2023 Cadillac XT5

Even after seven years on the market, the Cadillac XT5 is still a handsome, distinctive design. Introduced as a 2017 model, it replaced Cadillac’s original crossover, the SRX and in the late 2010s was the luxury automaker’s best seller. The big Escalade stole that title after its blockbuster 2021 redesign, but the XT5 is still attracting plenty of customers. Just a little bigger than compact luxury crossovers like the BMW X3, the XT5 offers midsize space at a price well below larger midsizes like BMW’s X5. The only wrinkle? This aging SUV isn’t exactly “affordable.”

After a light refresh that added a four-cylinder base engine in 2020 and the addition of new tech features in 2021, the XT5 has hardly changed since. There are no major changes for 2023, and with the brand committed to electrification and the midsize Lyriq already on sale, an EV replacement is likely, but not until at least 2025. In the meantime, Cadillac offers three XT5 trims (Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport) and two engines, a 235-horsepower four-cylinder and a 310-hp V6, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive (AWD) optional.

At 189.6 inches long, the XT5 is just 3.7 inches longer than the compact X3 but 5 inches shorter than the Genesis GV80. The Jaguar F-Pace, Lexus RX and Lincoln Nautilus all fall into this tweener area, but Cadillac targets smaller machines like the X3, Audi Q5 and Genesis GV70 on price. Lexus and Lincoln undercut Cadillac on starting price, but their top trims are more expensive. The XT5 compares well to Lincoln and Lexus in a variety of areas and has plenty of space, but other competitors feel more luxurious and engaging.

While it isn’t exactly sporty, the XT5 isn’t a lazy wafter either. The four-cylinder is adequate, but the optional V6 (which starts at over $54,000) is the powerplant to have. It’ll move the 4,200-pound machine to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds; respectable if not blindingly fast. The Cadillac is also capable of handling twisty roads pretty well even if it doesn’t encourage enthusiastic driving. It rides as smoothly and quietly as you’d expect from a Cadillac, but the big optional 20-inch wheels can mean a rougher time on broken pavement.

Inside, the XT5 is also plenty comfy, with ample room in every seat and cushy but supportive chairs. The cabin is a mixture of fancy and humble materials, and while cheap plastics are not overabundant, the whole doesn’t feel as luxurious as Genesis or Lincoln or as tech-heavy as Lexus or Jaguar. The standard 8-inch screen runs easy-to-use infotainment software and there are ample connectivity features, but the display seems small compared to many newer competitors. The cargo hold is amply spacious but really isn’t that much bigger than the X3’s. 

Cadillac includes a healthy amount of standard equipment, including a broad suite of active-safety features and lots of connectivity gear, including a standard Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Where it falls down, however, is that some of the best items are available only on the Premium Luxury and Sport trims, and only at extra cost. Adaptive cruise control, standard at Genesis and Lexus, is part of a $1,300 package. Base Luxury models can’t even get navigation. There’s plenty to like about the XT5, but this definitely hurts its value proposition.

Performance: 11/15

Cadillac offers two engine choices in the XT5 starting with the standard 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder. It makes 235 horespower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The automaker is fond of quoting outputs in Newton meters these days, and four-cylinder models have a tiny “350” badge on the tailgate to call out those “Nms.” The optional engine is a 3.6-liter non-turbo V6 making 310 hp and 276 lb-ft, and those get a little “400” for their Newton meters. Both are mated to slightly different nine-speed automatic transmissions.

The four-cylinder XT5 gets better gas mileage than the six and it weighs about 300 pounds less, which helps it be a little more agile but don’t expect lots of speed. This engine will be perfectly adequate for many drivers but not performance fans, with zero-to-60 runs of about 8.0 seconds. The V6 is much quicker, and we clocked it to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. It can also tow a little more. Neither XT5 is a towing champ, but the V6 will haul 3,500 pounds to the four’s 1,000.

With its smooth ride and quiet cabin, the XT5 excels at highway cruising and cossetting its occupants, but it doesn’t entirely sacrifice handling to do this, unlike the wafty Lincoln Nautilus. On twisty roads, the XT5 maintains its composure and feels fairly precise. The Sport trim’s adaptive suspension (also optional on the Premium Luxury) helps. While the regular suspension is a little less supple and reactive, the XT5 doesn’t understeer too badly for a big front-drive vehicle or get out of shape even in fairly hard cornering. Nor do the tires also howl in protest.

The XT5 is certainly a more eager driver than most versions of the RX or Nautilus, but the top-trim Lexus and the V6 Lincoln are faster, and Jaguar and BMW have them all beat in the performance department. 

Fuel Economy: 10/15

The 2023 Cadillac XT5 gets basically average fuel economy with either engine. The EPA rates the front-wheel drive four-cylinder models at 24 mpg combined (22 city, 29 highway), while AWD fours return 23 combined (21 city, 27 highway). That’s better than the Lincoln Nautilus (which maxes out at 23 mpg combined) but the four-cylinder X3, RX and F-Pace do 24 or 25 mpg combined even with AWD. The four-cylinder hybrid Lexus RX is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the segment at 36 mpg combined.

V6 XT5s return 21 mpg combined with front or AWD according to the EPA, though front-drive models get 19 mpg city and 26 highway while AWD ones get 18 and 25 in those measures. In the real world, we saw just under 20 mpg from the V6 XT5 Sport in over 200 miles of testing. This is about evenly matched with the V6 Lincoln Nautilus, but BMW’s inline-six X3 M40i xDrive returns 23 mpg combined while the Jaguar F-Pace’s six-cylinder models do 22.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 9/15

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2023 Cadillac XT5 a five-star overall rating, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) only gives it a smattering of “good” ratings in various tests. Some of the XT5’s direct competitors earn that entity’s highest rating, Top Safety Pick+. 

Cadillac offers lots of reassuring active-safety gear, but not everything is included on every model. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warnings, lane departure warnings with lane keeping and a following distance indicator are standard on the base Luxury model. Premium Luxury and Sport models also get blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alerts, but those features can’t be added to the base model. 

The same is true for adaptive cruise control, surround view monitoring, reverse automatic braking, rear pedestrian detection and enhanced automatic emergency braking. To get all these you’ll need to stump for the $1,300 driver-assist package and the $2,275 technology package, the latter of which also includes a head-up display. Night vision is optional but, curiously, only with the 20-inch wheel packages.

Comfort & Room: 14/15

Well-bolstered but comfy, the XT5’s seats feel firm when you first sit down but don’t feel hard as the miles wear on. They’re very supportive, and just about any driver should be able to get comfy in front. There’s a little less front legroom than the Nautilus (42.8 inches to the Caddy’s 41.2) but more than most other direct competitors, and only NBA players will be able to tell the difference. 

The back seat shines too. With 39 inches of rear legroom and 38.4 inches of rear headroom, there’s space even for tall adults back there and no need for compromises with the driver or front passenger. The Nautilus, which has one of the comfiest back seats in the class, is the champ on comfort in this group, but the XT5 has as much as 2 inches more rear legroom than most direct competitors. The big doors and open interior also make fitting big child seats easy.

Infotainment: 13/15

Cadillac’s infotainment system, shared with many other GM products, is easy to use, colorful and responsive. The software runs smoothly on a bright, crisp 8-inch touchscreen, which looks a bit small in the XT5’s big dash. Many competitors now offer much larger screens, particularly Lexus and Jaguar. Standard tech gear is generous, including a Bose eight-speaker premium audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, near field communication pairing abilities, a quartet of USB ports, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and GM’s teen driver mode.

All of the controls except the volume knob (mounted on the console) are surprising or inconvenient. The shifter works (and even looks) just like those in the BMW X3 and X5, no annoying pushbuttons, and there’s a rotary infotainment controller in addition to the touchscreen and steering wheel controls. Cadillac’s screen may not be the biggest, but it is one of the easiest to use in this class.

Cargo Space & Storage: 12/15

Cadillac devotes more of the XT5’s interior to passenger space than it does to cargo, but it can still haul plenty of stuff. There are 30 cubic-feet of storage space behind the rear seats and 63 with them folded. That’s a whole lot more than the Lexus RX350h (29.6 behind row two and 46.2 cubic-feet overall), but less than the F-Pace (31.5 and 69.1), Nautilus (37.2 and 68.8) and about even with the X3 (28.7 and 62.7).

Small item storage is good but not more remarkable than any of this vehicle’s direct competitors. There’s an almost-hidden cubby in the console beneath the shifter, but it isn’t really convenient to use.

Styling & Design: 6/10

The XT5’s design language is evolved from its predecessor, the SRX. While it’s still quite distinctive from the competition, it’s familiar after all this time. There’s nothing bad about it, but it blends in more than it should. Bright colors like the new shade of red help, but they also cost extra. Jaguar, Lexus and Lincoln are more distinctive alternatives, but not everybody likes the Lexus’ giant “spindle” grille, and the XT5 is a more coherent, expressive design than the BMW X3.

Inside, the XT5 isn’t as overtly plush as interiors from Genesis or Lincoln, but the materials are fairly nice. The design seems a little familiar, however, especially in solid black. The pieces used in the XT5 are clearly nicer and costlier than those in Buick and Chevrolet interiors but without color differentiation, the resemblance to its corporate cousins is awfully strong. Cadillac does offer some contrasting colors that highlight its design, but you have to pay extra for them.

Is the 2023 Cadillac XT5 Worth It? Which XT5 is the Best Value?

Cadillac has raised its prices since the first announcement of the 2023 model year XT5s, with the base model XT5 Luxury now ringing in at $45,590 (including a $1,395 destination fee). 

While the Luxury trim has plenty of standard features, it precludes potential owners from getting the very best features of the vehicle, so we’d skip that grade entirely and head for the Premium Luxury ($51,340) trim. We’d also add the V6 for $1,000, but probably skip AWD (which adds $2,000 to the bill). 

This is the best value proposition in the XT5 line, and skipping AWD leaves room for the driver assistance package ($1,300), which brings enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise and reverse automatic braking. Buyers can also add the technology package ($2,275) that includes rear pedestrian detection, an enhanced digital instrument cluster and the head-up display, among other goodies. A $4,850 Platinum package also brings the Sport’s adaptive suspension, semi-aniline leather and other luxury items, but at that point you’re over $60,000.

The top-spec Sport ($58,490) comes with the most gear and makes the V6 standard, but adding any options also puts it in competition with faster, larger or more luxurious competitors, in some cases with more equipment and interiors that feel considerably more special. 

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Cadillac XT5? 

Insurance costs for the Cadillac XT5 are similar to its main competitors. According to our data, the average 30-year-old female driver with a good record can expect an average annual premium of between $2,052 and $2,277, depending on the model. At the same time, the Audi Q5 runs between $2,543 and $2,654, the Lincoln Nautilus between $2,118 and $2,356, and the Lexus RX between $2,283 and $2,579. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, see our car insurance calculator.