We’re Spending The Week With The 2019 Cadillac XT4 – What Do You Want To Know?
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We’re spending this week with the 2019 Cadillac XT4. The model is the Sport trim level powered by the turbocharged 2.0L I-4 LSY engine mated to the new GM 9-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel-drive – the only powertrain combination in the XT4, at least for the time being.
The model is coated in the Twilight Blue Metallic and features the Light Wheat / Jet Black interior color combination. The base price of the model is $41,795. After the five optional packages, the total MSRP comes in at $50,085, including the $995 destination fee. We’re here to answer any questions, especially those beyond the spec sheet.
So, ask away! Ready…. set… go!
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How does that new 2.0 with less HP/TQ engine perform compared to the previous 2.0?
Having recently driven the Terrain with the LTG (the previous 2.0L Turbo with more power and torque), I can’t say I notice much of a power difference, though the Terrain and XT4 are obviously different vehicles on different platforms. I will also say that the new turbo 2.0L LSY in the XT4 seems quieter and a bit more refined than the LTG.
I think the power difference would be more noticeable in a sportier car, such as a sedan… so the real test would be in the upcoming CT4 and CT5 with the LSY compared to the ATS/CTS with the last-gen LTG.
According to Motor Trend, LTG in CT6 was second quicker to 60 and through the 1/4.
ALEX. Please try to use at least 2 full tanks of E85 gas with this turbo engine. You will notice a power increase as the GM specs show more HP and torque when testing was done with E85 on the various truck engines. GM showed an increase of 20 lbs feet of torque on the 4.3 liter pickup truck engine about 3 years ago, compared to 87 octane. A turbo engine should show a bigger percentage increase in HP and torque, than a non-turbo engine, with E85 gasoline..
It has to have the flex fuel equipment to safely run on E85. Without the alcohol sensor you risk running dangerously lean.
Hani – as Rammins said, an engine needs to be specially tuned to run on E85. The LSY isn’t, so no go here.
But for what it’s worth, 91 octane felt and sounded much better than 87.
Hi. The XT4 is on my short list of vehicles I’ll be looking at leasing in a few months. So thanks for taking questions.
I currently drive a 2018 Buick Encore and like the car a lot. If you are familiar with the Encore, how would you rate the XT4 in two areas compared to the Buick? 1. How is the ride? I’m looking for a softer and isolate feel. 2. Is the XT4 quiet? Along with isolation from the road, I love a quiet ride. Thanks.
XT5 is more quiet and a smoother ride than the XT4 and honestly can lease cheaper per month in some areas. XT4 is more sporty in feel and engine noise. XT4 currently has more capability (Rotary controller, next gen CUE, next gen Shifter) than the XT5 though. XT4 is definitely a better car all around compared to encore and you will probably think so as well. be ready to double your payment.
Dan – thanks for the question!
The ride on the XT4 is good in terms of delivering a soft and isolated ride that’s also quiet. This is especially the case when compared to the Encore, which feeds more of the road surface feel into the cabin. So the XT4 is up over the Encore in both ride quality/isolation and quietness (silence?). In fact, on my way back home from the gym yesterday, I covered a stretch of pavement about 5 miles long, during which time I was thoroughly impressed in terms of the XT4’s smoothness. The one I’m driving has the optional 20 inch wheels. If you stick with the base 18s, the ride should be even quieter still thanks to more sidewall… though the 20s look significantly better, in my opinion.
That said, I have noticed a good amount of body roll in the XT4 when cornering that I didn’t expect. I recommend trying this out when you’re doing a test drive to see if it matters to you.
Super. Thanks.
“I have noticed a good amount of body roll in the XT4 when cornering that I didn’t expect”
A little gift from the Encore 😉
I purchased a 2020 Xt4 in November 2020. To my surprise when temperatures in south Louisiana got to 19& 20 degrees, looked for heated seats, none!!! Called onstar for assistance, said some vehicles didn’t come equipped with heated seats. I’ve never not had heated seats in a luxury vehicle, this is my second Cadillac. The salesman never mention not having heated seats. It’s fully loaded with all other features that I’ll never use, but to me heated seats is a luxury, and should be a standard feature. Why not, will there be a credit from Cadillac to the customer or reimbursement to compensate for this. I’ll never buy another Cadillac in my lifetime, and I’ll never buy another vehicle from Gerry Lane dealership GMC Buick on Florida St. Baton Rouge, La, and never would Mr. Gremiillion get a commission from selling me a vehicle, without telling me the amenities that’s not listed. I never would have bought this vehicle w/o heated seats. Very disappointed!!!
Heated seats are an option on the XT4’s. You can buy them with or without them. If a feature is important to you, it is your responsibility to make that known.
In regards to what OnStar told you, GM is producing some vehicles with heated seats just missing the computer chip to make them work. there is a deduction in the price of $50 for the customers trouble and they will be added to those vehicles at a later date for no charge.
This is indicated on the window sticker and the clients are directed to sign a disclosure understanding that.
Thanks
Does it feel like its worth 50,000 dollars, and would you seriously consider buying one? You could have most of the same features in a 35,000 dollar Equinox premier. I just looked at the build and price and I honestly couldn’t find a feature on the cadillac you couldn’t spec on the equinox for cheaper. So that leaves build quality and driving experience. Do you have any specific examples of the XT4 being higher quality or better constructed? Is the driving experience really $15,000 better? It’s basically the same drivetrain as my 2.0T equinox except mine has more power and torque.
I need to spend a few more days with it to be able to tell whether I would consider buying one or not. $50,000 is indeed a decent amount of money.
For now, I will say that the XT4 blows the Equinox and Terrain away when it comes to the quality of interior materials. All but the bottom door panels and center column covers are covered in good, soft-touch materials, which isn’t the case with the Equinox and Terrain for obvious reasons (mainstream vs. luxury products). I also really like the layout of the center console and associated controls in the XT4 and its is definitely sexier.
Will get back to you on whether or not I’d buy one in a few days. Yesterday was my first day with it.
If you are comparing it to other GM SUV’s the XT-4 is a very nice SUV. I drove one for a couple of days and I really liked it, but @ $50,000 and it does not lease well I would look at Audi SQ-5. I feel more band for the buck. Sorry. The 2.0L LSY is a pretty nice engine though. Moved quickly into traffic.
The Audi Q5 starts at $42,000 and the SQ5 starts at $52,000. Those are base models, so seeing that Audi nickel and dimes you for everything much like BMW and Mercedes, well-equipped models come in around $55,000 and $65,000, respectively… so not sure if those are a better value than a really well-equipped XT4 at $45,000.
Either way, the XT5 is a more direct rival to the Q5 range than the XT4, which is a kite direct rival to the Q3.
Granted but it’s apples and oranges. Ok so the XT-5 from what I have seen is a great SUV honestly my friend owns one and we went from Sacramento to San Jose the ride was great. When it comes to performance the 3.6L is a dog for that size SYV. The Audi has 354hp and Quattro and a gps that is awesome. Bang for a little more $$$. Why can’t they do a V XT-5?
“Why can’t they do a V XT5?”
Because the FWD C1XX platform (or the E2XX for the XT4) wasn’t engineered from anything bigger or more powerful than the LGX 3.6.
Luxury CUV buyers aren’t supposed to know or care about such things.
Then change the platform. 2020 XT5 to get the 2.0 standard… And 3.6 is a $1000 option… Plus the base increase of $2-$3,000…. SERIOUSLY???NOPE, NOT FOR ME…. 2.0 in that size SUV will be a DOG!!!! I might have to go for the LINCOLN with the 2.7 Turbo… ?????
Not going to pay more for a smaller engine!!!!
How is the build quality inside? How are the materials? I’ve heard various opinions, both good and bad, from different sites, so I’d be interested in hearing your opinion.
David – the interior is great. The materials are all good and seem well put-together. The only demerits I could find are threefold:
1. The center armrest has some unwanted downward travel when closed of about 4-5 mm. This could be unique to the press unit I have. I don’t remember other units doing this.
2. The lower portions of the door panels and center tunnel are lined with the hard plastic (like in the ATS) which should not be in a Cadillac. This portion should be lined with a softer material, such as in the CTS and CT6.
3. The rear seat cushion is a bit flimsy when pulled upward from the bottom. Granted, one probably would never do this in real life, but I feel that it could be attached a bit better. On that note, the rear seatbacks don’t recline, although it would be nice if they did.
Other than those three relatively minor things, the interior is great. The materials are soft to the touch and, like I mentioned in my response to Brian above, I really like the center console switchgear layout.
I was going to order a 2020 XT4. I built one and came to around $49,000.00
Have any idea how much off dealer can take off plus any rebates at time of order.
It really all depends on the rebates issued by Cadillac… and that is at the time you make the deal/take delivery, not at the time you order.
Notably, several weeks or even months can pass between you ordering a car and it being built and delivered to the dealer for you to take delivery… so a lot can change on the offer/rebate side of the equation.
The torque steer is really annoying. GM couldn’t build transmission to save it’s life. Mine is plagued with display and transmission issues at 6500 miles. The build quality is excellent inside.
I despise the fact that if it’s in sport mode, when you shut it off it defaults to touring. I bought a sport and want it to stay in that mode unless I change it.
Thank the EPA for the sport mode issue, same with the trucks defaulting back out of Tow/Haul mode when shut-off. The different ECM calibrations for shift points, etc. in sport mode needs to be an “option” that is not default when the car is started; otherwise that would have to be EPA tested as a potential full time drive mode, and would effect MPG ratings, etc. Even if it doesn’t seem to effect anything in the real world, its all about the certifications and paperwork.
I know why they did it, still dumb in my book. I have no use for Touring mode, even in the summer. GM just can’t find it’s way back to making customers happy again.
I had an XT4 for a weekend and I really wanted to like the thing but came away feeling very underwhelmed. For me, it was very OK. I found the driving dynamics were fine for a daily driver. Seats were great and comfortable. I like the infotainment and the position of the controls. I also liked the redundancy where you can control most things with the steering wheel, the console controls or the touch screen. It may have been the trim level that I had, I’m not even sure what trim it was, but I was surprised by the lack of surround view cameras. I went to the bank and parked next to a honda accord and came out to see it had cameras in the side mirrors while the XT4 didn’t. Also I think most if not all competitors have a full digital dash where the XT4 doesn’t. The engine was adequate. Loud under load and not really a good loud.
Does the tester you have come with a better vision surround system?
The camera equipment is a package for either the Premium Luxury model or the Sport model.
Rear view camera is standard, but the camera package is very impressive. Not just 360 camera. Front View/Rear View (Standard lens or panoramic), Curb views for front and rear wheels, Straight down views for front and rear, and two views that look like you are standing in front or behind the car with a camera. Only other car under $100,000 that I have seen that system on is the GMC Denali Sierra 1500. All the redesigned Cadillacs will probably have this option.
That’s what I thought and hoped. Glad to hear it’s at least an option. I know that all the German rivals have pretty great surround vision systems. I think BMW’s is maybe one of the better ones. Hopefully the Cadillac one is not too far behind them.
Do you folks look at anything other than GM? Just to see what is out there? I’m not saying buy it but heck be informed is all.
Just curious if there is a tow package and any specifics?
A trailering package is available across all models/trim levels. It increases towing capacity up to 3,500 pounds and includes:
– 2-inch trailer hitch receiver, 2-inch
– Heavy-duty cooling system
– Wire harness
Why would I consider this over an Acura RDX or Lexus NX rivals?
Are either of those models made right here in the good ol US of A??
The RDX is made in Ohio
@Dave DiNatale: Because it’s NOT a Honda or Toyota!
How would you rate the upgraded voice recognition and infotainment systems? I understand is easier to pair a phone via Bluetooth.
What type of fuel is recommended for the 2019 XT4? I use the vehicle mainly around town with limited highway driving.
Premium is not required, but it is recommended.
Upon first taking delivery of the XT4, it was filled with 87… which does not bring out great characteristics of the LSY engine. Though you could run it on Regular if you so desire, It really performs better on Premium. This applies to both city and highway, but I noticed it particularly in city driving.
Do you think that the XT4, is worth about $15,000 more than a Subaru Forrester Touring or a Honda CRV Touring 2WD, when you consider the later 2 cars have so much more standard safety equipment?
No way in hell.
How responsive are the brakes? I owned two fantastic CTS’s (2008 and 2014) which both had responsive Brembos. We have crazy and fast highways here in South Florida, which all tend to come to a complete stop regularly. I’m waiting to test drive r the new CT5 in November to decide if my next lease will be sedan (CT5 Premium Luxury) or crossover (XT4 Sport). Thanks for your feedback.
The brakes do their job just fine in stopping the XT4… but the feel leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, the brake feel probably one of the most negative characteristics of the XT4.
For starters, the brake pedal feels spongy and there is a lot of travel before the pads actually make contact with the rotors. And once that is taking place, then it’s not a precise exercise in braking performance.
Having had an ATS and third-gen CTS, those cars deliver much better braking feel and performance… and I would expect the CT4 and CT5 to continue offering that kind of feel. It’s truly a shame and a lost opportunity for the XT4 to deliver the same kind of high-performance, precise braking feel as the ATS, CTS and CT6.
PS: I know exactly what you mean when you refer to the highways in South Florida, since I now reside in Boca. The good news is that the XT4 managed the wet 95, Sawgrass and Turnkpike interstates very well during my time with it.
When will the XT4 be launched in Europe? And will it come with a 2 litre diesel engine?
When will I be able to buy an xt4 V ?