I have to put blame squarely on member Matt Y for taking me for a ride in his BMW 740iL many years ago and introducing me to the world of the luxury sedan. That peaceful backroad drive was the beginning of a guilty pleasure to seek-out and experience more of these land yachts. Over the years, and usually on business trips, I’ve been fortunate (or maybe unfortunate) to have colleagues accompany me that are rather tall… and by tall I mean… 6’4″, 6’5″, and my latest co-worker topping the charts at 6’7″ – needless-to-say, they don’t fit in the company approved intermediate class Nissan Sentra or Hyundai Elantra. The rental clerks see these guys coming and it’s Christmas in July – instant upsell! – and this trip was no exception. With an added shortage of vehicles due to a large conference in the area, this 2019 Cadillac XTS was just what we needed for this trip.
The XTS is a striking car; really aggressive looks for such a large vehicle, angular but also sweeping… much like the A-12 Oxcart Article-127 pictured with it (cover photo). And like the A-12, it’s smooth, stealthy and fast.
The 3.6-litre VVT direct-injection V6 is once again carried over from the Camaro. Its as docile as you need it to be because of the gearing, but step down on the skinny pedal and its lift-off time, with 305 hp and 264 torques pushed through the front wheels. You heard me right, in order to achieve the massive “people space” in the XTS, this Cadillac has the V6 transversely mounted and strapped to a 6-speed front-wheel-drive automatic transmission. Note: There is a XTS-4 all-wheel-drive version available as an option.
Since Huntsville is a city that still enjoys building lots of off-ramps and cloverleafs, once I had the car to myself for a while it was an opportune time to test the braking and handling. This Caddy has about 30K miles on it, so it’s well broken in at this point, but late braking into turns didn’t leave me disappointed – the brakes are firm and responsive. Expecting some front end “push” by aggressively late apexing, the factory equipped 245/45 19″ Goodyears didn’t complain one bit and the car stay planted even accelerating out of the ramps. The ride is comfortable, but isn’t the squishy “old-mattress” feel of older domestic luxury vehicles. The suspension is tight and the car feels firm and planted at all times.
Having some previous experience with modern Cadillacs, my wife owned a 2015 SRX-4 w/ Performance Package for a number of years, I had an idea what to expect. I would be lying if I told you that Cadillac has completely redone the living space in the XTS compared to the older models. I was disappointed to see that it was just more of the same. The CUE (Cadillac User Experience) Infotainment System has been updated with an even more difficult to use UI, and most everything else in the interior is actually the same as the SRX including the buttonless haptic feedback HVAC system. Cadillac continues to supply the BOSE audio system which has a very rich sound with good speaker placement. Take a moment to enjoy the song we decided to test the system with: Peter Townshends “Give Blood.”
Now that the E in E-brake stands for Electronic, I was amused by the placement and size of the button. Compared to other Caddy’s I’ve driven the button moved from the center console to the left extreme of the dash near the door and is about the size of a window switch. It took me a minute to find it before I was able to pull out of the rental lot without dragging the rear brakes. LOL. I’m hopeful that this is the “end of the line” (it’s going on 6+ years) for this interior design and maybe something newer is on the horizon for future Caddys.
Like other Cadillacs I’ve driven with this power plant and drivetrain, the shifting is seamless and the revvs are ultra low. At 63 mph (100 kmh) this engine is barely over idle in high-gear at 1600 rpm. However, the gas mileage was similar to that of my wife’s SRX which means low 20’s combined average, and because it’s a 6-cylinder, there is no cylinder cut off like in a V8 nor does it have engine auto start/stop when sitting at a traffic light.
The biggest downside to the XTS is the visibility; with the low slung roofline like offerings from Audi & VW (A7, Arteon, CC) and others like Mercedes, you end up with massive blind spots. The B-pillar always seems to be in the way no matter how you adjust the seat. I tried adjusting the mirrors every which way as well, they’re big – but not big enough. You really must move around in the seat and look over your shoulder to make sure you’re not going to side-swipe traffic while merging. I’ve been tagged more than once as a “geezer” for still parking a car without using the back-up camera. To me, the ability to park a car “the old fashioned way” plays a huge part in judging the vehicles visibility. Parking the XTS was awkward, I actually found it easier to back into a spot than pull forward; this has a lot to do with the way the front edges are shaped and how low you sit because of the roof line. Taller drivers didn’t seem to have an issue, +1 for those guys 🙂 — All that, and let’s face it … it’s huge!, clocking in at 200″ its 3″ shorter than your average mini-van.
The upsides to the XTS are abundant. Plenty of room for my 6’7″ companion, massive trunk (“fits a full coffin” as Matt Y puts it), plush interior and tight build quality. Nothing outrageous or obscene about the car – a very clean and sleek design inside and out. And to be totally honest, I’m generally not a fan of beige (tan) interiors in any car, but I like the combination of two-tone and faux-wood in this car. Does it come in black?
The biggest concern for me if I was considering an XTS would come down to value. Taking the MPG completely off the table, the $52K price tag puts this car into a category with many other well equipped vehicles and even some sports cars. This makes it a tough sell. But like all car reviews on GTM, be sure to do your own homework and go test drive these cars for yourself. For full specs on the Cadillac XTS you can find them on Edmunds.com or visit Cadillac.com for details or dealers in your area.
#merrymotoring.
