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Automobile Commercials on TV.

Started by e.mason, January 10, 2018, 07:59:21 PM

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D.Smith


e.mason

Eric Mason

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: e.mason on January 13, 2018, 09:59:47 AM
Which begs the question. What qualifies a car to be a "luxury" car"?  When in the presence of other car guys, I frequently ask this question to get a conversation going.  Used to be a time when the answer was obvious.  Cadillac, Lincoln, Imperial etc. defined luxury cars.  Why?  Usually it was their size, comfort and amenities i.e. power windows, power brakes, power steering etc.  Today most plain Jane, entry level cars would put luxury cars of the past to shame, with what the newer cars offer as standard.  Remember when A/C was a high priced option?  So how do we define luxury today.  Price?  options?  Wouldn't the Mazda CX-9 qualify as a luxury model?  Its their top of the line, and the most expensive model.  How about a top of the line Chevy Tahoe, coming in at 65K+?

I'd say most people still associate certain makes as luxury brands.  These include Cadillac, Lincoln, Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, etc.  Many people buy a luxury car not for the features or options but rather the brand/image.  Hyundai created the Genesis brand because of that.  Toyota created the Lexus brand because of that.  Nissan created the Infiniti brand because of that.  Honda created the Acura brand because of that.  And so on and so on.

e.mason

Quote from: Big Apple Caddy on January 13, 2018, 12:54:24 PM
I'd say most people still associate certain makes as luxury brands.  These include Cadillac, Lincoln, Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, etc.  Many people buy a luxury car not for the features or options but rather the brand/image.  Hyundai created the Genesis brand because of that.  Toyota created the Lexus brand because of that.  Nissan created the Infiniti brand because of that.  Honda created the Acura brand because of that.  And so on and so on.

Interesting observation and opinion.  Would you agree that luxury car market is a bit crowded today, when compared to the past?  Do you think that Cadillac is the leader of the pack and sets the standard as it did years ago?
Eric Mason

D.Smith

#24
Quote from: e.mason on January 13, 2018, 12:26:13 PM
Wasn't this commercial criticized for being somewhat elitist?

No, this one (below) was the one that was criticized for being too "American".

https://youtu.be/xNzXze5Yza8

e.mason

Quote from: D.Smith on January 13, 2018, 01:08:43 PM
No, this one (below) was the one that was criticized for being to "American".

https://youtu.be/xNzXze5Yza8

Oh yes, forgot about that one.
Eric Mason

The Tassie Devil(le)

The comfort and fittings of all cars built these days would classify them as being prestige vehicles a few years ago.   Even the cheapest of the cheap ones.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

e.mason

Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on January 13, 2018, 05:05:12 PM
The comfort and fittings of all cars built these days would classify them as being prestige vehicles a few years ago.   Even the cheapest of the cheap ones.

Bruce. >:D

Aha! My thinking exactly!
Eric Mason

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: e.mason on January 13, 2018, 01:03:28 PM
Interesting observation and opinion.  Would you agree that luxury car market is a bit crowded today, when compared to the past?  Do you think that Cadillac is the leader of the pack and sets the standard as it did years ago?

I don't know about "crowded" but there are a number of strong players in the luxury market these days.

How are we defining a leader?  I've never felt Cadillac was the "Standard of the World" except maybe when that world was basically just Lincoln and Chrysler/Imperial.   I do think Cadillac remains the top DOMESTIC luxury brand today.

e.mason

Quote from: Big Apple Caddy on January 14, 2018, 09:21:29 AM
I don't know about "crowded" but there are a number of strong players in the luxury market these days.

How are we defining a leader?  I've never felt Cadillac was the "Standard of the World" except maybe when that world was basically just Lincoln and Chrysler/Imperial.   I do think Cadillac remains the top DOMESTIC luxury brand today.

Lets start with how Cadillac began being the "Standard of the World".  Cadillac was the first American car to win the Royal Automobile Club of the United Kingdom's Dewar Trophy by successfully demonstrating the interchangeability of its component parts during a reliability test in 1908; this spawned the firm's slogan "Standard of the World". It won the trophy again in 1912 for incorporating electric starting and lighting in a production automobile.  I believe in the beginning, all automobiles were considered a "luxury" purchase.  It wasn't until Henry Ford came along and made purchasing an automobile more affordable for the everyday individual.  Along the way other marquees came along, and with Cadillac defined what a luxury car was  i.e. Packard, Dusenberg, Pierce-Arrow etc.  Like everything else in life, only the strong survive.

My question asking if Cadillac was the leader of the pack, included all the makes available, not just the domestics.  Allow me to digress for a moment.  Even with the domestics, how do we define "luxury"?  Using price and amenities, most makes offer a "luxury" model.  Chevy has Tahoes, GMC has their Denali models.  Buick is introducing their Enclave Avenir model, which is just shy of $60,000.00!  We are in a whole new era of defining what class an automobile falls into.

Domestics compared to the imports?  The only real difference is that with the domestics, the profits stay here, with the imports the profits go out of the country.  Other then that, their really isn't much difference.  When the imports started to make inroads in the US.  One of the major problems for the imports was the getting parts for repairs.  Many times there was a substantial wait period for the part to come from Japan etc.  Not the case situation anymore.  Repairs on the imports are just as quick and efficient as with the domestics.  Just look at all the factories the imports have built in this company.  The fact is, automobiles of all makes and models are in the global market place.  I think that Buick still sells more cars in China, then they do here.

Cadillac the top luxury brand in a field of two?  Sure, but in the entire market place, they are an also ran.

Eric Mason

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: e.mason on January 14, 2018, 11:56:56 AM
My question asking if Cadillac was the leader of the pack, included all the makes available, not just the domestics.  Allow me to digress for a moment.  Even with the domestics, how do we define "luxury"?  Using price and amenities, most makes offer a "luxury" model.  Chevy has Tahoes, GMC has their Denali models.  Buick is introducing their Enclave Avenir model, which is just shy of $60,000.00!  We are in a whole new era of defining what class an automobile falls into.
Luxury vehicles from Buick are nothing new.  Oldsmobile had offered luxury models as well.  But overall Cadillac has been considered GM's luxury brand just as Lincoln is Ford's luxury brand.


Quote from: e.mason on January 14, 2018, 11:56:56 AM
I think that Buick still sells more cars in China, then they do here.
Buick sells far more vehicles in China than here.   Even Cadillac now sells more vehicles in China than here.


Quote from: e.mason on January 14, 2018, 11:56:56 AM
Cadillac the top luxury brand in a field of two?  Sure, but in the entire market place, they are an also ran.
I think Cadillac is more than just an "also ran" but they need to expand their crossover offerings, which they will be doing over the next few years, and continue to try to shake their old man car land yacht image.  Adding a high performance sports car may help there.  Although I am not quite sold on BEVs yet, adding a competitive BEV to the lineup would also be a plus for the brand.

e.mason

Quote from: Big Apple Caddy on January 14, 2018, 03:26:33 PM
Luxury vehicles from Buick are nothing new.  Oldsmobile had offered luxury models as well.  But overall Cadillac has been considered GM's luxury brand just as Lincoln is Ford's luxury brand.

Both Buick and Oldsmobile were stepping stones for consumers to eventually show they "have arrived".  Of course the higher priced Buicks, Roadmasters, and Oldsmobiles "98's" were either a little expensive or the same as an entry level Cadillac.  Yes Cadillac still remains the "luxury brand", but the other GM marques can have models much more expensive.  I realize that I am using cost as a criteria for defining luxury.  After all, is extra cost part of something being luxurious?

QuoteBuick sells far more vehicles in China than here.   Even Cadillac now sells more vehicles in China than here.
Quote

Why is that?  Are there more affluent people in Communist China, then there are in Capitalist USA?



QuoteI think Cadillac is more than just an "also ran" but they need to expand their crossover offerings, which they will be doing over the next few years, and continue to try to shake their old man car land yacht image.  Adding a high performance sports car may help there.  Although I am not quite sold on BEVs yet, adding a competitive BEV to the lineup would also be a plus for the brand.
Quote

I have always thought that the bigger Buick Enclave should have been the Cadillac offering and the Cadillac crossover should have been the Buick.  Didn't Cadillac build their reputation on size and comfort?  When I used the term "also ran".  I made it in reference to how Cadillac was thought of in the past as compared to now.  Given that I am of Social Security age, I admit that I am somewhat out of touch, as to how prospective luxury car buyers of today think, compared to the past.  In the past, almost universally, Cadillac was the go to brand for luxury.  They only had Lincoln and Chrysler to contend to.  Today?  Well I think its obvious they don't rule the roost like they used to.
Eric Mason

64\/54Cadillacking

#32
The badge matters to many luxury car owners, and Cadillac hasn’t really been relevant for quite sometime and it has lost its cache. If every wealthy person on your block bought a Caddy, it might inspire you to do the same since so many of your neighbors are buying em. We tend to buy new things that others have, be it cars to appliances, and we also assume a certain brand is great just because your friends and family says so.


I will say, compared to a Mercedes, Cadillac interiors still aren’t that high in quality vs the Luxury imports. They’re getting fairly close tho.


Styling is subjective, but obviously something is wrong with the current Cadillac models. People for whatever reasons aren’t warming up to it’s styling.


As others stated, the competition had become fierce that not only is Cadillac competing with other luxury makes, but now Kia, Genesis, Ford, Tesla, Buick, Chevy, and pretty much everything else on the road because luxury features that wasn’t available on cars that are a few years old, are now standard in many mainstream commuter vehicles.
Currently Rides:
1964 Sedan Deville
1954 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special
1979 Lincoln Mark V Cartier Designer Series
2007 Lexus LS 460L (extended wheelbase edition)

Previous Rides:
1987 Brougham D' Elegance
1994 Fleetwood Bro
1972 Sedan Deville
1968 Coupe Deville
1961 Lincoln Continental
1993 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
1978 Lincoln Continental ( R.I.P.) 1978-2024 😞

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: e.mason on January 14, 2018, 03:49:11 PM
Why is that?  Are there more affluent people in Communist China, then there are in Capitalist USA?
For one thing, China is a larger auto market than the U.S.  I think around 29 million new vehicles were sold in China last year compared to 17.2 million here in the U.S.  Additionally, I guess many Chinese want their premium and luxury vehicles to be import brands.  Not unlike many Americans.


Quote from: e.mason on January 14, 2018, 03:49:11 PM
I have always thought that the bigger Buick Enclave should have been the Cadillac offering and the Cadillac crossover should have been the Buick.  Didn't Cadillac build their reputation on size and comfort?
Cadillac will get its own “Enclave” crossover in the upcoming XT6.   They will also be adding a crossover smaller than the XT5.

For "size", Cadillac has the Escalades.

e.mason

Quote from: Big Apple Caddy on January 15, 2018, 01:32:44 PM
For one thing, China is a larger auto market than the U.S.  I think around 29 million new vehicles were sold in China last year compared to 17.2 million here in the U.S.  Additionally, I guess many Chinese want their premium and luxury vehicles to be import brands.  Not unlike many Americans.
Quote

But isn't China a Communist country, and as such, the citizens aren't able to participate in the benefits of capitalism?

QuoteCadillac will get its own “Enclave” crossover in the upcoming XT6.   They will also be adding a crossover smaller than the XT5.

For "size", Cadillac has the Escalades.

By Cadillacs own definition the Escalade is a SUV, which is built on a Truck platform.  Again Cadillac is coming the table late with what the buying public wants.  Why the Goldilocks sizes of Crossovers?  Because Buick and Chevy does it?  Whose leading who around here?
Eric Mason

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: e.mason on January 15, 2018, 02:04:40 PM
But isn't China a Communist country, and as such, the citizens aren't able to participate in the benefits of capitalism?
China is really more socialist.


Quote from: e.mason on January 15, 2018, 02:04:40 PM
By Cadillacs own definition the Escalade is a SUV, which is built on a Truck platform.  Again Cadillac is coming the table late with what the buying public wants.  Why the Goldilocks sizes of Crossovers?  Because Buick and Chevy does it?  Whose leading who around here?
It's more because luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, etc do it.

z3skybolt

Even the communist aren't really communist any more. 

Bob
1940 LaSalle 5227 Coupe(purchased May 2016)
1985 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series. Bought New.

WTL

I would guess that China is more nationalist, but with a tradition that leads to socialist rhetoric and an eschewing of individual rights. 

But there is a lot of money there for sure, and maybe one has the right to flaunt it if they are in with the right people.  So, buy a Cadillac.  In China, if it doesn't show you have made it, maybe it shows you are made.