2004 Cadillac SRX Review

Specifications

As Good as an X5?

Do you like it? I do, at least when it comes to styling. I really think Cadillac is onto something with its edgy, angled art of science approach, with the SRX falling right into the brands new lineup both from a design and contextual perspective.

Its aggressive, but not quite as much as the CTS sedan or XLR roadster, more of a tall station wagon a la Volvo XC70 than a testosterone induced SUV. The rear lights are massive, reminding me of a bygone era when tall, vertical tail lamps were all the rage in Cadillac design. The center mounted brake light just might be the largest in recorded history, almost spanning the entire width of the vehicle. Just below, the SRXs rear side windows wrap around to seamlessly form into a large back window. Its nicely shaped too with a chevron dip at its middle, mirroring the attractive grille at the vehicles opposing end.

The headlamp clusters are vertical, similar to Cadillacs other recent offerings, with a blunt front fascia integrating large square fog lamps. The fenders are sharply creased to match the rest of the vehicles rigid angles, a nice alternative to the ovoid sameness all too common in the luxury car set. Will everyone like it? Most definitely not! But premium marks hardly do well when trying to be everything to everybody, or merely imitating class leading style such as Lincoln did with its LS carbon copy of the BMW 5-Series. Cadillac should be commended for its bold design move.

Speaking of commendable moves, a near 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity helps this SUV handle like a sports sedan. I particularly like the CTS from a driving dynamics standpoint, which is also based on GMs Sigma rear-wheel drive architecture, so I expected the XRS to perform well.

The SUVs independent short/long arm (SLA) front and fully independent multi-link rear all-aluminum suspension is outstanding on dry or wet road surfaces, the latter assisted by traction control and four-channel StabiliTrak active suspension control. GMs Magnetic Ride Control, an electronically controlled magnetic-fluid based real-time damping suspension control system (the worlds fastest-reacting by the way) is immediately felt when the road gets bumpy or starts to twist and turn, reducing harshness while improving overall stability, control and feel.

As far as feel goes, the speed-sensitive variable effort steering gives generous feedback for this class of vehicle, responding wonderfully to input and tracking well at high speed. Braking feel is good too, as is the reaction to a solid stomp on the pedal. Its 4-wheel discs aided by 4-channel ABS with Panic Brake Assist bring highway speeds to a standstill in short order. The brakes even hold up well under repeated panic stops, a test the majority of SUVs fail at miserably.

Partial credit for my test vehicles braking and handling prowess has to go to its 235/60R18 front and 255/55R18 rear Michelin all-season performance tires. They werent particularly grippy in deep snow, but are a better compromise for varied conditions than a dedicated snow tire would be. Base models get Goodyear all-season 235/65R17s in the front and 255/60R17s in the rear, not quite as large in diameter but offering the same expansive contact patch.

To be taken seriously in the SUV or crossover category all- or 4-wheel drive is a must. To this end Cadillac offers AWD as an option, feeling that a great many of its potential customers would rather go without the added expense of driving all four wheels, initially at the time of purchase and thereafter in the form of increased fuel consumption and out of warranty maintenance. Therefore the base SRX comes with rear-wheel drive, better for spirited driving as well as towing and toting a payload than front-wheel drive. With that in mind the SRX will be capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds with a package available mid-year.

On the subject of the new Cadillacs ability to balance utility with sporting driving dynamics, SRX marketing director Jay Spenchian commented, “SRX is a true drivers utility, an innovative entry in a crowded segment.” He continued, “SRX is unlike any of the luxury utilities out there. It offers a great look, precise road manners and unprecedented utility.”

Part of that utility is a large cargo area, with 8.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats, 32.4 cubic feet aft of the 2nd row and a total of 69.5 cubes available with all rows folded flat. All rows? Thats right. Cadillac went the intelligent route and included a flexible third row during the vehicles planning stages, making it possible to transport up to seven passengers when needed. The seats in the back arent particularly easy to get into nor roomy for even small adults, but for families who need a safe and secure place to stow an extra child or two theyre ideal. They also fold into the rear cargo floor perfectly via power actuation. While it would be more convenient if GM had found a way to keep the headrests in place during the process, the SRX is still miles ahead of the majority of premium automakers that dont even offer a 3rd row in the first place. That said the new Cadillac can be ordered without the 3rd row, an optional rear cargo management system taking its place.

Of course, three rows of seats can produce drawbacks. Despite the SRXs longest in class wheelbase, if the front seats are pushed to their maximum rearward positions there isnt much legroom for middle row passengers. This, of course, will only be a problem for extremely tall families. Under normal conditions its 41-inch rear seat legroom is best in class, according to Cadillac.

The interior on the whole is a giant leap forward for the crested wreath brand, that incidentally was lambasted by the press, myself included, after introducing its CTS sports sedan with less than premium perceived quality - that upscale touchy, feely tactile sensation that premium customers appreciate with regard to plastics, wood and switchgear - the CTS has since been improved to SRX standards. The SUVs dash, console and side window ledges are all top grade, basically all the surfaces that come in regular contact with hands. Highest kudos must go to the designers of the power window switches. While they might be small for some drivers, a recurring problem found elsewhere inside the SRX, theyre among the nicest in the industry.

But after these details I was unfortunately less impressed overall. Considering Cadillac has had years to benchmark vehicles in the luxury SUV category, such as the BMW X5 and Lexus RX, and its charging a similar price to the former and more than the latter, merely good for a Cadillac still doesnt make it good enough to compete head to head with its premium competitors. Whats wrong? First off, is that really wood covering the center stack? It doesnt feel like it, and theres an obvious plastic seam on the ashtray lid. Look to the left, at the ignition attached to the steering column, and a cheap plastic cap almost covers its mechanisms, but not quite - tacky.

Even worse is the key that dangles from the ignition. When will premium carmakers learn that the keyfob is an owners bragging tool at the bar or restaurant. Youve seen the type; impeccably dressed yuppies sipping overpriced coffees at the local brew company, the Wall Street Journal neatly folded on the table just beside their distinctively designed BMW or Mercedes-Benz keyfob - the cars full-color enamel logo face-up to show their discriminatingly good taste to all who happen to gaze in their direction. Even VW owners get a kick out of showing off their trick switchblade keyfobs. Whats my point? Cadillac needs to take a less than subtle hint and upgrade theirs beyond the five and dime store Chevy variety that cant even muster fleet manager levels of ownership pride.

The plastic that surrounds the steering column is low rent too, as it is throughout the cabin in those less conspicuous spots. But the liftgate interior panel isnt less conspicuous, so why go with a massive hard plastic shell to cover the entire thing when its competitors finish the same panel in rich carpeting and high-grade plastics? If Cadillac was charging Chrysler Pacifica prices then I probably wouldnt complain, but even then Chrysler has done a better job bringing its Pacifica interior up to premium standards overall, embarrassing GM when fully loaded at a price where the Cadillac is just getting started.

The sobering fact is that my SRX test vehicle was priced at $55,650 - a fully optioned SRX totals $57,735. Thats more than a better equipped Infiniti FX45 and almost $2,000 more than a somewhat more prestigious Porsche Cayenne. Yes its one of the most heated categories in the auto business right now, so the need to stand apart from the crowd for design, quality and value is a must. With that in mind it must be stifling to GM when an economy car brand like Volkswagen comes out with its first SUV and completely trounces on Cadillacs attempt at high-end luxury - for less money again I must add.

Its really too bad because the SRX, from a drivers perspective, is excellent. Its 320-hp 4.6-L Northstar V8, the powertrain I tested, is both smooth at idle and stimulatingly quick to highway speeds. Theres no thrashing under the hood either, but rather more of a mechanical aria of 32 whirring valves and 4 overhead cams. The drivetrain is up to the task too, sporting five forward gears and an effective manual mode actuated by notching the gearlever to the right and moving it backwards for downshifts and forwards to upshift as needed. I cant for the life of me figure out why GM didnt include Pontiacs TapShift steering wheel controls, or something of the like, a feature that would have separated the SRX from the majority of its competitors that dont offer such a performance-oriented feature.

I cant make comment on the base 3.6-L V6 engine, as none was provided to test. Just the same I found it superb in the CTS which should make it sufficient at least for the heavier SRX. To its credit, the base engine offers more power and torque, at 260-hp and 252 lb-ft respectively, than the BMW X5 3.0, Porsches new V6 Cayenne, VWs Touareg and just about any other competitive V6 in this category other than Infinitis 280-hp FX35.

Other positives include “UltraView”, the largest glass sunroof in the category and quite possibly in existence at all, at 5.6 feet in length. The option opens the SRX up to convertible-like aeration, a nice addition when the sun is shining and maybe even more appreciated with the glass closed but the power sunshade opened to brighten an otherwise dreary day. An “UltraView Plus” upgrade adds a vented glass roof and power sunshade over the third row seat as well, for extremely spoiled kiddies. As great as either option is, again Cadillacs so-so attention to detail spoils the sunroofs perimeter with a cheap looking thick rubber molding to finish off its edges.

Im really impressed with the rear seat DVD entertainment system that integrates the audio/visual interface and flip-up monitor into the back of the front center console. While it makes viewing from the 3rd seat difficult, potentially creating family feuds of monumental proportions, it gets the screen off of its usual roof-mounting point that obstructs rearward vision. Wireless headphones are included in the package.

While sorting out a high-tech piece of audio-visual equipment is usually a stretch for my less than mechanical brain, I didnt expect the same challenges attempting to figure out the SRXs various electronic systems. For instance, on a certain drizzling day all I wanted to do was turn on the rear wiper. That shouldnt be a problem, right? I suppose if I had the sales representative explain to me where to find the 3-way button, up on the roof beside the sunroof controls, I wouldnt have spent 15 minutes attempting to find it while nearly driving off the road. Why didnt GM integrate it into the wiper stalk like the majority of its competitors do? Probably a cost savings issue. The result is the need to stab at the ceiling every time you want to turn the rear washer/wiper on or off if you dont want to take your eyes off the road, hardly a premium experience.

Next theres the SRX audio/navigation interface. The fact that its graphic display is hideously designed is only part of the problem. It features two tones of blue for the “3D” buttons wrapped in lime green highlight surrounds (white when not in use) with marbleized beige and flat gray backgrounds divided by crudely outlined frames, the whole thing looking like a colorblind remedial students first attempt at building a 5-year old Microsoft FrontPage website. It took my much younger and more technically adept wife three attempts to even tune in a radio station, after quitting frustratingly twice.

The system was initially set to RDS, a feature that seeks out radio stations based on music genre preference. Its a good idea but only a handful of stations in my two-million plus population town could be tuned in causing the scan feature to zip around the band searching and finally landing on the same station - argh! Finally, by simply flicking digital buttons something called PTY displayed all the local preset radio stations. Once there, it was easy to choose favorites by tuning and pressing the desired memory preset directly on the screen, but that said the AM stations didnt tune in clearly. To put things into perspective, Jennifer figured out BMWs old-generation iDrive in about 5 minutes, this one took more than 15 and we still dont know how we got it to work.

Which begs the question, who is GM trying to sell this vehicle too? According to Cadillacs marketing department the SRX is targeting a median age of 47, 30 percent female, which Ill read between the lines to mean the other 70 percent would be male. I wont even try to pretend its targeted 54 percent university education demographic will have an edge sorting out its electronics, but only that their kids might.

I presume it sounds as if I dont like Cadillacs new sport utility, but that wouldnt be entirely true. Like I stated above, its great to drive. It looks good too, at least to me, and it seats seven. But at $37,995 base and nearly $60,000 fully loaded its refinement leaves a lot to be desired, especially when considering both Acura and Volvo make seven occupant contenders that deliver capable performance with higher quality materials and first rate fit and finish.

To Cadillacs credit it rates near the top of J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), in seventh place to be exact. While its Japanese competitors nudge it out for higher honors no European nameplate, other than Porsche, fares better.

In the end Cadillacs SRX is good in many ways, but whether its as good as its competitors dollar for dollar is a question youll have to answer for yourself. Could I live with it every day? Sure, I really enjoy driving it and its wonderfully functional. Would its lackluster tactile quality bother me? No doubt, but Id probably get over it if I wasnt continually climbing in and out of competitive vehicles that do a better job in interior execution.

Really its a coin toss, but it shouldnt have to be. Like I stated before, GM has had half a decade to benchmark its competitors and now comes to market behind the eight ball. I cant figure that one out at all. Hopefully theyll continue to improve the SRX and one day achieve benchmarks of their own.