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New Buick Convertible


Lawteachr

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I like it, but would have preferred a grill more like the other Buick's.

 

I think the grill bar, at least in the pictures, is what makes it resemble the Sebring. IMO

 

Also, getting harder and harder to tell cars apart, and lot of that has to do with WIND TUNNEL work.

 

Dale in Indy

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5 minutes ago, smithbrother said:

I like it, but would have preferred a grill more like the other Buick's.

 

I think the grill bar, at least in the pictures, is what makes it resemble the Sebring. IMO

 

Also, getting harder and harder to tell cars apart, and lot of that has to do with WIND TUNNEL work.

 

Dale in Indy

X2 - my initial reactions exactly.  The least it needs is a waterfall grill.

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While meeting with the people at Freysinger Buick in Mechanicsburg PA. for our upcoming Mason-Dixon show (June 4th). I sat in the one that was in the show room (Flip Chip Silver). They also had a Graystone metalic one outside and my comment to my wife was that it did look like the Chrysler.  I also noted that most of the components are from Poland and I believe the final assembly in also in Poland. I have the sales brochure and was unimpressed with the colors offered. Most new cars I see in our area no mater what the make are BLACK, WHITE, GRAY, SILVER and an occasional BLUE. I also looked at a Encore and the sales man indicated that the 2017s will loose the vertical Buick type grill.

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22 minutes ago, dibarlaw said:

 I also looked at a Encore and the sales man indicated that the 2017s will loose the vertical Buick type grill.

Won't be able to distinguish it from a Chevy Traverse or a GMC Acadia. One more jelly bean to add to the bag.

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As far has the horizontal bar across the grille goes - yeah, that's a bit Chrysler-ish, but otherwise I don't think it looks a bit like a Sebring.  I think the Buick looks more muscular where the petnastar looks pretty milquetoast to me.  Maybe the Buick isn't quite International Raceway material, but the only central Florida vision that comes to my mind when looking at the Chrysler is blue-hairs clogging up US 27 in the town of its namesake.

 

Another thought on the grille:  Waterfall - Cascade - Cascada...  How did they miss that?  

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The Cascada has the potential to bring a lot of interest to Buick--

especially if it proves as reliable as the most reliable models on today's market.

I'm not so sold on the high rear end, though, as it takes away from the

grace of the car's profile.

 

Offering more than the current 6 blase colors would carry them farther.

With so many cars in mall parking lots being gray, and

many others being black, white, and the same pedestrian tones,

Buick could be a stand-out if they offered 15 paint colors--at at least 

4 interior colors--as they did for many years.  Even people who

aren't car fans like us want to express some individuality with their cars.

 

Porsche, for one, offers a "Paint to Sample" program, where

a buyer can pay extra and have absolutely any color he chooses.

Porsche also offers ANY interior color a buyer may want, at extra cost.

As it doesn't cost more to paint a Buick than a Porsche, Buick

executives need to take extra steps like this to make this car a stand-out.

 

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3 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Porsche, for one, offers a "Paint to Sample" program, where

a buyer can pay extra and have absolutely any color he chooses.

Porsche also offers ANY interior color a buyer may want, at extra cost.

As it doesn't cost more to paint a Buick than a Porsche, Buick

executives need to take extra steps like this to make this car a stand-out.

 

 

Drive your little red pre-war up to the local dealership and tell the sales manager you want a Cascada, but the color has to match the Buick you drove in.  Let them know that you understand it will cost extra, but if he can't make it happen, you'll walk.

 

Now, I haven't bought a new car or worked at a GM dealership since it became "New GM", but back in 2004 this was possible, and only a few hundred bucks extra. 

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Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told me last year

during an interview that a buyer COULD get

custom colors from General Motors.  I didn't ask how.

He has been retired 3 years or so from GM.

 

I called Buick just now (1-800-4A BUICK) and asked

the customer service girl about such a possibility.

She said it wasn't possible--but who knows how broad

her knowledge is?  So is there a little-known

program, as Mr. Lutz implied, where a car fan COULD

get custom colors?  If there is such a program, it should

be publicized far and wide among car fans, and in the Bugle.

 

Wouldn't it be great to have a Buick painted to your choosing?

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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There's a certain amount of risk that gets pushed back on the dealership when a special order color is processed.  The dealership doesn't want to get stuck with an obnoxious colored car on their lot.  Standard colors are safe, and dealerships generally like to sell from stock or dealer trade instead of making special orders from the factory that give you time to stew over your decision.

 

The last 2 new vehicles I bought happened to have great color palates, but I almost pulled the trigger on a special color back in 2003.

 

It all comes down to who you ask and how you ask it.  Of course, money talks.

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I would bet you pay a HEFTY price for custom color in today's world . 

 

This reminds me of the Fitty Fo Roadmaster Dad ordered as a carnival parade car.  

 

4-door, Bright green body, Bright red top, and Medium blue interior. 

 

It had to be paid for in advance, and factory called to confirm. 

 

When it arrived, the owner said, "SMITTY, ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL"  It did get your ATTENTION, Lol.

 

Dale in Indy

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Guest ShadowES

To see one in real life they look nothing like a Sebring.  Much different stance and much more sculptured.  The new grill bar appears to be the new face of Buick - it also throws back to the grill bars in the 55/56/57 Buicks so there is a heritage tie there. 

2017-Buick-LaCrosse-NCI-5.jpg

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Guest ShadowES

Exactly, it's a 2017 LaCrosse, Buick's new flagship to show that the bar is being seen on the upper Buicks.

 

Here is a nice shot of the Cascada to show it's stance.

2016-Buick-Cascada-Convertible-001.jpg

Edited by ShadowES (see edit history)
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4 hours ago, SpecialEducation said:

...Now, I haven't bought a new car or worked at a GM dealership since it became "New GM", but back in 2004 this was possible, and only a few hundred bucks extra. 

 

Mr. Special,

Do you know whether the GM custom colors back in 2004 were:

---Colors from that make that weren't standard-issue on that particular model,

   such as a Riviera color on another Buick model?

---Anything available from GM across brands, such as a Cadillac color on a Buick,

    or a 2002 color on a 2004 Buick?

---Or anything at all that the buyer defined?

 

The Porsche "Paint to Sample" program, the last I knew,

cost $4000 extra;  and their "Leather to Sample" was $4000 also.

Porsche offers many, many variations on things, but these things

rapidly escalate the price of a model.  They must have a very high mark-up.

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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Primarily, the custom colors were used by commercial buyers who wanted vehicles in company colors, but sometimes we ordered odd colors just for fun.  We may not have had a color analyzer to make a guaranteed match like your local hardware store will for your wall paint, but we had a book with dozens & dozens of colors to choose from.

 

That said, I don't think the gawdawful Forrest Service green was in the book, but it obviously didn't stop them.  I'm sure the bigger organizations just specified their own color formula. 

GvhAuwi.jpg

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7 hours ago, SpecialEducation said:

... I don't think the gawdawful Forrest Service green was in the book, but it obviously didn't stop them....

 

I'm so tired of seeing today's gray sedans--

dull colors on dull bodies--that I'm happy to

see ANY distinctive color on the road.

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48 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

I'm so tired of seeing today's gray sedans--

dull colors on dull bodies--that I'm happy to

see ANY distinctive color on the road.

 

Well, there's no doubt about it, the Forest Service green is distinctive.  When you see one of their surplus trucks on the road, you know exactly what it is and where it came from.

I'm going to try to meet up with the sales manager at the Buick dealership down the street later this week to hammer out some car show details.  I'll see if he can give me the skinny on the current process for special order colors while I'm there.

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In today's world, convertibles aren't for the average person and have always been among the higher priced models. The MSRP listed on the Buick web site is only $2,000 more than the Lacrosse. 

 

The Cascada isn't even shown on the Buick Canada site :(:angry:

 

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8 hours ago, wndsofchng06 said:

At 37k, It's out of the average person's reach.  I don't think this model will last long.

 

I know what you mean, Winds.

It seems like whenever Buick has a really special car--

the 1982-85 Riviera convertibles, the Reatta convertibles--

they price them so far out of the mainstream that they

sell very few.  And then the model doesn't last.

 

To my taste, the Cascada isn't really anything special--it looks like a basic compact to me--

so if the price is $37,000, its sales might be quite limited.

It's nice to see Buick at least trying;  but if it was great looking,

was priced like a Mazda Miata, and proved reliable,

sales would soar.  I hope the Buick executives think long-term with this,

keeping it in production to a 2nd generation that has more attention given to styling.

 

Myself, I'd rather buy a used car for $12,000 and put the remaining 

$25,000 into an antique car or two! 

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36 minutes ago, retirednow said:

I'm planning on getting a blue base model for 33 and change, baby the hell out of it w/ no winter driving. I'm 61 years old, so hopefully this one will last for the rest of my days 

Be very careful with that line of thought. About 1978 the banks started providing 10 year loans for cars. A friend of mine who was old, sickly, and frail decided to go out for a custom van at 12 or 14 K in '78 money on the ten year loan. The old timer thought he was going to stick them  by dying in four or five years; poor old guy paid every nickel and lived to see the van turn to a pile of rust.

 

On the car, I'm probably one of the marketing targets; just like I was when the '90's Roadmasters came out. Two weeks ago I looked at a Chevy truck for the same money. It had a V8, separate body and frame, elbow and ass room, and a long wheelbase. The back wheels pushed it. I like that configuration the way I like skinny women. My next car will probably be 8 Cylinders and something between 120 and 134 inch wheelbase. Ain't much new stuff fits that.

 

Oh, I'm 68 and last week I told my son I'll probably buy 4 more new Chevy trucks.

Bernie

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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Guest ShadowES
12 hours ago, wndsofchng06 said:

At 37k, It's out of the average person's reach.  I don't think this model will last long.

The industry average in 2015 was $33,500 so given for this being 2016 it is pretty close to the average new vehicle price. 

 

The car will be huge with the professional female crowd

Edited by ShadowES (see edit history)
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3 hours ago, retirednow said:

I'm planning on getting a blue base model, which goes for 33 and change, baby the hell out of it w/ no winter driving. I'm 61 years old, so hopefully this one will last for the rest of my days 

 

Hell Dave, it ought to last another 40 years or so till you're done with it.

 

 

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