Am I Missing Something Somewhere?

Kinja'd!!! "Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
02/10/2015 at 14:50 • Filed to: None

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I always see comments saying that the interiors Cadillac's new models aren't on-par with their rivals from Germany or Japan. Which, personally, I think they're pretty damn close, if not equal.

Now, I haven't sat in the newest 3-series or A4 or C-Class to compare to an ATS, but I have sat in a current-gen Lexus IS (aren't Lexus interiors regarded as better than Germans anyway?) and the Cadillac's interior seemed to be just as nice, if not nicer.

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Sure, there's those boring gauges that Cadillac really needs to do something about; but the leather felt just as buttery smooth, the dash just as soft, and it was just as solidly put together.

Seriously, is there something I'm missing or not seeing that makes their interiors inferior?


DISCUSSION (35)


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 14:54

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Not in style, but overall quality. Even if they were on par, they still have a stigma attached.


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 14:56

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people just like to complain about not-their-brand.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
02/10/2015 at 14:57

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Last I checked stigma doesn't effect the overall quality of the interior though.


Kinja'd!!! Cap'n Jack Sparrow > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 14:58

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They are the on par. At the NAIAS this year I thought I liked the Caddy's interior better o.0


Kinja'd!!! bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 14:58

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that the thing...you sat in a lexus. which isnt a german car

my parents have a IS250 and an A3. i'm not entirely sure HOW to describe it. but there is a very different feel to the inside of the cars. the materials in the german car feel firmer, nicer, dont flex as much,

Dont get me wronk, the lexus has a NICE int. but the quality isnt on par with the germans.


that said, if I had to have one nationality do interiors, it would have to be the swedes.


Kinja'd!!! sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 14:59

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No. I've been in both several times. This is a classic example of internet commentors having driven a '94 Seville once and suddenly thinking they know what the fuck they are taking about.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > HammerheadFistpunch
02/10/2015 at 14:59

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Probably this.

But I never see BMW fanboys hating on Audi or Merc interiors or anything unless we're talking about high performance models. Then it's a flame war.


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:01

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for the majority of buyers, "German luxury cars" might as well be a brand, it just depends on what model is on that show your wife watches or which dealer treats you better to choose which of the 3 you end up in.


Kinja'd!!! PushToStart > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:01

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The thing I dislike about Cadillac interiors now is that they have a lot of high gloss plastic pieces that are prone to looking bad unless they are polished after anyone touches them or a few specks of dust fall on them. I think between Caddy and Lincoln, Lincoln does the better job.

Also, every BMW/Audi/Mercedes I've ever been in has been better than any Lexus I've been in...


Kinja'd!!! Saracen > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:03

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I sat in an ATS recently and I really didn't like the aesthetic. Lots of swoopy shapes for no apparent reason. I also wasn't crazy about all the shiny, glossy plastics and the design of the center console.

I preferred the Chevy SS's interior.

The Lexus IS has the nicest interior I've seen in a long time. It's gorgeous. Shame it's slushbox only, and that the exterior is so damn hideous.


Kinja'd!!! misfitmascots > HammerheadFistpunch
02/10/2015 at 15:03

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People just like to complain in general


Kinja'd!!! spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:03

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Seriously, those gauges suck so fucking hard. They're worse than the ones in my Mazda.

Thank god Cadillac said that with the new gauge cluster they're premiering in the CT6, that it will spread to all of Cadillac's offerings.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bob and john
02/10/2015 at 15:03

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Well, that's also a VW product, which even manages to make their $17k Golf feel like its carved out of a single piece of steel.

Still, Lexus is extremely close to the Germans, and maybe equal to BMW and Merc. I'd have sat in something German, but they don't come to our auto show.


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:03

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It doesn't, but in a way it does. There is still the, "when is going to start to come apart" stigma. It probably won't, but 10 years ago it would have.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
02/10/2015 at 15:04

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That sounds about right.

I feel like these are the kinds of people that swear off a brand forever because their car made by that brand that was known far and wide as a piece of shit, was in fact a piece of shit.


Kinja'd!!! Textured Soy Protein > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:05

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The biggest problems with Cadillac interiors are the shitty interface on CUE and the even-shittier capacitive buttons on the dash that have no reason for existing other than to be like "ooooh they're touch sensitive" but don't actually work all the time and should just be regular buttons.


Kinja'd!!! Velour Buick > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:07

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Having worked for a company that supplies interiors to both BMW and Cadillac, I'd say that these commentators don't know what they are talking about.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Textured Soy Protein
02/10/2015 at 15:09

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I must be in a hugely small minority that hasn't ever had a problem with CUE or the touch captive buttons. The buttons always functioned when I slid my finger on them and CUE, which did take a second to figure out, didn't seem any slower or unrefined than GM's normal MyLink.


Kinja'd!!! bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:09

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like I said, we HAVE them. there is a different feel to it.

as an example, our A3 has almost 90K miles on it at this point (probably) still feels like the day we bought it. brakes are still strong, doors still close with that satisfying clunk, the loeather still feels like new (seriously, it looks like its hardly been broken in). honestly, we could probably fix the 3 or 4 scratches on the car, give it a nice polish and wax, cover up the mileage counter, and trick people into thinking its a brand new car. its ridiculous.

our lexus doesnt have the same amount of miles. probably closer to 60k miles. but it does feel likes its been driven. it doesnt feel like its going to fall apart, god no. it feels solid. but you can tell its not a brand new car.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bob and john
02/10/2015 at 15:12

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And like I said, it's a VW product and they're cars in the last 7 or 8 years are supremely well built.

And like I also said, the Lexus' interior probably is about as solid at its age as a BMW or Mercedes interior.

I understand you own them, and I'm listening to that, but I also had a counterpoint.


Kinja'd!!! bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:17

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i was in a friend 08 335i. the int did seem to hold up a bit better then m,y moms IS.

then again, his car also gobbles up fuel pumps


Kinja'd!!! Textured Soy Protein > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:17

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MyLink was halfway decent the couple times I've had it in a rental Malibu. Well, it was easy enough to pair with my phone. But about 25% of the time when trying to play Pandora through the Pandora app link in order to use the on-screen controls (rather than bluetooth audio streaming and controlling it with the phone), it refused to work.

The graphics are pretty basic at best and the menu system isn't overly intuitive. The animations aren't smooth, it's laggy going between screens, and generally works about as well as like a nice ATM or cable box, rather than a modern iOS or Android device.

While that's maybe alright for a rental Malibu, putting the same thing in a luxury car...no.

Capacitive buttons are the devil, especially for people who live in northern climates and wear gloves while driving for several months out of the year. In exchange for being like "oooooh you can swipe on these like an iPad look how high tech these buttons are," you get...nothing. They don't accomplish any functions better than a regular button, and they don't work right all the time. I don't want to mess with that bullshit just to turn the heat up—which by the way won't work in the winter without capacitive gloves .


Kinja'd!!! Your boy, BJR > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:24

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I think it's 1000x better in styling and quality. I'm biased as hell, but I genuinely feel that way.

CADILLAC OR DIE

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Kinja'd!!! norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:25

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Because GM and who likes their stuff, amirite?


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
02/10/2015 at 15:35

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Eh, basically.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > spanfucker retire bitch
02/10/2015 at 15:37

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Really? Oh good.

I remember reading somewhere that they originally were supposed to have a tint on the plastic over the gauges so you could only see the lights and needle and none of the black plastic around them. That I guess never came to be.


Kinja'd!!! norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:38

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It's a sad but largely true thing on the FP comments to hate GM.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
02/10/2015 at 15:39

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Because they're plastic and poorly built and try to kill you!

Referring to: the Cobalt, which went out of production in 2010.


Kinja'd!!! norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 15:46

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Don't forget the 30 million recalls, because that's still relevant nearly a year since the first of the bunch.


Kinja'd!!! theloudmouth > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 16:01

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Believe me, they're sooooooo not on par in person and day after day. There's a very simple explanation why (and this is coming from someone in automotive engineering who deals with interior components on GM vehicles and has experience with the Europeans as well).

When GM specs switch gear for their Cadillac ATS they say "Oh! We can use the switches out of this Buick and this Chevrolet!"

When BMW specs switch gear for their 3-series they say "Oh! We can use the switches out of our 7-series!"


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > theloudmouth
02/10/2015 at 16:05

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Maybe because BMW doesn't have brands to share switches with? And if you're going to do the whole "from a lower brand to higher brand" thing with the Cadillac, you need to be saying BMW uses 2-series switches in the 7-series.

The only things I could imagine to be shared with other GM cars anyway in the interior are the window switches, blinker stalks, and door locks.


Kinja'd!!! theloudmouth > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 16:10

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They could easily use Mini switch gear, and as far as the 7-series uses 2-series switch gear, I guess the better way for me to have said it would have been that the switches in the 7-series don't look out of places, while to me they do in the ATS (have you seen the instrument binnacle???). It's also the steering wheels (more or less, door pulls (mechanicals), and loads of other things that just don't feel cohesive. GM is the master of cost cutting simply to save cost. No joke, after working on engineering for them as a supplier I honestly can't see myself ever wanting to buy anything they make.


Kinja'd!!! Logansteno: Bought a VW? > theloudmouth
02/10/2015 at 16:16

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As far as I know Minis use BMW switch gear and always have since BMW bought them.

Yeah the instrument panel is bad. But nothing in that interior looks out of place or make me think of any other GM product. I know the old CTS used Cobalt door handles, but I don't see anything in the ATS interior that is used in any other GM product unless it's another Cadillac.

All companies share some components. How much stuff on Audi interiors is actually VW stuff? I'm willing to be quite a bit.


Kinja'd!!! parkave231 can't get enough of that funky stuff > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/10/2015 at 18:12

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Makes two of us then — no issues here!


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/11/2015 at 21:24

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It isn't so much that. In concrete terms, Cadillac is either fully on par or close enough that distinctions are really hair splitting. The problem is that their brand just isn't strong enough to justify the prices they're charging, they don't have the same appeal to mainstream luxury buyers.