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Alas, I won't be buying an XTS...

11K views 40 replies 11 participants last post by  thebigjimsho 
#1 ·
The more auto show pics I had seen and the more pessimistic I get. Well, I went to the show in Boston last night and saw one close up.

I actually find the sheetmetal MORE attractive in person. The sweeping flow of the canopy further back to a smaller trunkline is more attractive than in the LaCrosse, which I also really like. The light piping in the front headlights makes a solid vertical line that flows down to the LED fog light beams, which are also vertical. The back end also looks better than in pics in that white version. The one I saw was beige. I think darker colors, like black, will make this a very sharp looking car.

However, it is what I figured it would be, a nicely sized car but too small for my needs of transportation. My brother and I(we're both chauffeurs with big Town Car Ls) then went over to the LaCrosse and sat in it to get an idea of room. I have been in the back seat of a LaCrosse before and was impressed with legroom. But, looking at it more critically, I felt like I was sitting in a back seat rather than lounging in it. In the Town Car, much business can be done and you need briefcases and laptops out be able to sprawl out on long trips. While the XTS should have OK legroom, being narrow leaves zero room for extra stuff laying around. And, with the XTS being so narrow, there is little space between 2 rear seat passengers. Also, looking to the front of the dashboard, the entire cockpit feels small. Even the DTS(which is noticeably smaller than a TC-L) has a much more open feel.

It's a shame because I really want to have CUE in my life. I think it would make my job a whole lot easier and safer.

I can also fully see what Cadillac is doing. I think once the CTS grows for the next generation, the XTS will bow out and then a flagship will emerge. Hopefully.

But, I think the car, in itself, can be a good one depending on the pricing. For the right price, it's roomy enough for 4, looks sleek and has a nice amount of new tech. I just can't get one for work...

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BTW, Cadillac is doing what it needs to. There are no other clear-cut answers for me.

Lincoln has nothing. The MKT has a high step in and the interior is squared off and not luxurious to the touch. The MKS is a joke. Chrysler has the 300, which I was optimistic about. But it's going to need to be stretched, like the older ones had been, to be viable. It's not too narrow but it needs that extra space. I was also disappointed by the grainy plastic on the upper door. But it's got potential if they stretch it.

We sat in the back of Passats, E-classes and the like. I have to say, the Toyota Avalon had the best back seat. The Avalon is wide, has plenty of legroom and just feels very spacious, front to back and side to side. AND, the back seats recline, which my clients would love. It pains me to say it had the best back seat of any car in my working price range. But I won't be getting one. I can probably talk my boss into a lot of things, but convincing him our clients can look past a Toyota badge is one I can't. Maybe in time our clients could be persuaded but that's a big jump.

My brother and I started looking at lightly used Equus online at dinner afterwards. We found a basic one with under 2k miles for $49K. If I could find one for a little less with similar miles, that may be an option...
 
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#3 ·
your clients can't look past a Toyota badge...but they can look past a Hyundai badge?

and honestly a Lincoln towncar is no big deal in regard to Luxury and high end interior finish

perhaps you need to convince your boss you need a BMW 7 series or a Mercedes Sclass


Warren
 
#4 ·
I would be looking at space/comfort more than badge. An Avalon is a respectable looking vehicle, I'm just surprised that it would be that much bigger than an XTS. IF so, that is even more sad for the XTS...
 
#6 ·
The BCEC, near the waterfront. It goes on through tomorrow.

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your clients can't look past a Toyota badge...but they can look past a Hyundai badge?

and honestly a Lincoln towncar is no big deal in regard to Luxury and high end interior finish

perhaps you need to convince your boss you need a BMW 7 series or a Mercedes Sclass


Warren
If you think the Lincoln is "no big deal" then you've never spent time doing business in the back of a Town Car. No large sedan outside a Rolls Royce gives the abundance of useable space and has the same soft comfort of the Town Car. The S Class doesn't have seats as soft and doesn't have nearly the space. The A8L is too firm in the seat cushion. Same for the LS460L.


As for a Toyota, I don't think you understand who I drive. People pay a good deal for the services my company provides. A Toyota Avalon is pedestrian. While the comfort may be good, it looks too much like a Camry. We can't make that work. Now, the Equus is, indeed, a Hyundai. However, it looks like a higher end car. The back seat may not be as good as the Town Car in space, but the comfort is good and it has a lot of tech...at a price I can swing. There is only 1 Hyundai badge on the car. And the whole package reeks with prestige. so, yeah, they can look past a badge for the Equus, but not the Avalon...
 
#7 ·
When you get the Equus, you have to get the non-US pedestrian mangler hood ornament.
 
#8 ·
I'm still hopeful there will be a stretched 300 like there was on the last gen. I'd like to see how that turns out.

The dealer that sold me my '04/'07 Town Cars and has sold dozens and dozens of Town Cars to my parent company has ditched Lincoln. they actually moved a lot of Mercurys but that, of course, got swept away. They were the largest buyer of Town Cars from FoMoCo behind Hertz and Avis. They always used to have hundreds of TC Executive Series in stock and moved them quickly. They have had a Lincoln MKT Town Car on their showroom and it has underwhelmed most of us who have been Town Car loyalists.

So they are now going to be a Chrysler dealer. They're in the middle of the reno. So we'll see if we can work with them if they do a long wheelbase...
 
#9 ·
I have to agree with Jim, except that I was in Detroit and they had a fully loaded Platinum in Black and it looked positively boring.

To my eye, pictures actually pick up more of the creases and character lines than seeing it in person. Let me be clear about this, the XTS is a midsize car. And while it is wider than a CTS, there doesn't appear to be anymore usable rear seat knee/foot space in the XTS, even though Cadillac wants us to believe otherwise.

I spent some time around the XTS, mostly listening to others conversations about the car. Everyone expected a V8 under the hood, most figured it was the Northstar. BUT, the moment the spokesperson mentioned V6, everyone and I mean everyone turned cold to the car. I heard more than one person exclaim "Its a big Cadillac, it should have a V8". And this was at the Charity Preview Friday night!

I said I'd reserve final judgement until I had the chance to see the car in person, and now that I have, I'm even more disappointed. Cadillac is completely relying on CUE to sell an absolutely mediocre car. This car offers absolutely nothing to convince anyone to trade their E, 5, A6, XF.
 
#11 ·
RippyPartsDept said:
there will be coach-built extended XTS-Ls built coming later this year, right?
LOL, how long can you hold your breath?
 
#12 · (Edited)
The OP might be able to find a few DTS-L somewhere.

From the photos of the XTS backseat, the center armrest is very wide, which makes the whole seat look narrower, but I can't imagine it's more than an inch or two narrower than the other options. It's too bad they won't offer column shift, which makes the front much roomier & open feeling.

One thing the XTS has that the others don't is Magnetic Ride Control, which should compensate for the weight of passengers and luggage and can be adjusted for desired firmness. I assume the Town Car has automatic level control on the rear shocks--does the Equus?
The second generation Avalon (with the large greenhouse) had a huge back seat--more than the current one.

Why is this website ignoring my carriage returns?
 
#14 ·
THat article doesn't say what's in the livery package. Guess we'll have to go to Vegas to find out. Nice that they can add length, but the jimsho sounded more worried about width.

I find it hard to believe the XTS will have turning circle 2 meters smaller than the DTS.
 
#16 ·
An Avalon has 58.2" of rear seat shoulder room, the XTS has 57.9. Not exactly an Earth shattering difference unless the width of your pinkie is considered the difference between cramped and cavernous.

Everything from the color of the interior to the shape of the door panels can trick the eye into seeing room (or lack thereof), but the tape measure doesn't lie. I really don't understand why everyone keeps speaking in generalities and assumptions when the measurements don't bear them out.

To continue the Avalon comparisons, I'd be interested to see where else you feel the XTS falls short of it. The 268hp engine in the Avalon is nothing compared to the DI 3.6L, it has nothing remotely comparable to CUE, no safety alert seat or cross traffic alert. Magnetic ride control or Brembo brakes are not available at any cost. It's shorter in length and narrower in width, has a shorter wheelbase and a trunk almost 4 cubic feet smaller than than the XTS.

If we're considering the Avalon as a competitor, I really don't see where Cadillac is missing the boat.
 
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#17 ·
I know the width for livery is an issue, but from a width perspective, as long as it is comfortable for 4, that's not a huge sticking point for me. Luxury is not sitting on the hump, no matter the car. I think they should just make it a full length rear console. But length is an issue. The DTS has good rear legroom, not Equus, LS460L, S or LWB 7 length, but it's good. The XTS should not have been any less than that, though...
 
#21 ·
Cadillac Tony said:
An Avalon has 58.2" of rear seat shoulder room, the XTS has 57.9. Not exactly an Earth shattering difference unless the width of your pinkie is considered the difference between cramped and cavernous.

Everything from the color of the interior to the shape of the door panels can trick the eye into seeing room (or lack thereof), but the tape measure doesn't lie. I really don't understand why everyone keeps speaking in generalities and assumptions when the measurements don't bear them out.

To continue the Avalon comparisons, I'd be interested to see where else you feel the XTS falls short of it. The 268hp engine in the Avalon is nothing compared to the DI 3.6L, it has nothing remotely comparable to CUE, no safety alert seat or cross traffic alert. Magnetic ride control or Brembo brakes are not available at any cost. It's shorter in length and narrower in width, has a shorter wheelbase and a trunk almost 4 cubic feet smaller than than the XTS.

If we're considering the Avalon as a competitor, I really don't see where Cadillac is missing the boat.
Something is amiss. Maybe the Avalon has thinner door panels but the glass is similar in distance apart.

The XTS may be able to be measured as such but I sat in the LaCrosse and Avalon with a critical eye to space and feel.

The LaCrosse has a swoopy canopy that cramps the cockpit. It also felt vastly narrower. What I see and feel is perception. And perception is reality. I have seen measurements before not live up to real world space. Unless what I saw through the open door of the XTS magically changes once inside, it doesn't compare to the Avalon. Nor the Equus...

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Make no mistake, I own a CTS and am fine with its proportions. I think an XTS with its size and space for 4 not needing all the room my TC has is perfect. It's very good looking and it has an engine that is better than the N*.

And it has CUE, which I want badly...
 
#22 · (Edited)
We've been talking about legroom and width, but headroom is a big issue for me, because I'm taller in the trunk than most people. My Deville's back seat is just barely adequate, every other recent GM sedan I've tried isn't even that.

If they add some wheelbase, maybe they can move the seat forward a bit to get more headroom or a reclining capibility.

The Lacrosse has very short windows and thick pillars which make it feel more cramped than it is (except the rear headroom is bad because the seat has been pushed back). The XTS has taller windows and thinner pillars and a thinner roof, which should help the perception of roominess. I hope they don't use a dark headliner on all of them.
 
#23 ·
And you may be right- once you sit in it. All I'm baffled by is two things:

1- People criticizing the car for roominess, engine choice or styling without seeing it in person, sitting in it or driving it.

2- People repeatedly making statements like "The seat/trunk/wheelbase/whatever is smaller than an Avalon/Equus/300/whatever" when I've repeatedly posted the contrary. Heck, anyone with 15 seconds to spare and access to Google could prove themselves wrong, but for some reason they just want to dislike the car so they ignore it.
 
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#24 ·
Cadillac Tony said:
And you may be right- once you sit in it. All I'm baffled by is two things:

1- People criticizing the car for roominess, engine choice or styling without seeing it in person, sitting in it or driving it.

2- People repeatedly making statements like "The seat/trunk/wheelbase/whatever is smaller than an Avalon/Equus/300/whatever" when I've repeatedly posted the contrary. Heck, anyone with 15 seconds to spare and access to Google could prove themselves wrong, but for some reason they just want to dislike the car so they ignore it.
Tony, you know that I have been extremely fair...
 
#25 ·
For sure. It's the general vibe in here that baffles me. They've kept 95% of the DTS size while incorporating modern technology with better handling and fuel economy, yet people freak out.

I suppose I should just ignore it until people have a chance to drive the car, but I can't help popping in to correct the assumptions. It must be the salesman in me... :D
 
#26 ·
I did Google the Equus and Genesis, and thought that the Equus had more legroom (similar to an LS460L). But it's within an inch of the Genesis, so I can't figure out how they fit the footrests and all the other "Ultimate" crap in thurr...
 
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