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XT5

XLRATING

Seasoned Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
1,832
Location
Virginia
My XLR/V(s)
2006 Infrared XLR (Beauty); 2008 GT500 (Beast); 2007 Black XLR-V (Victor)
Mike got a 2017 XT5 for a loaner. I checked it out, including starting it & working through the "BMW-style" automatic gearshift with a park button (?!), though I didn't actually drive it. Although this type of SUV is the last type of vehicle I would be interested in (plus I have a few issues with Cadillac's new president & the direction they're going), it is really, really nice inside. Nicer even than the 2015 CTS loaner I had. The seats are super comfortable & wrap around you very nicely. This was the lowest end model (just shy of $50k) but still had side blind zone alert, cross-traffic alert, fully automatic hatch door, etc. It's miles beyond better inside than my 2013 coupe.

If you're in the market for something like this, I'd recommend checking it out.
 
I'm driving an XT5 AWD Luxury while my car is in the shop getting a short list of warranty items taken care of. The car has three added options: Crystal White Tintcoat paint, ($1200) the more expensive CUE, (which comes with navigation for $1000!) and the fourteen-speaker Bose, as opposed to the eight-speaker system. The sticker lists it for $52k.

Drive:

Compared to the heavier steering of the 2016 SRX the XT5 replaces, this car's handling is much improved. The interior is tomb-like quiet at highway speeds. The double-sectioned Ultra View sunroof is expansive. The new shifter operates differently, but it makes sense once you get used to it. Like my car, it has cap-less fuel filling, which I've come to enjoy. Luxury trim includes the Driver Awareness package, which is one of the best safety features modern Cadillacs offer. The folding mirrors are a nice touch, though both of them use the window as a hard stop and you can see the mirror housing rise slightly as it's compressed against them. Maybe this is mechanically adjustable inside.

Acceleration is nothing to write home (or here) about. Braking is typical of a vehicle of this size/weight. Engine noise/feedback is practically nil.

The often-maligned 8-speed tranny is smooth and seamless. --Speaking of seamless, a lot of XT5 owners are complaining about the automatic start-stop feature being overly intrusive. In this vehicle, it's very subtle. I could only tell it was active when the AC air output shifted slightly. Application of the accelerator instantly starts the engine.

There is no switch or CUE software control to disable it (yet) but I explained how to defeat it on the XT5 forum by installing a ten-second, time delay switch that fools the car into thinking the hood was opened after the ignition is enabled, so there is a work-around if someone can't live with it.

Interior:

The leather only extends to the seating surfaces, center armrest and door arm rests. Pleather adorns the dash (but looks like stitched leather until you touch it.) It's the same thick cowhide typical to Cadillacs; I'm spoiled from semi-aniline leather now. It is standard on the Platinum trim though.


An overhead sunglass storage compartment, right behind the OnStar controls is a nice touch reminiscent of my Eldorado. I wish all Cadillacs had these.

The accent lighting is far too minimal - there are LEDs in the door handle recesses. For those who haven't experienced accent lighting (when implemented properly) it's a nice touch at night. It isn't expensive, so it's a shame GM doesn't make it standard on all Cadillacs.

The seats are nearly identical to mine, but the thigh bolster is different, and these aren't ventilated. (Which only works if the seat is already cool - if the interior is hot, the pre-warmed ventilated seats just blow hot air through them, making you feel worse; be thankful for the XLR's cooled seats.)

The Rear Vision camera is the same crap-tastic, low-quality camera Cadillac has been using for years. My 1080P dashcam is light-years ahead in terms of image quality, -especially in low-level light conditions.

Visibility is about what you would expect, but the tiny rearview mirror doesn't give you much to look at through the rear window. Cadillac's expansive rear camera mirror (available on upper trim levels) should be a standard safety feature for all levels of this vehicle.

CUE: The responsiveness and overall speed of CUE has been improved, with a newer version just released to this year's CTS recently. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are nice additions. There are a lot of unused switch locations around the display missing for options unavailable in this trim level. This extends throughout the dash.

The user-configurable dash display is not offered in the Luxury trim level, --only analog gages with an LCD screen in the middle that can be customized in three sections. I like the ability to select what I want to see depending on the situation. It's hard to miss something you've never had, but after living with customized dash displays for two years, I'm sold.

Exterior:

No lighted door handles for this trim level. Forward lighting isn't impressive in this trim either. To me, one of Cadillac's instantly recognizable signature features is the vertical lighting which makes their cars stand out at night. The brighter LED lights are a nice touch, but you have to pay more for them in a higher trim level.


Overall, the XT5 is an improvement over the car it replaces, but unless you fork out the bigger bucks for a Premium or Platinum model, it's pretty dull -which is of course the whole point of having multiple price points for each model. As long as JdN is going for an alphabet soup model naming convention, he might consider renaming the trim levels to something more descriptive: Bland, Teasing, Comfortable, and Luxurious, which better reflects current offerings across their entire model lineup.

Sedan sales are tanking in the US, and Cadillac is frantically ramping up to bring several new SUV models to market while eliminating the ATS, CTS, and XTS by 2019. The XT5 is one of the brand's best-sellers.

Looking around the filled-to capacity parking lot at the grocery store the other day, I couldn't help but notice that 75% of the vehicles were sedans, and the rest were SUVs and a few trucks. Maybe it's just the luxury sedan market that's sluggish; Cadillac's prices sure have skyrocketed (as JdN tries to emulate the European lux market) in recent years, which may be major factor.

CC :wave:
 
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