Chart Of The Day: Cadillac CTS Sales Are Down 41% In 2015

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

In each of the last five months, General Motors has failed to sell more than 1,800 copies of the CTS. Sub-2K CTS sales months are unheard-of. Even in 2012, when CTS volume slid 15%, Cadillac averaged 3,914 CTS sales per month in the United States and never fell below 2,300.

CTS volume dropped 31% in 2013 and another 4% in 2014. However, over the course of the last two calendar years, Cadillac averaged 2,644 CTS sales per month and never slid below the 2,000-unit mark.

In 2015, the CTS has been hit even harder.

Let’s remember, the CTS is not positioned in the market the way it was in prior generations. It’s no longer an upsized 3-Series rival. No, it’s the ATS’s role to now be an undersized 3-Series rival. Instead, the CTS attempts to line up directly against the BMW 5-Series, a car which is averaging more than 4,100 monthly sales in 2015.

But it’s not working. U.S. CTS sales slid 24% to just 1,698 units in January, the fourth consecutive January in which CTS sales declined. February volume likewise declined for the fourth consecutive year. March sales were down 49%. CTS sales in April plunged 47%. Most recently, May volume fell 38% to 1,792 units, and that was the best month of the year thus far. Year-to-date, the CTS is America’s 76th-best-selling car. It ranked 59th at this time a year ago.

Total Cadillac car volume is down 20% to 29,124 units in 2015, just 43% of the brand’s total. However, Cadillac sales are down just 1% overall because the brand’s Escalades and SRX are collectively up 21%.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Timothy Cain
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  • Seanx37 Seanx37 on Jun 12, 2015

    Caddy has a lot of problems. All of which are listed in the comments. The CTS is overpriced,has too small of a backseat, and costs too much. The new CT6 is way overpriced, and had a damn 4 banger as its base engine. The turbo 4 is fine for the low end ATS. But no medium or large Caddy should have a 4. The CT6 should be Turbo V6 or V8 only. My father has a CTS, his fourth. I like it, if I am driving, or in the passenger seat. I don't fit in the backseat. GM should sell the Chinese long wheelbase version. The ATS...well, they have to lease something to people for $229 a month. A loaded v6 model isn't too bad. But it costs more than the much bigger, nicer Hyundai Genesis v8.

    • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Jun 12, 2015

      A 25k (real world pricing) leather trimmed 2015 Hyundai Sonata has more interior room, rides as well, has better fit and finish (and gauges), is as quiet, and more reliable than a 55k Cadillac CTS. Hyundai finally got serious about suspension tuning. A 2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 at 34k real world pricing blows the ATS, CTS and XTS into the weeds. Cadillac needs to first catch Hyundai before it can claim with a straight face that its a competitor to the Germans.

  • 415s30 415s30 on Jun 17, 2015

    I never see these in SF/marin, it's a German/Japanese area mainly. The new Maseratis are creeping in a bit.

  • MaintenanceCosts Poorly packaged, oddly proportioned small CUV with an unrefined hybrid powertrain and a luxury-market price? Who wouldn't want it?
  • MaintenanceCosts Who knows whether it rides or handles acceptably or whether it chews up a set of tires in 5000 miles, but we definitely know it has a "mature stance."Sounds like JUST the kind of previous owner you'd want…
  • 28-Cars-Later Nissan will be very fortunate to not be in the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11 reorganization over the next 36 months, "getting rolling" is a luxury (also, I see what you did there).
  • MaintenanceCosts RAM! RAM! RAM! ...... the child in the crosswalk that you can't see over the hood of this factory-lifted beast.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Yes all the Older Land Cruiser’s and samurai’s have gone up here as well. I’ve taken both vehicle ps on some pretty rough roads exploring old mine shafts etc. I bought mine right before I deployed back in 08 and got it for $4000 and also bought another that is non running for parts, got a complete engine, drive train. The mice love it unfortunately.
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