[el ess A]

Wow...just wow. GM giveth, and GM taketh away.

Last month I was in PRIME condition to want to work on getting a car deal done on a new 2014 Cadillac CTS V-sport sedan for the wife (the 420 hp version). Was set to swoop in and pick one up a couple of weeks ago. Found a perfect one for MSRP of 63,XXX. With the $8K cash back and then I found out I was eligible again for GM employee pricing, it was coming in at around $49K and change before trade-in and big down payment.

However, last half of the month my mother-in-law had major issues and was/is hospitalized. No possible way for any time to make a great car deal.

SO....with one more surgery to go tomorrow, obviously I'm still not quite freed up to spend time on car deals.

Today, that same car I was going to buy last week is now $57K and change because they pretty much cut out ALL cash back incentives for Cadillacs (except SRX). For a 2014? Um, no thanks. I'm not that incentivized any longer to chase after a 2014. Good luck moving the rest of that 2014 inventory GM. Call me back when you get serious again about incentivizing me to buy yesterday's model.

Yeah, I'm a bit whiny about it, but things happen for a reason I guess. That perfect 2014 deal may have turned out to be a lemon is why things happened the way they did. I'm just venting a little. Maybe I'll spend the down payment on mods, instead.

Hopefully a lot of you have found great deals. It does seem they carried on the same Camaro cash back incentives from last month, though. But Cadillac? Maybe see you next spring on a great 2015 deal.

Perhaps it's for the best. For now.

[Cymaro]

You may be able to deal with either GM or the dealer. Maybe write to GM and see if they can give you a voucher or something for the offer. The offer just probably expired due to the time it was offered or not as many people were going for it. They might cut you a break. And in regards to the dealer, they don't want to hold on to those "older" models so you still might have a chance.

[G8GT4now]

Have you considered the equally powered Chevy SS sedan?

[2010ABM]

Cadillac, in an effort to increase the residual values of their vehicles, has cut back on major incentives. No longer will you see the $6k, $8k, $10, or like in December $12k off on CTS, ATS, etc..

For years, GM owners - particularly Cadillac owners - have been upset when they go to trade in their vehicles, only to find out that the value has dropped like a rock. Why don't they hold their value like other brands in the luxury segment - Audi, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, etc.? The simple answer is that GM customers have been getting their monies up front in the form of a rebate or cash incentive, making the residual value less than that of one without consistent rebates. Why buy a used 2014 with 6000 miles on it for $45k when I can buy a brand new one with tons of rebates for $49k? This question is largely the reason you cannot expect a Cadillac to hold it's value strongly with large rebates.

That being said, Cadillac's new head honcho is trying to turn the game around. Will there be some rebates? Sure. Will there be tons of monies to discount them $8-10k off? No way. Inventory levels are being cut all across the US, meaning with less supply and a continuous demand, they don't have to generate the rebates to sell the cars. Our dealership hasn't had a 2014 model on the lot in over 2 months, and someone properly managing their inventory could be in the same position we are. It's not Cadillac that lost your business, it was the dealer you worked with who didn't assist you in taking advantage of the rebates before it was too late. Just my $.02.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by G8GT4now

Have you considered the equally powered Chevy SS sedan?

This!

[c5Legend]

Originally Posted by G8GT4now

Have you considered the equally powered Chevy SS sedan?

Hmm a Malibu looking thing or a CTSV?

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by G8GT4now

Have you considered the equally powered Chevy SS sedan?

Originally Posted by stoopid

This!

Originally Posted by c5Legend

Hmm a Malibu looking thing or a CTSV?

Ha! Malibu looking thing. You are funny. That is why I get so many compliments. No one knows what it is, but everyone loves it.

Oh and I WISHHHHHH it was equally powered. SS is LS3 powered at 415 HP while the CTS-V is LSA powered at 560 I believe.

Holden sells a HSV version that has the LSA but sadly not for us.

[G8GT4now]

He is talking about the CTS V-Sport, which is 420 HP.

New SS vs New CTS-V Sport

Of course a used CTS-V is also an option but OP wants new.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by G8GT4now

He is talking about the CTS V-Sport, which is 420 HP.

New SS vs New CTS-V Sport

Of course a used CTS-V is also an option but OP wants new.

Careful of the hyphen

Big difference between CTS V-sport and CTS-V

[stoopid]

I would imagine the CTS equipped with the turbo V6 is significantly more $$$ than the SS? The starting price on the base model CTS with the 2.0T is the same price as the SS!

http://www.cadillac.com/cts-sport-sedan.html

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by 2010ABM

Cadillac, in an effort to increase the residual values of their vehicles, has cut back on major incentives. No longer will you see the $6k, $8k, $10, or like in December $12k off on CTS, ATS, etc..

For years, GM owners - particularly Cadillac owners - have been upset when they go to trade in their vehicles, only to find out that the value has dropped like a rock. Why don't they hold their value like other brands in the luxury segment - Audi, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, etc.? The simple answer is that GM customers have been getting their monies up front in the form of a rebate or cash incentive, making the residual value less than that of one without consistent rebates. Why buy a used 2014 with 6000 miles on it for $45k when I can buy a brand new one with tons of rebates for $49k? This question is largely the reason you cannot expect a Cadillac to hold it's value strongly with large rebates.

That being said, Cadillac's new head honcho is trying to turn the game around. Will there be some rebates? Sure. Will there be tons of monies to discount them $8-10k off? No way. Inventory levels are being cut all across the US, meaning with less supply and a continuous demand, they don't have to generate the rebates to sell the cars. Our dealership hasn't had a 2014 model on the lot in over 2 months, and someone properly managing their inventory could be in the same position we are. It's not Cadillac that lost your business, it was the dealer you worked with who didn't assist you in taking advantage of the rebates before it was too late. Just my $.02.

[el ess A]

The biggest problem I've got with their pricing programs is that the trade-in value is still in the crapper with or without rebates. Plus the fact that they need to sell their cars more than I need to buy one, so it's not a big stretch to simply wait. It's not that I don't think they're worth the $, it's just more of a missed opportunity. There's a reason they called it an incentive. So I'm not incentivized any longer.

I applaud Cadillac for trying to turn things around. But one thing is a definite... an SS is NOT a Cadillac. I wanted her to buy a new Camaro, but she is stuck on the CTS. Tried to talk her into a 2014 ELR for just a couple grand more (a deal with a $20K incentive), but no dice. She wants a 4 door.

Since she is planning on retiring soon after 34+ years working at the same place, I thought I'd give her what she wanted. She'd be happy with a "regular" CTS without being a V-sport, but I talked her into it. But she's not too keen on paying $8k more for the same thing now, so we're going to wait.

My point was, with basically 0 incentives, it made absolutely NO sense to purchase a new 2014 when a 2015 is only like $20 more. I was simply weinering that situations occurred that made us miss that boat. Not mad about it, but it is what it is. And if the dealers have their own deals brewing on 2014s separate from GM incentives, that tells me that the incentives are still needed to move the cars.