Cars and Drivers

Cadillac's Problem of the Cars It Can't Sell

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: April 29, 2016 6:56 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 10:07 am

Cadillac dealers have a problem. The cars they take from the manufacturer sit on their lots for a longer time than almost any other car company’s models. It is likely a sign that the luxury car brand of General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM), in a battle with the industry leaders BMW, Mercedes and Toyota’s (NYSE: TM) Lexus, is failing.

According to a new study by 24/7 Wall St., Cars Americans Don’t Want, Cadillac has three models on the list: ELR, ATS and CTS. Cadillac has released a new large sedan, the CT6, which it hopes can reverse a difficult trend.

A look at the three models that have been at the core of Cadillac’s difficulties:

ELR
> Make: Cadillac
> Avg. days to turn: 208.6
> 2014-2015 sales change: -21.8%
> Starting MSRP: $57,500

The ELR is one of three Cadillacs to make the list of the cars that spent the most time on dealer lots before being sold in 2015. It is also one of only two to take more than 200 days on average to sell. Cadillac skipped the 2015 model year, which may have contributed to the high days on lot for the ELR.

ATS
> Make: Cadillac
> Avg. days to turn: 153.3
> 2014-2015 sales change: -10.1%
> Starting MSRP: $33,215

Cadillac’s ATS is a relatively recent addition to its lineup, having been introduced for the 2013 model year. Sales of the ATS, a smaller and cheaper version of the CTS, declined by 10.1% from 2014 to 2015. While this was less of a decline than the CTS’s sales decline of 37.4%, the ATS spent nearly two weeks longer on the lot before being sold than its counterparts

CTS
> Make: Cadillac
> Avg. days to turn: 141.3
> 2014-2015 sales change: -37.4%
> Starting MSRP: $45,560

The third generation of the Cadillac CTS made its debut in 2014. Despite receiving generally positive reviews, sales of the luxury sedan declined by 37.4% from 2014 to 2015. Cadillac CTS models sit on the lot for an average of 141 days before selling, far longer than is typical.

Methodology:

To determine America’s slowest-selling cars, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed days to turn figures provided by Kelley Blue Book, vehicle research and valuation site. This figure measures the average number of days a particular model spent on dealers’ lots following its arrival until it was sold in 2015. Additionally, Kelley Blue Book provided figures on U.S. sales by model for 2013, 2014, and 2015. We also reviewed monthly sales releases published by auto manufacturers. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) figures, come from the manufacturers’ websites.