Texas Cadillac Review

For for most of my life, Cadillacs were the leading luxury cars in North America.

I never liked them.

Give me speed, handling, off-road capability, or good looks, not sailboat maneuverability and gaudy chrome.

To me the marketing model that built GM worked only because the Ford family kept making big mistakes with the only competing line of cars. By the time a buyer "moved up" from Chevy to Pontiac to Oldsmobile or Buick, the only selling point for Caddy was pure snob appeal.

The result was a succession of barges without redeeming virtue. But at least the brand had a solid identity.

A Cadillac was seldom mistaken for anything else.

The Elusive Butterfly

Then came the 1970's.

Yes, that was when some Texas Cadillacs had longhorn hood ornaments.

During the 1978 fuel crisis, thousands of ElDorados and Devilles sat unwanted as panicked customers flocked to Japanese and German imports.

US auto-makers moved to fuel saving front wheel drive platforms, resulting in some real bad cars. Front wheel drive has performance and weight limitations: it is great for economy cars.

The damage was done in more ways than one. Caddy lost its persona, and the lack of what I call brand coherence, a key marketing attribute, became noticeable.

Baby boomers saw the debacle first hand, and remember the trashy products of the late 70's. With 77 million boomers entering the luxury car market demographic profile in mass, this memory persists.

As the downsizing of the 1980's took effect, you had Cadillacs (Catera) that supposedly were sporty: "The Caddy that Zigs."

The new broader theme failed to win converts. Imports, starting at the lower end of the economic ladder, became increasingly focused on the high-margin luxury market.

Then there was the government's CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standard loophole. Heavy, powerful vehicles would henceforth be "trucks," not "cars." Some fuel economy rule: it created the SUV craze.

The question for Texans considering Cadillac is whether Cadillacs, confined mostly to the US market, can remain competitive with global luxury marques like Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Acura, and Infiniti.

Global builders move metal in markets worldwide: more sales create capital for development of new technologies and shorter product development cycles.

The brand also needed to lower the age of the average buyer from around 70.

As part of the turnaround strategy, General Motors has spent billions to produce a new line of Cadillacs to compete worldwide.

The new strategy used a polarizing style makeover, with angular masculine lines, reminiscent of fighter aircraft, on the vehicle's face.

The roadrage styling (and driving) trend, which began with Dodge pickups deliberately restyled to resemble universally feared 18-wheelers, continues unabated.

Either you love or hate the new designs. Either way, GM's styling gamble has paid off: these cars, with a new cohesive identity, are getting lots of notice.

A Cadillac is again seldom mistaken for anything else.

The Secret of My Success

I have long disliked and disparaged the marque, but find myself attracted to the revitalized Caddies as never before.

But I'd prefer the long time excessively large wreath-and-crest badge de-emphasized, to show a GM cognizant of the new reality. Crisp product execution will outclass the old marketing tricks from now on.

As an old BMW ad campaign crowed: "Our status symbol is under the hood, not on it."

While the ostentatious spirit is unbowed, many of the old faults are gone.

Gone is the long overhang that amused me when some lady dragged her rear bumper and got stuck trying to enter her steep driveway in a brand new Cadillac.

Gone is the wallowing suspension that made taking corners and close maneuvering so awkward for so many years.

The first reworked car, CTS, went on sale in 2002. Sales have been fairly strong, especially for a GM car, so Cadillac's renovation is on track.

Cadillac sales double former rival Lincoln.

Consumer quality and satisfaction survey results are high. Customer retention has turned around.

In the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Customer Retention Study, Caddies ranked 6th out of 37 makes. A respectable 55.5% of those surveyed returned to purchase another vehicle.

Average buyer age has plummeted to the upper 50's.

Booming China has produced a nouveau riche entrepreneurial class which likes to be chauffeured in big American sedans: sales are up in a key growth market.

But Cadillacs remain largely confined to the North America market: the Saab-platform beachhead in Europe (BLS sedan) faltered.

Phase II for Cadillac

Cadillacs sharing components with other GM products have hampered the reinvestment plan.

Can GM, without global success, continue to invest in relatively low volume products to build the brand?

Today's product lineup is good, with the popular Escalade, and sporty CTS. And how about that cool XLR, especially the V-series, now that does "zig."

What a change from the memories of Eldorado, Fleetwood and Catera.

To sustain the momentum of the brand, GM will need to spend scarce dollars. Recent products that have sold poorly (DTS, SRX crossover, Chevy-like EXT pickup) cause me to question the commitment.

The reworked CTS is the only fresh product. So where is phase two?

New Cadillacs for a New Texas

One big problem with the Alfred P. Sloan stepping stone marketing model was the arrogance it bred in the dealerships. Often they would condescend on the Chevy buyers who would ultimately be luxury car clients. Lexus or Mercedes-Benz showrooms rarely make that mistake.

Can Texans buy the new GM flagships with confidence? Yes, but I'd avoid the weaker models listed above.

News-Blog Updates for Caddy

11/24/07 2008 Cadillac CTS Wins Motor Trend Car of the Year

Cadillac Dealer Profiles

Ron Craft Cadillac Baytown