Short Report: With the 2017 XT5, Cadillac takes level aim at Lexus and Lincoln

Remember the original Cadillac SRX? Based on the same platform as the Cadillac CTS, the SRX came with a V6 or a V8 engine, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, 5-passenger or 7-passenger seating and near perfect front-to-rear weight balance. It awkwardly wore its Art & Science design elements, but in the right color, with the right wheels, it qualified as appealing. At the very least, it could be mistaken for nothing else on the road.

Cadillac replaced the original SRX with a smaller model, comfortable for no more than four people and offering less cargo space. It remained just as portly as the previous model, too, tipping the scales at well over two tons, and put a greater percentage of that weight over the front wheels, which were charged with tugging it around unless the buyer selected all-wheel drive. A V6 and turbocharged V6 provided motivation, the latter developed for use in the SRX’s platform-mate, the short-lived Saab 9-4X.

I never understood the second-generation SRX, or its appeal. But damn if it didn’t become Cadillac’s best-selling vehicle. Just goes to show you what I know.
Now, the SRX is dead, replaced by the new 2017 Cadillac XT5, or Crossover Touring 5. The first Cadillac crossover to receive the company’s new “XT” SUV naming convention (you can expect a smaller XT and a larger XT in the years ahead), the XT5 is crucially important to Cadillac’s success.

First, it replaces the company’s best-selling model.

Second, it must attract and satisfy broadly diverse luxury SUV customers while the automaker hustles to get more crossovers on showroom floors.

Third, it must rise above a longer list of competitors than did either of its predecessors.

Does the 2017 Cadillac XT5 have what it takes to succeed? Yes, as long as Cadillac is measuring success by Lexus and Lincoln trade-ins.

Reasons to buy a 2017 Cadillac XT5

Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? You’re considering a 2017 Cadillac XT5 for one of four reasons:

You want a luxury SUV, you want it to be built by an “American” car company, and Matthew McConaughey’s muttering hasn’t convinced you to blow thousands of extra dollars just to get a fancy Ford Edge.
You want a Lexus RX, but you can’t stand the way the new one looks, so you’re seeking an alternative, one specifically equipped with seating for five people and not seven, and those German-brand SUVs are just so dang serious and stiff.
You want a Cadillac, you want an SUV, and you either don’t want or can’t afford an Escalade.
You specifically want a Cadillac XT5 because you love the exterior styling and interior design.
Near as I can tell, styling is the Cadillac XT5’s primary selling point, what most differentiates it from other midsize luxury crossover SUVs. Especially when painted Dark Adriatic Blue, and especially when decked out with Platinum trim and a sumptuous Maple Sugar premium leather interior, this Cadillac looks terrific.

Bold facial features fade to tidy conservatism the farther back the eye travels, signature lighting signaling the XT5 as a Cadillac and not any number of cookie-cutter crossovers from other companies. The character line originating from the driver’s door is related to the SUV’s lower grille shape and front fascia seam, but to my eye it serves to emphasize the XT5’s already substantial forward visual mass and this Cadillac’s front-drive platform. Other than this misstep, this is a clean and balanced design that ought to age well.

Inside, and when viewed at a glance, the XT5 Platinum’s cabin is opulent. Semi-aniline leather covers the seats, while cut-and-sewn leather coats many interior panels and the dashboard. Maple Sugar is a rich, caramel-toned hue that beautifully compliments the wood trim and polished metal accents, and the Platinum model includes simulated suede trim on the headliner, windshield pillars, and on a section of the dashboard.

2017 CADILLAC XT5 EARNS IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+

This is an impressive interior, until you inspect it closer. Quality gaffes plagued my test vehicle, and the plastic used on the lower door panels is poorly executed, easily scuffed by shoes when entering and exiting the vehicle and displaying rough edges along the edges of the map pockets. General Motors has always had trouble executing the details of an interior, and the XT5 demonstrates that the struggle continues.

The XT5 drives like no other Cadillac, and that’s not a good thing

Aside from the aforementioned reasons, what might compel a person to buy a Cadillac XT5? That’s a tough question to answer, because aside from its design this luxury crossover simply meets rather than exceeds standards.

Driving the XT5, I got the sense that it is the first vehicle placed on a new global SUV platform from General Motors, rather than something unique to Cadillac like the foundations for the ATS, CTS and CT6. As it turns out, the XT5 and the redesigned 2017 GMC Acadia sit on the same platform and both are churned out by GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant.

What tipped me off? Mainly, it was the Caddy’s lack of suspension isolation and the amount of road noise making its way into the cabin.

Granted, my XT5 Platinum test vehicle was just about as loaded as this SUV gets, and was priced at $63,495, which is a whopping $23,500 higher than the base price. But I can’t be the only person on the planet expecting a certain degree of ride and handling refinement in exchange for that sum, and the XT5 missed the mark, especially considering that it had a real-time adaptive damping setup.

Had the XT5 delivered the engaging performance that Cadillac’s cars do, it might be excused for the excessive road rumble and suspension clatter. Instead, it supplies adequate driving dynamism.

The 310-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 delivers satisfying power while returning decent fuel economy. Thanks in part to cylinder deactivation and automatic engine stop/start systems, I averaged 21.4 mpg over the course of 600 miles of driving, and on my usual test loop the XT5 got 21.9 mpg. Both figures beat the EPA’s estimate of 21 mpg in combined driving, with all-wheel drive.

An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard, featuring paddle shifters and introducing a new Electronic Precision Shift gear selector. Like so many of these electric shifters, it takes awhile to get the hang of using it:

Push a button for Park
Push another button to select Reverse or Drive, but don’t push the button when shifting from Reverse to Drive
If choosing Reverse, push up and to the left
Even after 600 miles of driving, I was regularly activating Neutral instead of Reverse, and because the XT5 rolls a little bit after engaging Park, gingerly releasing the brake pedal to make sure I was actually in Park. Ugh.

Drivers can choose Tour, AWD and Sport AWD driving modes. Even in the Tour setting, the XT5’s ride feels too stiff, and in Sport AWD mode, it’s downright brittle, especially when driven over imperfect pavement. Sharper impacts are clearly reported to the cabin, and similar anomalies taken at speed momentarily shake confidence in the SUV’s stability. Seems to me there is room here for a Comfort setting.

Steering is excellent, GM having mastered electric assist to a degree that eludes many other car companies (though Chevy seems to have ‘forgotten’ how with the latest Cruze). The XT5’s brake pedal, though, feels like a two-stage affair. Press the pedal to activate the brake lights, and then push harder to actually engage the brakes. Once the XT5 starts to stop, though, the pedal is easy to modulate.

If you’ve driven a recent Cadillac sedan, you know that the company has figured out how to build a light, lithe, responsive and engaging automobile. With the XT5, built on a platform shared with GMC and perhaps Buick and Chevrolet in 2018, the driving dynamics come across as half-baked, not at all reminiscent of a Cadillac car model.

And that’s why I say that the new Cadillac XT5 is aimed at Lexus and Lincoln rather than Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

Cadillac says that the XT5 is a midsize SUV, but that’s only partially true. If we’re talking passenger space for four adults, and a fifth only when necessary, then yes, the XT5 is a midsize SUV. If we’re talking cargo space, then no, the XT5 doesn’t quite qualify.

Given the disparity in SAE cargo volume measurement standards, it is hard to compare two different vehicles on an apples-to-apples basis. With that said, Cadillac claims the XT5 hauls 30 cubic-feet of cargo behind the rear seat and 63 cu.-ft. of cargo with the rear seat folded down. A cargo management system is standard for most models, adding buzzes and rattles to the interior and equipping the cargo area with tracks that will collect detritus over time.

Practically speaking, Cadillac needed to make the cargo area just a little bit deeper and a little bit wider, like GMC has done with the Acadia in order to cram a third-row seat into the XT5’s platform-mate. Doing so would allow the XT5 to carry four full-size suitcases and a compact folding stroller, in turn making this Cadillac more appealing to American families.

In any case, the XT5’s seats are quite comfortable. Up front, padding is firm. At first, you might surmise that this will lead to discomfort, but the opposite is true. On longer trips, I found them to be supportive, wishing only for greater cushion angle adjustment to supply added thigh support.

One of the best things about the new XT5 is that Cadillac has resolved the old SRX’s cramped rear seating. Combined with the huge available panoramic sunroof and optional triple-zone climate system, relegation to the tall and supportive back seat is no longer equivalent to a prison sentence.

Smart in theory, awkward in reality

As far as the controls are concerned, enough disparaging material has been disseminated about the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system that I don’t need to piss all over it again. Honestly, I’ve gotten used to it. Except for the screen’s love of collecting fingerprints. And how the proximity-sensing screen brings up extra virtual buttons that cover critical navigation map and traffic data when trying to make decisions about alternate routes in Los Angeles traffic. And how the virtual buttons are too sensitive, while the touch-sensing controls under the screen are not sensitive enough.

Instead of talking about CUE, let’s discuss Cadillac’s new Rear Camera Mirror. In theory, this is an excellent idea, unless you’re an insurance company needing to pay for replacement of the cameras following a collision. Flip the switch on the bottom of the mirror, and it changes from a traditional auto-dimming unit to a wide-angle camera view of what’s behind the XT5, in turn eliminating the blind spots caused by the rear seat head restraints, the rear roof pillars, and even cargo stacked to the roof.

In practice, I did not like using the Rear Camera Mirror. While driving, referencing the camera mirror requires the driver to re-focus to register what’s shown there, and then to re-focus again when looking back at the road. Plus, the camera mirror shows less detail about the vehicles that are behind the XT5, especially at nighttime. I also found it distracting, sitting there in my peripheral vision displaying the equivalent of a real-time, local cable-news traffic program with the volume muted.

No thanks, Cadillac. I’ll take a pass on the Rear Camera Mirror.

Styling sells SUVs, a good thing for Cadillac

According to J.D. Power, styling is just as important as reliability when Americans are choosing a new vehicle.

Cadillac’s new XT5 has styling nailed, especially on the inside, and especially in the more expensive trim levels. My wife (Daily News Autos contributor Liz Kim) told me she felt like a bad-ass driving the XT5 through the local elementary school drop-off and pick-up lines, something she rarely says about our test vehicles. That feeling of pride that great design can instill is important to car buyers.

Cadillac’s reliability record is harder to quantify, mainly because so many people complain about CUE, which is a user experience problem more than it is a component failure problem. Cadillac ranks mid-pack for dependability in J.D. Power studies, and Consumer Reports shows a sketchy reliability history for recent Cadillac models. Given the XT5’s generous warranty, roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs, this isn’t a concern outside of potential inconvenience – especially if you’re leasing.

Where the Cadillac XT5 falls short is with regard to driving dynamics. The reward for a stiff ride should be thrilling handling, but that’s not the case. The V6 is energetic, but choosing a gear is a chore. The steering is rewarding, but a driver must wake the brakes before they get to work. And if Cadillac’s new twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system is supposed to make the XT5 behave like an Audi Q5 Quattro on a twisty road, well, it doesn’t.
Credit to: (nydailynews.com)