2022 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury AWD
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover SUV
Miles driven: 232
Fuel used: 12.8 gallons
Real-world fuel economy: 18.1 mpg
Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B+ |
| Power and Performance | B- |
| Fit and Finish | B+ |
| Fuel Economy | C+ |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | B |
| Tall Guy | B |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 310-hp 3.6-liter |
| Engine Type | V6 |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 18/26/21 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Regular gas
Base price: $50,795 (not including $1195 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Platinum Package ($4850), Technology Package ($2275), Night Vision ($2000), 20-inch alloy wheels with polished/Android finish ($1700), Driver Assist Package ($1300), Comfort and Air Quality Package ($1200), Cadillac User Experience upgraded infotainment system with embedded navigation system and Bose 14-speaker audio system ($1025), 3.6-liter V6 engine ($1000), Stellar Black Metallic paint ($625)
Price as tested: $67,965
Quick Hits
The great: Satisfying acceleration from V6 engine; comfortable ride
The good: Good cargo capacity within relatively tidy exterior dimensions; upscale interior trim features
The not so good: Some slow-to-respond infotainment controls; tedious climate controls; thick roof pillars impede rear visibility; disappointing observed fuel economy; spendy options pump up bottom-line prices
CG Says:
The highest-priced member of the 2022 Cadillac XT5 premium midsize SUV family is the Sport with a standard V6, but it isn’t necessary to spend its $57,090 starting price to the get the 3.6-liter powerplant. The engine is a $1000 option for the XT5 Premium Luxury, so it’s possible to get a front-wheel-drive model at $50,990 (with delivery) or an all-wheel-drive job at $52,990 with all the go Caddy has to offer for this product line.
At those prices you won’t get the Sport’s standard 20-inch alloy wheels, Brembo front brakes, performance suspension, twin-clutch “Sport Control” all-wheel drive, or interior and exterior appearance features. Wouldn’t you know it though, some of that stuff is available for the Premium Luxury. Consumer Guide sampled a V6 AWD Premium that was outfitted with 20-inch wheels (in place of base 18s) and the real-time-damping suspension (a component of the extensive Platinum option package). Of course, once all of that is added—poof!—there goes your price advantage. Indeed, CG’s extensively optioned test truck came to $67,965 when the cash register stopped ringing.
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In general, this iteration of the XT5 wasn’t far off from the last one CG tested, a 2020 Sport. Dimensions haven’t changed, so room is as it has been: ample up front but with less headroom over a second row wide enough to possibly welcome three adults, plus an accommodating cargo area of up to 63 cubic feet when the 60/40-split rear seats retract. For personal-item storage, there’s a big glove box, small console box and door pockets (but there is open floor-level space under the console), and storage pouches on the backs of the front seats. The commendably comfortable ride isn’t especially bothered by road-surface imperfections and even if “nimble” is not in the XT5’s vocabulary, it at least steers easily.
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The refined V6 generates 310 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 271 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm passing through a 9-speed automatic transmission—quite a jump from the 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft from the standard turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Even though the revs have to build a bit before all the twist is available, one of our editors was able to coax a chirp out of the front tires from a good tromp of the pedal from a full stop. Gas-saving automatic engine stop/start and cylinder deactivation are built in. The EPA rates V6 AWD XT5s at 18 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg in combined driving. Our test logged 18.1 mpg with 60 percent city-type driving.
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The $4850 Platinum Package installed semi-aniline leather upholstery, leather-wrapped instrument panel, leather console and door trim, and a microfiber headliner for a really plush ambience. Then that luxury fantasyland runs smack dab into the harsh reality of cheap-feeling plastics in the lower areas of the interior.
The current Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system—optioned up in the test vehicle with navigation and 14-speaker Bose audio—treads the fine line between breezily convenient and needlessly distracting. A console-housed remote-control dial can be used to activate function “zones” on the info screen. Luxury brands love these hand/eye-coordination test devices way more than we do. But the 8-inch display is also a touchscreen that can be worked more directly. However, response to some screen touches is slow, and the same can be said of the haptic climate controls that take firm pressure and precision to work properly. Other system elements are Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity (wireless since ’21), satellite radio, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and wireless charging.
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Some other standard features of note are a panoramic sunroof, hands-free liftgate, a rear “cargo fence” that adjusts on tracks and stows neatly into a foam organizer under the load floor; remote starting, keyless entry and starting, forward-collision alert and pedestrian braking, lane-keeping assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. Among the many add-ons to the tester were a head-up display adaptive cruise control, tri-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats.
The XT5 has its quirks and minor shortcomings. However, it is decently roomy, enjoyably lively with the V6, and cost competitive in its class—and cheaper than many at its top end.
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2022 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury Gallery
(Click below for enlarged images)
2022 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury
2022 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury
