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Coupes & Convertibles Cadillac XLR and XLR-V Cadillac XLR and XLR-V
199 messages, Last post on Jun 06, 2009 at 9:02 PM
You are in the Cadillac XLR and XLR-V Forum. Your Host is claires
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Replying to: laurasdada (Apr 21, 2006 9:38 am) As one who has traveled extensively for business, I've always been amused by the premium perception of Mercedes and BMW brand status here in the US. Here, there are no cloth-seats in a Mercedes. But land in an airport in Germany or Belgium, for instance, and slip into a clattering Mercedes E or BMW 5 scummy rattlebox with cloth seats and a stick, and you see how little they differ from "ordinary" cars. You never look at a Mercedes as a status brand again, when you come back home. I've seen these cars much worse for wear than a 250,000 mile Crown Vic in New York. The interior plastics to me have appeared to wear poorly, not matching the durability of many high-mileage American interiors of late. Then of course, here in L.A. there are a gazillion used German cars with years and miles piled up on them, up and down Lincoln Boulevard. Take a look in some of those cars and you'll be disabused of any notion that BMW, Mercedes, Audi interiors are something special beyond the first 2 years of their life. As Ford and GM pull back from fleet sales to rental car companies, Toyota is now diluting their brand with godawful strippers at the airports. But when you do get a Chevy or a Cadillac, its interior is invariably less worn than a Toyota's. It's shocking sometimes how quickly a Toyota interior loses its luster from rental abuse, when the odo reads 3,000 miles. Are German car interiors "better"? Well, they have developed a specific tactile character for touch satisfaction and many people have embraced that soft-touch, sanded finish as a reference for luxury. However, it has become light-soaking and boring, and not particularly durable based on what I see when time and miles accumulate. But in a market where many US buyers of luxury cars like the XLR-v and SL lease for short terms or buy them outright for brief inclusion in the family fleet, the initial owner only has perhaps a 2 year perspective on the interior or the rest of the car. The Cadillac techie interior aesthetic is a departure from the superficial coddled norm established by the Euro makers. That introduces friction for market acceptance at the same time it lubricates acceptance by people looking for a fresh alternative. Based on the materials I see in the CTS-v, I think that interior will show very little wear in 4 years, with the possible exception of the suede inserts on the seat upholstery, and even that might surprise me. For a real step up, you'd bypass the poseur Germans and go straight to Maserati, if interiors are foremost of your car criteria. Phil |
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Replying to: skeezix (Apr 19, 2006 11:16 am) M |
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Replying to: riceowls (Jun 27, 2005 8:21 am) I'm concerned about the lack of trunk room in the XLR. I look forward to long weekend drives but need room for at least small luggage. When I examined the XLR with the top down there seemed to be no trunk space at all. Am I wrong? From the Edmund's consumer feedback it seems the SLK has some trunk space with the top down. I still need a looksee on this car. I'm also concerned with the price difference. Is the XLR worth the additional funds compared to the SLK? Would love to hear some feedback. Thanks! |
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Replying to: katcar (May 08, 2006 9:05 am) "I'm also concerned with the price difference. Is the XLR worth the additional funds compared to the SLK? " I hate to be master of the obvious, but only you can answer that question. What do you need/want/desire/value and how much are you willing to pay to fulfill those variables? Is the XLR worth many more $ than a Corvette convertible, it's kissin' cousin? While I've casually shopped both, I never noted top-down trunk space, but I don't think you'll get much more than 6 cu ft. in any HT convertible with the top down. I think you are correct, though. With top down, the trunk is quite limited in the XLR. But not as miniscule as the Lexus SC430. Have you investigated the new Volvo C70, VW Eos and rumored BMW 3 series and Lexus IS HT convertibles? Lovely choice you get to make, though. Be sure to post as you compare/contrast and buy.
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Replying to: laurasdada (May 08, 2006 4:12 pm) I have a lovely choice & a lovely husband! I've been observing various models on the road to see what visually appeals to me. I've also looked at the XLR  the dealership but not the SLK- yet. I recently researched Edmunds on hardtop convertibles which was extremely helpful. The hardtop is my number one factor follwed by reliability, comfort and power (I like my horses!). I previously owned a '86 Fiero GT - great style, excellent engine quality, great horsepower - it was an exception to the Fiero rule. I'd like to experience the sporty feel & performance of this car but with more comfort since I'm no longer in my 20s! I have looked at the Volvo but it's not sporty enough. Actually Motorweek on PBS had a segment on it last week. I'm not a VW person and for the money I'm spending I want something a little more unique than the BMW 3 series. Also, half our execs have the BMW roadster- too common. My hsb thinks the XLR is worth the difference but I'm more practical-minded. I'm not convinced yet but hoping.
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Replying to: katcar (May 09, 2006 5:06 am) Having written that, I think Cadillac has been building better cars for the last couple of years. Maybe XLR owners here could chip in on the build quality/relibility of their cars. I just re-read a lux convertible comparo (on-line, forget which of the Big Three car mags it was and it was a couple of years old) and the XLR was the only one that had top operation glitches (they had to manually fold in one of the small rear windows, if I recall, when lowering the top). The XLR did fare well overall, but the MB SL came out #1. My only Fiero story (well, mentally I'm still in my 20s...!) was catching a ride with my friend Lori who had a black Fiero. Driving along and suddenly the driver's side window just fell into the door! "Not again!" she said. I think, unfortunately, she had a typical Fiero...  I, too, went the practical-minded route in my most recent purchase. I was shopping Entry Level Luxury Performance Sedans (darn family!), the usual suspects. And the MB E Class. I really wanted the E, but my practical New England tendency got the best of the "just go for it" voice in my head. Voila, very happy owner of an '05 Acura TL. Nice car, the E. But I just didn't see the extra $20k. I'll take the savings and apply it to my mid-life crisis toy. I actually think I'm a bit late for the crisis?!  Anyway, looking forward to your shopping reviews and decision process. |
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| Folks, if you'd like to compare and contrast the features of the XLR vs. German or other autos, you're welcome to start another topic for that purpose. This topic's for discussing the features of the XLR/XLR-V. Continued off-topic posts will be removed, as will disrespectful ones. | |
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Replying to: katcar (May 08, 2006 9:05 am) Is the XLR or V worth the extra money over an SLK or Corvette? The SLK is cramped and feels like a toy to me -- not remotely comparable as an automobile. The XLR shares the Corvette's underlying platform and the Vette is much lighter because it is a sports car, not a luxury GT. Which you want more is up to you. If you want pure performance, the Vette is your ride. If you want a luxury sporting GT, the XLR is the better variant, but with less ultimate grip and power-per-dollar. Phil |
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Replying to: 213xlrv (Apr 20, 2006 8:03 pm) Such a convienent story don't you think. This about the car feeling so nible and he wasn't driving is nonsense. I can make a Bentley feel nimble to a passenger if I throw the car around hard enough! The entire world has seen Cadillac's interiors for what they aren't - up to the standards of the competition. Weight is a problem in any car with sporting intentions. 500 lbs extra in the Merc! Ridiculous. Even the guy yesterday had to observe, "Makes my SL feel positively fat." Yeah. Looks it too. Side by side, the SL just looks old and in the way. Anyway, if you can't understand how deleterious a surplus quarter ton is to the character of a 2 seat GT with performance aspirations, I suppose no words will move the ball upfield. True and if the SL was a sports car you'd have a point. As a luxury GT this weight problem you keep talking about is all in your head and isn't shared by any of the professional reviewers that have put the SL at the head of this class time and time again. If you can't understand that weight isn't the main concern of a GT car then there are no words to convey this. Not one of those larded up German cars "easily" outperforms its V series match. As another poster already illustrated, the vast differences you claim are fiction. In either car, the superior driver wins. Ahh..the art of doing proper research. That poster quoted figures from the old M5, not the new one. That model beat the CTS-V and the new one destroys it. My point about Audi vs Town Car mass was not to compare the cars but to point out that to make an aluminum car as heavy as a body-on-frame all steel behemoth is truly a reflection of overengineering run amok. It's just a shame so many clueless brand seekers don't have the sense to reject this approach. I recognize the missing 500 lbs. in my XLR-v in the arc of every turn The comparision is absurd. An Audi A8 has way more features than a Linc TC and the A8's interior furnishings alone would give it more weight over the cheap interior of the TC, plus the A8 has AWD. The overall cheapness of the XLR's interior is just as noticeable. M
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