I quite liked the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V as a family hauler. After all, who wouldn’t love a 615‑horsepower performance SUV that coddles toddlers and can haul camping gear and a desk in one trip? It’s undeniably cool, undeniably capable, and, well… Undeniably expensive. My Premium tester rang up to $87,510, and after a week of living with it—kids, car seats, errands, and all—I walked away impressed. And while it’s multifaceted, I came away thinking hard about whether it truly earns that price tag.
Kristen Brown
There’s a lot the Lyriq-V has to offer, like a beautiful interior, a rich and responsive 33-inch touchscreen, an excellent sound system, and plenty of rear room so passengers feel like celebrities. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous. But, I’m not quite sure it’s worth the money, even though it’s the quickest Cadillac, with a zero-to-sixty time of 3.3 seconds.
The interior is both gorgeous and spacious
I said this before, and I’ll say it again: I could probably get away with charging monthly rent for the rear seats. With 39.6 inches of rear legroom, my toddlers had room to climb in, stretch out, and avoid kicking each other, while adult passengers felt like they were in a limousine. The panoramic sunroof brightens the cabin, the seats are plush, and optional heated/ventilated second‑row seats make it feel like a rolling lounge. Super Cruise only added to that experience as a driver, since I had newfound time actually to enjoy the interior while being stuck in traffic.
The cargo area isn’t class‑leading, but it’s genuinely useful. We loaded camping gear, crossbars, and a desk, all at the same time, to make a run to our storage unit. A double stroller and a grocery haul would be a no-brainer in the Lyriq-V. The ambient lighting is posh (and customizable), and cleverly sets the mood no matter where you’re going.
Kristen Brown
But it doesn’t necessarily feel like a car of its price stature. I’ve been in cars that aren’t nearly as expensive but have much nicer interiors (shout-out to Genesis for the GV70 and GV80, and to Rivian for the R1S dual-motor). My tester was mostly black leather, and in my opinion, black leather is very difficult to make premium. If it had tan, white, or even beige leather, I’d give those points back. Plus, it was a bit hard to see out of because of the low seating position, thick A, B, and C pillars, and the small side mirrors. The smart rearview mirror helped, but not by much.
The power is where most of the price makes more sense
The V‑Series hardware that comes baked into the Lyriq-V isn’t just an appearance package; it’s a total upgrade to handle the 100 extra horsepower. Stronger cooling, rear‑biased torque split, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, Brembos, and stickier tires from the factory. All of that helps make the SUV feel planted, predictable, and confident. The extra horsepower doesn’t just help you be the coolest person in the room; it also helps with stability on windy roads, and it gave me a lot of confidence when it came to merging and passing (you don’t need an extra 100 horsepower, but it definitely helps…). It’s the kind of power that, if you’re not careful, can definitely give you a complex.
Kristen Brown
Is the launch more, battery upgrades (like faster preconditioning, thermal management for repetitive launches, adaptive suspension, etc) justify the cost? A little. If you look at it from an engineering perspective, it makes it a bit more understandable. But let’s be real… Cadillac’s typical buyer doesn’t give a hoot about the work that went into making it so quick and capable. They just like that it’s shiny and pretty. But if you’re affluent and appreciate the amount of brainpower, you’ll love it. You can read more about the engineering here.
The technology only amplifies the experience
Generally, I feel pretty neutral about GM’s software and user interface. The Cadillac Lyriq for 2026 had Android Auto and Apple CarPlay grandfathered in, so my tester still had it—though it was odd that the display for Android Auto was very small and awkward looking on that giant, 33-inch touch screen. It’s such a high-resolution the Android Auto interface looked grainy and low-res. Yes, that’s picky, but it’s very noticeable when the car costs as much as it does. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed the menu’s designs, the responsive screen, the customization options, and all the fun ways Cadillac incorporated silhouettes of the Lyriq in the vehicle settings (and startup display). It absolutely added to the experience, and it felt unique among other GM EVs.
Kristen Brown
Cadillac says a majority of its EV buyers are young, affluent men, but I’m not sure that’s accurate (at least for the San Francisco Bay Area). Most of the Lyriq drivers I see out here are older George Clooney-type men, who feel it’s necessary to break out their genuine leather driving gloves to pilot the robin egg blue Lyriq. Because the software is so easy to navigate, settings are easy to customize, and it’s incredibly easy on the eyes, the typical Bay Area buyer makes more sense.
The exterior design is the perfect blend of modern tech and Caddie flavor
One of the [many] things I loved about the Cadillac Lyriq-V was the design, mainly because it doesn’t look like a typical EV SUV. It just looks like a smooth, curvy, hunkered-down SUV that’s designed to go quickly. While looking dapper, of course. It doesn’t have a traditional grille (because, you know, it doesn’t need one), but Cadillac did an excellent job with the front end to make it look like it has one. The side profile is just as good. You could tell a bunch of engineers spent hours near a wind tunnel pushing up their glasses trying to maximize the aerodynamics while maintaining its swagger, and they did an exceptional job.
Kristen Brown
I loved the exterior lighting patterns when it was plugged into a charger. When I plugged it in at my local Safeway, it was like the GMC Hummer EV all over again—kids stopped and stared, and their moms had to urge them to hustle towards the store. As far as I know, that can be customized, too. You won’t notice it too much if you have an at-home charger, but… Still. It’s a cool feature that helps make it feel so much more premium.
Final thoughts: Is it worth the price? Not in my opinion
Yes, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is an incredible car, with an incredible amount of engineering and ground-breaking technology, with exceptional looks to match it. However, during my entire week with it, I spent 100% of my time with it doing mundane things. I tested the launch control a few times, and I tested the suspension on the curvy hills of Berkeley’s Tilden area, but otherwise, I didn’t even get close to riling up all 615 ponies. An EV with about half the amount of horsepower would have worked just fine. Aside from the resolution of the screens, there wasn’t anything that truly separated it from the technology and software in other EVs. If the Cadillac Lyriq-V were about $10,000 less, I’d say, “Hell yeah.” But unless you’ve got money to burn, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth nearly $90,000.
About the author
Kristen Brown
Contributing Writer, Autoblog