Fizzboy7

This IS indeed the biggest reason for struggling Impala sales. It falls into one of those "tweener" categaries- a little bigger and a little more expensive than where the core market is (Accord/Camry/Altima/Fusion/Passat). The Taurus, Avalon, and Maxima all have similar struggles, which have also been documented.

The other reason for falling sales is a more complex man-made problem, one that I have been pointing out for about two decades with car reviews. The latest Impala suffers from what many previous past LOUSY cars have suffered from. And that is ratings and reviews based on a comparison of a previous lousy model and not current competition. This has always happened since the beginning of car reviews, and happened when this Impala debuted. Everyone was so enthralled and amazed what an improvement it was over the previous unit, they couldn't contain themselves and gave it glowing reviews. But in reality, that is not how the car really is nor should be judged by (it is GOOD, not great). All new models should always be judged by their current peers. If that were done, hype would have been less, GM would have built less, and we would not be having this conversation. But it is human nature to go gaga-googoo over a new car that greatly improves upon itself. We cannot contain our enthusiasm. I'm guilty of the same at times, but always try to set aside any shock and surprise and keep the current bar at hand.

SW17LS

The bottom line is, you can build a great car and if it isn't priced and packaged properly...it will be a slow sell. I think GM's issue here is that their expectations have far outpaced reality.

I think the issue with the Impala is that its just not a product that the modern American carbuyer really wants. Its a very good car but its ponderously big, it has a little bit of a unrefined blue collar appeal...which is at odds with the demographic they are trying to reach. Its a throwback type car to an era that is just over in the American auto market.

As for Cadillac...they are just way too expensive. Buyers need to perceive value when choosing a Cadillac. Even with deep discounts, that initial cost of entry keeps people from cross shopping it with an equality priced 5 or E Class. If the CTS were priced more similarly to the GS, it would sell much better.

Toys4RJill

You sum it very well. Compared to past rental fleet Impalas it is good. I personally don't think the Impala has a very attractive interior and Car & Driver agrees and I am not exactly sold on the exterior, especially the rear wheel well areas. Overall the car just does not look modern or contemporary for that matter. When compared against the Avalon, the Toyota still came out on top, at least according to Car & Driver.

Toys4RJill

This is exactly the issue, I don't think it looks very contemporary to modern designs. For a GM fan boy, I am sure it is appealing, but I would rather purchase an Accord or Camry with the V6 option and loaded trim levels.

SW17LS

I like a big, comfortable car...but even I think the Impala is too big. Bottom line is the demand for this particular type of car is shrinking, not growing, and sales of these cars are going to shrink not grow...goes for the Avalon too.

If I were going to buy a loaded Impala or Avalon, I'd buy a V6 Hyundai Genesis. Its large without being too large, has a better drivetrain layout, much better build quality and higher product quality. It drives like a big comfortable sedan without being over the top throwback like the Impala.

LexBob2

Impala sales for 2014 were 140,280 (-10.5%) and for Jan 2015 9,214 (-22.5%) definitely a declining trend. Cadillac was also mentioned in the article and their sedan sales were off as well.

TangoRed

Just a note- the Impala is one size up from the cars you listed. Perhaps you're thinking of the Malibu, as the Impala's competitors from those automakers is the Taurus and Avalon.

pbm317

As others have noted, the "Fullsize" mainstream sedan market continues a downward march in the overall automotive industry. There was some brief uptick in 2013 when the Avalon and Impala first debuted, but sales were down again in 2014 despite incentives being cranked up.

The midsize sedans (Accord, Camry, etc) have gotten larger and nicer, encroaching on the Fullsize sedans of the past, and more and more people look to a crossover/SUV to fit 4-5 adults, which Fullsize sedans used to serve. On top of the luxury brands also increasingly compete in the $30-$40K price range where the bulk of these Fullsize sedans transact in.

Toys4RJill

Well I have to disagree with you and here is why, the Impala starts at almost $5000 less than an Avalon and with their corase sounding I4 , one must consider a Camry and Accord as a competitor. And if you do a competitor comparo at Chevy the Camry is not all that smaller than you think.

IMO, the Impala slots in between the Camry and the Avalon, sure it is a "large" car BUT with a Chevrolet 4 cylinder motor, a $27,000 base MSRP and a less than premium "design" to the interior, it really is more like a Camry than an Avalon.

The Avalon is a true "premium" car that is large, the Impala is not a "premium" car that is also large. Those are just my thoughts.

TangoRed

I respect your opinion, but this is like saying the LS460 doesn't compete with the S-class because it can come in short wheel base form at a much cheaper price point.

The Taurus and Charger all start in the high twenties while the 300, Azera, and Avalon start at a higher price. So maybe not direct competitors but I can guarantee you the Malibu is positioned to be the true Camry/Accord competitor by Chevrolet themselves.

spwolf

while in general, I agree that big sedan market is not doing great even in USA, where it still exists (and I guess in China for some vehicles, rest of the world, ti is dead completely), Avalon is example of sales being good not bad... And together with ES350, they stayed essentially flat in 2014 over record braking 2013.

And Avalon is up actually in January YoY by decent amount (10%). It just shows that it is important that actual car is good.

mmarshall

It's exactly as you say, Tango. The Malibu has, in fact, been GM's primary Camry/Accord competitor for years (though the Saturn Aura also joined in briefly before that division went under). The Impala, particularly the present version, clearly competes with the Avalon, Azera, Kia Cadenza, and, of course, to some extent, its own Buick LaCrosse cousin. The 300, though, I'd put into a slightly different class, due to its V8 and RWD configuration. That Hemi is clearly out of the league of the power plants in the Avalon/Impala/Cadenda/LaCrosse class, though the V6 300 is somewhat closer to them.

SW17LS

Of course as soon as I say the market for these is shrinking, friend of mine posts a pic of a big shiny Impala LTZ on FB....traded an old E Class for it.

So WTF do I know? LOL

mmarshall

Now you know how I felt last year when one of our condo board members came home with a brand new Azera.

She had spoken with me, in the pool, several times, about getting a new car, and seemed Gung-Ho on either another Camry (she had put a lot of miles on her old Camry) or a new Outback for winter. So, instead, she comes home with an Azera......those heavy discounts on it, from slow sales, seemed to do the trick.

mmarshall

Back to the original topics (ATS and CTS), even with a general production cutback, Cadillac is now taking orders for the ATS-V.

http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/...et-for-Spring/

Cadillac dealers are now accepting orders for the 2016 ATS-V, the brand’s inaugural luxury compact performance car, which will be assembled at the Lansing Grand River plant starting this spring.

“The V-Series is the ultimate expression of Cadillac’s re-ignited product substance and the passion at the core of our brand,” says Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac’s president. “The ATS-V expands the V-Series lineup, bringing a new kind of performance character to Cadillac.”

With starting prices of $61,460 and $63,660, both the sedan and coupe are powered by the Cadillac Twin Turbo engine, which produces 455 horsepower, 445 pound-feet of torque, and a top speed of 189 mph.

Drivers can also utilize the vehicle’s performance data recorder to record high-definition video of their driving experiences on and off a track, enabling sharing on social media.

Consumers can order ATS-Vs now through dealers, and begin specifying their own ATS-V online at cadillac.com in April.