Cadillac Cts By Edmunds

American cars: How to keep winning

Here are three things experts think Detroit automakers need to do to keep their wheels on the road.

Don't take your eye off the product: No, General Motors, people don't care about catchy marketing. They're coming into your showrooms because you've got competitive products.

"The consumer now isn't Detroit-centric," said David Champion, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports magazine. "They'll buy the best cars they can from anywhere."

And it's not just the Japanese anymore. South Korea's Hyundai and Kia are gulping market share from everybody.

General Motors ( , Fortune 500 ) clearly made great strides in product quality on every front, Champion said. Its products are now as dependable as any on the market and Ford's most recently introduced cars , in particular, are attractive and enjoyable to drive.

But there has been one wrinkle: Ford's new MyFord Touch, a more complex version of the Sync entertainment and phone system.

Consumer Reports magazine, regarded as the most influential publication among car shoppers, has declined to recommend some of Ford's crossover SUVs largely because of issues with the system.

Chrysler is also headed in the right direction, Champion said. While many of their older products are still far from world class, Chrysler Group's newest cars and SUVs -- the Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee -- are outstanding products, Champion said. Clearly, Chrysler's engineers and designers know what they need to do.

Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne is also head of Italy's Fiat, now Chrysler's controlling shareholder . At Fiat, he's already shown that he can lead an automaker from the brink and back to success.

Don't reach for the rebate gun: Detroit automakers also need to make sure they're selling cars the right way.

"Keep fleet sales down, make sure incentives don't creep back up" said John Humphrey, senior vice president for global automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates.

Too heavy a reliance on fleet sales results in a glut of used cars dragging down resale values. ( The Money Poll: Are you a bargain shopper? )

Over-reliance on rebates is bad for a couple of reasons. For one thing a $5,000 rebate costs at least $5,000. For another, rebates damage product image and resale value -- with rebates this big the car must be garbage, right?

Test Car Notes: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

With its big (6.2-liter) supercharged V8 cranking out 556 horses, you'd expect the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe to provide performance that borders on the ridiculous (and we mean that in the best possible way). And it does -- it can rocket to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. The fact that this Caddy can show its taillights to some considerably more pedigreed nameplates may surprise some folks. But this hot-rod Cadillac surprised us in a couple of ways that had nothing to do with burning rubber or whipping around little orange cones. 

With the non-"V" CTS Coupe, driving enthusiasts can opt for a Summer Tire Performance package which not only features 19-inch summer tires but also includes a sport suspension with the requisite firmer calibrations. But buyer beware; the ride quality with this setup has been described -- even by one of our guys who drives a Lotus Elise -- as harsh compared to other cars in this segment (such as the BMW M3). The CTS Coupe's seats add insult to injury by being too hard and oddly contoured in the backrest area.

The CTS-V, then, must be an absolute bear, right? It is after all the ultra-high-performance variant, so surely an even stiffer suspension and correspondingly worse ride must be part of the price paid for increased athleticism. Amazingly, quite the contrary. Thanks to its adaptive suspension, the "V" not only handles even better but also provides a significantly more supple ride than the Summer Tire Performance package-equipped CTS coupe. And, if you spring for the V's optional Recaro seats (shown above), the comfort advantage becomes even greater. In other words, the hyperformance CTS-V Coupe actually makes a better daily driver. Who knew?

For more on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming full test. 

I really question if the CTS with the 19s is much more firm riding that the average sports sedan/coupe with such large wheels. None of its competitors are going to be plush riding over potholed roads. Sports suspensions plus large wheels and summer tires equal very firm rides that could be intrusive over anything but smooth roads. Few have tested the CTS since the 19s became available but MT did test such a sedan months ago and they didnt seem to find the ride to be unacceptably firm.

Edmunds.com New Cars & Trucks Buyer's Guide 2003

Edmunds.com Used Cars & Trucks Buyer's Guide 2004

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