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2021 Cadillac XT5

The 2021 Cadillac XT5 plays in what’s become the most popular of all luxury segments: two-row crossovers. It does so with typical Cadillac nebulousness, straddling the line between size segments with the promise of getting more for your money than what the Germans might offer. And while it is cheaper than much of the midsized competition, you lose out in other areas. Style is always subjective, but inside and out, we find most of its competitors from Germany and elsewhere more compelling. The blacked-out Sport trim adds a bit of pizazz, but nothing about the design is memorable. We’re less than enamored with the powertrain options, too. The base four-cylinder is refined but less powerful than what competitors offer, while the V6 is hardly much of a performance upgrade and is shared with multiple non-luxury GM vehicles to boot. Some of the available tech is enticing at this price point, but an uninspired interior and lackluster drive experience would have us recommending many of the XT5’s rivals over it, regardless of which segment they belong. What’s new for 2021? The XT5 sees minor updates for 2021. It gains wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto functionality. Dark Moon Blue Metallic and Infrared Tintcoat are added to the exterior color options. Finally, new 20-inch dark-painted wheels are added as optional on Sport models. Cadillac gave the XT5 a mid-cycle refresh last year, and you can find those 2020 changes here. What are the XT5 interior and in-car technology like? Similar to the exterior design, the interior is rather forgettable. It’s covered in leatherette most places you look and touch (though much of it can be swapped to genuine leather with the Platinum Package). The styling comes off as old and uninspired (and has since this generation was brand new). There’s a mix of the typical GM corporate plastic and Cadillac-specific glossy bits, but the ratio doesn’t seem right. And then there’s a splash of metal tossed in for the climate controls that are frustratingly slow to respond. Done up in the right color upholstery (available on upper trims), there’s a touch of intrigue with the extensive use of leather-look or real leather facing the occupants. Otherwise, it’s lacking in character and verging on boring compared to some of the more dashing dashes seen in other luxury crossovers like the Lincoln Nautilus, Volvo XC60 and the usual suspects from Germany. There’s no especially great rebound in usefulness and utility. The little cubby in the dash ahead of the shifter is weirdly useless (anything you put in there will just slide out upon accelerating), and there’s little space to stuff things in besides the cupholders. At least the vertical phone slot in the center console is great — it’s a perfect, space-efficient spot to place your phone out of the way and charge it while driving. Some of the tech in the XT5 is impressive, but in other ways Cadillac is far behind its competition. The 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is nothing special these …
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