You have to be so cross when you produce a car and that’s what happens to your client base. What do you do? Give it a facelift? Test when dealers don’t like it? “No no we want you to tell us which one you like least.”
In USA and certain degree Canada though "older people" is a huge rich client base. It's not necessarily a miss! Cadillac got re-cooled around second Matrix movie, but for a long time real estate / insurance agents and above-55 was basically their sum total audience (drug dealers aside :)... And it may be getting back there.
Oh gawd. The list. This was few years back but let me see:
1. It was huge and vast and over 5 meters long, but could not fit me - I am 188cm /6'2 and I had to bend my neck as it was too short in the cabin. With seat at lowest level. It did have a sunroof which I know impacts head space but for such a ridiculously long and non sporty car it was silly to shave few cm of needed head space. It also couldn't adjust seat and steering wheel in right proportion for my height - and while I'm tall I'm well on the easy part of bell curve.
2. I kept wondering if I'm sleepy or if there's a thunderstorm until I realized it had TINTED FRONT windshield. Didn't even think it was legal. It was definitely idiotic - I can't see outside as well as I should and other drivers can't see me as well as I should, especially since all other windows were even more heavily tinted - and this was a stock rental, not what some clueless teenager with disregard for reality did.
3.It had one of those wobbly knobs for gear shift. Ridiculous to operate, you have to look at screen to know which gear you're in. And so easy to dislodge! Yet, taking the same amount of space in the same spot as regular stick, so nothing gained and everything lost. (FWIW, I think there are gear stick alternatives that work, it's not like there's only "one true way" - e.g. Honda's system has supremely distinct look feel and feedback for each gear button and it's on dashboard so saves space; the Chrysler 300 knob is just clueless on all accounts).
4. It had a special spot for cell phone but it was already too small for current cell phones. And next to gear shift so when I went to reach for cell phone to stop it from falling, I changed gear.
I loved seeing the message "you're going too fast to engage reverse". The only thing stopping me from massive car wreck was a line of code written by cheapest bidding developer.
(again, long ago, but I think it had something like push down to get out of parking, but only soft detents for all other gears? It just felt scary and unresponsive and awful design; others must like it since it's there to this day:)
5. I don't remember details but I remember feeling there was complete lack of control. I don't think I could influence which gear it is in (higher trims may have had paddles but not this model). I don't think I could been choose rwd or awd mode. It had some stupid auto /as needed system. etc
6. Gauges area was colourful but I seem to remember the UI being poort. e. G. Huge picture of car but tiny little subtle colouring of wheels to show if it's in rwd or awd mode.
7. Too many things on touch screen as opposed to buttons. I forget details but I think I had to go two menus in to turn seat heater or change fan direction or something.
8. Did I mention it was more than 5 meters long (even though I couldn't fit into it), With horrible visibility? And darn near 4,500 pounds, with inertia and momentum to match. I think 300+ horses but nothing to show for it - you could overtake easily on highway in a straight line once you gave the car enough time & notice that you really actually wanted to do so, but completely unresponsive otherwise. It was a big lumbering beast and just not the car to drive in a new place as a sole occupant.
Overall just felt like an uncontrollable boat with awful milleage poor visibility horrible handling and impractical interior. The guy felt excited about the "upgrade" but after 2 hrs in it I realized I'd be steaming for the rest of the week and drove back to return it. My work colleague has one and adores it - wants to buy even bigger rims and washes it every weekend with love; though it may be an older model before the UI issues, to each their own - was not my cup of tea :)
Edit /Ps : fwiw and for calibration, car I ended up enjoying the most, unexpectedly, for business trip rental was... Chevy trax. Ridiculous underpowered stubby thing I'd never purchase, but it had superb visibility, short wheelbase, easy to get in and out of, intuitive control, predictable handling, good on milleage, easy to fit luggage in, easy to park. It was Great car for new places (note all of this was pre covid; WFH since)
