IS-SV

That's exactly the point with modern safety systems and "active safety" versus passive safety equipment only, because most drivers will usually jam the big brake pedal (and maybe close eyes too.) and do nothing else.

ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Traction Control, Vehicle Stability Control combined with modern brakes/tires/suspension systems allows that kind of panic stop behavior to be quite effective with surprisingly short and controlled panic stops, something the average car of 30 years ago could not accomplish.

The odds of the average driver "slaloming or handling" his way to avoid a potential accident is very low, agreed.

Lil4X

I completely agree that the traditional American Luxury Car has been sadly overlooked for at least twenty years. With luxury sales going to imports with a cachet of quality (often applied by the marketing department), the ALC has lost its snob appeal. The automakers made the perceived lack of quality a self-fulfilling prophecy by stamping out Cadillacs with the same or less engineering and QC than applied to an Impala.

Then they ignored the big boats, assuming they would only sell to retirement communities where their image still loomed large, leaving the luxo-set with technologies that largely harked back to the 1980's. If they kept building 1988 DeVilles, they wouldn't have to explain them to their demographic. They failed to stay current - which in this day and age is fatal - to both products and people.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

right, but a DTS is still impractical because sedans don't make as much sense for older people as CUVs with the higher seating position. i personall hope MOST sedans go away as they make little sense to me.

oh goodie, can't wait to see front wheel drive DTS's at car shows and cruise-ins in years to come.

actually the canvas or velour roofs will be a treat to see. they usually as ugly as the toupee's of the drivers.

IS-SV

^^ Good points about the higher sitting position of CUVs for old folks easy entry/exit as well as improved visibility while driving in traffic, I brought this up earlier in thread. The visibility reason resulting from high seating position is why I have used some form of SUV for commuting and in town errands for over 10 years.

And crappy vinyl roofs are the ultimate eyesore in poor taste. lol, I'm not worried about seeing DTS at car shows, at least not the car shows I attend.

LexBob2

Living in FL, I respect and agree with your opinion on canvas/velour roofs, DTS's and toupees. You didn't inlclude whitewalls and gold emblems though.

LexFather

Indeed. I am seriously considering a SUV my next go round for a daily. Tired of dropping low in that seat.

IS-SV

To me a tallish SUV/CUV is the ultimate commuter vehicle for commuting and heavy traffic runabout/urban assault vehicle. More so for the reason of visibility from the high seating position. It makes driving in heavy traffic less stressful and just plain easier.

Rollover safety is a non factor in this kind of usage (because the new SUV/CUVs are much better in stability aspect and also because the average speeds during commutes are lower during commute hours).

One of my favorites is RR Sport for above purpose, but that's drifting off topic. More on topic is the popularity of CUV's for retired folks given the easy entry/exit and command driving position.

mmarshall

And how about the not so-crappy ones? I've seen a number of both vinyl roofs and whitewalls that I thought looked pretty good, except for the really garish and tasteless whitewalls that cover the entire sidewall, not just a thin white stripe (some old Cadillacs used to have tires with both white AND gold stripes). I'll admit, though, that both can sometimes be a PITA to clean and take care of, and rust in the sheet metal sometimes gets set up underneath vinyl roofs, causing unsightly bubbles. I'm not a fan of gold trim, either.....on that, I agree with you guys.

Diemellz

same thing i was thinkin, most older guys i know and see toke good care of there caddies like it was n enzo....im just saying, the right wheels and combo, the DTS is stunning, still 1 of my fav big cars with those quad pipes, elegant look, some models even had analog clocks, mesh grills.... so **** @ GM for the neglect

caddyowner

I posted the link to this thread in the DTS forum on Sal's www.cadillacforums.com .

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...xus-forum.html

SLegacy99

The front interior looks very Chevy.

IS-SV

No comment, we know your taste in cars.

mmarshall

I'll comment, though. My taste in cars runs a whole lot more than just cosmetic frills. But the point I was making was that some of them are classy and make the car a lot nicer. Others don't...they are either poorly-done or just overkill.

IS-SV

Oh my, no comment (on "classy" vinyl roofs, etc.).

mmarshall

Well, they aren't very classy when they start to peel off.....or when underlying rust-bubbles start poking through.