Survey: Cadillac The Top Auto Brand in the US for Vehicle Satisfaction
Jim Taylor
General Manager, Cadillac
We all have our favorites, our own loyalties and preferences. But in a survey of new vehicle buyers released today, only one brand can be at the top. The number one brand in the US in owner satisfaction in 2008 is Cadillac, according to AutoPacific’s annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) study.
This study is based solely on the opinions of actual new vehicle owners rating their new 2008 models. AutoPacific adds no “3rd party” opinion to the owner survey results, which are grouped into 28 car and truck segments. For more information, check out AutoPacific’s blog.
Cadillac’s overall win stems from the Escalade, Escalade EXT, the new CTS sport sedan and the DTS luxury sedan each winning the title as “most satisfying” in their individual market segments. Across all segments in the study, no auto brand (including BMW, Lexus, Mercedes and the others) was rated as highly by consumers as Cadillac.
And the good news from vehicle buyers doesn’t end there. GM had 11 overall segment winners, more than any other manufacturer. Chevy HHR, Chevy Silverado HD, Saturn Sky, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Saturn VUE and HUMMER H3 were also named “most satisfying” in their respective segments.
There are no higher accolades than those earned from real owners who have spent real money on new vehicles. Specifically in the luxury business, high levels of opinion and satisfaction of the most discerning consumers is the ultimate goal.
At Cadillac, Escalade has put together a record of desirability as the top large luxury SUV. This summer, we’re extending Escalade’s desirability with the most technically advanced Escalade models ever - the ultra-luxury Escalade Platinum and the Escalade Hybrid with our “two-mode” battery electric technology.
In the luxury car space, new CTS is earning a place among the highest-regarded luxury cars in the industry. The upcoming CTS-V launches this fall, elevating CTS into the ranks of the world’s highest performing cars.
It’s a terrific time for Cadillac, and for new vehicle buyers who have an unprecedented number of excellent choices. At Cadillac, we’re pleased that - according to the AutoPacific study of new vehicle owners - our brand is the most satisfying choice.
- Posted in Cars & Trucks
jamie
I used to dream a lot about owning a BMW 3 or 5 series or even a Mercedes C or E. Never even gave Cadillac a thought.
However today, I would rather drive a Cadillac CTS or CTS-V. Even the Cadillac coupe grabs my attention.
I still wish Cadillac would return to the original Seville, Deville, and Eldorado monikers though. I totally dislike driving around in a car that reminds me of alphabet soup. It works for Mercedes and BMW, but Cadillac has a great heritage in the old model names that can stand alone on their own and still have instant recognition value.
Kudos for bringing Cadillac into the world class luxury market.
mike murphy
No doubt about it, Cadillac has made vast improvements in styling and quality. I feel that they and GM have been getting a raw deal for the last decade as overall Q,R,D has been toe to toe with the asians and better than the Europeans.
If I could make a suggestion, the colors are not very good. Too many of your colors require perfect sunlight to be beautiful. They are in general too darn dark. Loose Code 15 it stinks. Also if I could make one more point, spare tires should be standard equipment and not a $250 option.
Keep up the good work and work on your colors please.
GM=CarKing
it’s not enough, GM! after spending all those money on two-mode hybrid drive, you gotta shrink them and put them into mid-term sedans or even compact sedans. With nanotechnology advances, it’s possible. Is BAS Plus enough? I don’t think so. Otherwise, you have to build the whole car in aluminum-steel, like Audi’s ASF II. Which way do you think is cheaper?
GM’s biggest weakness vs Ford now is it has 8 brands. Ford only has Ford, Lincoln, Mazda and Volvo( Mercury is dead.)
And why build the Cobalt and Pontiac G5 since they are the same cars? And a “poorman’s BMW” seems like an oxymoron to me. I don’t know, you can try. Anyway, you gotta further differentiate between Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn.
GM’s cashburn is 1 billion dollars a month, whuch is TERRIBLE! Do you have more than 1 billion cashflow a month? This is really serious, man. GM’s market cap is now 9.8b vs Ford’s 15 b. And Toyota’s is 156b! You gotta do something about it!!!!!
Edward Hayes
As one of the proud owners of one of those vehicles that finished on top I can tell you I could not agree more. So I am glad I was able to put GM on top-in more ways than one.
We have to hear more about the hybrid Escalade, I am not sure where it is in the gestation, but look, we are already hearing about Honda’s hydrogen car.
Lets talk not about CAFE but BUFFET, let’s talk about quality and brand building and that is exactly what consumers will be talking about 5 years from now.
Rick
I saw a sneak peak of the BRX, too bad it’s not built on Alpha you really don’t need another front driver. the new CTS has proved that.
Rick
To me the SRX was a great concept, why design it with a third row seat? It doesn’t appeal to the buyer’s of a Caddilac, or the world market. Rather than replace it on a GM FWD platform, make it the first Alpha.
Rick
Personally, I think the new CTS coupe is the best looking car, after CTS sedan, that GM has done since the 50’s. The the first Camaros were an exception, and when the new ones come out, the Buick is gone.(the Caddy is out of my price range and you can’t get a stick with the G8.)
John
Rather than picking surveys nobody’s ever heard of, how about building cars that will top the Consumer Reports rankings?
edvard
I also love the way the new CTS looks. In fact, I was driving behind one the other day in rush hour traffic. I was watching to see what the reaction was to all the BMW and Mercedes drivers we were passing. I’d say 75% of them were staring.
If I were in the market for a mid-level luxury sedan, I’d definitely consider the CTS.
Gereon (Germany)
Considering the latest praise for Cadillac, I still don’t get it, why there’s a total lack of promotion for this brand over here in Germany. B√§hr & Fess Forecasts GmbH predicts an outstanding resale-value for the new CTS on the German market. Hardly anybody knows this over here. For global growth an appropriate promotion is absolutely imperative.
John Ross
Excellent survey:…Article is nice.
John
I agree that Cadillac has the best customer service. Now live up to that honor and give the ‘08 CTS owners a Bluetooth retrofit. It’s not too much to ask. After all, this is a luxury vehicle.
JLM
Cadillac in my experience is getting recognized for its superb luxury products and services. I discovered this after extensive comparative evaluation of Cadillac luxury brand models with BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
My evaluation resulted in the purchase of two 2005 Cadillac premium luxury cars, Cadillac STS V8 and XLR. And based upon my three year ownership experience, I would rank Cadillac’s luxury products and service the best of best, bar none.
Bottom line, based upon my most recent reviews, Cadillac remains in the #1 purchase position for me and I will replace both of my 2005 Cadillacs with 2009 Cadillac luxury brand models.
Simply said, Cadillac’s style, design and service exemplified the very best the automotive world has to offer.
This is a well deserved recognition and demonstrates just how excellent Cadillac is today in creating the total experience.
Congratulations Cadillac!
JLM
getalifeagain
Congratulations to Cadillac, which has returned to prestige.
I think though, the large SUV’s are going the way of the dinosaur. They will always be needed by a few, but the masses will not go for them.
Andrew Roberts
My congratulations to everyone at Cadillac who worked hard push Cadillac to the top of the pile.
this is very good news as it would be a shame to see Cadillac going the way of Oldsmobile and Buick.
Although there is a still a lot of anti domestic feeling, especially amongst younger affluent buyers, it looks like the hard work Cadillac have been putting in to build quality, driving experience and marketing is starting to pay off.
Well done all!
jg
It’s about gas mileage now and I’m disappointed GM doesn’t offer an economical luxury car. Cadillac and Buick both need a smaller model. Saturn, Chevy, etc. are too downmarket. The Vue would be better as a mini Enclave. What about the Buick Excelle…but drop the Hyundai name? Gas is $4.20 a gallon!
Rum Doodle
~ It’s about gas mileage now and I’m disappointed GM doesn’t offer an economical luxury car.
Good point jg. But I can imagine GM thinks owning a Caddie is like owning a yacht. If you have to ask how much gas costs, you have no business owning one.
Eric
John
“Rather than picking surveys nobody’s ever heard of, how about building cars that will top the Consumer Reports rankings?”
I’m going start a new magazine called Car Buyers Reports and only people that subscribe to my magazine are allowed to participate in the annual auto survey. So your opinion about your vehicle will not be heard because you are not one of my subscribers and whatever I’m driving is the greatest car ever made. Would you consider my magazine to be an unbiased source of information for your next car purchase?
Probably not.
Since Consumer Reports does exactly the same thing, why are they so credible?
Do you realize that if GM were to give a subscription of CR to all of their employees, that GM would control the outcome of the CR auto survey.
At least J.D. Powers randomly surveys vehicle owners. The JDP initial quality and three year dependability data are probably a better indicator of product quality. Just my two cents.
Edward Hayes
You know I second the motion from jg. Buick can definitely use a crossover smaller than the Enclave, after all the Enclave proved its worth.
Now here is what keeps me up at night, here is what I worry about, this is the thing that gets me, that I fear the most, not gas prices, alternative fuels and technology will settle that. Neither the upheaval of the truck market. What I fear the most is the “twilight” of the American brand. While Chrysler and GM work to destroy the individual single brand dealerships, as we go the way of AMC/Jeep/Eagle, as brands become not the singular focus but quite frankly an afterthought, consumers will think not of our brands.
Look we got to build a brand and her is what is keeping me up at night.
If GM was to plan Buick’s product line in retrospect to today’s “twilight” brand strategy that Enclave would never exist, there is just no way GM would sell the Enclave and Acadia in the same dealership.
Now today, we see it happening, Buick is unlikely to ever get a crossover smaller than the Enclave while GMC will probably get the vehicle. Buick will not get a coupe, Pontiac will get it. We need to par down the lineup I understand but ask yourself this…What car brand can survive today without a coupe, or a crossover?
Whether it’s Porsche or Hyundai, Audi or Honda, their growth and prestige rely on having both, and a great GMC Acadia is never ever going to rub off on the Buick brand-ever.
In the end, I will never ever for a second tell GM what to do, but I will always tell them the truth or the way I believe things to be. I consider not my perspective but always have an ear to the ground and listen intent to what people(consumers) think and say about GM and the automotive market in general. And I know this.
You can rush a car to market, you can rush cutting cost, you can rush new technology and all that, but you can never rush a brand.
Now we may not have the assets to fully fund or fix a brand, but we failed to cash in on fermenting a brand’s assets which is time. Buick’s been around for 100 years we have time to build on it’s past, if you rush it, you destroy the bottle, the winery, the reputation and in the end we forge another worthless 16 cent packet of Kool-Aid.
Juan Barnett
Buick should get a nice seat next to Oldsmobile.
Nic
Juan,
While I agree that Buick is a domestic disaster, they are Chinas number one selling car. I have seen estimates that say China is poised to sell 130 million new vehicles by 2020. GM should hold on to Buick for dear life! If they are going to get rid of any assets, it should be Hummer and Saab.
Rum Doodle
~ “I have seen estimates that say China is poised to sell 130 million new vehicles by 2020.”
Where will the oil come from to fuel 130 million new vehicles? And what will that do the price we pay for fuel?
Pete Nicholson
Congratulations on the accolades, Cadillac! Now, of course, is not the time to sit on your laurels but to use this as a springboard to even greater heights.
I applaud many of Cadillac’s initiatives, including the awesome CTS coupe and wagon, as well as the development of a true 3-series fighter (which will allow the 5-series sized CTS to be priced appropriately) and a new large sedan to take on the S-class and 7-series.
However, basing the new SRX on a shared platform is a loser. I expect that this had something to do with a future intent to make a hybrid or E-flex vehicle out of it, but quite frankly, that is not Cadillac’s mission. Even if it sells, the new SRX will damage the brand.
Cadillac is about only two things…uncompromised luxury and unparalleled performance. GM is replete with divisions that can handle the fuel economy side of the equation. That is not to say that Cadillac’s should not be as efficient as possible, and technology such as the two-mode RWD transmission is very consistent with Cadillac’s mission.
So get back to producing a world class V-8, ditch the shared platforms and engines, and produce a world class lineup of proprietary vehicles. while you are at it, you may want to see about moving the Escalade to the merging Sigma/Zeta premium platform (not Lambda. That is a common GM architecture, not a CADILLAC architecture).
Edward Hayes
It was not long ago that a brand was suffering from lack of direction, ill conceived mergers, lack of quality, rebates approaching $30,000, management turnover, shareholder upheaval, and a diminishing reputation. But in the end it turned around and survived because people knew the inherent value of the company and the brand and now it’s back.
That brand is Mercedes-Benz.
It’s not the Hummer metal that needs to be tested, that brand has passed and shines with flying colors.
It is our metal that needs to be tested, and do we have what it takes to keep the best truck brand on the planet alive.
From Australia to South Africa, from Russia to the Middle East this brand has a market. It’s a young brand and is equivalent to what Saturn was in the 80’s. A small line-up that has yet to be flushed out with pickups and smaller H4’s. Hummer is a golden egg that has just begun to hatch.
The H3’s #1 in customer satisfaction just speaks for itself.
Hummer has proved its metal, the question is, have we?
Catilina Macrco
I am actually against the Hummer for many reasons. First, enviromental wise, the car produces more CM then the smaller vehicles, espically Hybrids. Second, the Hummer is huge and takes up to much room on the highway. Come on, do you really need a car that big to make up for something else that is so small?? I believe that we should walk everywhere and stop wasting our money on material things(ie cars) just to make us look better. What i really important in life? A cool car or a happy family? Thats something that you have to ask yourself.
beachball
could someone please make GM not take 5 years to bring out a car like the Camero? Ford in the 50’s and early sixties brought out 5 totally different cars in six model years, without computers.geeeze also why do people complain about SUVs and not V12 bmw’s that people dont need also?
Sirk Verelst
Hearing the many very positive mentions for the Cadilacs in the US, I was wondering if there aren’t any plans in bringing these to Indonesia?
In Detroit you might not be aware of the buying power here of the upper class. But, just to put things in perspective, One example :
A standard BMW 320, which in the US might go for around US$25-30.000,- here in Indonesia goes for an equivalent of around US$ 60.000,- and young executives don’t even flinch. Don’t you think there is a market here?
Just my 5 cents,
Sirk Verelst
Jakarta, Indonesia
Shavana
Cadillac Escalad! It has got popularity,it is a top brand in the US.
mike
GM is sleeping at the wheel. They are investing too much in big horsepower, instead of looking at other countries gas prices. You get a tax break when you buy a small gas consuming car. Then they would know whats going on. GM has not been investing enough in small cars. They been banking on their big suvs, now there paying the price. Styling is a factor on chevs and pontiacs, front ends look all the same from a vibe,G5,G6,G8,Torrent,Grandprix and montana. Gas prices around the world are higher than the U.S., sometimes twice. Now its starting to hit home, not everybody is making $100,000 or more to be able to afford this high prices. GM is always late in bring out new models like the camero. Should have been 4 or 5 years ago.