Car Chat

[MX793]

Agreed. Market needs more real luxury cars instead of BMW clones.

"Real luxury cars" sell horribly, as the Lincoln Continental would demonstrate.

[shp4man]

"Real luxury cars" sell horribly, as the Lincoln Continental would demonstrate.

Due to marketing failures? Who wouldn't want a luxury car? Maybe a younger performance enthusiast- not really the demographic.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Agreed. Market needs more real luxury cars instead of BMW clones.

Everything out there feels so firm and hard edged, or whatever. Nothing out there feels like a livingroom sofa floating in a pond.

[Eye of the Tiger]

It's all out there, man. And yet, nothing is out there.

[MX793]

Due to marketing failures? Who wouldn't want a luxury car? Maybe a younger performance enthusiast- not really the demographic.

Because the younger demographic either wants a sportier car or, if they are getting something spacious that will totally isolate from the road, they get an SUV.  Lincoln and Caddy SUVs have sold well for years and years.  Their cars have suffered, whether floaty and isolating or sporty and hard edged.

[Laconian]

The younger demographics are too damn poor to afford luxury cars. When you graduate with student loan headwinds in the 5 to 6 digit range, what you're getting is a used economy car.

Who's left? Families (need seven seats for their newborn baby => Suburban), old people (want to sit up high because of my hips)

[MX793]

The younger demographics are too damn poor to afford luxury cars. When you graduate with student loan headwinds in the 5 to 6 digit range, what you're getting is a used economy car.

Who's left? Families (need seven seats for their newborn baby => Suburban), old people (want to sit up high because of my hips)

"Younger" in the realm of luxury buyers isn't "younger" of all car buyers.  Younger luxury buyers are late 30s or early 40s.

[FoMoJo]

"Real luxury cars" sell horribly, as the Lincoln Continental would demonstrate.

If you want a luxury car, you want status.  Cadillac and Lincoln aren't status anymore.  They may be as good, but they aren't status.

[MX793]

If you want a luxury car, you want status.  Cadillac and Lincoln aren't status anymore.  They may be as good, but they aren't status.

Also true.  Years of peddling warmed over garbage didn't do them any favors.  Status is something that's difficult to establish, very easily lost, and even harder to re-establish once a reputation has been tarnished.

[2o6]

I don't think "Chasing BMW" is what fucked up cadillac.

Cadillac doesn't have any compelling design language or cachet inside and out. Their interior are so fucking bland. The outside shapes are equally bland.

[12,000 RPM]

I think the two are tied together. If they could have, they'd have benchmarked a 1999 328i and made a compelling design. They had limited resources and were forced to choose.... and made the wrong choice.

I still contend that a really good looking, optionally electrified Malibu would have been the better way forward. New luxury car buyers are abandoning sportiness in droves.

[veeman]

A few decades ago, a lot of people switched from Mercedes to Lexus for their sedans.  Mercedes was having big reliability woes, especially electrical, and they were getting really expensive.  Lexus didn't offer a better looking or better driving product.  They were cheaper at the point of sale and were more reliable.  The people who switched never looked back.

Cadillac tried to compete on product alone.  Build a better German sedan. And they came close.  But they didn't offer anything else to win over customers like Lexus did.  They should have offered a long warranty like Hyundai and guaranteed a certain trade in value based on vehicle condition.

[FoMoJo]

Another gem from Motorweek...Remember when GM made a coal-powered turbine engine car? We didn't either

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAN5nO1ag0&t=89s

[giant_mtb]

Wait.  So a VW Routan is basically a Grand Caravan??  I had no idea.

Doing an interior on one today and the guy just dropped it off...hands me the key and I'm like wtf this is a Cryzler key fob...go look at the vehicle.  Yup, this is a Grand Caravan. lol

[Eye of the Tiger]

Wait.  So a VW Routan is basically a Grand Caravan??  I had no idea.

Doing an interior on one today and the guy just dropped it off...hands me the key and I'm like wtf this is a Cryzler key fob...go look at the vehicle.  Yup, this is a Grand Caravan. lol

Yes

[cawimmer430]

BMW and Mercedes-Benz; eternal rivals.   



BMW Driver Smashes Into Emergency Vehicle In Germany

The driver of a silver E90 BMW 3-Series sedan failed to slow down in time to allow an emergency services van safe passage through an intersection in the German city of Leverkusen, resulting in a serious crash.

The accident took place last week on May 31st, as footage was posted online courtesy of Blaulicht Dusseldorf. According to the description of the video, people intervened to provide first aid to those in need.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAMeK5UqJgg


Was there an emergency?

Well, we can only assume that was the case, since the DRK vehicle had its sirens on and carefully attempted to make its way past the intersection. By the way, DRK stands for Deutsche Rotes Kreuz, or German Red Cross, which accounts for 60% of the country's emergency medical services.

Unfortunately, the video's description doesn't provide any details, but we can only hope that nobody was seriously harmed, despite the violent nature of the impact.

Regardless if the BMW was speeding over the limit, in the end, this just goes to show how dangerous it is to not instinctively reduce speed when approaching an intersection, even if you have a green light.


Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2019/06/bmw-driver-smashes-into-emergency-vehicle-in-germany/

[FoMoJo]

I can imagine a bit of whiplash for those guys in the emergency vehicle.

[giant_mtb]

Yes

Except it doesn't have 2nd row Stow n' Go seating...so it's a Caravan, with a VW badge (ie, more expensive), without one of the most useful/sought-after features of the Caravan...

[Soup DeVille]

Stow n Go was shitty anyways.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Stow n Go was shitty anyways.

Because the seats are less comfortable?

[Soup DeVille]

Because the seats are less comfortable?

Yes, and the under foot compartments collect all sorts of nastiness in the winter.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yes, and the under foot compartments collect all sorts of nastiness in the winter.

Yeah, I imagine. I want a non-stow-n-go van. I want captain chairs in the middle row. Fuck, I want a van.

[giant_mtb]

Stow n Go was shitty anyways.

Yes, and the under foot compartments collect all sorts of nastiness in the winter.

As somebody who cleans the shit people let their kids do in cars, I disagree.  I'll take the mess from kids + Stow 'n Go over the mess from kids + Chevy Traverse middle seat rails any day of the week.  GM fucked up hard with those...I dunno who the hell tested those vehicles, but it clearly wasn't anybody with kids.  Their fore/aft sliding rails for the middle row get completely gummed up with shit to the point where some people's seats won't even move. lol

[CaminoRacer]

Yeah, I imagine. I want a non-stow-n-go van. I want captain chairs in the middle row. Fuck, I want a van.

VAN

[Eye of the Tiger]

VAN

Yeah, but a minivan ... VAN

[BimmerM3]

I rented a van with stow-n-go for a music festival a few years ago, and we found it extremely useful as additional storage room, but that's my only actual experience with it.

[CaminoRacer]

I rented a van with stow-n-go for a music festival a few years ago, and we found it extremely useful as additional storage room, but that's my only actual experience with it.

Makeshift in-floor beer coolers?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Makeshift in-floor beer coolers?

Maybe you store your clothes in there, like your pair of Bad Idea Jeans.

[BimmerM3]

Makeshift in-floor beer coolers?

Nah, we had actual coolers for that.

But with 6 adults + camping gear + food and stuff, it definitely came in handy.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I just want a dog van. Take out the middle row, and dogs can chill.