5 Reasons the Cadillac XT5 Is the Ultimate Road Trip Vehicle
Taking a stateside road trip may not seem like the brightest idea these days, what with the snow and weak Canadian dollar and it being Trump’s America and all. Sad! I know. But to hell with it. Last month, I, along with a couple of my intrepid colleagues, embarked on a cross-border trek anyhow. We drove to Buffalo — land of chicken wings, flour mills, and Mike Peca — to see metalcore party monsters Every Time I Die (whom you’ve surely read about here) play their annual hometown Christmas show. We took Cadillac’s 2017 XT5 crossover to get there. And it went swimmingly. You could even say it Made Road Tripping Great Again. Here are five reasons why. (Get it? Because the name of the car.)
1. Crossover appeal
Some Democrats gave Trump their crossover vote, but the XT5 gets ours. It replaces Cadillac’s global sales leader, the SRX, to become the brand’s answer to the bourgeoning crossover market (see also: the Lexus RX, Acura MDX, BMW X5, Lincoln MKX, etc). While its styling is reminiscent of its predecessor, it’s more powerful, thanks largely to a new engine (a 3.6-litre V6) and a significant weight cut — Cadillac’s shaved about 131 kilos. That light construction does wonders for fuel efficiency. Half a tank got us from Toronto to Buffalo and back. (Okay, so maybe the engine’s fuel-saving idle stop and cylinder deactivation tech helped, too). That felt good. So did driving the thing. Kicking out at 310 horses and 271 lb-ft of torque, the V6 uses variable valve timing for punchy response and seamless power delivery. That all makes for one hell of a highway runner — taking the QEW all the way to Interstate 190 felt smooth as a no-look, behind-the-back Jack Eichel pass.
2. That interior, though
If you’re going to take a multi-hour, cross-border road trip, you’ll want some comfy environs. And, hot damn, does the XT5 deliver on that front. This may as well be the cabin of a superyacht: all cut-and-sewn leather trim contrasts natural wood touches, aluminum accents, and Alcantra suede surfaces. The heated front seats (which can get hot — like Rub A535 hot) are well padded and cozy, offering a variety of power adjustments, including lumbar and seat-cushion extenders for added thigh support. The interior is ampler than a South Park parking lot — generous head and legroom up front, and an airy back seat with a flat floor. These features kept my colleagues and I from murdering one another, making it possible for you to be reading this now.
3. That exterior, too
The XT5 leans more towards the CTS sedan than the Escalade SUV side of the style spectrum. Which isn’t a bad thing! The front of the vehicle features a gorgeous, muscular grille (and not just any grille, but a Cadillac grille) with a more ground-hugging stance. Walk around it, though, and daaamn, baby got back. While shorter than the SRX, it’s got a longer wheelbase, sleeker bodylines, and a wider track, making for a more athletic statement. All that and some 20-inch rims. Them Buffalo gals couldn’t not turn their heads when we rolled into town.
4. Infotainment on CUE
The XT5 comes equipped with a newly tuned Cadillac User Experience (CUE) system, boasting slicker graphics and a faster processor. It’s got 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi, which comes in awfully handy when you and the boys want to pull up, say, I don’t know, “Party in the USA,” for an impromptu sing-along. (Full disclosure: yes, that actually happened.) Most impressive was the navigation system; you can enter a business name (“Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!” — which I recommend, if like me, you are an unconscionable meat eater), city or street address, and the system takes you there, with a graphically pleasing map and no confusion whatsoever. Without it, I’d likely still be stranded somewhere along the border, ready to take a new station in life as a troll under the Peace Bridge.
But the system did occasionally malfunction, randomly shutting down and booting up, which is unspeakably annoying when you’re halfway through belting a Michelle Branch hook.
5. The Art of the Wheel
Driving through a severe-weather-alert-worthy snowstorm gives me the hyperventilation sweats. Always has. I grew up watching too many EXTREME CAR CRASH compilations on Dailymotion. Fortunately, the XT5 is built to respond to the elements. It’s got three driving modes: Tour, Sport, and All-Wheel Drive — the latter of which probably saved my life. It essentially hugs the road when things get a little too slick and twisty (which, sweet Moses, did they ever), providing some even, confident handling amid the harshest of climes. We didn’t skid once (you know, in all manner of ways). The XT5’s real-time damping suspension also monitors the road to help reduce vibrations, keeping things nice and poised as we glided over those gritty Buffalo thumps and potholes.
The downside to that steady-as-she-goes handling, of course, is the XT5 never felt particularly exhilarating getting up to speed. The motorheads out there might be left craving more than just 271 lb-ft of torque. But, hey, not me. I wasn’t looking to push it to the limit. I was just a dude channelling his inner-Foghat, looking for a slow ride, trying to find his way in and out of Trump Nation, in the dead of winter, in one piece. The XT5 let me do just that. Smoothly. And bigly.
