Cadillac’s Midsize Contender
Competing in the premium midsize SUV category, the 2021 Cadillac XT5 is right in the middle of stiff competition, including models from Acura, Audi, BMW, Genesis, Infiniti, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tesla and Volvo. Some of these come as hybrids, plug-in hybrids or full electrics, upping the ante even more. But the XT5 acquits itself well in all of the key categories, which explains its solid sales pace for the GM luxury division.
Three Models
The 2021 Cadillac XT5 comes in three models of Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport, all available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a normally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine. Clean Fleet Report tested a XT5 Premium Luxury with the 3.6L that put out 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, driving the front wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The Luxury and Premium Luxury models come standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional. All-wheel drive comes standard on the Sport model.
Cruising Comfort
The XT5 has three driver-selectable drive modes of Tour, Sport and Snow/Ice. The engine ran smooth at all speeds with zero-to-60 times right around 6.4 seconds, which was plenty peppy for freeway onramp merging. The fuel economy, which is best in Tour, was aided by cylinder deactivation, where the 3.6L goes from six to four cylinders under certain power demands.
Clean Fleet Report spent a week exploring Southern California in the front-wheel drive XT5 Premium Luxury, which the EPA rates at 19 mpg city/26 highway/21 combined mpg. In 224 miles of mostly freeway driving we averaged 22.5 mpg. Our best efficiency was over a 110-mile all-freeway run with the adaptive cruise control set at 65 mph, earning us 30.9 mpg. We were surprised to cross the 30 mpg mark for this 3,915-pound, five-passenger midsize SUV. The 2021 XT5 with the base four-cylinder, turbocharged engine is EPA rated at 22/29/24. Both engines use premium 91 octane. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
The ride was comfortable, and the handling was competent with the Michelin 235/55 all-season tires on 20-inch six spoke wheels providing good grip when braking and cornering. Braking is through four-wheel discs with electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes and traction control. Road imperfections were handled with ease, with harshness or road noise not being transferred to the cabin. The XT5 handling is not sporty, but is predictable, reassuring, confident, and would be an excellent road trip experience for a family of four or five. The XT5 has a 3,500-pound tow rating to augment those road trips.
To challenge consumers in a curious way, Cadillac has placed a “400” badge on the rear power lift gate. The first thought is this references a 4.0-liter engine or 400 horsepower, but no, not even close. Cadillac has converted the torque, from foot-pounds into Newton-meters (the torque measurement used in some countries around the world but not America, then rounded it up to an even number). But here is the kicker to this numbering scheme, the 3.6L engine in the 2021 XT5 doesn’t actually produce 400 Newton meters, but comes close to that number. If for some reason you want to learn more about Newton meters, you can indulge here.
Accommodating Interior
Clean Fleet Report had plenty of seat time to get a feel for the XT5’s interior space, which would easily handle five on a road trip. The supportive power, heated and ventilated driver and passenger seats were covered in semi-aniline leather, a quality leather also on the second row, where the outbound seats were heated.
Cadillac says the XT5’s interior offers ”more distinct expressions of Cadillac style.” The XT5 comes in five interior colors of Jet Black, Kona Brown Sauvage, Cirrus, Sedona Sauvage and Maple Sugar. With each of these colors there are options of contrasting colors and wood, carbon fiber or diamond-cut aluminum trim. The microfiber headliner, leather console and door trim, and thick carpet floor mats upped the look and feel. There were both hard and soft surfaces throughout the cabin, but some of the hard plastic pieces were not up to a premium Cadillac standard.
The hands-free lift gate (just swing your foot under the left corner of the bumper) reveals a good size cargo area. With the rear seats up we were able to stow 10 carry-on pieces; then, with a simple pull of a lever the rear seats fold flat, and we were able to pack 25 pieces. If taking a road trip with four adults is in your plans, all of their luggage will fit, while those in the rear seats will have heat, reading lamps, air vents, USB ports and a center arm rest with cup holders.
The standard equipment on the 2021 XT5 can be enhanced by available packages that add optional equipment and features. Our XT5 Premium Luxury, with the Platinum Package, had eight-way power, including two-way lumbar, heated and ventilated driver and passenger seats, a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The driver’s seat has a surprise for you: it vibrates as part of the lane departure and rear parking warning systems.
The XT5 has a low dash design that nicely incorporated the 8.0-inch high-definition color display for navigation and the Bose Performance audio system. Fourteen speakers pumped-out quality sound for AM/FM HD radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SiriusXM. Bluetooth for hands-free phone worked well; multiple USB, including USB-C, ports and power outlets compled the audio system. We would have appreciated a channel selection knob to accompany the volume knob. The Cadillac User Experience, or CUE System is designed to provide drivers with a complete suite of infotainment, navigation and communication tools for keeping the driver connected.
The controls are nicely laid-out and within easy reach, including piano switches to operate the tri-zone climate control. The XT5 is well-equipped, with convenience features including remote keyless entry with remote start, leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel with radio and telephone controls, Ultra View sunroof, wireless phone charging, an air ionizer, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, tire pressure monitoring system, rain sensing windshield wipers, keyless push button on/off, and OnStar. A unique safety feature is the Rear Camera Mirror system with a washer to keep it clean. It enhances the rear vision by using a video display applied over the inside rearview mirror image. It takes a bit of getting used to this slightly different rear view that widens the field of vision.
A note regarding OnStar: a simple push of a button connects you with a friendly General Motors representative to handle emergencies, directions and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable. This is one area where GM is the industry leader, and after the initial service plan expires, it is well worth renewing.
Distinguished Design
The exterior design of the 2021 XT5 is among the most attractive in the midsize premium SUV class. The three XT5 trim levels, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport, each have distinctive design elements that make them just different enough from each other, but equally eye-appealing. Cadillac says “the XT5 is unmistakably Cadillac…with expressive design and strong proportions.”
Clean Fleet Report was driving the XT5 Premium Luxury painted in Shadow Metallic, which is one of eight exterior colors that include Dark Moon Blue Metallic, Wilder Metallic and Infrared Tintcoat. The distinctive grille, with a black mesh design and the recognizable Cadillac crest, is trimmed with a restrained use of chrome. The narrow LED headlamps squint from the outer edges of the fenders and sit atop the vertical LED daytime running lights that double as turn signals. Very handy safety features that sit below the turn signal lamps are the cornering lights that illuminate automatically when entering a corner.
The rear design has vertical LED tail lights, twin chrome-tipped exhaust ports and the hands-free power lift gate. Something unique to Cadillac SUVs is how the rear window wiper tucks away under the roof spoiler, so it’s not visible when using the rear view mirror.
Safety and Convenience
The 2021 XT5 has front, seat-mounted side, knee, and head-curtain airbags for both front and rear seat passengers. The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) included automatic collision braking conditions, lane keeping assist, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot alert, front pedestrian detection, full-range adaptive cruise control with following distance indicator, and automatic parking assist with braking. The XT5 has a smooth stop/start feature where the engine shuts off when coming to a stop, and then when it is time to go, engages automatically. The reverse automatic braking will snap your head, but is a valuable safety technology.
Other safety features included surround vision and a color head-up display. The latter is a safety feature that Clean Fleet Report feels should be standard on all cars.
Our XT5 also had Night Vision, which uses an infrared sensor designed to increase awareness of potential hazards in the dark by detecting temperature differences between pedestrians or large animals and surrounding objects. These night and day photos show how effective the system can be.
Pricing and Warranties
Clean Fleet Report’s 2021 XT5 Premium Luxury had a base price of $48,795. With $15,975 in options and the $995 destination charge, the total MSRP came to $65,765.
The 2021 Cadillac XT5 comes with these warranties:
- Bumper-To-Bumper – Four years/50,000 miles
- Powertrain – Six years/70,000 miles
- Roadside Assistance – Six years/70,000 miles
- Scheduled Service/Maintenance – One year/First visit
The 2021 Cadillac XT5 has a 5-Star safety rating, their highest, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway safety (IIHS) has awarded the XT5 their highest rating of Top Safety Pick+.
Observations: 2021 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury FWD
Competing in the premium midsize SUV category, Cadillac has placed itself right in the middle of stiff competition, including models from Acura, Audi, BMW, Genesis, Infiniti, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tesla and Volvo. Some of these come as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric, so savvy customers will be scrutinizing that $65,000+ price for a fully loaded XT5 that only offers gasoline engines.
The XT5, with a quiet and roomy interior, gets acceptable fuel economy if you drive conservatively, and the ride is comfortable and absorbs road imperfections. The XT5 isn’t marketed as a sport crossover, but it handles corners well when not being thrown around in an aggressive manner. The XT5 shines when driven straight over long distances or around town running errands, where it does so in one of the best designed exterior packages in the category.
General Motors has announced a commitment to 30 new global electric vehicles by the year 2025. With crossover SUVs being the hottest sales category, it stands to reason the XT5, and the smaller XT4 and larger XT6, will either be discontinued or completely reborn with some sort of electrification. This isn’t a bad thing for the XT5 as it is a very good SUV, which its sales indicate, but at $65,000+ when outfitted like ours was, it felt a bit dated compared to some newer competitors we have driven, many of them with a lower price tag.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Cadillac.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
