They are not selling due to snobbery if you really wanna be really honest... Most people only buy foreign cars because for some odd reason it projects this fake ass status of wealth... I put that in the same category with the people that buy 2500HD monster trucks to COMPENSATE FOR THEIR SMALLER BIOLOGICAL PACKAGES.. Take it how you want!
The reason why Cadillacs are not selling is because you have this dumb ass notion "why spend $60k on a Cadillac where I can spend that money on and Audi" And when people make that dumb ass argument... The only justifiable reason your average person comes up with is not that the paint, or the Powertrain, or the leather seats is superior... It's this immature ass notion that the Audi makes me "look like I have money"
And say what you want about Cadillac, the ATS drives better the 3 series all the way to the M, CTS raises the bar when it comes to the 5 series where it all boils down to drivers taste but still.. The CTS drives better than the 5er... Let's not compare about what the V does to the M
And let's not talk about how an M3 got smacked by the 6gen Camaro. You know stuff likes that really matters, no one really cares about resale value when 95% of German car are leased anyway!!! And I wonder why?
Only poor people or people in the lower middle class care about resale value and honestly have no business buy a German luxury. Your average person that goes in to buy an S class doesn't even negotiate... They just say "where do I sign"
So you're saying anyone who drives anything nicer than the infamous Daewoo Lanos (aka the "perfect car in every way") is just a snob who is overcompensating for a small penis (or I assume... breasts for our female members?).
In my opinion $50,000 car is a $50,000 car, is a $50,000 car- regardless of it being a Cadillac, Chevy, BMW or an Audi. What weighs more, 100lbs of bricks or 100lbs of feathers? I don't see spending $50,000 on a Cadillac more or less prestigious than buying a $50,000 Mercedes or $50,000 on a Yukon or $50,000 on a Toyota Highlander. You can easily spend over $60,000 on a pickup truck these days. Hell, my cousin just dropped like $60,000+ on a 2016 Tahoe Z71.
It is possible that some people buy luxury euro brands because they are better satisfied with the features and performance of the car. Up until very recently Cadillac wasn't even in the realm of competition for many of the luxury brands. For example, driven both my grandparent's ~2011 Cadillac DTS and 2008 Mercedes E350 4Matic, the interior quality differences are profound. Both cars costing around $50,000, it's like comparing a childrent's Playskool Party (toy) Kitchen with a custom chef's kitchen with cherry cabinets and Viking appliances. The second gen CTS was a huge improvement for Cadillac, until the interior was essentially cloned into entry level chevy vehicles and it lost its luster. I've driven the ATS, it drove great, on par or better than an A4 or 3-series, but interior quality was still a few notches below expectation. Cadillac's resale on most models isn't great. Their tech has consistently lagged behind their rivals. They've also failed at entering the SUV market which is very significant. The Escalade was popular 15min in the early 2000's when there wasn't much competition, but those days are over. Charing $75k when they're essentially rebadging a $65k Yukon Denali or $55k well equipped Tahoe isn't going to cut it. The SRX/new XTS just scream Chevy products.
Cadillac had some good momentum going with the release of the gen 2 CTS and then the ATS, but they really can't get a break. I think a big factor is their brand name and association with old farts. They can't expect to compete in the big leagues at full price with their current products. Same with Lincoln. Same with Chrysler. They should take note from Jaguar and even Volvo who have really reinvented themselves. I couldn't believe the price tag on the new 2016 XC90 T6 AWD... realistically $55-60K up to $70k+ w/options... with a 4cyl? I can't count the number of soccer moms driving these around the greater Boston area now a few months later. (Yes, now they have the cheaper T5 coming out, but i have yet to see one)
Anyways, sure, I'm sure there some people who buy a Mercedes or BMW largely because of the name and wanting to "appear rich"- or better yet represent their emotional value through materialism. Granted, there are also a lot of wealthy people who buy luxury cars not to "appear rich" but because they can afford a premium quality car, just like a 10,0000sq ft house versus an apartment. These people seeking to "appear rich" typically learn pretty quickly if they cannot afford to own a BMW or Mercedes. I grew up in Fairfield County, the region of CT outside NYC- one of the most affluent areas in CT, home to business execs, Wall Street bankers, celebrities, etc. I'm not bragging, just stating the reality (the truth is I loath that place and never intend on moving back). An article a couple years back stated that 3 of the 5 top selling brands in one of the towns were Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus, with an average of over 1.5 porches per 100
residents (not cars, drivers, or adults- evidently a high #), dozens of cars tax valued over $150,000 per town, etc. I can tell you from the ~20 years I lived there people driving a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Cadillac, Land Rovers, etc aren't exactly turning heads since they are so prevalent. Unless you were driving something exotic (Rolls, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, etc), you wouldn't be drawing much attention. Still, exotics are fairly common sights around town. The cars that drew the most attention were usually high end classic's- something like an Aston Martin DB4 or DB5.
That said, there are plenty of rich people who don't drive luxury vehicles. Some of the wealthiest people I know with net worth's in the tens, possibly hundreds of millions drive Toyotas or Fords. I think it really boils down to taste and interest and what people value spending their money on. Anyone who is naive enough to think a Mercedes driver is automatically a millionaire is... well, naive.
My father is in his early 60's. He's a very successful guy in finance, but pretty modest. In 2003 my dad bought a ~$55,000 Land Cruiser, complete with a
Toyota badge. For that money he could have easily picked up an BMW X5, Mercedes ML, Cadillac Escalade (at that time really especially a glorified Tahoe), etc. In 2009 he bought a BMW 5-series, looking for a comfortable car with better gas milage, and the 5 was a top rated vehicle in its class. In reality, he's always wanted a Toyota Tacoma (which he could certainly afford on his salary- but thats another story). A big reason he went with the BMW is that he had formed his own company and needed to display an image of success with potential clientele. He's a not a BMW guy at all and ended up giving me the car 4 years later when I graduated college. Now he drives a Range Rover Sport
but I guess it better fits him.
I was just looking at BMW's today to replace my current E60 535i. Over the past few years I've been happy with it. I have but am concerned about its age and potential reliability issues. In fact it rained to day and the passenger door filled up with water. Occasionally someone will complement my car and I always find the need to say its 7 years old with over 100k miles and was a hand-me-down, freebie. But now that I've been spoiled with the refinement, quality, technology, and performance of the E60 (a truly great car but IMO ugly as sin), a lot of the cars I've looked like despite years newer somehow seem like a step backward. Even the F10 535i while possessing a much nicer interior feels a bit lacking in the driving dynamics department compared to what I have. I've also been looking into VW Touareg TDI's- basically a Cayenne with a few less options, 1/3 cheaper, cheaper repairs, cheaper insurance, and without the ostentatious badging. Similarly looking at the Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel. Possibly X5 or LR4 as well.
I'd consider myself financially stable and comfortable- no debt, great job, great income, minimal expenses, savings, investments, etc. I'm not buying a European car to "look rich" or create some illusion of success. I consider myself independently successful already regardless of my car. I'm not even sure what "rich" is quite frankly- its a broad term. I consider myself an auto enthusiast and I suppose have high standards of what I like to see in a car. Sure a Daewoo Lanos can get me from point A to B, but not with the features I'd like to have, and I can afford them.
