2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2023 Volvo XC90

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 mix of design elements created an odd combination 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 trim featured bright chrome, giving it a more traditional Cadillac look, while the Sport trim had darker trim and a mesh grille, a cliché marker of performance. The XT5 Luxury and Premium Luxury models came with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, while the Sport models had 20-inch wheels as standard equipment. The interior of our test car felt luxurious, but most standout features were part of 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. Without this package, it was unclear if the XT5 met luxury-car standards.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 showcased how far Volvo had come from its days of making boxy, utilitarian vehicles. The XC90 had a purposeful yet understated design, with a stout and solid front end that wasn’t overly flashy. The grille was assertive without being too big, and the “Thor’s Hammer” headlights added a modern flair. While the XC90’s dimensions and shape still leaned toward rectilinear, it no longer resembled a toaster.

Our test vehicle, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) Ultimate trim, featured 21-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile Pirelli Scorpion all-season tires, adding a bit of drama to the otherwise stoic XC90. The Platinum Gray paint had brown undertones that added richness and depth, especially in direct sunlight. Inside, the XC90’s design was elegant, with a gorgeous two-tone leather steering wheel, metal Bowers and Wilkins speaker covers, an Orrefors crystal shift knob, and luxurious Nappa leather upholstery. The interior had a beautiful and clean look, with wood deco inlays adding a touch of nature. The minimalist design was complemented by a few buttons and physical controls, giving it a decidedly minimalist feel.

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, delivered 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Our test car, equipped with the optional V6, felt reasonably quick, with linear power delivery and smooth, quick shifts from the nine-speed automatic. The performance suspension with adaptive dampers, part of the optional Platinum Package, provided a comfortable ride, cushioning bumps while maintaining excellent body control. The steering was well-suited to a luxury vehicle, with a quick ratio that made the XT5 feel nimble without requiring constant corrections. The cabin was impressively quiet, enhancing the luxury experience.

For the 2023 model year, Volvo replaced its older turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines (T5 and T6) with the new B5 and B6 engines, which featured mild-hybrid technology. The B5 engine, with a turbocharger and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, produced 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Our test car had the B6 powertrain, which combined a supercharger, turbocharger, and mild-hybrid tech to deliver 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

The mild-hybrid system improved fuel efficiency and smoothness, with minimal sacrifices in horsepower and torque. The XC90’s eight-speed automatic transmission performed well, with quick acceleration and minimal road and wind noise. The brakes inspired confidence with a solid pedal feel. The XC90’s driving experience was enjoyable, with big wheels and thin tires reducing body roll through corners. The XC90’s simplicity in driving dynamics, with minimal drive modes and off-road features, made it easy to drive, even in challenging conditions like a New Hampshire snowstorm.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered favorable interior space compared to German luxury crossovers. It had more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, though less than the BMW X3. The XT5 also trailed the German vehicles in rear headroom but had more legroom in both rows, except for less front legroom than the Lincoln Corsair. The seats were fairly comfortable but could have used more padding, especially in the rear. The XT5’s cargo space was impressive, with 30 cubic feet 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, and a small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided handy storage.

The 2023 Volvo XC90’s interior was elegant but had some space and storage frustrations due to Scandinavian minimalism. There wasn’t a dedicated space for a cell phone, and the USB port for plugging in a phone was located in the small center console bin. The second row was comfortable and spacious, but adjusting the seats was challenging. The XC90 came standard with a second-row bench seat for seven-passenger seating, but removing the middle seat for captain’s chairs and six-passenger seating cost $500 and required upgrading to the B6 engine. The third row was difficult to access and had limited space. The XC90 offered 12.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the third seat in position, 41.8 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down, and 65.5 cubic feet with all rear seats folded, falling short of competitors like the Audi Q7, Infiniti QX60, Genesis GV80, and Acura MDX.

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 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, was not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system produced excellent sound, enhanced by the XT5’s quiet interior.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 featured a 9-inch vertically positioned touchscreen infotainment display running Google OS, making Volvo the first company to feature this technology as the standard infotainment system. Google OS included Google Maps, Spotify, NPR, and Google Assistant as standard features. The natural-language recognition of Google Assistant enhanced the user experience, and owners could issue commands to their XC90 via Google Home devices. However, many key functions were filed away within the touchscreen interface, leading to frustration. The minimalist design meant fewer physical buttons and redundant controls, making it challenging to adjust features like the heated steering wheel and driver’s seat position. While these issues might fade with daily use, they could be frustrating during a test drive.

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 Safety Alert Seat vibrated when a warning system was triggered. The optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and rear automatic braking. The Technology Package added rear pedestrian alert, a surround-vision camera system, night vision, and automatic parking assist. Blind-spot monitoring was available, but the XT5 didn’t have 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 Volvo XC90 continued Volvo’s legacy of safety, carrying a five-star rating from the NHTSA and being named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS in 2022. The XC90’s advanced driver safety tech included adaptive cruise control, which worked well even in heavy traffic, and excellent lane-keeping assist that provided gentle nudges and vibrations to keep the vehicle on track. These technologies supported Volvo’s Pilot Assist, which helped maintain distance from the car ahead from a standstill to highway speed. Best of all, these safety features were standard equipment on the 2023 Volvo XC90.