The 2017 Cadillac XT5 is a very important vehicle for Cadillac. As crossovers continue to balloon in popularity, the XT5 replaces the brand’s best selling model because of said popularity: the Cadillac SRX.
Car and Driver had a go in the 2017 XT5, which arrived loaded in Platinum trim and all-wheel drive. The verdict? Unoffensive.
In fact, it seems to be true the only buyers jealous of the XT5 may be those who opted for the SRX a year earlier. Driving dynamics weren’t bashed, but not praised either. Materials on the Platinum trim were heralded, but scolded as you move down the trim hierarchy.
Worse yet was the feeling of Cadillac’s electronic precision shift, which was described as awkward at best.
While C&D did state the 2017 XT5 held a clear advantage of mid-pack luxury crossovers, (think Lincoln and Acura), it’s “pretty good” attributes weren’t enough to cache it along with the Germans.
Comments
Weren’t these new SUVs going to make Cadillac great again? Or was that just a campaign promiss??
Actually the promised crossovers and sedans were suppose to make Cadillac compete in the meatiest parts of the luxury by substantially increasing the segments it competes in.
Cadillac should have made the XT5 look just like the Escalade in design and style on the smaller frame. KInd of a minny Escalade. It would have sold thousands.
The XT5 has already sold thousands per month and was sitting in 4th position in the segment behind the Infiniti QX60 and this is after only 3 full months on the market. Dealer inventory , model availability and production volumes are not at their peaks yet.
The XT5 will continue from the very successful SRX despite not having a RWD platform to work with.
Let’s wait and see what Cadillac does with XT5 V-Sport edition. And let’s hope they emphasize sport.
the Escalade looks much better the the XT5 I agree…the Escalade has a more upright design than the XT5…..I’ve always thought the the SRX/XT5 is a fat, stubby and weird looking vehicle with sloping roofline and fat pillars. and they seem to sell a lot of these ugly CUVs.
Well the thing is that car and driver are more like BMW Mercedes and driver. So obviously they’re going to bash on XT5 just because it’s a FWD and praise X3 and GLC or GLE because it’s RWD
it would be nice if they could build Escalade styled CUVs off the RWD Omega and Alpha platforms instead of fat, stubby A&S styled FWD CUVs.
Well Mr. shelton you are in the minority because Cadillac sure did sell a lot of SRX’s . With the market filled with alternatives you really can’t argue with the sales numbers , and still sold a respective number for a SUV that was 6 years on the market .
As far as A&S just park an SRX next to the XT5 and you can plainly see an evolution of the styling , especially the front end , the side profile looks very similar to the SRX but that was done on purpose .
I used to subscribe to C&D but they have always slammed GM more than any automaker and never found anything wrong with the Japanese cars a decade ago and now they trumpet the Germans . Now I get Motor Trend in the mail , it;s a better magazine .
I own an SRX and love it . It does anything you ask of it and it does it in style . I think it still looks better than the RX it competes with .
Car and Driver is a useless rag. I am glad I don’t subscribe to it and I totally disagree with their assessment of the vehicle because I test driven it myself and can easily see myself own one if I am in the market.
Styling is a matter of opinion but I think it is a very beautiful and elegant looking SUV.
I disagree. It’s called Car and Driver for a reason. What’s their point in existing if they’re not talking about how a vehicle feels to DRIVE. Thanks to the FWD underpinnings, the XT5 isn’t as enjoyable to drive as the German automakers by Cadillac’s own admission, is targeting. The unfortunate truth is that at the prices Cadillac is asking for the XT5, there’s more compelling alternatives from Mercedes-Benz in both the GLC and GLE. Don’t be upset at Car and Driver for pointing that out.
This is so funny, Car and Driver was gleefully lauded on these pages when they correctly heaped praises on the ATS and CTS, saying stuff like best in class driving dynamics, but now they are not excited about the drive of the FWD XT5, they are a “useless rag”. Ironic
Have you and Curtnik test driven the XT5? Get back with me of your “own” assessment and we can debate from there.
Car and Driver is a useless rag and I will tell you why it is. Yes they do praise the CTS and ATS for best in class driving dynamics but they constantly complain about different layers of materials being too much for their eyes and constantly complaining about CUE. Other magazines and reviews don’t complain about different use of materials and hardly make a big deal out of it. While some complain about CUE, few are beginning to appreciate and warm up to CUE.
It is like Car and Driver is trying to nitpick on something about GM in general and basically surprise of how great their products are now, they have to try harder to nitpick. If you don’t think complaining about different layers of materials is not nitpicking, I can’t help you. Enjoy reading Car and Driver all I care.
Obviously, the GLC and X3 are going to handle better because they are smaller and RWD which should not been compared in the first place. The XT5 is a midsize crossover while the Germans, which Car and Driver try to make the XT5 look bad, are not midsize. If you don’t understand that, tough.
Obviously the buying public don’t agree with both of you and continue to purchase the XT5 in droves. I think the XT5 thru Platinum trims are worth every penny, IMO, and offer an excellent alternative from the competition. Not everyone wants a RWD or FWD SUV. The XT5 has a very good balance of ride and handling for being FWD which is enough for most buyers.
Now you just sound very silly. Everyone, including Car and Driver, is entitled to his own opinion, but to label them useless rags because their opinion differs from yours is just plain silly, and make you sound like just a fanboy. I haven’t driven the XT5, but I spend time in the car, and whilst I would never say the interior is terrible, actually, I think it is quite nice, I think the GLC’s interior is superior, again, that’s my opinion. Literally every auto journalist, not just Car and Driver, have complained about CUE, and whilst GM continue to update it, CUE is still not as user friendly as the competition, and only the system in Lexus I think is worst. I’m not a paid subscriber of Car and Driver, and I’m sure they don’t need me to defend them, but I just find it really funny when people attack magazines whenever they don’t glow over their favourite car, but praise them when they do. Oh, I guess consumer report is also a useless rag as well, because if you check their YouTube channel, you will see that they are not exactly glowing over the XT5
No one is being silly here as I pointed out about Car and Driver. Majority seem to agree with me about my assessment of them so we leave it at that and move on. Don’t like the idea of me calling it a rag, that is your problem, not mine. I will give you one thing and that is they are very detailed on their test runs and stats. However………..
………….there are other quality magazines and videos out there besides Car and Driver.
And you still don’t get it. You are comparing the interior of the GLC to the XT5. LOL! Cadillac does not have a competitor to the GLC yet. Compare the XT5 to GLE.
I don’t need to test drive. From the very first rumors of the XT5, I knew that a review like this was coming, I’m just surprised that it took so long.
The XT5 is fundamentally flawed as an offering for Cadillac because:
1. It doesn’t compete properly with Cadillac’s midsize CUV competition, so it “competes” with a lower price bracket (and still loses)
2. Sure, it might be a hit among well-heeled soccer moms, but ONLY soccer moms who don’t really care about how driving feel. Therefore, the X5/GLE/Cayenne/Q7 appeal to a wider audience: Soccer moms AND people who care how their vehicle drives.
3. As long as there’s an XT5, a midsize C1XX Buick couldn’t exist without competing immensely with it. Buick is much better suited for competing with the MDX/RX and RDX/NX.
I don’t agree with everything Car and Driver does. I really disagree with how they designate market segments. In this case, I see no bias. They called it what it was. Any buyer looking to drop 65k on a luxury CUV has better options at that price point.
I can say the Escalade is beautiful and elegant but not the XT5……..as the XT5 is just an Evolution of A&S and I can see that A&S has another round to go before we see something Revolutionary.
Interesting perspective on the XT5
Changing your tune quite a bit, I see. after the moderator threatened to kick you out permanently for repeat irrelevant bashing.
Sounds like you are putting on a front which you are not fooling anyone or you decided to take your medication.
Either way, we have to agree to disagree on what is beautiful and elegant.
If they bashed about the eps shift mechanism on the XT5 I’m pretty sure they’ll bash it on the lacrosse as well
Is C&D run by Germans?
For the most part, an interesting mix of like/dislike for the XT5.
There is a propensity in contemporary society to proclaim foreign vehicles and bash those made in the United States. There is not a level playing field for automotive imports/exports and, don’t forget, this country spent trillions rebuilding both Europe and Japan for wars they started. Wonder if it would have worked the same in reverse?
No, foreign vehicles are not as good as some seem to think and domestic vehicles are not as bad as some seem to think. Indeed, I have a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu with 274,000 miles with no problems whatsoever. But the perception is there regardless of the reality.
Take a Cadillac to Japan or Europe and it will be the showstopper, not the local stuff. Cadillac has done a superlative job designing the XT5 and it will do fine against the competition. Had Cadillac designed a mini Escalade in the XT5, it would be met with an onslaught of comments regarding the absence of creative intent and would have likely cut into Escalade sales.
We are all free to purchase whatever we wish. I prefer a well build American vehicle, like the XT5, that will provide long term reliability with style and sophistication. And all the while, the American products will do so with greater comfort. But mindsets rarely change regardless of the reality of anything. Cadillac will do fine with or without the undeserved criticism!
If God Himself designed and built an American car, Carp and Drivel would still disparage it to the advantage of its European and Asian rivals.
Are we talking about the same Car and Driver that rate the CTS as superior to the 5 Series and the E class? The Car and Driver that say on multiple times, that the ATS has best in class driving dynamics? Have you read the ATS-V reviews by Car and Driver? My point is, you can’t agree with them whenever they say nice things, but say they are crap when they say things you may not agree with, it just doesn’t work like that
I was born in North America have lived and worked in North America my whole life.I support the North American economy and North American workers.I currently own a Cadillac ATS and ordering a 2017 ATS.Anyone who thinks (German Engineering) is better and by the way thats a sales slogan used by the Germans not a fact should move to Germany where their relatives must live and take the reviewers that are likely being bought off by the Germans with them.
I’ve seen the XT5 and it looks like a bland rounded jellybean no wheels….just doesn’t go with Cadillac.
At present, there are over ten thousand XT5 purchasers that would likely disagree with your assessment of the vehicle. And the views of each are as compelling as yours.
But since you are talking about jellybeans, have you checked out the Lexus GS350? Talk about a jelly belly whose grill closely resembles a yawning hippopotamus. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as we all know.
I’m not a fan of both the XT5 and GS350 and your right the XT5 doesn’t look as jellybean as the GS350 but the XT5 still has a sloping roofline which I don’t like and it surly doesn’t say luxury CUV in its design standpoint…Cadillac seems to sell a lot of those XT5s because it the only Caddy CUV out there thats in that specific size category that’s not a sedan….Ill buy an Acura MDX over the XT5 based on the looks alone.
While looks are important, most purchasers of vehicles base their decision on a variety of factors, not just its looks. Your aversion to the so called sloping roof of the XT5 is hardly unique to the XT5. Indeed the MDX has some slope to its roof as does almost all SUV’s except for possibly some models of the Land Rover product line other than the Evoque.
Ultimately, we all select a vehicle that appeals to our taste and intended use. The XT5 is a well designed SUV that was developed to reflect specific styling characteristics that have been elements of the Cadillac tradition for decades. Not everyone will be purchasing any model of Cadillac probably because of cost considerations. That is true for all luxury brand offerings or it would just be another make.
I have thoughts about many vehicles but few that rise to the level of your apparent revulsion to a vehicle that most would gladly love to own. Still, your views are as important as anyone else, they just tend to keep it to themselves (whatever they are) with greater restraint than you. No vehicle is perfect and we have a large variety of choices that allow us to obtain something that fits our preferences better than some other make. But that does not mean that those makes that we do not choose are any less appealing to the masses than any other example. What you or me think about any specific vehicle make matters little. What the broader market thinks does.
The thing is the GLC300 & X3 xDrive35i are based on their RWD C300 & 335i counterparts and much of the sporty driving characteristics remain, if slightly dulled due to the ride height & increased mass. The XT5 which uses a big FWD-derived Eplison platform…so do you think it will closer resemble the applauded ATS/CTS or the meh XTS/LaCrosse?
Cadillac miscalculated; the Lexus RX350 which is FWD-based sells not on its drive (it’s quite dull) but on the Lexus brand, which let’s be perfectly honest, is shone in a much better light than Cadillac. Perhaps if Cadillac has a better brand image or have another big draw (like, a big price advantage. Hear that De Nysschen?) the XT5 can sell better.
Maybe the a future XT6 which uses a stretched & heightened Alpha-platform will close the gap.
RWD CUVs would be nice but its the Art & Science theme that’s really getting old and it would be awesome if they also took the same lines of the Elmeraj/Ciel….the XT5 does look good from the rear but looks bad from the front.