Fronted by a very Cadillac grille, the exterior was penned by a sure hand and is tastefully conservative. The interior follows the same design ethos and is fashioned from lavish and attractive materials. XT5 occupants are welcomed by comfortable seats and plenty of legroom, front and rear. The floor of the expansive cargo area lifts up to reveal a large, hidden storage area with partitions.
Most XT5s will be powered by GM’s 3.6L V6 but the Luxury and Premium trims are offered with a 2L turbo four. The XT5’s all-wheel drive system can move up to 100 percent of torque to either axle and also from one side to another, but it’s essentially front-wheel-drive-biased and can lock out drive to the rear wheels to enhance fuel economy. A full complement of active safety features is available.
The XT5’s 3.6L V6 accelerates briskly and is more refined than the high-power turbo fours that power lesser versions of the car and much of the competition. Road noise is too intrusive for a luxury vehicle. The eight-speed automatic transmission is well-mated to the engine and shifts very smoothly. However, its joystick like shifter is needlessly confusing. The XT5’s crisp handling is allied to a firmly resilient ride that will please most buyers. The nicely weighted and geared steering manages to transmit a scintilla of road surface sensation back to the driver. With just over 4200 sold last year, the XT5 has proved popular and is the best-selling Cadillac in Canada.

All-wheel drive is standard on all trims except for the Luxury, where it is a $2500 option. The Luxury Premium trim upgrade adds a dual-panel sunroof, an upgraded Bose-branded audio system, a foot-gesture tailgate opener, wireless cellphone charging, an augmented alarm system, a power-adjustable steering wheel and a number of minor items, and is good value. The Premium Luxury specifications note that blind-spot and rear cross traffic sensors but the equipment was discontinued because of a lack of parts in late 2022. The V6, not offered on the Luxury trim, an $1150 option on the Premium Luxury model, is standard on the Sport trim. The Sport is equipped with a more sophisticated all-wheel drive system, Brembo brakes and adaptive suspension dampers at a reasonable price considering it also includes the V6. To add adaptive cruise control buyers have to accept extravagantly priced option packages to gain something that is standard on a Honda Civic. Priced from $900 to $1395, Cadillac charges for metallic paint are on par with what the German brands charge.

Not rated, insufficient data on this model that debuted for the 2017 model year. Electrical problems and uncertain durability of the 3.6L V6 could cause owners grief at the car ages. A GM extended warranty is recommended if you plan to keep the XT5 beyond the four year/80,000 km bumper to bumper basic warranty or the six year/110,000 km powertrain warranty.