[nicknik]

I am really rooting for this brand to show BMW and Mercedes that this isn't just their market. But Cadillac service and experience is so far behind the mark they could be giving Rolls Royce a run for their money with build quality and not get a head.

I love my ELR. I have no problems with the car or it's build quality. It's too small for me though. I fell in love with it when I saw it and with an upcoming move and increased commute I traded in my Escalade for it thinking I don't really need all of this space.... wrong.

I’ve been shopping around reading about the CTS – Vsports from 2014 & 2015. The car is a looker and I found a few in my area. I even found a 2014 still on the lot that I thought I could work a good deal on helping to offset the negative equity I have in my car.

So I call up the dealer’s sales line from their website. I speak with a very nice lady, Natalie. I explain to Natalie my situation and she is very sweet and knowledgeable about both my ELR and the CTS V-Sport. She talks me through the few V-sports they have on the lot and ask when I would like to come see them and so I say I can be there in 30 minutes if you’re free. She agrees and I head down to the dealership. Just before I arrive I get a call back from her and she says, “I’ve spoken with my GSM about your trade in and what you’re looking to do. His name is Randy so ask for him when you arrive”. Okie Dokie….

Get to the Cadillac dealer and walk into the showroom…. No one, no receptionist, sales, greeter…. Just and SRX and a CTS. So I walk over to the Buick building and ask the receptionist for Randy. Some other guy comes out and says Randy left for the day (Natalie asked me to speak to him just 10 minutes prior). I tell him no worries, I am thinking about trading my ELR in for a CTS but I have not seen a CTS in person or driven one. Without directly responding to me he grabs a sales guy walking past and says, “Stacey can help you, Stacey show them our V-Sports” . Stacey is a man. Stacey doesn’t look at my friend or I or even address us directly but just mutters an, “OK” and walks out of the dealership. When we hop on the golf cart he does ask if we’ve seen the CTS before and I say no, that is why I’d like to see one. I then ask him if there is a noticeable punch in the three engine choices the car has and if the V-Sport is really that fast. He barks back a very condescending, “um yes… it is a 70 thousand dollar car”. Keep in mind I allegedly drive and 80 thousand dollar car. From this point on the golf cart ride hunting down the cars is awkward silence unless I have a question about the car. We finally find one which is the 2014 I found online he grabs the keys and my license and we go for a ride.

Let me just say that for those of you who have not driven a CTS 3.6 TT… you should. I was VERY impressed with everything. The sound, the power, the road feeling. It was a great car and I decided on that drive that I wanted that car that night.

We get back to the dealership after the test drive and I tell Stacey that I am very interested in the car but was hoping to lease since I plan to go back to an Escalade once the current model is a few years into its production BUT I would like to know what sort of deal they could put together for financing on the 2014.

So we pick out another 15 V-Sport to run the lease numbers on to compare to the 2014 finance. He grabs the details from my ELR which is 8 months old now and in perfect condition. He’s gone for about 10 minutes. Leaves us sitting on the golf cart outside next to my car. When he returns he says, “your car is 20 grand upside down so we’d need a check for that to do either deal”. Hands me my keys and says, “I’m sorry but I have an appointment to deliver a car and the customer is here” and just walks away.

WTF… just happened. I have never felt so dismissed in my entire life. I had my checkbook sticking out of my back pocket and could have written him that 20k check if need be but he just walked away. I’m recently 30 so maybe they didn’t take me seriously because of my age. However I thought my ELR would at least show that I was a serious vested Cadillac customer. The entire experience was horrible from start to finish. And honestly I can’t say that my past experiences have been much better. Of course the finance guy is always very nice but I always feel like I’m pulling teeth to buy a Cadillac, like they’re doing me a favor. The kicker was he also mentioned with his back already to me just before he walked away, “there just isn’t a market for my car”.

Again, I love my ELR but I can’t help but feel like a lab rat for GM. A Cadillac rep telling me face to face that there isn’t a market for my 8 month old Cadillac and that it had already depreciated 70%. I’m not expecting a hand out by any means, but good lord… My worthless market-less car is your own product! Humor me at least. What would knock my socks off with the ELR is Cadillac offered a specialized trade in program for these cars…. But that will never happen.

So I got in my car and drove right around the corner to the Mercedes dealership. A guy walked up and started talking to me about my ELR and saying how cool he thought they looked and was asking about its performance. He was very personable and walked me through their current lineup, let me drive a couple. He talked about a few promotions they had and I told him I stopped in on a whim and really wanted to do some additional research before taking the next step. He completely understood gave me his card and offered if I wanted to move forward just chat with him first and they’d get everything set up beforehand. It was a real first class experience. Furthermore when I bought my mom a 4 series a couple months ago for her birthday, the BMW experience was bar none the best and most organic car buying I had ever done.

No doubt Cadillac is putting out some great cars now. But I think this is going to be their downfall. People coming from European brands that have experienced other dealerships are simply going to walk away from the crude good ol boy showrooms of Cadillac. I haven’t thrown in the towel 100% but I have expanded my search now before I return to a Cadillac dealership.

 

[bodie38]

Unfortunately, you're right. The millstone around Cadillac's neck is their dealer network. There are good Cadillac dealers but I think there are too many like the one you went to. The first step to setting themselves apart from the rest of GM shouldn't have been to move their headquarters to New York. It should have been to separate their dealerships/service from Chevy, Buick & GMC. The guy selling pick up trucks should not be the guy selling Cadillacs.

 

[Blastphemy]

I had the opposite experience - my dealership gave me the best possible service with all the attention and pampering I could ask for. But when I reported problems that required Corporate to get involved, I felt completely blown off, insulted, and unappreciated. Cadillac/GM Corporate had absolutely NO interest in fixing glaring C.U.E. bugs that a competent programmer could fix in a day or two. Instead, Corporate was content to piss me off to the point that I'll never buy another Cadillac or GM car again once I manage to get rid of my ELR.

It took Corporate 14 months to finally admit that it was never going to fix the problems I reported, all the while dragging me along that long road giving me "updates" and "assurances" that everything would be resolved to my satisfaction. I guess that's what happens when you buy a failed model at near full price

I don't know how anyone takes GM or Cadillac seriously with that kind of crappy attitude coming from the top down. Perhaps that's why some dealerships are so awful... they're just mirroring Corporate's attitude. Luckily, my dealership has been the best advocate for me I could have asked for. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough.

What will really be interesting to see is whether any of the issues I reported get fixed in the forthcoming 2016 model, or if Cadillac will be content to just increase the acceleration a little, change the badge, and drop the price $9,000. Sadly, I expect that will be the case...

 

[jayoldschool]

Don't be done with the brand, be done with THAT DEALER (and let them know, clearly, why).

 

[sviara21]

Being done with Cadillac, how much are you looking to get for that no good, too small ELR you have there?

 

[Cadillac Customer Service]

I am really rooting for this brand to show BMW and Mercedes that this isn't just their market. But Cadillac service and experience is so far behind the mark they could be giving Rolls Royce a run for their money with build quality and not get a head.

I love my ELR. I have no problems with the car or it's build quality. It's too small for me though. I fell in love with it when I saw it and with an upcoming move and increased commute I traded in my Escalade for it thinking I don't really need all of this space.... wrong.

I’ve been shopping around reading about the CTS – Vsports from 2014 & 2015. The car is a looker and I found a few in my area. I even found a 2014 still on the lot that I thought I could work a good deal on helping to offset the negative equity I have in my car.

So I call up the dealer’s sales line from their website. I speak with a very nice lady, Natalie. I explain to Natalie my situation and she is very sweet and knowledgeable about both my ELR and the CTS V-Sport. She talks me through the few V-sports they have on the lot and ask when I would like to come see them and so I say I can be there in 30 minutes if you’re free. She agrees and I head down to the dealership. Just before I arrive I get a call back from her and she says, “I’ve spoken with my GSM about your trade in and what you’re looking to do. His name is Randy so ask for him when you arrive”. Okie Dokie….

Get to the Cadillac dealer and walk into the showroom…. No one, no receptionist, sales, greeter…. Just and SRX and a CTS. So I walk over to the Buick building and ask the receptionist for Randy. Some other guy comes out and says Randy left for the day (Natalie asked me to speak to him just 10 minutes prior). I tell him no worries, I am thinking about trading my ELR in for a CTS but I have not seen a CTS in person or driven one. Without directly responding to me he grabs a sales guy walking past and says, “Stacey can help you, Stacey show them our V-Sports” . Stacey is a man. Stacey doesn’t look at my friend or I or even address us directly but just mutters an, “OK” and walks out of the dealership. When we hop on the golf cart he does ask if we’ve seen the CTS before and I say no, that is why I’d like to see one. I then ask him if there is a noticeable punch in the three engine choices the car has and if the V-Sport is really that fast. He barks back a very condescending, “um yes… it is a 70 thousand dollar car”. Keep in mind I allegedly drive and 80 thousand dollar car. From this point on the golf cart ride hunting down the cars is awkward silence unless I have a question about the car. We finally find one which is the 2014 I found online he grabs the keys and my license and we go for a ride.

Let me just say that for those of you who have not driven a CTS 3.6 TT… you should. I was VERY impressed with everything. The sound, the power, the road feeling. It was a great car and I decided on that drive that I wanted that car that night.

We get back to the dealership after the test drive and I tell Stacey that I am very interested in the car but was hoping to lease since I plan to go back to an Escalade once the current model is a few years into its production BUT I would like to know what sort of deal they could put together for financing on the 2014.

So we pick out another 15 V-Sport to run the lease numbers on to compare to the 2014 finance. He grabs the details from my ELR which is 8 months old now and in perfect condition. He’s gone for about 10 minutes. Leaves us sitting on the golf cart outside next to my car. When he returns he says, “your car is 20 grand upside down so we’d need a check for that to do either deal”. Hands me my keys and says, “I’m sorry but I have an appointment to deliver a car and the customer is here” and just walks away.

WTF… just happened. I have never felt so dismissed in my entire life. I had my checkbook sticking out of my back pocket and could have written him that 20k check if need be but he just walked away. I’m recently 30 so maybe they didn’t take me seriously because of my age. However I thought my ELR would at least show that I was a serious vested Cadillac customer. The entire experience was horrible from start to finish. And honestly I can’t say that my past experiences have been much better. Of course the finance guy is always very nice but I always feel like I’m pulling teeth to buy a Cadillac, like they’re doing me a favor. The kicker was he also mentioned with his back already to me just before he walked away, “there just isn’t a market for my car”.

Again, I love my ELR but I can’t help but feel like a lab rat for GM. A Cadillac rep telling me face to face that there isn’t a market for my 8 month old Cadillac and that it had already depreciated 70%. I’m not expecting a hand out by any means, but good lord… My worthless market-less car is your own product! Humor me at least. What would knock my socks off with the ELR is Cadillac offered a specialized trade in program for these cars…. But that will never happen.

So I got in my car and drove right around the corner to the Mercedes dealership. A guy walked up and started talking to me about my ELR and saying how cool he thought they looked and was asking about its performance. He was very personable and walked me through their current lineup, let me drive a couple. He talked about a few promotions they had and I told him I stopped in on a whim and really wanted to do some additional research before taking the next step. He completely understood gave me his card and offered if I wanted to move forward just chat with him first and they’d get everything set up beforehand. It was a real first class experience. Furthermore when I bought my mom a 4 series a couple months ago for her birthday, the BMW experience was bar none the best and most organic car buying I had ever done.

No doubt Cadillac is putting out some great cars now. But I think this is going to be their downfall. People coming from European brands that have experienced other dealerships are simply going to walk away from the crude good ol boy showrooms of Cadillac. I haven’t thrown in the towel 100% but I have expanded my search now before I return to a Cadillac dealership.

Hello Nicknik,

Our apologies for the disheartening experience. It's far from what we expect when our customers visit a Cadillac dealership. We'd be happy to file a formal complaint on your behalf to the dealership you went to and assist you in finding another one in your area. Reach out to us via PM with your contact information and the name of the Cadillac dealership so we can do that for you. Additionally, please provide your ZIP code so that we can locate a different Cadillac dealership and give them the opportunity to impress you. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Geoff G.
Cadillac Customer Care

 

[gmfamily]

I am really rooting for this brand to show BMW and Mercedes that this isn't just their market. But Cadillac service and experience is so far behind the mark they could be giving Rolls Royce a run for their money with build quality and not get a head.

I love my ELR. I have no problems with the car or it's build quality. It's too small for me though. I fell in love with it when I saw it and with an upcoming move and increased commute I traded in my Escalade for it thinking I don't really need all of this space.... wrong.

I’ve been shopping around reading about the CTS – Vsports from 2014 & 2015. The car is a looker and I found a few in my area. I even found a 2014 still on the lot that I thought I could work a good deal on helping to offset the negative equity I have in my car.

So I call up the dealer’s sales line from their website. I speak with a very nice lady, Natalie. I explain to Natalie my situation and she is very sweet and knowledgeable about both my ELR and the CTS V-Sport. She talks me through the few V-sports they have on the lot and ask when I would like to come see them and so I say I can be there in 30 minutes if you’re free. She agrees and I head down to the dealership. Just before I arrive I get a call back from her and she says, “I’ve spoken with my GSM about your trade in and what you’re looking to do. His name is Randy so ask for him when you arrive”. Okie Dokie….

Get to the Cadillac dealer and walk into the showroom…. No one, no receptionist, sales, greeter…. Just and SRX and a CTS. So I walk over to the Buick building and ask the receptionist for Randy. Some other guy comes out and says Randy left for the day (Natalie asked me to speak to him just 10 minutes prior). I tell him no worries, I am thinking about trading my ELR in for a CTS but I have not seen a CTS in person or driven one. Without directly responding to me he grabs a sales guy walking past and says, “Stacey can help you, Stacey show them our V-Sports” . Stacey is a man. Stacey doesn’t look at my friend or I or even address us directly but just mutters an, “OK” and walks out of the dealership. When we hop on the golf cart he does ask if we’ve seen the CTS before and I say no, that is why I’d like to see one. I then ask him if there is a noticeable punch in the three engine choices the car has and if the V-Sport is really that fast. He barks back a very condescending, “um yes… it is a 70 thousand dollar car”. Keep in mind I allegedly drive and 80 thousand dollar car. From this point on the golf cart ride hunting down the cars is awkward silence unless I have a question about the car. We finally find one which is the 2014 I found online he grabs the keys and my license and we go for a ride.

Let me just say that for those of you who have not driven a CTS 3.6 TT… you should. I was VERY impressed with everything. The sound, the power, the road feeling. It was a great car and I decided on that drive that I wanted that car that night.

We get back to the dealership after the test drive and I tell Stacey that I am very interested in the car but was hoping to lease since I plan to go back to an Escalade once the current model is a few years into its production BUT I would like to know what sort of deal they could put together for financing on the 2014.

So we pick out another 15 V-Sport to run the lease numbers on to compare to the 2014 finance. He grabs the details from my ELR which is 8 months old now and in perfect condition. He’s gone for about 10 minutes. Leaves us sitting on the golf cart outside next to my car. When he returns he says, “your car is 20 grand upside down so we’d need a check for that to do either deal”. Hands me my keys and says, “I’m sorry but I have an appointment to deliver a car and the customer is here” and just walks away.

WTF… just happened. I have never felt so dismissed in my entire life. I had my checkbook sticking out of my back pocket and could have written him that 20k check if need be but he just walked away. I’m recently 30 so maybe they didn’t take me seriously because of my age. However I thought my ELR would at least show that I was a serious vested Cadillac customer. The entire experience was horrible from start to finish. And honestly I can’t say that my past experiences have been much better. Of course the finance guy is always very nice but I always feel like I’m pulling teeth to buy a Cadillac, like they’re doing me a favor. The kicker was he also mentioned with his back already to me just before he walked away, “there just isn’t a market for my car”.

Again, I love my ELR but I can’t help but feel like a lab rat for GM. A Cadillac rep telling me face to face that there isn’t a market for my 8 month old Cadillac and that it had already depreciated 70%. I’m not expecting a hand out by any means, but good lord… My worthless market-less car is your own product! Humor me at least. What would knock my socks off with the ELR is Cadillac offered a specialized trade in program for these cars…. But that will never happen.

So I got in my car and drove right around the corner to the Mercedes dealership. A guy walked up and started talking to me about my ELR and saying how cool he thought they looked and was asking about its performance. He was very personable and walked me through their current lineup, let me drive a couple. He talked about a few promotions they had and I told him I stopped in on a whim and really wanted to do some additional research before taking the next step. He completely understood gave me his card and offered if I wanted to move forward just chat with him first and they’d get everything set up beforehand. It was a real first class experience. Furthermore when I bought my mom a 4 series a couple months ago for her birthday, the BMW experience was bar none the best and most organic car buying I had ever done.

No doubt Cadillac is putting out some great cars now. But I think this is going to be their downfall. People coming from European brands that have experienced other dealerships are simply going to walk away from the crude good ol boy showrooms of Cadillac. I haven’t thrown in the towel 100% but I have expanded my search now before I return to a Cadillac dealership.

I am in a 2014 V-Sport looking to get in a ELR, perhaps we could do a lease swap? (I'll PM YOU)

 

[Prof]

I too had an issue with the dealer that sold me an ELR. I contacted Cadillac and was totally unsatisfied with the response: "You did not get it in writing so it does not apply."

(Was promised up to $3000 to install a garage charger, but the offer had expired, and the dealer did not stand by the offer.) No big thing, just installed it and paid for it myself.

Big Deal: I have paid cash for two vehicles from this dealership (CTS V and the ELR) and they would not stand by the sales person's offer.

Love the ELR! No problems.

We had to decide between a Tesla and an ELR...it came down to our vacation home in Marathon, FL (We live in Wadsworth, IL) No way we could stop every 200 miles or so to recharge a Tesla.
The 9 gallon fuel tank suits us perfectly. The wife uses the ELR for a seven mile trip to and from the office...perfect vehicle.

While I am at it...the CTS V (with a little help from Lingenfelter) is the finest daily driver I have ever had.

Bottom line, LOVE the ELR, LOVE the CTS V, ...will never ever return to Weil Cadillac in Libertyville, IL.

 

[nicknik]

I too had an issue with the dealer that sold me an ELR. I contacted Cadillac and was totally unsatisfied with the response: "You did not get it in writing so it does not apply." (Was promised up to $3000 to install a garage charger, but the offer had expired, and the dealer did not stand by the offer.) No big thing, just installed it and paid for it myself. Big Deal: I have paid cash for two vehicles from this dealership (CTS V and the ELR) and they would not stand by the sales person's offer. Love the ELR! No problems. We had to decide between a Tesla and an ELR...it came down to our vacation home in Marathon, FL (We live in Wadsworth, IL) No way we could stop every 200 miles or so to recharge a Tesla. The 9 gallon fuel tank suits us perfectly. The wife uses the ELR for a seven mile trip to and from the office...perfect vehicle. While I am at it...the CTS V (with a little help from Lingenfelter) is the finest daily driver I have ever had. Bottom line, LOVE the ELR, LOVE the CTS V, ...will never ever return to Weil Cadillac in Libertyville, IL.

I forgot that that happened to me as well!! Dealer told me that there was a install option or a $2,000 rebate check that Cadillac would cut for you to organize your own install. Turns out the condo garage I have is not wired for the correct amount of amps to install the charger. I'm not paying to upgrade a place i rent since I'm only here until I find a house to buy. So I called back and said the installation isn't an option for me, but I'd like the 2k check obviously. The ELR rep told me that promotion expired the month prior. AFTER I bought the car. I reminded them that this was a confirmed offer from the dealer and even tried to get the dealer involved. They said the same thing... Didn't get it in writing. I do LOVE the ELR and really LOVED the CTS-V sport I tested. But every time I turn to Cadillac I just feel like I'm ducked around.

 

[Nomas]

Isnt rude,condesending behavior a hallmark of New York City ?

I found the " exclusive " cadillac" dealers very good,but those who sell other GM brands with Cadillac are lacking in customer skills.
The finance guy kept calling me " Bud" not my name !

 

[mikel912]

Gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling all over. When you play tour customers for saps, your customer will find somewhere else to spend his money. Obviously the word of the salesman worthless.