2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2022 Volvo XC90

Volvo had come a long way from its boxy cars and wagons of the past decades. The brand maintained its family-friendly, safety-oriented image while moving upscale, nearing the luxury class. After Ford sold Volvo to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding in 2010, the company developed new vehicle platforms from scratch, leading to today's lineup of sedans and crossover SUVs. The original XC90, launched in 2003, received updates until 2015. The 2016 model marked the debut of the current XC90, Volvo's flagship SUV, built on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform.

The 2022 XC90 had a striking stance and profile, with a body seemingly tilted forward, ready to launch. Its long, sleek roofline contained a large greenhouse without appearing bulky. Pronounced wheel arches and a snub nose added to its athletic look. The interior, described as "Scandinavian Modern" and "Swedish Luxury," featured natural wood and metal trim, a sliding wood tambor cover on the center console, and a clear crystal gear selector handle. Volvo offered a choice between Nappa leather and a "tailored wool blend" upholstery, with our test car featuring leather seats, which proved comfortable during a week of high temperatures and humidity.

The Cadillac XT5's styling fell between the angularity of the Lexus NX and the traditional looks of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It mixed Cadillac’s design cues, such as a bold grille, vertical taillights, and daytime running lights, with a compact footprint and tall profile, resulting in an ungainly appearance. The Premium Luxury and Sport models had distinct exterior styling cues, with the former featuring bright chrome and the latter darker trim and a mesh grille. Standard 18-inch alloy wheels adorned the Luxury and Premium Luxury models, while the Sport model came with 20-inch wheels.

The XT5's 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 standards. The interior lacked a strong design theme, unlike the Volvo XC60's Swedish minimalism or the Lincoln Corsair's Midcentury Modern look. It also lacked brand-specific markers found in Audi, BMW, or Mercedes interiors, making it hard to identify as a Cadillac.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains. The T5 model featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 model had a supercharged and turbocharged version of the same engine, delivering 316 hp and 295 lb-ft. The T8 model combined a supercharged/turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor, producing a combined 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. The T5 models were front-wheel drive (FWD) with optional all-wheel drive (AWD), while the T6 and T8 models were AWD only. All XC90 models used a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission.

The XC90 engines required Premium (91-octane) gasoline. The EPA estimated the T5 FWD models to achieve 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined, and the T5 AWD models at 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. The T6 AWD models were rated at 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. The T8 had a 27 mpg combined rating on gas and 55 MPGe with an 18-mile EV range. The extended range variant achieved a 26 mpg combined gasoline rating, a 66 MPGe rating, and an EV range of up to 36 miles. Charging the battery from empty to full took about five hours at 240 volts (Level 2).

The XC90 provided a superb driving experience, handling like a smaller SUV despite its size. Body roll was minimal and controlled. The T8 Inscription extended range model offered spirited acceleration, with the electric motor delivering torque early, eliminating turbo lag and smoothing power delivery. While not a hot rod, the XC90 was fun to drive.

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 on premium fuel. The 3.6-liter V6, standard on the XT5 Sport and optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury, generated 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 linear power delivery and smooth, quick shifts from the nine-speed automatic. The transmission avoided the common issue of choosing a very high gear and delaying downshifts when the accelerator was pressed.

The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, which excelled at providing a comfortable, controlled ride. The suspension cushioned bumps while maintaining excellent body control. The steering was quick enough to make the XT5 feel nimble without being overly sensitive. The cabin was impressively quiet, enhancing the luxury experience.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 offered six-passenger and seven-passenger configurations, with captain's chairs or three-across seating in the second row. Access to the third row was easy with a one-handed slide and fold of the second row. The third row was suitable for kids but lacked legroom and thigh support for adults.

The XC90 could carry up to 15.9 cubic feet of luggage behind the third row. Folding the third row flat expanded the space to 41.8 cubic feet, and with both the second and third rows folded, the XC90 offered 85.7 cubic feet of cargo space. It could tow between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds, depending on the configuration and powertrain.

The XC90's interior space was well-utilized, with ample storage options, comfortable seating, and an airy cabin enhanced by the standard laminated panoramic moonroof. The air-conditioning system performed well during a heat wave, cooling the cabin rapidly and effectively.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 compared favorably to German luxury crossovers in terms of interior space. It offered more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, though less than the BMW X3. The XT5 had more legroom in both rows but less front legroom than the Lincoln Corsair.

The seats were fairly comfortable but could have used more padding, especially in the front and rear. The XT5's seats were above average for a mainstream SUV but fell short of luxury standards.

Cadillac quoted 30 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 63 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. These measurements surpassed the Q5, X3, and GLC but were less than the Infiniti QX50. A hands-free power liftgate was available.

The XT5's center console housed a rotary controller for the infotainment system and the shifter, but there wasn't much room for other items. A small cubbyhole below the touchscreen provided a handy storage space for loose change or a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, which offered tablet-like functionality with familiar gestures like pinch, pull, and swipe. However, the system in our test car was glitchy and slow to respond. It worked better with Apple CarPlay, and the XC90 also supported Android Auto.

The nine-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen was mounted in the top portion of the center stack, close to the driver's line of sight. A 12.3-inch digital instrument panel offered easy configuration and crisp graphics. The $1,650 Advanced package included a head-up display, a 360-degree surround view camera system, and an advanced air cleaner.

The XC90 came with standard Harman Kardon Premium Sound, with a $3,200 Bowers & Wilkins upgrade available. The XC90 included two front USB-A ports, two rear USB-C ports, a WiFi hotspot with a complimentary trial subscription, and the Volvo Care smartphone app for remote vehicle controls.

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.

Usability was improved over previous Cadillac systems but still fell short of competitors. 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.

An eight-speaker Bose audio system was standard, with an optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system available. The upgraded system produced excellent sound, enhanced by the XT5's quiet interior.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 continued Volvo's commitment to safety, featuring blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking assist, rain-sensing wipers, slippery road alert, lane-keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, oncoming lane mitigation, and road-sign recognition. Volvo's Pilot Assist system combined several safety features to keep the car in its lane and at a set speed with minimal driver intervention on highways.

The XC90 received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

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 included rear pedestrian alert, a surround-vision camera system, night vision, and automatic parking assist. Blind-spot monitoring was also available.

The XT5 received top "Good" scores in all IIHS crash tests and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. 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.