2020 Cadillac XT5

Subtle cladding and 18-inch standard wheels keep the profile bulky but fit. Tall, vertical LEDs with automatic high beams round the corners and frame the bolder grille, which has the five-sided shape of the Cadillac crest. 

The design might be considered staid, but in this era of garish angularity and giant world-sucking grilles, we don’t mind staid. 

Inside, the distinctive dash and trim pieces dwarf the more familiar GM switchgear for the driver. The black gloss climate control panel under the 8.0-inch touchscreen limits the clutter in the center. Available open pore wood and rich semi-aniline leather, as well as leather-wrapped console and door panels ensconce the cabin in warmth, but it’ll cost you as part of the Platinum package. 

The black and chrome pieces can also be refined without needing to pay extra, but it lacks the indulgence of Platinum. For our money, we, like Johnny Cash, are just fine with black.

We’ll update this space once we drive the XT5 with that engine. 

We spent our time in the 310-hp 3.6-liter V-6, which makes 271 lb-ft of torque when paired with the 9-speed automatic transmission that comes with either engine. 

The V-6 is available on the Premium Luxury trim for just $1,000 more, and AWD on that trim is an additional $2,000. 

We tested the V-6 standard on the top Sport trim, which comes with AWD and tops the range at $56,090 (including $995 destination). This is a much narrower gap than its predecessor in terms of price between the low and high end of the range, and puts the XT5 in more competitive territory with luxury crossovers. 

The V-6 feels like a winter coat, a bit outdated but reassuringly familiar and reliable. There’s plenty of grunt, and under heavy throttle it can push you back in those bolstered bucket seats. When cold, the 9-speed transmission can strain for the next gear shift, and passing moves at speed benefit from a flick of the paddle shifters to get a gear or two lower. 

Adaptive damping helps soak up some of the stiffness from the standard 20-inch wheels on Sport trim, but the Sport trim and sport mode should not and will not be confused for a performance crossover. It’s sportier, but it’s tall and heavy with the body roll to match it. The quicker steering ratio might be noticeable at intensifying speeds, but otherwise there’s not much feedback and it doesn’t much matter. Under moderate throttle and steering, it’s quiet and comfortable, as intended, and the guts are there if you need it, or want it. If you want anything more than that, look elsewhere. And the all-wheel-drive system is best for weather and road grip than anything off road.

The standard bucket seats are heated and eight-way power adjustable. Lumbar adjustment is on the higher trim levels, but the standard seats were comfy enough for us. The Platinum package makes the Sport model sexy and sporty, with more refined trim options and a mix of materials that offsets the black interior otherwise. 

In back, there are three seats but the two adults who fit back there will want to use the armrest in the middle seat. The second row can recline for comfort or slide to increase the 30 cubic feet of storage in back. We fit a goalie’s bag and a forward’s hockey bag back there, but it was a squeeze, and the sticks had to ride shotgun. The rear seat folds 60/40 to increase cargo space to 63 cubic feet.   

The streamlined trims makes the XT5 a better value while still being overall refined. We’re not sold on the Platinum package, however nice, because the Germans—and Lincoln and Genesis—do opulence better.

Blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert come standard on Premium Luxury and Sport trims. 

An enhanced automatic emergency braking is available, and can stop on its own at speeds slower than 50 mph, according to Cadillac. The IIHS said the standard system avoided collisions at speeds of 12 mph, and slowed impact speed by 9 mph on the 25 mph test. The enhanced AEB was rated at “Superior” for avoiding the low-speed collision and slowed impact speed by 24 mph on the 25 mph test. 

The IIHS dinged the XT5 for its standard headlights, which were found to have inadequate visibility on curves. 

Adaptive cruise control is also extra, even on the near-$60,000 Sport trim. At that point it should be included, but it wasn’t until this year that Cadillac threw in AEB as standard, so maybe they’ll eventually come all the way around.

We wouldn’t need much more than that, especially for the $6,700 step up into the Premium Luxury trim. It adds panoramic moonroof, leather seats, a rear cargo management system, heated steering wheel, wireless charging, blind-spot monitors, and rear cross-traffic alert. The V-6 is available on Premium Luxury. 

At the top of the line is the new Sport trim, which comes standard with the 310-hp 3.6L V-6 in AWD. At $57,085, it’s $3,300 more than Premium Luxury and at that point, you might as well go all-in. It’ll get you more muscular 20-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension, and quicker steering. Adaptive cruise control still costs extra, and must be paired with the Enhanced Visibility and Technology package, which together add $3,575 to the price. This rankles us. It should be a standalone option, at worst.  

Infotainment

For 2020, Cadillac introduced a rotary controller dial in the center console to help with infotainment. Other luxury makes, including Audi and BMW, have ditched the controller for larger touchscreens. Cadillac still has the 8.0-inch touchscreen and redundant steering controls, which means there are three ways to control audio and navigation; we barely used the controller. Beside the controller is an actual volume knob, which we used a lot. 

The redundant steering controls are a bit too spread out on the spokes of the steering wheel, and the new XT6 promises that Cadillac will streamline them into a horizontal band of switches. The XT5’s infotainment system is easy-to-use and responsive, though some of the touchscreen icons can be on the small side. Voice commands are above average, as well. 

The climate and heated seat buttons are touch capacitive and require a firm, hard touch. The temperature control only increases by single digits, so remote start is appreciated on winter mornings.

The 3.6-liter V-6 gets 18/26/21 mpg, and all-wheel drive with either engine drops 1 mpg from the combined and highway ratings. 

Both engines use cylinder deactivation at cruising speeds to increase efficiency.