For reasons both cultural and non-commercial (I’m looking at you, tax-payer funded Top Gear), the British press feels less inhibited about telling the truth about cars than their American cousins. And when it comes to yank tanks, let’s just say the car hacks’ Super Ego takes a nice long holiday in Majorca. To wit: The Independent on Sunday’s review of the Cadillac SRX, in which Michael Booth tears Caddy’s crossover a new one. “Cadillac says it is ‘targeting’ the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML; ‘stalking’ would be a better description. Peering at them from behind the bushes while rubbing itself suggestively is about as close as the SRX is going to get to the premium German market.” And you thought TTAC was tough on the General. As Dick Van Dyke would say, 'cor blimey!
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You think BMW is gonna pull their press car privileges after that?
A funny write-up on the Caddy. What must it be like to live in the UK where the SRX is thought gargantuan?
Ouch.
Ouch indeed. I think the SRX with the revised interior and the V8 is the only Caddy I would even think about owning… Gee, what does that say about the rest???
Nobody administers a good, literate thrashing like the Brits. TTAC should hire a bunch of ’em.
I think we’re seeing a new type of automotive writer.
The ‘auto comedian’ critic…
Every little comment has a nice “bada bum!” (crash!) background to it in order to accentuate the awe inspiring humor and insight. It’s all quite easy and takes little genuine insight.
Just make a holier than thou remark in every single sentence and add about a ton of exaggeration to smooth out the edges. Pretend to be the automotive version of Jon Stewart, add in a dash of “why can’t they do things the right way” into your write-up, and revel in your all knowing angst. Congrats! You now get the modern day, cutting edge, automotive journalist.
Brock Yates would be spinning in his grave… but he’s not dead yet.
“Bada Bum!” (Crash!)
You now get the modern day, cutting edge, automotive journalist.
I get the impression that he found the vehicle so ridiculous that he couldn’t even write a review of it with a straight face.
Actually it’s truly sad. Are our vehicles so poorly regarded that this editorial is the norm versus the exception?
I would be curious to hear from our Europeans friends.
TTAC has a good radar. I read that this morning, European time, and thought I’d point it out here. No need for that.
A proper evisceration of a car the world doesn’t need.
This was fairly straight forward, I thought:
I am prepared to admit that this may be a question of taste, and good taste is of course that which is appropriate to the circumstances. Dressing like Big Bird for a funeral is bad taste. Dressing like Big Bird for a children’s party is kind of weird, but probably not so inappropriate. Similarly, driving a Cadillac in Michigan is probably acceptable but, even though it comes in right-hand drive flavour to lure the UK market, drive an SRX through Malmesbury and I’m afraid you’ll look a complete dick.
@ Bill Wade
I’m afraid that US manufacturing and craftsmanship/design has fallen behind severely. GM and Ford, Chrysler have been trying to see what they could get away with — while BMW, Audi and now Mercedes are looking into what they can improve.
Over a few years, the difference becomes glaring.
I’d like to see if the tables are turned when the CTS and CTS-V shows up. It sure looks right in person.
Maybe the BBC is taxpayer funded, but the British newspapers aren’t and therefore their opinions are valid, worthwhile and a heck of a lot more credible than such nonsense as Motor Trends’ Car of the Year, or any other American COTY award for that matter.
Not that I give a rat’s a$$ about anything GM makes ‘cept for the Corvette but you gotta remember…
This review from a country whose MGs, Austins, Rover Cars, Triumphs–and maybe soon Jaguar were sent packing because of their poor quality issues dated mechanicals, while the Japanese cars cleaned up.
Come to think about it, all that is wrong with the US domestic car industry has already happened inEngland’s car(and motorcycle) industry.
“People in glass houses…” well, you know the rest.
Terry:
It’s a good point you make. I’m sure many Americans would love to say “Yeah, but, at least we have a car industry,” whenever a Brit criticizes magnificent vehicles like the GMC Envoy or the Chrysler Sebring.
The problem with that thinking, though, is that it doesn’t address a certain underlying truth: The American car industry lags behind Japan and Europe. Whether it’s the Brits who are saying it or not, it’s a pretty fair assessment.
Actually that’s an ironic statement. I just test drove the new Chrysler Sebring convertible this past Fridayand you know what…
It’s actually quite a likable vehicle. The exterior is far nicer than the Solara, and it’s whisper quiet at highway speeds. There would be a few things I would change on it… Chrysler’s dashboard materials, the pseudo-chromium plastic inserts, a bit more wood in the design. But the exterior is actually very well done and the comfort level is more like a Mercedes than a last-generation Chrysler product.
As for the SRX, my brother has one. It’s actually an excellent coice at the price it sells at in the States. In fact, Car & Driver actually rated it best in class a few years back. I personally hate SUV’s but I find the Cadillac a lot less bland and obnoxious than most everything else in that market segment.
And that, my friend, is the closest I’ll ever get to endorsing an SUV.
It’s a fun review, and about what I would expect from the British motoring press. I’ve read English car mags for awhile, and have traveled in Europe extensively. Based upon that, a few observations:
-The English like to “take the piss” out of everyone. Their natural tendency is to skewer everything and everyone, and to take them down a notch. In that sense, the review is just another example of the English being, well, English.
-The British motoring press loves BMW (just as ours does) and home grown English cars (unlike ours), and absolutely takes delight in skewering just about any set of American wheels. While I won’t defend this GM monstrosity, the article’s critiques are fairly stock in trade, just what you’d expect from a British car review. You could swap out “Cadillac SRX” with just about any combination of American marques and nameplates, and end up with an identical review.
-These sorts of things really do look ridiculous in that setting. They are simply so much bigger than everything else around them that they look horribly out of place. A vehicle like this would give off a vibe that is similar to what happened in the US with the original Hummer, except the reception would be even more negative.
-The Brits have long resented the disparity in fuel prices between Europe and the US, and the larger vehicles that Americans have been encouraged to drive as a result. I won’t get into all the reasons why that may be the case, but understand that the thought of a fuel guzzler wearing an American badge is a huge turnoff to a lot of people. (Oddly enough, a V-8 Land Rover would never inspire the same degree of angst.) The few people who buy this thing in the UK will be making a statement, not just buying transportation.
Samir Syed:
July 15th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Terry:
It’s a good point you make. I’m sure many
The problem with that thinking, though, is that it doesn’t address a certain underlying truth: The American car industry lags behind Japan and Europe. Whether it’s the Brits who are saying it or not, it’s a pretty fair assessment.
Nothing to do with the English, but I think a big part of the US domestic car industry’s problem is that OUR companies dont think we lag behind anybody at all! And neither do their loyal customer/lemmings. As long as their “new” is somehow better/fresher/lomger/lower and wider than what they put out before, all is A-OK in their book. As Ive said before, they can forget conquest sales, it’s all they can do to retain the customers they do have.
Frome being in a dealer group that sells and services both domestics and imports, I get the feeling the domestics resent having to compete at all, that they dont want you to compare, and you shouldnt be looking at the imports anyway.
Funny… in the late ’60s early 70s, the domestics touted their engineering, style, POWER, handling(!) while the imports promoted their low price, economy of operation, reliability and dependability.
Seems like the tables have turned a 180…
The Mustang has received decent reviews in British magazines, as the reviewers see the car for what it is and accept it for that.
The problem with the SRX is that GM is touting it as a BWM and Mercedes competitor, and this writer – along with his counterparts at other British car magazines – isn’t at all shy about pointing out that the emperor has no clothes.
The Brits have always hated American cars. I would be worried if they didn’t complain about them – it would mean American cars are in fact truly dead, replaced by a mishmash Eurojapanese contraption.
Bring back the Fleetwood.
Noticed in the original article that their observed fuel mileage was 14 mpg–would that be IMPERIAL gallons? Hooboy, no wonder they see this thing as a fuel hog.
As for the article, I’ve seen this sort of cutesy metaphoric writing in the auto press on this side for years…just more aimed at American senses of humor.
“The Brits have always hated American cars. I would be worried if they didn’t complain about them”
Not really.
Chrysler has sold bucketloads of Jeeps, PT Cruisers, Neons, Voyagers, 300s and even the odd Crossfire (aka Mercedes SLK) in the UK and continues to do so. They don’t have a European division like Ford and GM do so they import their models from the US, Mexico etc. but have adapted them to the UK market.
Cadillac have been here before. They targeted the BMW 5 Series with the Seville STS a few years ago and failed appalingly. Even Bangle’s ugly 5-Series couldn’t help them.
I think its am image thing. Say Cadillac to an American and it generates an image of luxury, perhaps the fleetwood and other great cars of the past.
Say Cadillac to a Brit and it generates an image of 70s land yachts, Huggy Bear furry purple interiors and fake motel style wood. Say it to a teenage brit and its images of “Gansta’s” arriving at a “Save The World” concert in an Escalade.
This new campaign has the smell of commercial death all over it.