You can thank the entry-level ATS sedan for that. When it arrived in 2012, Cadillac decided to enlarge the next CTS and give it more features so that it could directly compete with the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Audi A6. It’s important to Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen that his company’s vehicles command “luxury prices.” He wants to reduce Cadillac’s reliance on incentives to increase resale values and rebuild the wreath-and-crest brand’s image.
Unfortunately, when the current CTS was first released in the fall of 2013, its prices were $6,000-$15,000 higher than those of its predecessor. According to Automotive News, “Dealers have complained that Cadillac is trying to price its newer entries head-to-head with BMW and Mercedes — a strategy that has proved hard to swallow for some returning customers.” Granted, the CTS’s four-percent dip in U.S. sales in 2014 wasn’t as deep as that suffered by the 5 Series (seven percent) and the E-Class (five percent), but that’s because the average incentive of $9,213 offered on each Caddy was the most generous.
In an effort to combat that slump and a seven-percent company-wide U.S. sales decline in 2014, Cadillac has put the following prices into effect:
-Premium Collection 3.6-liter V-6: $62,765 (down from $65,767, including shipping)
-Performance Collection: $58,365 (after a $3,000 reduction)
-2.0-liter models: cheaper by $2,000
-Performance Collection trim package: $56,665
It gets even better. Cadillac is also making certain popular options into standard equipment. For instance, the UltraView sunroof with navigation and an upgraded Bose stereo – all of which used to cost a total of $2,155 – will now come standard on Luxury-trimmed CTSs.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
