Driven: Cadillac SRX, Escalade ESV Platinum, and ... CTS-V

[thewizard16]

This is not a comprehensive review of each car, just thoughts from a test drive of each this weekend at the St. Louis Auto Show.

Cadillac SRX: I'd never paid any attention to this vehicle's existence until this test drive. I was surprised by a few things: The interior is actually pretty impressive, it handles much more like a stiffened car suspension than a jacked up car based SUV normally does, the panoramic roof is a nice touch, and the Cadillac logo animation in the center of the speedometer when the car turns on is very nice. I'm not really a small SUV person and the SRX's styling is a bit soccer mom (I assume they're going after the Lexus RX and Acura MDX though, so that's a good place to be), but it drove much nicer than I would have expected an the interior was easily as nice as the MDX or RX from what I saw and felt. It did seem a bit smaller inside than the RX but otherwise I actually liked it.

Escalade ESV Platinum: I expected to like this beast, but I loved it instead. The interior is very well done and the use of light wood with metal accents actually looked fantastic. There are a borderline hilarious number of DVD screens for the back two rows of passengers (gotta keep those kids quiet), but everything was nicely styled. I think the gauge cluster may have been the most attractive of the three models I drove, and the heated and cooled cupholders was a small but pleasant feature. Like the SRX, the heated and ventilated seats are nicely done and comfortable. I wish the Escalade had a sunroof as ridiculous as the SRX, but otherwise the interior was just about perfect for a large SUV. It's impressive how far Cadillac interiors have come from even a few years ago. It drove as expected- like a Suburban but a little smoother. It had enough power to not feel slow, but it'd be hard to forget you're driving something that weighs 6000 pounds and won't fit in downtown parallel parking spaces. It looks good though- the LED headlights are attractive, and it just looks great in black.

CTS-V Coupe: I've loved the way this car looked and the way the interior felt since it first appeared at the auto show a couple years ago, but I had not driven one until Sunday. The interior is very nicely done, it easily competes with the Lexus and BMW alternatives in interior quality in my opinion. Interior styling is much better than the M3 in my opinion, and is cleaner and more aggressive than the IS-F's. I think exterior styling is the best of the 3, but some people I heard at the Cadillac event didn't seem to like the large triangular high mounted stop light on the coupe. The coupe's hidden door handles and electronic interior release are fantastic. The Recaro seats really hold you in, but it takes some tinkering with the bolsters to get them to a place where you feel secure but not crunched. Obese people are probably not going to be able to comfortably drive this car, but that's another plus in my book . The rear seats are a bit tricky to get into and not incredibly roomy, but that's what the CTS-V wagon is for (which I rode along with a friend in). When it comes to driving, I liked everything. The steering seemed confident, the Cadillac rep let me play with it on two corners with traction control on and off and I was impressed by how well the TC helped it around the curve without being very noticeable. The real star is the engine though. The supercharger whine is a thing of beauty and the speed... There were a couple empty city streets in the industrial area near the convention center and I opened it up on two different stretches. I've never accelerated that quickly before (3.9 seconds to 60) and I've been missing out.

The bottom line after the drives: I'm surprised, and happy, with how far Cadillac has come in such a short amount of time. If I had an extra $70,000 lying around I'd buy the CTS-V coupe in a heartbeat. If I had an additional $85,000 I'd strongly consider the Escalade ESV for the other car in the garage. I would have never thought I'd consider a Cadillac filled luxury garage even a couple years ago, so color me impressed.

[68_427]

I think you owe yourself a test drive of the ATS when it comes out. 

[GoCougs]

The SRX is a looker - it's been a huge success for Cadillac and I can see why. Gets more power in 2012 with GM's corporate 300+ hp 3.6L

Meh, the Escalade harkens back to a bygone era for Cadillac - it's been hugely successful but it's a bit of an anachronism. Most anything else in the class are better vehicles but have terrible styling (LX570, QX56) or terrible reliability (GL550, Range Rover).

The CTS-V coupe is bad ass.

All in all, GM has done a phenomenal job with Cadillac.

[Schadenfreude]

The SRX is a looker - it's been a huge success for Cadillac and I can see why. Gets more power in 2012 with GM's corporate 300+ hp 3.6L

Meh, the Escalade harkens back to a bygone era for Cadillac - it's been hugely successful but it's a bit of an anachronism. Most anything else in the class are better vehicles but have terrible styling (LX570, QX56) or terrible reliability (GL550, Range Rover).

The CTS-V coupe is bad ass.

All in all, GM has done a phenomenal job with Cadillac.

There's still lots of room for improvement, and my favorite model hasn't even been shown to the public yet.