From the CaddyEdge.com - Cadillac Eyeing Other ATS Variants
It’s always fun to hear the news that flows from a major auto show… This time, following the unveiling of the ATS Coupe, Cadillac executives have revealed that GM is looking into several other body styles for their hit ATS. In addition to the ATS-V, Cadillac is working on the business plans to support both […]
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From the CaddyEdge.com - Cadillac Aiming for Double-Digit Growth in 2014
Cadillac has officially told their dealers that they expect a 10+% growth in volume in 2014. This is expected on the back of at least three new products, the ELR and ATS coupes as well as the new Escalade SUV. Helping that goal is the fact that well over half (550 of 900) of Cadillac […]
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From the CaddyEdge.com - Cadillac “LTS” Spied
Chris Doane and Car and Driver have spied the new Cadilac large sedan undergoing testing. This is not the new XTS (a car expected to see no second generation). Instead, Cadillac is building a new large rear-drive platform dubbed “Omega” and styled in some ways to resemble the recent Elmiraj concept. Cadillac trademarked the LTS […]
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From the CaddyEdge.com - 2015 Cadillac Escalade Pricing Announced
Cadillac has announced pricing of the 2015 Escalade and it follows their recent trend toward pricing in line with competition rather than trying to compete on price. Starting price of the latest Escalade is $72,690 (including destination), an increase over the prior generation of $3725. This places the Escalade in the thick of the luxury […]
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From the CaddyEdge.com - ATS to get both V-Series and V+ Models
File this under “doesn’t pass the sniff test” but we are passing it along all the same. MotorTrend.com is reporting that Cadillac plans not only the twin-turbo V-6 V-Series model, but will also release a year or two later a forced-induction V-8 model with over 600hp. This would see Cadillac looking to not only out-gun […]
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From the CaddyEdge.com - 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe
Today, Cadillac debuted the coupe version of the ATS as well as their new ‘wreath-less’ logo. Featuring the same wheelbase as the sedan but a wider track, the coupe has unique stampings for roof, doors, rear fenders and trunk lid. 18″ wheels are standard as is the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (bye bye 2.5, at least […]
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Fun car comparison - Round 1 - Solstice GXP
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| Great Looks - Poor Execution |
Rear-drive, direct-injected and turbocharged, two seats and a 5-speed manual, and this example came in at $17k - much below our $30k comparison ceiling. What's not to love?
As it turns out, a few things.
Other than any of the obvious things to love, like its sexy roadster curves and the abiility to let the sun shine in and its strong power from its 2.0 Ecotec 4-cylinder even with our tester's 60k miles. Ride was firm but not overly so, meaning daily driver duty is certainly justifiable.
Down-sides are plentiful, unfortunately. While the ride was acceptable, the wide 18" tires easily showed themselves as needing swapped for snow tires to improve traction in the white stuff. This weakness is exasperated by wide tread width that should shine in the warmer months. But, that's something that a purchase of new shoes would correct.
That's not the only issue the Solstice had. Some are well known, such as the trunk only being accessible by releasing the flying buttress portions of the soft-top and lifting the lid toward the rear. This also means closing and securing the lid requires a trip to both sides to push those spring-loaded portions of the top down to latch place (all after a hard slam of the lid which must be executed from the side of the car. The opening and closing the lid would be an acceptable eccentricity if the cargo space wasn't so meager as to only hold a couple plastic shopping bags. Instead, a large lump rises up and serves to support the top when lowered (at which point the trunk is largely useless).
Up front, the hood also lifts away from the passenger compartment and comprises most of the front clip. If the trunk suggests a lack of proper development, the hood behaves and feels worse. Hinged at the front, you see the panel twisting about its pivot making you doubt the longevity of the hardware.
Inside, you will either like the style of the medium grey, driver-focused cabin or not. What isn't up to interpretation is how the materials have worn with age. Parts do not meet correctly in some areas, with edges of the mismatched panels suggesting that thin parts are partly to blame. Some trim such as the brushed sill plate was peeling and the driver seat was starting to show undue signs of surface wear. Additionally, short glass all around would take adjustment to compensate for what you can't easily see with the top up.
So, as much as the Solstice looks great and checks many of the proper boxes for a sports car...it is saddled with execution and materials issues that drop it from contention.
A shame that we didn't get to see what generation 2 of this car would have been.
From the CaddyEdge.com - Cadillac ELR Coupes are on Their Way
GM announced today that production examples of the ELR coupe are on their way to the dealers. Built at GM’s Hamtramck factory that also assembles the Chevrolet Volt that shares a similar chassis and power train, these initial shipments will be the first examples of the Cadillac ELR intended for customers (all the ones we’ve […]
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