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What is it like to own an ELR?

12K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  llninja 
#1 ·
So, Blastphemy (or any other owner), let's cut right to the chase. What is it like to own an ELR? At stoplights, do people stare? Do BMW owners steal furtive, envious glances at it? When you go the grocery store do people gather around and try to touch it? Does anybody even know what it is? Do people even notice it?:rolleyes:
 
#3 ·
Curious, have you seen one around Syracuse? I haven't.

There's probably many people who think that about Volt owners too though... "Nice car but really? Could have had 2 Cruzes or one and a whole lot of cash" :)

It's all relative, and each vehicle serves a market.

The Cadillac ELR ad on InsideEV's today cracks me up, I think it's well done. Really, it could've been any product in the ad, but I liked it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
So, Blastphemy (or any other owner), let's cut right to the chase. What is it like to own an ELR? At stoplights, do people stare? Do BMW owners steal furtive, envious glances at it? When you go the grocery store do people gather around and try to touch it? Does anybody even know what it is? Do people even notice it?:rolleyes:
Let me tell you, it's a very different experience from parking my Volt somewhere. When I'd park my Volt in a parking lot, on the street, in my driveway, etc. I'd occasionally have someone approach me and ask about it. ("Hey, is that an electric car? How does it work?")

But when I park my ELR in my driveway, neighbors come over and ring my doorbell to ask about it; when I park on the street, there's usually 2 or 3 people gathered around it when I come back from my errand; and when I park on a parking lot, it's very difficult to leave since cars keep stopping behind me (while I'm trying to back out) to gaze at it. I've had more women come up to me in just this past week to ogle the car and start a conversation with me than ever spoke to me in four years of college! And my wife is standing right there laughing her ass off at all the cougars who don't even notice her. I gotta see if my wife will let me park this baby at a strip club! lol!! ;)

As for driving, that's also a very different experience from the Volt. I don't even know why Cadillac bothered to include Sport mode since Touring feels every bit as responsive as the Volt's Sport mode. I think Sport just tightens up the suspension and steering a bit, and perhaps adds a bit more zip to the accelerator pedal's algorithm...but it's a lot more subtle than in the Volt.

Everything from how refined the ELR's deceleration is in 'L' to the quieter cabin to the improved sound system just makes every drive a pleasure. And when I transition to Extended Range mode, I usually don't even notice unless I'm going up a steep hill or matching speed with other drivers on the highway (where the 'speed limit' is considered a lower limit out here in Los Angeles - far different from the rural areas in which I grew up where cops would ticket for 2mph over the limit).

The regen paddles are very useful, and when I took out my Volt yesterday for a quick errand I really missed them (already!). I do quibble with how the regen paddles are implemented, but I'll get used to the deceleration curve eventually. The paddles really should have been made pressure sensitive, so pressing them hard would decelerate the car more aggressively while pressing gently would mimic driving in 'L' (or even less). With the current on/off programming, you have to keep pressing and letting go since they start off weak then get very strong, but there's no middle ground. That pressing-releasing creates a throbbing deceleration instead of consistent, smooth slowing, which could easily cause car sickness in those who are susceptible to it.

I agree with reviewers who complain that the C.U.E. system needs some work (it can be very sluggish at times, and the steering wheel selector can't be used to navigate items on the main nav screen); it's annoying that the CTS, ATS, Volt, Spark, Equinox, etc. all come with Siri Eyes Free but the ELR doesn't; and GM neglected to include a copy of the C.U.E. Infotainment manual with the car; but those problems do not overshadow my enjoyment of the car.

As for distance, I'm getting about the same as I did in my 2012 Volt, about 33-39 miles per charge; but I'm using 12.0 - 12.3 kWh of the battery to do it.

When I see an ELR, I think, there goes a guy with more money than brains.
Hey! :mad: I resemble that remark! lol.

I felt that way too, rickkop, until I drove the ELR for a week. You have no idea how much better this car is than the Volt. At the price I leased it, the ELR is definitely worth it. It's a shame Cadillac didn't leave out some superfluous things to get the price down so more people would buy it, but then I couldn't tell you what those superfluous things are (except, perhaps, the motorized cup holder cover).

I probably should have waited six months or so before grabbing the ELR, but...well, I couldn't!

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#6 ·
I've had more women come up to me in just this past week to ogle the car and start a conversation with me than ever spoke to me in four years of college!
Money shot! I might have to give this car a second look. This should be able to help me overlook the non heated/cooled cupholders.
 
#7 ·
Hey Blastphemy, is there an energy display screen on the Cadillac just like the newer model year Volts? (i.e. instantaneous kW to/from battery)

If so, can you confirm if the full power of the electric motor isn't realized until around 25mph? That's how it is on the Volt, and because of this software limitation, the 0-60 time is severely (and sadly, artificially) limited. I suspect the same thing for the Cadillac but haven't driven one myself.

They should've did away with the majority of that limiting for an increased acceleration time.
 
#18 · (Edited)
can you confirm if the full power of the electric motor isn't realized until around 25mph?
I can confirm that this is the case with the ELR. The battery does not show full utilization until 25-30 mph. Looks like the top of the curve is around +130 kW of power once it reaches 25-30 mph with the accelerator floored in Touring. On the reverse, I went down a steep hill at 65mph with the regen paddles depressed and got -60 kW recovery at one point. Does the 2013/14 Volt have that much regen? (Mine's a 2012.)

It occurs to me that I didn't test it out in Sport, but I don't believe that would affect anything when I floor it since the increased responsiveness is only in the earlier portion of accelerator pedal travel.

Think this is the case, it's definitely not worth an additional $40,000.
I agree, which is why I didn't pull the trigger until the dealership gave me an equivalent lease deal for a $60k Caddy.

I like your approach. You have it. We don't. And you're going to own it! :)
It's a really great car! I haven't regretting getting it for a single moment. But I admit, I will be jealous if people start getting lease deals for $500-600/mo, or if Cadillac eventually lowers the purchase price due to lower-than-acceptable sales. What's interesting is that two different people who approached me, recently, were very surprised that the car MSRP was $79k in my configuration. Yeah...they thought it had to be at least $100k to look that good! Woo hoo!
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#8 · (Edited)
See pages 7-9 of the ELR Convenience/Personalization Guide for what the energy screens look like. You can also see pages 5-27 to 5-30 and 5-38 of the ELR Owner's Manual. Based on those screens, I don't think I can confirm when the full power of the electric motor is realized, unfortunately.

The ELR doesn't go any faster than the Volt 0-60. I confirmed that with my 2012 Volt and 2014 ELR; both are about 0-60 in 9 seconds.

I think the ELR feels faster than the Volt because 'Touring' in the ELR is more like 'Sport' in the Volt. But the ELR also has a much more refined ride, which contributes to the feel of the acceleration.

EDIT: The very first screen on page 7 of the Convenience/Personalization Guide does indeed show an instantaneous kW meter. I've watched that grabbing electrons when decelerating, but haven't paid any attention when accelerating. I'll try to notice when full power kicks in on my drive home.
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#11 ·
And breaking ice with the ladies! Good heavens man, that argueably the best feature.
 
#15 ·
I can not understand why people keep talking about the price of the ELR. It is an amazing car that is worth the luxury elements if that is important to you. It only costs GM $26,000.00 to produce an Escalade, but no one ask why someone is willing to pay that additional money for the luxury.
 
#19 ·
Money is just money, but a car is a life-style. And no matter how you stack your $70,000, it will never look as good as an ELR. I did take one for a test drive several weeks ago and it was pretty amazing. The salesman let me drive it because he was bored or something. Blastphemy, you never said anything about how owners of other luxury cars react to your ELR.
 
#20 ·
Blastphemy, you never said anything about how owners of other luxury cars react to your ELR.
The ones who know what it is are excited to see an ELR in person and are happy that it at least looks like $79k. The people who don't know what an ELR is think it's a CTS-V and keep trying to race me off the line. I just let them waste dinojuice while I calmly drive my refined, patient (i.e., slower!) Cadillac at my own measured (i.e., slower!) pace while they look like lunatics in their BMWs, Mercedes-Benzs, Audis, and Infinitis. They can't see me through my tinted windows, so it just looks like I couldn't be bothered by their juvenile, immature antics and am thoroughly ignoring them because they're nothing but mildly bothersome puppy dogs in desperate need for validation with whom I refuse to play.

The couple of Tesla drivers I've either met at a stoplight or parked nearby usually just share a knowing look with me; they got their toy, and I got mine. Their toy is faster and bigger, but mine can drive as far as I want in any direction without being beholden by a route dictated by a supercharging station's location. Oh, and my car doesn't look like the child of a Ford and an Audi!
 
#21 · (Edited)
I fell in love with the new Cadillac style when the first CTS hit the show rooms. My only problem with the CTS was the near $40K price tag of the optioned models on the lot. Two years later I bought a brand new almost base 2004 in March 2005 for $23K ($10K off the MSRP). It was a combo of being one of the few people on the planet who prefers a manual transmission and a desperate car manufacturer and dealer trying to get rid of last years inventory. About 10 years later I did this again getting a $44K MSRP volt for about $22K once all the rebates and tax credits hit. When the volt first came out I thought it was overpriced. The $5K price cut for 2014 has really helped.

I have my eyes on a new ELR, but I will definitely wait until March 2015 to see if there are any deals to be had on 2014 models. Absolutely love the looks just wish I was filthy rich enough to afford one. From a looks standpoint, my humble opinion is that the ELR is much better looking than a tesla.

I would love to see a Caddy make a 4 door ELR similar to the ATS or CTS as well as a crossover ELR like an SRX.
 
#23 ·
I always thought of my Pontiac Grand Am as a transportation appliance. But Blastphemy tells how his car attracts women. That's a lifestyle change. I know an ELR would change my lifestyle. Books have been written about money. It depends on how you want to use it. Few people have the freedom you're talking about, Elemental. Most can only chose what they want to be chained to.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I see you're point, and on the surface it can be argued. But when you look deeper how does a $100,000 car do it's core job better than a Grand Am. The core job of the machine is to transport you along the same roads. Other then HOV lanes in some states, youre on the same road at the same speed. The ELR does the same core job as a Aveo.

Of course, the ELR is sexier, but thats programmed into us. It's more comfortable of course, so you do get what you pay for. I drove a 2000 Kia for years. It did what I needed it to do in a cost effective manner. I bought the volt based on lifetime operating costs and weighed that against the added luxuries it provided. I didn't buy it to make a statement or attract women.

I would love a ELR, and the changes in lifestyle it brings....But the car isn't the lifestyle. The programmed repsonse by vane women is the change.

Not sure that got across how I wanted it to.
 
#25 ·
Was charging my Volt at a Chevy dealership and was talking to a senior salesman. Apparently he had a Volt for a few years and traded it in for CTS in recent months, he missed the Volt the first time he went to the gas station...

I asked him if he wanted to go Cadillac why not the ELR? He said it was not yet out and did not anticipate the unpleasantness of going back to gas. He had serious buyers remorse... He wished he waited for the ELR...

Once you go electric, driving a ICE car is like driving a stream engine - dirty and expensive to run and maintain.

Reminds me of 'Anthony's Song' by Billy Joel - "oh hes trading in his Chevy for a Cadillac-ac-ac"
 
#26 · (Edited)
But I can understand the desire for and decision to spend a lot more for a Cadillac with all the 'bells and whistles'. If you make enough money that the $79k is not a big deal and can enjoy what the ELR has to offer - go for it...

For $79k I would get a 60kwh Model S.

But if money was no object, I might get an ELR (yeah would keep the Volt for a run around car and for sentimental reasons) but the main local car would be a Roadster and main distance car would be a Model S, I would electrify and freshen up the interiors of the Mera and Delorean for 'fun' cars. The ELR would be a nice ride for a roadtrip beyond supercharger coverage, I really like the styling.
 
#27 ·
For $79k I would get a 60kwh Model S.
For $79k you'd be able to have the base model plus about $7,750 in extra packages.

For example, you could get the Tech Package, Parking Sensors, Fog Lamps, Extended Nappa Leather Trim, and Premium Interior Lighting. But for $79k you're not going to get Parking Sensors, the Ultra High Fidelity Sound System, Alcantara Headliner, Subzero Weather Package, Smart Air Suspension, etc.
 
#28 ·
My Model S config would only have the pano roof and paint package, standard suspension and 19in wheels.

I do not like the active suspension, I have friends that pay a few k to fix them only after a few years in their Mercedes S Classes. I am not into big ghetto wheels, 19in tires are cheaper to replace. I do not like leather interior as do not eat meat, not a psycho about it so not going to tell you not to get it, but I do not like animal skin stuff, kind of macabre for me... The parking sensors might be nice but I am not used to having them so would not miss them. The base model sound system is ok for me as I am not a true audiophile. I avoid driving north of I-4 in the winter so the weather package would not get used much, most of the year I just ride around with the windows down and only use AC when is over 85 degrees and no sea breeze (coastal FL is much nicer than steamy inland places like Orlando).
 
#30 ·
For my current commute, I'd take the ELR over the Tesla. It just looks cooler and I only need a two seater to get my daughter to school. Alas, I'm going to have to wait and save my pennies. Unlike most people who are leasing, I took a leap of faith and bought my Volt.
 
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