an emotional abstraction that has essentially zero applicability to the automotive world as it really is, not as some would like it to be.
The qualities that define a successful car nowadays is profoundly more complex than than it was in 1908. People don’t even try to buy “the best car” because they’re smart enough to know that there’s no such thing. They buy what they can relate to; what reflects their self image, or the image they want to project. Technical excellence isn’t exactly a popular issue today, unlike 1908. Most cars are at the same level of technical evolution. And you can see how Jeeps and Range Rovers are hot sellers even though they have low reliability ratings. Those that care about the best reliability know where to find it. Not at GM.
Technical innovation is of course a different subject, and we can see how Tesla is disrupting the market with a technically innovative product. And that came about only by taking a big risk, one that may never pay off.
I hate to say it, but your comment, essentially “make Cadillac great again” reminds me way too much of another slogan championed by our dear leader. And it’s about equally relevant to anything real except to stimulate those whose emotions are easily worked up. There’s no going back, ever. Only forward.
Current cars are a reflection of life at any given time. And success in these times is not as simple as “great” or “best”. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
One last thought: Good luck trying to build a substantially better EV. If you knew how they actually worked and are made, you’d know there’s extremely little latitude in making them “better”. Manufacturers buy the batteries, and electric motors are…electric motors. Just how should Cadillac build a better EV? Put fins on it?
Back when I was a kiddo in the mid ’60s, my family and their adult friends didn’t really consider foreign cars as real choices. Sure, MGs and Jaguars for fun, or a VW as a second car. There were really only two aspirational choices among the American cars. One was the brand new Mustang for some styling flash and “wow” effect in the neighborhood, and the other was a Cadillac. Not a finned older one, but one of those new ones, with the more chiseled look. Leather seats, A/C, and, darn it, it was a Cadillac. Top of the heap. You didn’t need slogans, it was just understood. Mustang or Caddy. Everything else was some sort of serious compromise. I am not talking about the specs or the options list or how it drove (yeah, the Stang is a tarted up Falcon, yadda yadda). It was an intangible thing among the majority of the people who were not “car people”. Only two aspirational choices.
I seem to remember a slightly more complex world of automotive desire back then. As in: GTO, SS396, Corvette, Grand Prix, Hemi GTX, Thunderbird, Continental, etc. never mind Jaguar XK-E, Mercedes, Porsche. etc..
When I was a kid in the sixties my folks settled for a Galaxie convertible, followed by a Mustang, followed by an XL, but they always aspired to drive a new Thunderbird. Never a Cadillac.
Great post, Paul, I never really gave much thought to the buzzphrase, and sadly it does have some unfortunate hat like connotations. What many miss about Cadillac has little to do with technical innovation or standards, it’s what was clearly and obviously lost – size and style. That isn’t exactly a worldly standard worthy measure, I agree, but that’s the only true image most associate with the brand, and it just can’t happen again.
Maybe a time simply comes when a brand outlives its purpose, for Cadillac it was style, which even in its still strong days was easily challenged (Pontiac, Lincoln), for Rambler it was sensible compact cars, which were easily challenged by the big 3 compacts and imports after 1960, and for Pontiac it was lower-mid line sport sedans, which practically every brand was making in their last 20 years. Tesla will long be known for its leadership in EVs, and as long as they don’t fumble royally in the long term, they’ll still be able to hold that claim for generations they make cars even with a full EV fleet from everyone else, at least unless battery EVs magically get displaced by an even better technology. Until then I’m fairly convinced no from anyone EV will share the prestige Tesla has, Cadillac will just be considered a Tesla imitator rather than a BMW imitator.
I have to agree. One thing Cadillac had was presence. You saw a Cadillac, and you knew it was a Cadillac, because there was nothing else quite like it. There was no mistaking it for another car. That’s something that came to an end around the early-mid 1980’s, when Cadillac became just another car. Maybe a bit nicer than other cars, and sadly sometimes not, but essentially Cadillac lost the magic they once had.
It’s not just Cadillac either, I would say that Mercedes committed a similar sin, just that they did it about a decade after Cadillac did it first.
Thought provoking comment, Paul. I can see the parallel between the Cadillac slogan and the political one, but never thought of it that way before. You opened the political door a crack, so I’m going to stick my foot in it. In defense of MAGA: political opponents tend to think of it as an obnoxious or even racist slogan (another term that is quickly losing meaning). I think that optimistically it is just a patriotic slogan, premised on two popular ideas. One is that America was ever great and two that it is not now as great as it was. Opponents of MAGA tend not to accept either premise, but I think most Americans want to believe that the U.S.A. is or at least was great.
Cadillac could be seen as a metaphor for America. It certainly was great, in terms of sales and market leadership, around the same eras that most would consider the U.S. to have been in its prime in economic power and world influence. What it means to make America great again is probably harder to define than what it means to make Cadillac great again. I’m personally not sure, but I certainly hope our country is not in the same predicament as Cadillac finds itself in now.
I don’t support the idea of MAGA because America has never not been great. Improving economic development across the poorer parts of the world doesn’t diminish American greatness. Lifting billions of people out of unimaginable poverty is something we should be thrilled to see.
Remember the Cadillac brand, even after decades of neglect and abuse, still has equity. How often do we hear…
“THE CADILLAC OF…”
…to describe premium products from HDTVs to candy bars.
Gee, I have forgotten about that statement! The last time I heard it being referred was in the early 1980s so that must be when Cadillac started to go downhill with Cimarron and microscopic front-drive DeVille and Eldorado in the mid-1980s.
I think the only people who use the term with a completely straight face are over 75.
Well, that got me thinking. Just when did the phrase “THE CADILLAC OF” originate, and how often is it used these days?
I know I’ve heard it used recently, by non-geriatrics. The most frequent use of the phrase in recent memory was during political-type healthcare debates, where good healthcare insurance plans were called “Cadillac Plans” or some variation thereof. The implication is these plans were too good for people, and should be considered frivolous luxuries. (I disagree, by the way… just stating what was said) This even has its own Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_insurance_plan
Regarding THE CADILLAC OF phrase, I entered the phrase into Google’s Ngram analyzer, which searches printed material by year for the occurrence of certain words or phrases. It can graph the popularity of phrases over time. A screen shot is below.
Looks like the phrase was never used before the 1960s, but really took off in the 1990s. I’m surprised there… this was well after Cadillac was considered a world standard.
Incidentally, around that time the phrase appeared in the 1995 movie “Get Shorty” where they jokingly described a rented Olds Silhouette as “the Cadillac of minivans.” This was during the time that the phrase’s popularity shot up in the Ngram analyzer. Not sure if it’s cause or effect, but interesting timing. These Ngrams are not faultless, but it is pretty intriguing.
The Analyzer here stops at 2000, so I am curious if folks still use the term a lot.
Well, that’s probably more thought than necessary for this little item…
I would argue that by the time Get Shorty used the phrase it had jumped from serious to parody. “The Cadillac of minivans” phrase was started with a lady at the rental counter trying to put a positive spin on John Travolta’s getting an Olds Silhouette instead of the Cadillac he reserved. The phrase was used as a running gag for the rest of the movie. As for “Cadillac” health plans, I would suspect that many of the people involved in that use would have been either generated by or used to explain to an older demographic (i.e. members of the House and Senate).
I still use it occasionally (not over 75)!
Notice he’s saying ‘P-51 – Cadillac of the skies’ not ‘P-51 – Packard of the skies’. Ironic since the P-51D was powered by Packard copied Merlins, no? If I had been around at that time, I would have held Packard and Imperial in higher esteem than Cadillac. Yet, only one of those three survives.
Very well written article Edward! You raise a lot of excellent points.
Lincoln’s recent renaissance so to speak has been a relatively quiet on but nonetheless a meaningful one. Rather than blatantly trying to copy competitors, Lincoln has largely done their own thing and it’s worked.
By focusing on making their shared-with-Ford vehicles more special and exclusive with little fluff, Lincoln has greatly increased its value proposition. So what if they share their underpinnings with regular Fords, as long as they look and feel dramatically different, that is what discerning luxury car buyers appreciate.
I truly think Lincoln has finally answered the question of what is a modern American luxury brand. While I’d still never personally be caught dead in one, I can greatly appreciate what they’re doing.
Cadillac’s current lineup reeks of confusion and lack of focus; there seems to be three distinct threads running through their them and none of those are really where they should be. First you have their interpretation of German sports sedan in your choice of sizes; this pleased car magazines and enthusiasts but unfortunately that’s a shrinking market as even the actual German luxury trio has moved away from them. Who would’ve thought in the 1970s that Mercedes would someday be building cars with flashy, almost garish interiors and loads of electronic toys while Cadillac pushed nimble handling and stark interiors? Coming from a completely different direction was the Escalade, which was quickly put in place after the Lincoln Navigator sold beyond expectations, never mind that this sort of vehicle was anathema to traditional import buyers. Finally there were some crossovers added because, well, crossovers are hot now. These are neither as brash as the Escalade nor as sporty as the sedans, leaving a muddled image of the brand.
I don’t think a “halo car” is what Cadillac needs now – has a halo car ever worked for Cadillac? Not the Eldorado Brougham, not the Allante, not the XLR, not the ELR. No, Cadillac need better rank-and-file cars with interiors that don’t feel like a downgrade from my VW Golf.
The Aviator looks like a certain hit. Lincoln gets it. People who aren’t gearheads don’t know or care that it shares a platform with a Ford as long as it’s a good one. Lexus sell gabs of ES350’s despite a platform and drivetrain straight from a Camry. The Aviator looks nothing like an Explorer inside or out and is much better equipped. Lincoln’s emphasis on comfort is working – luxury cars are supposed to be luxurious.
Cadillac put an XTS next to an XT5 on the showroom floor, expecting that there would be no confusion among their customers. Poor handwriting on an order form or invoice could leave anyone guessing which model is being referenced. This should be included in any marketing education as an example of what not to do. I grew up loving Cadillac’s as much as Elvis did. They’ve lost me. I never had the money to buy one new, but it was once a dream. This is Cadillac’s downfall. It’s no longer the aspirational fantasy that inspired the passion of so many.
I was born in 1976 so I came of car enthusiasm age during a period when Cadillac had a brilliant heritage; the 1959 Cadillac reached a pinnacle of car design, and even the early ’80s Sedan De Ville, Eldorado, and Seville were distinctive and had a Presence and Style that was aspirational. The cars underneath may have been awful, but to a kid in a 1974 Dart with a bashed in driver’s door, they were hugely impressive with whisper quiet motoring, surrounded by deep two tone metallic finishes, a fancy stereo, buttoned leather, fancy lamps, deep cut pile carpeting, lots of chrome, and electronic gadgets. Perhaps objectively a Cadillac wasn’t really better than an Olds 98 or Buick Electra, but I was buying it with a 10 year old’s dream money and I wanted the Cadillac.
The Cadillacs were impressive even up to about the ’99 Deville, which really did have a luxurious feel to it and felt like it had premium materials and acres of space inside. They seem to have gone downhill from there and the interiors seem cheap and plasticky. Then of course they went away from model names and went to names that sound like diseases. ATS, DTS, CTS, XT6, none of those conjure up any imagery for me. I could not for the life of me picture what an XT6 looks like; wait, wasn’t that an ill fated Subaru?
The other problem that Cadillac, and many of the luxury brands face, is that a non luxury brand has gotten so much better. An Accord today is infinitely nicer than an Accord of 35 years ago and has lots of the space, comforts, and conveniences that we wanted in a luxury car of 35 years ago already standard. Why pay twice as much to get a lot of things I don’t particularly want? I don’t want lane departure warning, and horrible beepy things.
I cannot think of a single one of the luxury brands which excites my interest enough that makes me think, if I had the money, I’d buy it. They’re all fairly ordinary boxes on wheels which have some leather, usually vinyl, and are smaller and less comfortable than the Pacifica minivan I drive now. If I really had the money, it would be a lot of fun to have a 300 with a Hellcat engine in it, and if I had stupid money, it would be even more fun to have a Challenger Convertible custom made with a Hellcat engine in it.
A more personal barrier for me is that at this point in my life, I don’t see a new car as “aspirational.” I’m at a point where if I’m going to drop 50+k on something, it better be a condo I can rent out and make money. I’d rather buy a less expensive but very good car and save the rest of the money for investing. If I want a car for people to oooh and aaah over, I’ll buy something older and interesting but not quite “collectible,” like I’m still wanting an ’83 Riviera Convertible, or something like a Chrysler Imperial, or another Turbo Buick. I’ll bet that will get WAY more attention and interest and admiration than any new luxury car.
Memo Cadillac.
This (pictured) is a real XT6. It’s a Subaru. Standout styling, like nothing else on the road at the time. Unmistakable. Clean, modern for the time. Aspirational for the brand, yet not so far upmarket as to seem ridiculous for the brand.
Now look at your ‘XT6’. Not content with swiping the name of an old Japanese car, you make it a knee-jerk car, a monument to me-tooism. It smacks of panic – ‘We gotta have an entry in this market segment’. And, as people have said, it comes across as having been done on the cheap. Exactly the opposite impression you want from a used-to-be-prestige brand trying to make a comeback.
And you wonder why buyers don’t take Cadillac seriously! Really, GM!
When I heard of the EV plans, my initial thought was, “Great, GM’s missing the forest for the trees again.” That one phrase to me describes everything wrong with Cadillac since the 80s. There seems to be this toxic and prevailing attitude inside GM that the only way Cadillac can succeed is if they start copying what’s hot and new, they realize they’re no longer the leaders, so they fruitlessly try to make better versions of what people gravitate towards. “Oh BMW is popular, let’s make a BMW! Oh, people like SUVs? Here, here’s ours! What’s that? Electric is the wave of the future? Say no more, EVs for all!!”
It’s ridiculous and pathetic.
As much as I begrudge and criticize the current Lincoln styling they have, I do give Ford a lot of credit for going back to the identity that defined them as a brand and kickstarting this renaissance they have going on. They recognized that there is still a place for quiet luxury without having to go to the six figure ultra luxury market, and they capitalized on that well. Cadillac is just a dog chasing at a speeding car, a proverbial Ouroboros that fails to see what the true problem is. They have no identity, and even the identity they have is little more than an obvious pastiche of other products rather than something built from the ground up. They’re now the imitators when they were once innovators, a wannabe copycat that has none of the boldness or aggressiveness that made them the prime target for others to imitate.
While I wish for the brand to succeed, I’ve also given up on it. No car they make now interests me at all, and if I wanted a Cadillac, I would just buy the ones from the 60s or the 70s, or even the Broughams from the 80s and the 90s.
Methinks Cadillac is suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.Are they to be….or not to be?
So generic flashing lights bells and whistles looks like a range rover no style no star quality no caddilacness why would anyone spend all that money yes it’s modern convenient but the so is the latest washing machine or TV or microwave oven just automotive white goods I’ve you’ve the money to spend on this car buy yourself a modern hybrid runaround and invest in a vintage caddilac that appreciates every year, this caddilac will be at the recycling plant in 7 years
The Cadillac’s are pointy compacts and the ct6 would look better if the trunk was not cut off. Why they don build a big car like the old brougham is beyond me. No one builds big cars and rather compete in a crowded segment with all the midsized cars build something big and beautiful and only then will people come out of their trucks. Make it big and simple and ungerman.
I actually think the final nail in Cadillac’s coffin will be the Nautilus. It’s the name Lincoln chose for its MKX after giving that car a comprehensive refresh. I daresay anyone who drives both it and the XT5 will come away with the Lincoln. And the XT5 is Cadillac’s best-selling product.
My country club girlfriends will be green with envy when I pull up to the entrance, deploy the optional Grande Staircase, and alight from my powder blue Lincoln coach.
Interesting post, as well as the related articles. As a Cadillac fan from my childhood, born in ’54, it’s somewhat sad to see Cadillac on the ropes. Back in those days the Caddy was the uber American sedan. Bigger, flashier, more comfortable, and faster than the average, straight six, powered Chevy or Ford. And they were bought and owned by real rich people! Sure there were others that could stretch and finance one, but they were still routinely owned by the actual rich. Then in the late 1960s Muscle cars like the GTO and Mustang could out run the big Cad. Enter the 1970s and even regular cars like Fords and Chevies became available with all the luxury options and power that at once available only on Cads, Lincolns and Imperials. That really diminished the luster of the brand.
Then in the late ’70s MBZ incorporated integrated effective a/c u its in their cars. GMs last claim to fame, cold a/c could now be found in the European competition. These new Euro cars were also quite a bit more expensive than the Caddy. The real rich folk could still afford them. GM thought that a high price could be an attraction. So they put a premium price on their platform engineered Seville. For awhile it looked like the ploy would work but it has failed with the Cimmaron being the greatest flop.Cadillac has traded on their historic cachet for years, but they have run that well dry.
If Cadillac can’t be competitive in their lower priced models how can they be competitive with their flagship models? Cachet flows down from the top. The bottom line question is. Are any Cadillacs aspirational to me now? No. The new Lincoln Aviator appeals to me, although next year the Explorer will go to the base rear wheel drive set up also. I would probably buy the Ford product as I’m not interested in buying an automotive status symbol.
As a member of the back end of the baby boomers (61 years old) I’m down to my last car purchase or two (Note: I keep a car an average of 6 to 8 years). At this phase in life, those of my age seek the “Car of a Life Time” based on our toil and labor in life.
Well, strike Cadillac from the list. Too many sins of thy father (Cimmaron, V8-6-4, micro dot 1986 Deville, 4100, and now the alphabet soup of car names).
Lincoln looks interesting since they got ride of the Batmobile front end and adopted names instead of “MK” everything.
Not much on the Asian or Deutschland brands. I have little patience when an $90k plus car turns out to be a headache due to its temperamental nature or design fault.
Looks like it wil be an SUV (easier to get into and out of based on my informal hip pain index) and the number of available dealerships across the US should the SOB breakdown during my cross county trips.
Based on the above, it’s a Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee. Sorry GM, but I lost faith in the General years ago and won’t come back to the fold.
Somehow, there’s an opportunity for Chrysler here. It’s all about approach and “image” though. Alfa-Chrysler RWD? Lancia? I think they almost have it right – those shift paddles spoil it. Need a real manual transmission even if most customers buy the automatics.
Early P-51’s used an inferior GM Allison engine, replaced by a Packard built Rolls Royce!
The XT5 sells well. XT6 will sell well also. Don’t worry, Cadillac will be fine. Particularly with a Blackwing IRS Escalade. It’ll finally be something more than a fancy pick-up. It’ll sell like mad and make zillions for GM.
Cadillac is safe, they can make money on it.
But the writer is right: Cadillac needs to mean something.
My proposal is that they become as extroverted as they were in the ’50s and ’60s. I’m not sure what short phrase would capture it.
The last Cadillac that looked like what Cadillac meant was the 1992 Brougham. And the last one that had the quality to back up the statement was, as we’ve discussed on here, probably the 1970 model. Which, while not the Standard of the World, was still a Nice Car.
Cadillac lost first its quality and then its looks went with the 1985 FWD redesign and 1993 redesign of the remaining RWD car. It has never recovered, and I doubt it will.
I have argued previously that the brand, like Packard and Pierce Arrow, has had its day and should be retired. I’d prefer to remember Cadillacs as the glamorous 1930s V16s, the daring 50s finned wonders, the powerful, All American 60s models, the Late Fat Elvis but somehow cheesily nostalgic jumbo 70s models, and, exiting into the sunset with the 1980-92 RWD Brougham a neatly buttoned down cardigan sweater of a car for the last generation of elegant and dignified old people.
With their demise, the world a proper Cadillac was built for is gone forever. We effectively spit on our collective memory of the marque by continuing to pump out obviously unimpressive and more painfully badge engineered than ever before vehicles wearing its emblem.
Let it go, let it die, let’s remember it for what it once was (and collect it, even to preserve that memory) rather than try to create pretenders in modern dress.
I was 8 when the’85 redesign came out. I thought it was stunning. Still catches my eye today when I see one, which is becoming increasingly seldom.
As Neil Young sang many years ago, “It’s better to burn out than fade away” but it seems that Cadillac, and GM for that matter, are preferring to fade away. I can detect no strategic direction for the company under Mary Barra other than “getting rid of stuff.”
She and her minions better wake up and wake up soon before the entire enterprise fades into irrelevancy and then acquisition by a healthier company that wants their manufacturing space.