2022 Toyota Highlander 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 traditional styling of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It featured Cadillac’s trademark design cues, such as a bold grille, daytime running lights that extended past the headlights, and vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillacs. However, this combination 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 former featuring bright chrome and the latter darker trim and a mesh grille. The XT5 Luxury and Premium Luxury models came with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, while the Sport models had 20-inch wheels.

Inside, the XT5’s interior felt luxurious, especially with the optional Platinum Package, which added semi-aniline leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped instrument panel and door trim, a microfiber sueded headliner, and a heated steering wheel. Without this package, it was unclear if the XT5 met luxury-car standards. The interior design lacked a strong theme and brand-specific markers, unlike competitors such as the Volvo XC60, Lincoln Corsair, and Genesis GV70. This absence of a distinct design left little to remind occupants that they were in a Cadillac.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander had a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design. The flared fender arches and the upward kick of the third-row window helped make the spacious Highlander appear smaller. However, once inside, it offered ample cabin space and clever storage solutions for items like iPads and juice boxes. The XSE trim, in particular, stood out with its bold red optional leather package, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and sport-tuned suspension.

The Highlander’s trim levels included L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum. The base L trim came with 18-inch alloy wheels, pushbutton start, proximity/remote keyless entry, three-zone climate control, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Higher trims added features such as LED fog lights, a smart key system, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power liftgate, silver roof rails, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, power moonroof, wireless device charging, and second-row captain’s chairs. The Limited and Platinum trims offered even more luxury and tech features, including a JBL premium audio system, hands-free power liftgate, adaptive headlights, and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The XT5 Sport and optional on the Premium Luxury trim featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6 engine provided a reasonably quick performance, with smooth and quick shifts from the transmission. The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, which offered a comfortable ride and excellent body control. The steering was well-suited to a luxury vehicle, providing a nimble feel without being overly sensitive. The cabin was impressively quiet, enhancing the luxury experience.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to either standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). The transmission featured a tap-shift function and certain trims had steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The Highlander also offered drive modes, including Sport, Normal, and Eco, as well as AWD modes for Mud/Sand, Rock, and Normal. The V6 engine provided good pickup once the Highlander was moving, with plenty of power for overtaking and a throaty exhaust note. The handling was impressive, with the XSE trim’s sport-tuned suspension reducing body roll while maintaining a comfortable ride. The Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a max payload of 1,685 pounds in the FWD L and LE trims.

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

The 2022 Toyota Highlander offered up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded. With the second-row seats in use, there was 48.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and with all seats deployed, 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. The seats could be easily lowered and raised with quick-release latches and pull-straps. Every trim above the base L came with a power liftgate, and the Limited and Platinum trims featured a hands-free power liftgate. The base L trim included an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and deep cargo pockets in the front doors. The center dash tray and center console compartment provided ample storage space. The XSE trim had second-row captain’s chairs, creating a center aisle to the third row. The third row was less spacious and only suitable for short trips for adults.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 featured a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 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, including a rotary controller and capacitive touchpads, were not user-friendly. The standard audio system was an eight-speaker Bose setup, but the optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system provided excellent sound quality.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system had a straightforward layout with hard buttons on either side of the screen. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and a combination of USB and USB-C ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen was available, along with a digital instrument panel screen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system.

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 included rear pedestrian alert, a 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 the NHTSA.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were very active, sometimes overly so, especially on back roads.