You answered my question with my question.

Thanks @Hoovey2411 ! The XT4 looks so different from the Equinox, I don't think it really matters...

 

 

One thing that hasn't been brought up in this thread (at least, from what I can see) are the nice Metallic Autumn and Metallic Atlantic colors offered on the XT4 (illustrated below). Both of them, IMO, are gorgeous, although they cost extra ($695), like everything else on the XT4 that isn't traditional silver. The Crystal White Tintcoat and Red Horizon Tintcoat cost even more ($1225)....and the Red appears to be the same paint job that was $695 on my Verano, and that some Chevy models offered without an extra charge. GM has to get the way it markets and charges for colors under control...the present system, IMO, makes little or no sense.

 

 

Because you're paying for a badge.
The Chevy is free because it's the mainstream brand of the GM family.
The Buick is a few hundred because it's the upscale brand of the GM family.
The Cadillac is more because it's the luxury brand of the GM family.

 

I'm not quite sure I agree with your reasoning. More expensive vehicles should offer more expensive paint jobs as standard....not charge for them. You are already paying for the better paint job in the higher base price. Buying a Cadillac, with its higher base price to start with, should get you a better paint job than a Chevy without having to pay an additional charge over and above the extra Cadillac surcharge. It's obvious, at least IMO, why Cadillac does it. They figure that the generally well-heeled clientele that buy Caddies, on a 50 or 60K vehicle, aren't going to raise too much of a stink about $1000 extra paint job (often the same paint as on lesser GM vehicles). ...so they profiteer.

 

Stay away from Porsche, Benz, BMW etc.. then

The paint job itself is very similar, if not a step or two difference. You're paying for the color. Cadillac and Porsche are happy to sell you a funeral home color, but if you want to stand out with your purple car, you're going to pay.

 

You are thinking too logically about this.

Mass-market car buyers are looking for value, getting the most bang for the buck. If they can get a premium feature at a low price -- or free -- they will like the brand more.

Upmarket buyers are willing to pay a bit more for what they get. They are, after all, willing to pay a few extra dollars to get a Buick badge rather than a Chevy badge.

Luxury buyers are even more willing to pay for what they want and what they can get. If they are willing to pay for a feature, why not charge them (extra) for it?

 

I agree. The Germans (and Swedes) were the ones that originally started that extra-cost crap for all of the metallics...though extra-cost paint colors themselves, from what I can remember, go all the way back to the famous lollipop-hues of the early-70s Dodge/Plymouth muscle-cars.


Anyhow, back to the thread-topic XT4, those orange/Autumn and ocean-blue shades are NICE....they just may be worth the extra (roughly) $700. I'd probably choose the Autumn if I was ordering one from the factory, and none were available on the lot.

 

I snuck in an Atlantic Blue comment a bit earlier. I've been pining for a car this color. Audi keeps teasing us with pre-production offerings in teal, but it's still only a special order color ($3900). Glad to see GM bring it around and hope others follow. I can't be the only one who is dead tired of the same old colors from everyone. Medium blue's have just about disappeared.

 

Sorry if I didn't catch that, Fizzboy, and thanks for the comment. I'd also like to see Amythist come back....a gorgeous purplish-gray. GM offered it some years ago on the DeVille/DTS, and in a very dark Amythist on one or two vehicles since then, but not very much.

Interesting that the Lincoln MKC, arguably the XT4's closest competitor, offered a dark purple its first year (it was also the feature color at auto shows), but the inexplicably dropped it the second year, even though there was much customer interest in it. Dealerships didn't order it for vehicles in stock, even though customers wanted it.

 

Well, FWIW, Wikipedia says the Equinox is based on the Theta Platform, but the XT4 is based on the E2 Platform (shared with Malibu and Regal TourX).

 

I am truly sorry that I caused you any harm by asking a question multiple times because you failed to answer it each time. Have a wonderful day.

 

agree.

while some might, i disagree that all upmarket buyers are willing to pay a few extra dollars to 'get a badge'... some, like me, couldn't care less what the badge is. it's about design, finish, quality, features, driving, utility, etc..

agree!