Cadillac v. Lincoln: Does It Matter?
Back during the 1950s and all the way through the 1980s, two American luxury car brands battled for supremacy. For General Motors, builder of Cadillacs and for the Ford Motor Company, builder of Lincolns, corporate prestige rested upon which automaker sold the most models each year. For many years, a pitched battle was raised until the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. During those years, no one knew for sure who the sales winner was until well into January; that is when the final sales tallies were released. Today, the luxury car market has changed dramatically, so much so, that the storied battle between the two automakers no longer matters. So, what brought about this change? Several things, please read on for the details.
More Competition -- Before the 1980s, Mercedes and BMW were minor players in the luxury car market. Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura were previously nonexistent brands created during the 1980s by parent Japanese auto giants, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda respectively. Add in Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, and Saab and the competition really heats up.
Higher Incomes -- The average American family’s income level has surged over the past two decades, meaning more buyers are choosing luxury brands. Why settle for a Chevy when you can afford a Cadillac? Why buy a Cadillac when there are so many other choices for consumers?
American Quality Problems -- Both Cadillac and Lincoln have had their share of quality issues over the years. Brand confusion has reigned too as Cadillac once sold rebadged Chevy Cavaliers as Cimarrons and as so many of Lincoln’s models have failed to capture the imagination of potential buyers. European brands gained in prominence as many of their models were considered to be better engineered, better built, more fuel efficient, and just as luxurious as the American brands.
Cadillac Transforms, Lincoln Wallows -- Although Mercedes and Lexus both outsell Cadillac today, Cadillac has made dramatic improvements over the past ten years while Lincoln has not. Most Lincoln vehicles sold today are simply reskinned Fords while Cadillac has been developing and successfully marketing new models that are unique to the brand. Most Cadillac products today compare favorably with BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, and Mercedes vehicles. Most Lincolns do not compare favorably with any other luxury models. All of this has been proven out in the marketplace as Cadillac regularly outsells Lincoln by more than 2 to 1.
Yes, the luxury brand battle has changed well beyond Cadillac versus Lincoln giving consumers better vehicles and more choice. While Cadillac has successfully redone its dowdy image, Lincoln has not. That, with the increased competition from foreign makes, spells all the difference in what was once a heated battle for American luxury car supremacy.
By Matthew Keegan.
Visit the Blog about cadillac rochester new yorkCadillac DTS: Reviving Cadillac Classics
The 2006 Cadillac DTS is another addition to the Cadillac brand. Cadillac, which is the brand that is very much associated and connected with luxury, is right on the path of reliving and reviving its products from the past. This new vehicle from Cadillac is a large luxury sedan that promises to provide an excellent performance, just like its ancestors did. It holds the styling that is simply and uniquely a Cadillac’s. It also boasts of a new interior, a much refined chassis tuning, as well as having the new NorthStar 4.6 liter V8 engine.
Not only sporting a new interior, the exterior holds such changes as well. This vehicle comes with a new front end sheet metal, grille, fascia, and some high intensity xenon headlamps. Added also to the 2006 Cadillac DTS is a new deck lid, a rear quarter, a rear fascia, and the light emitting diode (or LED) tail lamps. It also boasts of vertically shaped headlamps and tail lamps, an egg crate grille, and a dihedral shaped hood. The interior is very much clean and sculpted with a reliving of the past designs and added up with some contemporary refinement details as well. The new additions for the 2006 Cadillac DTS’ interior include dual firmness seats that have been purposely crafted and designed so as to provide comfort and support. There also are available real burl wood garnish, a lowered and more forward positioned instrument panel, spaciousness, a new analog clock, soft back urethane surfaces for the instrument panel and upper doors, and an integrated center stack design.
As per safety, the 2006 Cadillac DTS holds features that include dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock four wheel disc brakes, a tire pressure monitor, wiper activated headlights, daytime running lights, and an emergency inside trunk release. The comfort and convenience features for this vehicle include the OnStar assistance system, air conditioning with tri-zone automatic controls including controls in the rear, an interior air filter, a power steering, a tilt steering wheel wrapped in leather and holds climate and radio controls, a cruise control, leather upholstery, an eight way power front bucket seats with lumbar adjustment, a center console, cup holders, a trunk pass-through, heated mirrors with turn signals, power windows, power door locks, a remote keyless entry system, a remote engine start, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, an analog clock, a tachometer, a trip computer, illuminated front visor mirrors, variable-intermittent wipers, a rear defogger, an automatic day and night rearview mirror, a compass, map lights, automatic headlights, and floor mats.
By Joe Thompson.
