2023 Jeep Wrangler 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 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 of the XT5 had slightly different exterior styling cues to give each trim level more personality. The Premium Luxury featured bright chrome, while the Sport had darker trim and a mesh grille. The XT5 Luxury and Premium Luxury models came with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, and the Sport models had 20-inch wheels as standard equipment. The interior felt luxurious, especially with the optional Platinum Package, which included 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 2023 Jeep Wrangler exuded a rugged, take-no-prisoners design aesthetic with its fourth-generation JL model, which had nary a curve on it. Available in both two-door and four-door Unlimited versions, the Wrangler allowed for door removal, and the optional Dual-Door Group added half doors for better visibility without sacrificing safety. The Wrangler’s windshield folded down, and it offered various top options for open-air exploring. All models featured wide fenders, Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille, round headlights, and old-school exterior hood latches.

The tailgate swung out, and the rear glass lifted up for easy access to the cargo area. The Wrangler’s design was simple and functional, with the new limited-edition purple paint color, Reign, adding a touch of razzle-dazzle. The interior was practical with easy-to-clean floor mats and seats, a body-colored dash, chunky HVAC controls, and a manual transfer case shifter. However, it lacked ambient lighting and massaging seats, which were more common in luxury SUVs.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered two engine options. The base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, standard on the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims, produced 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter V6, 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 provided more than enough power for everyday driving, with linear power delivery and smooth, quick shifts from the transmission.

The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, which excelled at providing a comfortable ride while maintaining excellent body control. 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 overall luxury experience.

The 2023 Jeep Wrangler offered a variety of engine options to suit different off-roading needs. The standard V6 engine produced 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivered 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Both engines could be paired with an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. The 3.0-liter Ecodiesel V6 offered 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, while the Wrangler Rubicon 392 featured a 6.4-liter V8 with 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid combined two electric motors with a 17.3 kWh battery pack, providing 21 miles of all-electric range.

Our tester, the Wrangler Rubicon 392, was a powerful off-road machine with full-time four-wheel drive, 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain tires, and an Off-Road Plus button that adjusted throttle, shift points, and traction control. It could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. However, the 392 had flaws in its brakes and steering, with inadequate braking power and vague steering. These issues were less pronounced in other Wrangler trims with less powerful engines.

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 trailed all three German vehicles in rear headroom but had more legroom in both rows, although less front legroom than the Lincoln Corsair. The seats were fairly comfortable but could have used more padding, especially in the rear.

Cadillac quoted 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 but falling short of the Infiniti QX50. A hands-free power liftgate was available. The center console had limited space, but a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided a handy storage spot.

The 2023 Jeep Wrangler’s front seats were comfortable, but heated seats were only available on the 392 or with a cold-weather package. Ventilated seats were not offered. The rear seat could fit three passengers in the four-door models, but it was a tight fit, and the small rear doors made entry and exit challenging. Storage for small items was limited, with a flat dash, tiny glove box, and small center console. The Wrangler had a bin on top of the dash, but it risked overheating items placed there.

Cargo space was limited to 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, slightly less than the Ford Bronco. The hard top could be removed in one piece or in two front panels, and the Sunrider option allowed for quick exposure to the wind and sun. The soft top was easy to remove, but the plastic rear window could be cumbersome in cold weather. The Sky One-Touch power soft top was the easiest option, sliding back in 17 seconds and allowing for removal of the rear side windows. The Wrangler provided ample charging points, with USB-A and USB-C ports, 12-volt outlets, and a 115-volt outlet.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with 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 with the optional Technology Package. While usability was improved over previous Cadillac systems, it still lagged behind other luxury brands in screen size, graphics, and voice-recognition tech.

The touchscreen was easy to navigate, but the array of secondary controls, including a rotary controller and capacitive touchpads, were not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback. The standard eight-speaker Bose audio system could be upgraded to a 14-speaker Bose Performance Series system, which provided excellent sound quality.

The 2023 Jeep Wrangler featured a 7-inch touchscreen running Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment system as standard, with an optional 8.4-inch screen. The Uconnect system initially appeared complicated but was intuitive once drivers became familiar with it. Jeep’s off-road pages provided valuable information about power distribution, temperatures, oil pressure, pitch and roll, and GPS coordinates with altitude. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included and worked well.

Jeep kept tech features practical, with a forward-facing camera for off-road trails and four auxiliary switches for aftermarket lighting. There was no digital key, and over-the-air updates only applied to the Uconnect system, not the vehicle’s performance.

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. Blind-spot monitoring was available, but the XT5 did not offer the advanced Super Cruise driver-assist system.

The XT5 received top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech with optional enhanced automatic emergency braking. However, it received a “Marginal” headlight rating and an “Acceptable” rating for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the XT5 a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash testing.

The 2023 Jeep Wrangler had limited standard safety features, including a rearview camera, electronic roll mitigation, and stability control. Blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control were standard only on the top 392 model and optional on other trims. Lane-keeping assist was not offered.

Drivers could customize the safety features, such as setting the blind-spot system for visual or audible warnings and adjusting the forward collision warning sensitivity. The IIHS gave the Wrangler a mix of Good and Marginal ratings in crash worthiness, crash avoidance and mitigation, and seat belts and child restraints categories. Some trims received a Poor headlight rating. The NHTSA gave the Wrangler four out of five stars for frontal crash tests and three out of five stars for rollover ratings, with no side crash rating available.