3rd Apr 2013, 16:01
I doubt anyone on here would say the Cimarron is one of the greatest cars Cadillac ever built; in fact most would say the exact opposite. The fact that you would suggest this really makes me question your knowledge of automobiles.
Plus the people who keep saying you would have to have a fortune to keep a 70s or 80s land yacht running are completely wrong. Unless you have money to pay for a modern car in cash, you will be paying a large monthly car payment (probably well over $200) not to mention the higher insurance and license costs. In reality it is pretty cheap in comparison to drive an old full-size car. The cost of ownership except for fuel is pretty non-existent, except for a repair here and there because of the age, which is no guarantee you won't have on a newer car. The only reason I don't go this route is because I am to vain to be seen driving a 30+ year old car. I don't know why, because I know I would save a lot of money and probably enjoy driving a lot more.
3rd Apr 2013, 16:35
I don't believe anyone has mentioned the Cadillac Cimarron on this thread.
Totally off topic, and other comments getting twisted all to hell... business as usual!
4th Apr 2013, 11:20
In regards to the Cimmaron comment: look up the definition of sarcasm.
As far as Cadillac and other American luxury car makers, there is a lot more to a car maker than simply building big cars. A big car isn't automatically a "luxury" car. But even if we were to entertain that notion, Cadillac still makes big cars. The current XTS is a slightly smaller replacement for the STS and DTS - both of which were full sized, and what most people would consider to be full sized, big American floaty cars. The STS and DTS were based on the K-body platform, which was BTW the same platform used by the Deville, which used that platform from 1994-2006. But the bottom line is that Cadillac didn't step away from making full sized cars as claimed. They STILL make full sized cars. So the question remains, why did they decide to make some changes to their lineup?
The answer is that they had to. The luxury car market has changed. The average luxury car buyer wants a well handling, agile car that uses tasteful styling and performance. This shift was more or less brought on by European automakers, who focused their attention in those areas and over time won away buyers from American brands, who at one time had dominated that segment. The biggest problem was that the American luxury car makers basically stayed the same for decades, staying with the same demographic of buyers. But in doing so, that alienated other demographics of buyers.
The ATS and CTS are both RWD cars using more advanced chassis and drivetrains. But that's one thing. The more remarkable thing to me, and this is why me and others like Cadillac so much these days, is that they had the guts to totally change their DNA, and got away from the frumpy, frilly cars they used to make, to cars that hold their own with any of the European or Asian competition. That to me deserves respect.
Now - are there some who are going to complain that they no longer make the floaty boats they did in the olden days? Sure. But they are a minority, and car makers don't make products that fulfill tiny niche markets.
4th Apr 2013, 15:45
Just read the comment left on April 2nd at 11:02, it clearly mentions the Cadillac Cimarron!
4th Apr 2013, 20:27
There really aren't so many of these cars around anymore. You're right when you say that they won't have a serious environmental impact. There aren't too many 1970s cars around any more in general. High gas prices and lack of proper care have done a lot of them in, combined with several being defiled by the lowrider crowd.
5th Apr 2013, 09:10
We have Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but most of us aren't going to have enough money for one of those. There's nothing wrong with big, floaty cars being in the market. In fact, with modern adaptive suspensions, one could buy a car that has the ride and comfort of the older cars, combined with the greatly improved handling of the newer ones. The only problem is that a lot of automakers don't want to invest in the technology because of potentially high maintenance costs. Although, props to Lincoln for bringing it into the new MKS.
Very true that bigger doesn't always mean luxury. But remember, that most luxury sedans (even today) are significantly larger than regular commuter cars. Hell, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is just about as large as a 1970s Lincoln.
5th Apr 2013, 09:11
The STS and DTS were two completely different platforms.
The STS was rear-drive, and the DTS was front-drive. Sorry.
5th Apr 2013, 17:19
Um, yeah 11:02 was the first to mention the Cimarron, the question is why? It has nothing to do with the large cars we are talking about. Give it a few weeks and I'm sure a Yugo will probably be mentioned too.
5th Apr 2013, 17:32
Yes, in today's market the Cadillac XTS is considered a full-size car. However, at just over 200 inches long and around 73 inches wide, it is hardly a large car. The anonymous styling that is designed to make the car look non obtrusive doesn't help any either. It is about the size of what would have been considered compact in the mid-70s.
Alas, I don't have my head in the sand. With gas prices endlessly rising and EPA regulations going to what can only be described as ridiculous levels, what can anyone expect. It is just sad to those of us that love real American (notice I said AMERICAN, not European or Japanese) cars to have to experience.
Also it is very interesting to compare the popularity of the real Cadillacs to the modern ones. In the 70s Cadillac easily made more than twice as many cars each year as it does today. For manufacturers like Buick, the numbers are far, far worse.
6th Apr 2013, 19:36
Most of all that humongous size of the 70's luxury cars was empty space. To me hauling around a ton of extra weight, just to carry empty space made little sense. I'd much prefer an efficiently designed smaller vehicle as a daily driver. And I don't (and won't) drive Japanese or European cars. All my cars are and always will be made by American manufacturers. I don't believe in supporting foreign industry at the expense of our own economy. Domestic auto makers make plenty of reliable and efficient cars, ranging in size from the gigantic Ford Taurus, all the way down to the sporty little Chevy Spark.
3rd Apr 2013, 14:44
It's virtually impossible not to bring politics into any discussion about automobiles. In the United States there are more cars than people. Each one of these cars uses a sizable amount of non-renewable fossil fuel, and contributes an equally sizable amount of gases that escalate our out of control spiral of global warming and climate change.
Just increasing fuel mileage by one mile per gallon would reduce air pollution noticeably. In addition, it will delay the day when we run out of oil. I hope the U.S. will continue to raise fuel mileage standards to 100 miles per gallon over the next few decades. This is easily achievable with current electric and hybrid technology. We currently have gas-only cars, such as the Chevy Cruze Eco, that are capable of 50 miles per gallon.
And old classics of the 70's will always be around. Their unique styling will always be a joy to look at. Some will even be driven occasionally, but to such a small extent that their impact on the environment will be negligible.