2022 Cadillac XT6 vs 2022 Cadillac XT5

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 had a design that fell somewhere between the Cyberpunk angularity of the Lexus NX and the more traditionally styled Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It mixed Cadillac’s trademark design cues, including a bold grille, daytime running lights that dripped down past the headlights, and vertical taillights that vaguely referenced classic Caddys. However, this created an odd mix with the XT5’s compact footprint and tall profile, making it unmistakably a Cadillac, but an ungainly one. The Premium Luxury and Sport models had slightly different exterior styling cues, with the Premium Luxury featuring bright chrome and the Sport getting darker trim and a mesh grille. The XT5 Luxury and Premium Luxury models came with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, while Sport models had 20-inch wheels as standard equipment.

Inside, the XT5 felt suitably luxurious, especially with the optional Platinum Package, which dressed up the interior with semi-aniline leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped instrument panel and door trim, a microfiber sueded headliner, and a heated steering wheel. However, without this package, it was unclear if the XT5 met luxury-car standards. The interior design lacked a strong theme and didn’t make a statement like the Volvo XC60’s Swedish minimalism or the Lincoln Corsair’s Midcentury Modern look. It also lacked brand-specific markers like those found in Audi, BMW, or Mercedes interiors, leaving little to remind occupants that they were in a Cadillac.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury test vehicle arrived with polished 20-inch alloy wheels, Stellar Black paint, and a Jet Black semi-aniline premium leather interior. It exuded a sense of understated elegance, making it feel like a vehicle suited for chauffeuring someone famous. The XT6’s exterior was attractive in a blandly inoffensive way, with towering front running lights that tapered inward as they dropped toward the ground, making the XT6 look too tall and narrow. The taillights were similar to those used by GMC, and the XT6’s proportions and details conveyed a conservatively tailored image that fit with the rest of Cadillac’s lineup.

Cadillac offered the XT6 in Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport trim levels, with prices starting just under $50,000. Our test vehicle, loaded with options including Super Cruise and Night Vision technologies, had an MSRP of $73,565. While this might seem high, it was comparable to similarly optioned competitors like the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7. The XT6’s interior materials were of high quality, but the overall design and layout didn’t look like they belonged in a luxury SUV of this price range. The analog gauges and 8-inch touchscreen display were less sophisticated than those found in competitors, and the interior felt unexpectedly narrow due to its relationship to the GMC Acadia.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trim levels, producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter V6 engine, standard on the XT5 Sport and optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury, made 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6-equipped Premium Luxury test car felt reasonably quick, with smooth and quick shifts from the transmission. The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, providing a comfortable and controlled ride. The steering was well-suited to a luxury vehicle, making the XT5 feel nimble without being overly sensitive. The cabin was impressively quiet, enhancing the luxury experience.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 employed the same engines as the GMC Acadia. The standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivered 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, while the 3.6-liter V6 engine, available on the Premium Luxury and Sport trims, produced 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was available with either engine, and our test vehicle had it, allowing for FWD or AWD mode. The V6 engine was sufficiently powerful, and the XT6’s adaptive-damping performance suspension provided a comfortable and controlled ride. However, the XT6 wasn’t particularly enjoyable to drive, with sensations leaning toward serenity rather than excitement. The official EPA fuel economy rating for the XT6 V6 with AWD was 21 mpg in combined driving, and our test vehicle returned 19.5 mpg on our testing route.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5’s interior space compared favorably to German luxury crossovers, with more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, but less than the BMW X3. The XT5 trailed all three German vehicles in rear headroom but had more legroom in both rows. The seats were fairly comfortable but could have used more padding. The XT5 offered 30 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 63 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, beating the Q5, X3, and GLC. A hands-free power liftgate was available. Up front, a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided handy storage, compensating for the limited space on the center console.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6’s interior was less spacious than expected for a three-row SUV. The power-adjustable front seats were comfortable, especially with the Platinum option package’s semi-aniline leather, but lacked the range of adjustment and massage function found in some rivals. The sliding second-row captain’s chairs offered good legroom, but the third-row seat was uninhabitable for adults. Storage space was decent but unremarkable, with a small cubby on the dashboard and a bin under the center armrest. The XT6 provided 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat, expanding to 43.1 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and a maximum volume of 78.7 cubic feet.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5’s standard infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster display and a head-up display were available as part of the optional Technology Package. While the touchscreen was easy to navigate, the array of secondary controls took up space and were difficult to use while driving. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system produced excellent sound, enhanced by the XT5’s quiet interior.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 offered impressive features like a digital rearview mirror, Night Vision system, and Super Cruise hands-free highway driving-assistance system. However, it lacked digital gauges, instead featuring round analog gauges separated by a driver information display. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system was behind the times in terms of display size, but the software was excellent, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected services, and an available embedded navigation system. Usability issues included gloss-black, touch-sensing buttons, counterintuitive orange illumination for the seat ventilation system, and almost illegible markings on the steering wheel buttons. The available Bose Performance Series premium audio system sounded great, but the head-up display was less impressive than those in other GM vehicles.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear park assist, automatic high-beam headlamps, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and rear automatic braking. The Technology Package added a rear pedestrian alert function, surround-vision camera system, night vision, and automatic parking assist. The XT5 received top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6, equipped with the optional Platinum Package, had every available driving-assistance and collision-avoidance system, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The star of the show was the available Super Cruise system, a highway driving-assist system that allowed for hands-free driving on approved highways. The XT6 received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS and five-star ratings in every crash-test evaluation from NHTSA.