New Caddy SUV inviting but fails to outclass rivals
All new this year, Cadillac's XT6 has turned heads with refined styling and a greater commitment to three-row seating. It's handsome, fairly well-appointed, and handles surprisingly well. Overall, it's an impressive package.
But not quite inspiring. The new Caddy nomenclature — in this case 400 — had me expecting a little more performance out of the new XT6. But it's powered by the fairly ubiquitous 3.6-litre V6, a good engine with 310 horsepower, but not what I was hoping for. The powertrain is more than adequate, with the nine-speed automatic well married to the engine's torque curve. It's also pretty darn smooth, not to mention quiet, even when the revs are up.
The throttle will need a little massaging. The lack of a turbocharger means the 271 pound-feet of torque only kicks in at 5,000 rpm. The 3.6-L engine is in no way disappointing for what it can do, only for what it could have been.
Its infotainment is comprehensive without being confounding, both back rows of seats fold without drama (and the second row can be had with its own air conditioning controls), and there's little wind or road noise.
Throw in a smooth ride, roomy
seating (at least in the front two rows), and a really excellent 14-speaker Bose sound system, but temper that with a little difficulty getting into the third row of seats and an interior that's more capable than luxurious.
If you want more power from a domestic mid-size sport utility, then you're looking at Lincoln's Aviator. Part of being miffed at the XT6'S “400” badging is that I thought it was a response to the 400 hp Aviator boasts from its 3.0-L turbocharged Ecoboost V6. With 415 pound-feet of torque available at 3,000 rpm, it also sports the low-end grunt missing in the XT6. And it uses regular gas.
The Aviator's interior is a bit better appointed than the Caddy's, if a little less organized. The third row of seats doesn't feel as roomy as the Cadillac, but they are push-button stowable. It also handles equal to the XT6 but its ride isn't quite as compliant. In other words, opt for the Lincoln if you value its grunty motor and opulent leather.
If you want Japanese reliability, know that neither the XT6 nor the Aviator have wowed Consumer Reports with their dependability. If totally trouble-free motoring is your goal, maybe you should look at Acura's MDX.
Like the XT6, the MDX works with a naturally aspirated V6, touting 3.5 L and 290 hp. It's dependable and fairly smooth, if not quite as powerful as the Caddy. Call it adequate.
There is good news on this front because, for $15,600 more than the base MDX, Acura will sell you a 321-hp hybrid with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
In the end, the MDX rides at least as well as Cadillac, but doesn't handle nearly as well as either domestic offering. Nor is it as luxurious or as comfortable. Purposeful rather than plush, if you will.
If you want the most opulent SUV a (fairly) large amount of money can buy, then you want
the new 2021 Cadillac Escalade.
The new Escalade's interior is without equal, combining the opulence of a Mercedes-benz S-class with the design nous of a Range Rover and the infotainment intelligence of, well, FCA'S Uconnect (Chrysler may have some difficulty building a luxury vehicle but its infotainment system is excellent).
The ride, thanks to a new independent suspension in the rear, is cosseting. Cadillac also gives the Escalade almost a foot more legroom in the third-row seat.
The powertrain is smooth, powerful (420 hp) and at least pretends to care about the environment with a new variable cylinder deactivation system.
If you can stand its dimensions and price (the 2021 Escalade tops out at over $120,000), the new sport brute is the best truck in its segment and the best thing from Cadillac since the original CTS-V.