My Review of the 2017 Cadillac XT5 Luxury

[Cmicasa the Great]

Yesterday morning I had to take my 2016 CTS-V in for a recall, oil change, tire balance.. and because it was gonna take more than an hour, and I needed to get to my clients.. I was provided a loaner car from the dealer. Of course I asked for the CT6, but alas.. it was not available for loaning purposes. Interesting enough.. this dealer tells me that they don't even order the 2.0L RWD edition of that car, unless someone specifically asks for it and puts down a non-refundable deposit of 5%. It found it curious because the salesman I usually deal with tells me that out of every CT6 he has sold (his number was 23) everyone of them has been a Premium Lux or Platinum, with about a 50/50 split on the 3.6L and 3.0TT. 

Anyway.. So I was given the keys of an XT5 AWD Luxury model with 1456 on the odo.. barely broken-in. Of course the first thing the loaner admin did was tell me that she needed to instruct me on the new shifter. I let he kno that I had driven the vehicle before, but she insisted as it was a part of her protocol. That being said.. I still prefer the feel of a normal shifter. These E-Shifters feel more like video games than anything else. The system in the Lincoln's I've driven is even worse. Either way.. it had been a few months since I had driven an XT5 so it did take me a few tries to get used to it once I pulled off the lot. The biggest screw up I kept making was not hitting the button on the side to commence commands. I just kept neglecting it at first, but by the afternoon I was good to go.

Drive:

The vehicle is smooth on all roads I took it. Very civilized. The 3.6L has evolved into quite a nice engine.. as this one was, in my opinion, more refined than the one in my Impala. The only thing I still can't get with is Start-Stop. It can be disabled tho, but I left it on. Power is linear when U hit the gas.. and it actually pulls quite nice, as I had no trouble merging or maneuvering thru-out the day. This vehicle is also quite nimble.. and I still would love to see Cadillac issue a V-Sport model with the 3.0TT or even LF3.  

Impressions:

My first impression of this vehicle is "Woman's Car." This was confirmed as every woman I saw yesterday seemed smitten with the XT5. I got no less than 6 different strangers asking me how I liked it.. every one of them were XX chromosomes.. My girlfriend saw it after I shot her a text pic of it, and instantly sent back the "heart eyes" emoticon asking if this was her Birthday Gift. 

The interior is very plush.. like Lexus soft in terms of the leather. Room is very nice.. with rear seats that do move aft and for.. I did have trouble finding the auxiliary plug (cigarette lighter plu) for my radar, but a quick "OK Google" search told me that it was under the center pass-thru cubby on the right hand side. The Ultra-View Sunroof is the only way to go.. and it pretty much covers the entire roof. The CUE system that everyone gives flack in reviews was a non-issue as it worked without flaw in pairing, Android Auto, audio functions, and Navigation. In this XT5 the climate control buttons are actually buttons.. which I was disappointed in because I don't wear FUCKIN GLOVES @Drew Dowdell   when I drive and prefer the all sensory system. Yes.. went to the outside bar by my office after

2017 XT5 AWD LUXURY

Base Price of Luxury (FWD) model:  $45,295

Price as tested: $52,405

 

[A Horse With No Name]

That thing looks so good in white...and if your ever in Columbus Ohio I will buy the first round!

[ykX]

Agree on 'women's car", my wife recently told me that she likes it when we saw one on the road which was a surprise to me since she usually likes different style of a design.

Looks like a very nice CUV, might have consider getting CPO for my wife but we need something a little bigger with a third row.

[Cmicasa the Great]

9 minutes ago, ykX said:

Agree on 'women's car", my wife recently told me that she likes it when we saw one on the road which was a surprise to me since she usually likes different style of a design.

Looks like a very nice CUV, might have consider getting CPO for my wife but we need something a little bigger with a third row.

Dealer tells me that they have confirmed that not only is the XT4 coming and will be shown soon.. but they are ready to push out a car based larger 3 row CUV (no word on platform) similar in size to the new Traverse/Enclave

22 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

That thing looks so good in white...and if your ever in Columbus Ohio I will buy the first round!

Game

[David]

Love the XT5, Want mine in Bronze with the Maple Sugar interior in Platinum trim. 65K not bad.

[A Horse With No Name]

I can kind of see it as a women's car, which is not a bad thing-a lot of African American professional women drive Lincoln products.  The general has to fight back somehow!

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't wear gloves in June either asshat... 

Well sometimes I do, but not for driving. 

[Drew Dowdell]

The 2.0t CT6 was always intended to be a Southern States Blue-Hair car for people who 1. Don't need AWD. 2. Aren't in a super rush to get to Bingo. 3. Want a bigger car than the CTS or XTS, but aren't willing to pay that much more to get it.... these are people who miss their old Town Cars, and 260hp is what they're used to. 

You're in a relatively affluent and youngish region of the Northern US that sometimes sees snow.... I don't blame the dealership for the policy they have on the 2.0T. 

[David]

40 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I don't wear gloves in June either asshat... 

Well sometimes I do, but not for driving. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I don't wear gloves in June either asshat... 

Well sometimes I do, but not for driving. 

Are you secretly a mime...?

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The 2.0t CT6 was always intended to be a Southern States Blue-Hair car for people who 1. Don't need AWD. 2. Aren't in a super rush to get to Bingo. 3. Want a bigger car than the CTS or XTS, but aren't willing to pay that much more to get it.... these are people who miss their old Town Cars, and 260hp is what they're used to. 

You're in a relatively affluent and youngish region of the Northern US that sometimes sees snow.... I don't blame the dealership for the policy they have on the 2.0T. 

It makes a very large amount of sense explained that way.

[Cmicasa the Great]

4 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I can kind of see it as a women's car, which is not a bad thing-a lot of African American professional women drive Lincoln products.  The general has to fight back somehow!

Yeah.. I see a lot of Black women in this and the SRX..

Sidebar.. I never use the "African-American" compound because it suggests that Black Americans are new to this country when they have been here as long as Anglo-Americans and Spani-Americans.. altho against their will initially. No one calls JFK and Irish-American.. they just call him AMERICAN. Blacks were here way before the Irish started shipping over

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I don't wear gloves in June either asshat... 

Well sometimes I do, but not for driving. 

LMFAO

[A Horse With No Name]

OK, black women then, sorry!

[David]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

OK, black women then, sorry!

My Friend never be sorry, we are after all just human. I totally agree with @Cmicasa the Great has stated, but a real eye opener is my wife. Born and raised till age of 13 in Korea, then her whole family emigrated here. She is very big on proper recognition of terms of where you come from. 

Sidebar to our lovely XT5 discussion, my wife and I both agree, if you just got off the plan, boat, auto, etc. from another country and are staying here then you are African American, Korean America, etc. My son and Daughter are 100% Korean heritage due to my wife's first arranged marriage. Yet they were born here and as such Amy and Alex are just American. If color is needed to define a group then Black American, Brown American, White American.

BACK ON TOPIC

Over all I see allot of American Woman driving the XT5 but I am also seeing more men lately driving the XT5. So I just got corrected by a coworker who is gay and says he knows many men in the LGBTQ community that drive the XT5 and they all see more Hetero men driving the Escalade.

Interesting that if Men would rather drive the Escalade and Woman the XT5. I think this has to do with Size.

[A Horse With No Name]

24 minutes ago, dfelt said:

My Friend never be sorry, we are after all just human. I totally agree with @Cmicasa the Great has stated, but a real eye opener is my wife. Born and raised till age of 13 in Korea, then her whole family emigrated here. She is very big on proper recognition of terms of where you come from. 

Sidebar to our lovely XT5 discussion, my wife and I both agree, if you just got off the plan, boat, auto, etc. from another country and are staying here then you are African American, Korean America, etc. My son and Daughter are 100% Korean heritage due to my wife's first arranged marriage. Yet they were born here and as such Amy and Alex are just American. If color is needed to define a group then Black American, Brown American, White American.

BACK ON TOPIC

Over all I see allot of American Woman driving the XT5 but I am also seeing more men lately driving the XT5. So I just got corrected by a coworker who is gay and says he knows many men in the LGBTQ community that drive the XT5 and they all see more Hetero men driving the Escalade.

Interesting that if Men would rather drive the Escalade and Woman the XT5. I think this has to do with Size.

Odd, am not in the LGBTQ community and I could really see myself driving the XT5-but then again, I've owned a Miata, TDI Jetta and Cooper S as my last three cars-so maybe some people just like driving smaller cars.

For me, it is living in a big city where I want to park with ease. I also think the Xt5 looks really athletic-I really like athletic looking vehicles, that was my biggest complaint about the Conti, i did not find the sheet metal very athletic at all.

My point was only (before I made a mistake and we got off track) that I could really, really really see this car appealing to professional women.  Especially urban professional women...

[David]

4 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Odd, am not in the LGBTQ community and I could really see myself driving the XT5-but then again, I've owned a Miata, TDI Jetta and Cooper S as my last three cars-so maybe some people just like driving smaller cars.

For me, it is living in a big city where I want to park with ease. I also think the Xt5 looks really athletic-I really like athletic looking vehicles, that was my biggest complaint about the Conti, i did not find the sheet metal very athletic at all.

My point was only (before I made a mistake and we got off track) that I could really, really really see this car appealing to professional women.  Especially urban professional women...

Totally agree with everything you said!

[Drew Dowdell]

The target market is going to be Lexus RX drivers. I think that demographic skews heavily to those with XX chromosomes. The XT5 should do fine there.

I too would prefer an Escalade, but like so many others, my checkbook doesn't.

[A Horse With No Name]

34 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The target market is going to be Lexus RX drivers. I think that demographic skews heavily to those with XX chromosomes. The XT5 should do fine there.

I too would prefer an Escalade, but like so many others, my checkbook doesn't.

Something needs to.  The Lexus RX is hideous. And I like plenty of Asian vehicles...but that is not one of those.