Will the BLS Hurt Cadillac in Europe? - Page 3

megeebee · #31 (**permalink**) 11-06-05, 08:39 PM

[quote=Ralph]Then why did Lexus kill it off only a few years later? Lexus was a totally new brand back and buyers had no preconceptions. Generally speaking, Europeans are not easily fooled and tend to be more fussy about their vehicles. They are more impressed by HISTORY of a vehicles bloodline, and Lexus does not have this lineage compared to the century old Cadillac brand. Which is why Lexus does not sell that well in Europe.
So when Europe is sent a "phoney" Cadillac, and it costs as much as a BMW 3 series or more, which do you think they will buy? A genuine, distinct Cadillac would be more successful, and won't start the brand off on a bad foot as they re-introduce it to Europe.
Go back and re-read the whole thread.....[/QUOTE

Lexus didn't kill it, they replaced it with the ES300, a slightly more camoflaged Camry. But I do agree with the rest of your post. My point was only that Cadillac sales are so poor in Europe already that the BLS could only help. Why does the CTS not do better in Europe?

Ralph · #32 (**permalink**) 11-06-05, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megeebee

Lexus didn't kill it, they replaced it with the ES300, a slightly more camoflaged Camry. But I do agree with the rest of your post. My point was only that Cadillac sales are so poor in Europe already that the BLS could only help. Why does the CTS not do better in Europe?

Well, the ES300 was altered from its source considerably more than the 250. Lexus learned their lesson, and massaged the suspension, redesigned many of the body panels, adjusted the transmission, upgraded the interior, and added much more sound-proofing.

You're probably right that Caddy sales in Europe are scraping the bottom of the barrel these days, however, the BLS will only make it more difficult to climb out of it. A real 3-Series challenger from Caddy would improve things greatly, but GM doesn't seem willing to take the financial risk on the bigger investment.

mccombie_5 · #33 (**permalink**) 11-07-05, 01:21 PM

The reason the CTS doesnt do so well is because its a funny size, and it isnt designed fro Europe. It handles like an American car. ANd American cars do not handle in Europe.

Johan Ahlqvist · #34 (**permalink**) 11-10-05, 08:59 AM

Do Lexus have any fans i Europe? Lexus have not suceed here in Sweden anyway, there is not many people here that want to pay this money for a Toyota. I think Cadillac has many fans that would buy a Cadillac if the dealers and services had done a better work. Until then they will buy Mercedes and BMW. I realy hope that Cadillac will suceed here in Europe.

mccombie_5 · #35 (**permalink**) 11-11-05, 08:12 PM

Lexus?

Not in the UK. There are some, but not hlaf as many as BMWs.

70eldo · #36 (**permalink**) 12-05-05, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johan Ahlqvist

Do Lexus have any fans i Europe? Lexus have not suceed here in Sweden anyway, there is not many people here that want to pay this money for a Toyota. I think Cadillac has many fans that would buy a Cadillac if the dealers and services had done a better work. Until then they will buy Mercedes and BMW. I realy hope that Cadillac will suceed here in Europe.

I agree on the service. No I have some experience with it over here after a couple of months. Plus Cadillac does not make ANY commercials here in Europe. I haven't seem any! Maybe some in exclusive magazines, but that's all...

But I do hope the BLS will do good to Cadillac!

london · #37 (**permalink**) 03-07-06, 05:51 PM

No reason why the BLS should hurt Cadillac. The exterior is distinctive and the interior looks to be of high quality.

http://www.cadillac-bls.com/Default....&iso=GB&page=8

The other positive point for the UK is that Cadillac are producing Right Hand Drive versions and making them available with a diesel engine. The BLS and CTS are the only Cadillac models available with RHD here, all the others are LHD.

My main concern are the prices. The cheapest BLS models will retail at just over £20,000 and the most expensive, the 2.8 Automatic at £32,000 (multiply by 1.74 for US dollars) i.e. more expensive than the Saab 9-3 and equivalent to Mercedes C Class prices.

70eldo · #38 (**permalink**) 04-07-06, 05:52 AM

Ok, now I seen it in real life last night, I am positive it will do good in Europe. It looks distinctive and the price is where the quality and package is. When I look here in Germany where 80% of the cars are BMW, VW, Mercedes, Audi it's getting boring. There's people who want to be different and I know that they are very ethousiastic about my CTS too...

Can't wait to have my test drive next week

mccombie_5 · #39 (**permalink**) 04-14-06, 12:43 PM

My dad is taking his test drive on Thursday, he has no intention of buying one, but hes taking a drive anyway.

David W. Bailey · #40 (**permalink**) 04-21-06, 06:29 AM

VANAISA, the gentleman from Estonia has made a good point. I have an exchange student this year from the Czech Republic, and he and his friends love selected American cars. The problem is that European governments place a huge tax on US cars, so that a base CTS costs near $50K and a Chrysler 300M Hemi is about $75K. Then, there is the availability of service and parts, which is a big problem outside of Germany, according to my young friend.

Can you imagine what would happen if the US taxed imports like that?

David W. Bailey · #41 (**permalink**) 04-21-06, 06:29 AM

VANAISA, the gentleman from Estonia has made a good point. I have an exchange student this year from the Czech Republic, and he and his friends love selected American cars. The problem is that European governments place a huge tax on US cars, so that a base CTS costs near $50K and a Chrysler 300M Hemi is about $75K. Then, there is the availabilty of service and parts, which is a big problem outside of Germany, according to my young friend.

Can you imagine what would happen if the US taxed imports like that?

irebroff · #42 (**permalink**) 06-02-06, 07:36 PM

Nobody knows Cadillac in Europe! If you say "I drive a Cadillac Seville" all people think you drive an 30 years old car.

Nobody knows a new Cadillac, there is no image, no dealer, no PR-work.

Then Cadillac had no station wagon and in Europe we like DIESEL !
You cannot pay gasoline in Europe, the price is about 7 $ per gallon.

Then especally in Germany we drive very fast on highways; 150 mph is a usuall speed and we like to drive much faster as that! American engines and transmissons are not buildet for this (so they are speed limeted) and cannot live longer than 100000 miles. A german car do this without bigger problems.

The BLS is a german OPEL VECTRA buildet in Sweden by SAAB. But the Vectra is much cheaper and there is a station wagon! If you want to resell a Cadillac you will loose about 60 % of new price in 4 years!

Cadillac needs a big DIESEL as BMW or Mercedes and a station wagon and a good public relation, then it works!

The CTS is the same plattform as the OPEL OMEGA you know it as Catera, but in Europe we have a station wagon. So the CTS is to expensive compared to OPEL.

70eldo · #43 (**permalink**) 07-04-06, 09:13 AM

Irebroff: The vectra is NOT much cheaper than the diesel BLS! And you definately get more for the BLS than the Vectra!

My 03 CTS I bought in 05 for €23000 is now being sold for €21000 with slightly over 100000 km. I think it held its value pretty well there!

And the CTS is not on the Omega platform. The Catera was.

My CTS has no problems driving 250 km/h, so the new Cadillacs are definately a better breed than the old generation. Though my 70 Eldorado drove well over 10000 km's and after 36 years it is still going smooth without any big problems!

The BLS will not sell any better when you launch a station version right now, when you lack in any PR for Cadillac in Europe. There you got it right, though Europe does have Cadillac dealers!

irebroff · #44 (**permalink**) 07-15-06, 05:48 AM

Sorry, but you are not right!

The Sigma-basic ist for STS, CTS and SRX the same and it was the Opel Omega.

So you don t have a problem to drive very fast, it s a german platform.

Cadillac STS basiert (genauso wie CTS und SRX) auf der Sigma-Plattform vom Opel Omega (opelnews)

And then the price of Opel Vectra 2.8 turbo is 31.200 Euro (not list, dealer price!) the BLS 2.8 turbo is 45.200 Euro! ! ! OK it s more luxury, but who needs and who pays this price?

If you had buyed a NEW Cadillac Seville STS in 2000 for 48000 Euro so you get now about 10000. You lost 38000 in 5 Years...

Is your example a new car? I don t think so...

70eldo · #45 (**permalink**) 07-18-06, 02:21 PM

'Based on' does not mean it is the same platform. How does the bigger STS fit on the smaller CTS?

You are right about the 2.8 turbo. I think it is a little overpriced and I noticed Cadillac Europe about that after my testdrive. But the diesel, the one we were talking about, is not that much more expensive. In comparison to the package you get for it in the BLS. So, in my opinion, for now the diesel is the best buy.

But if you compare the BLS 2.8 turbo with the Saab 93 Aero with the same package, you get the same price. So...

Yeah, it stinks that the Cadillac drops in value that much. I am happy that the new CTS doesn't. It's still a pitty that Cadillac is too unknown in Europe...

By the way, any other German car in that class drops about the same way in price...