Chevrolet Traverse vs Cadillac XT4

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 employed a “Y” trim level strategy, starting with the standard Luxury trim and offering upgrades to Premium Luxury or Sport trims. The test vehicle featured the Premium Luxury trim, which emphasized comfort over sportiness. It came with front-wheel drive, Silver Radiant metallic paint, 20-inch aluminum wheels, a navigation system, a Bose premium audio system, and several option packages, totaling $45,660. The XT4's exterior was visually appealing, especially with the 20-inch alloy wheels, and had a crisp, tailored styling. The interior was pleasant, with competitive quality materials, though some elements like the plain black trim around the power window controls felt out of place in a luxury vehicle.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, in contrast, relied on styling details to differentiate its trim levels, reminiscent of older Chevy models. The exterior was a generic SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, which appealed to many buyers. The RS model had blacked-out trim, while the High Country model featured chrome accents. The Traverse shared a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6 but aimed for a more practical feel. The interior had a restrained styling, with an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof as a standout feature. Materials in the RS trim were good but not quite up to the $50,000 price tag.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, available from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. It featured a nine-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel or all-wheel drive options. The EPA rated the FWD XT4 at 26 mpg, but the test vehicle returned 24.8 mpg. The XT4 had a lively driving character due to its fat band of torque, though the FWD model experienced front-wheel slip and torque steer. The nine-speed automatic transmission provided smooth shifts but was hesitant to downshift in Tour mode. The XT4's interior needed better isolation from engine and road noise, and the suspension struggled with both speed humps and smaller bumps. However, the oversized wheels offered impressive grip, and the brakes performed well.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, generating 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6 powertrain didn't feel particularly strong off the line but provided sufficient power for highway merging and overtaking. The Traverse excelled in highway road manners, with a quiet cabin and bump-absorbing suspension. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads, partly due to its AWD system, which required manual activation and didn't effectively utilize torque vectoring. The Traverse had off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a 5,000-pound towing capacity, average for the segment.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 offered a comfortable experience for the driver and front passenger, with soft leather, padded armrests, and heated, ventilated, and massaging seats. The rear passenger compartment was roomy, though the seat cushion lacked support. The XT4's air conditioning system was highly effective, and the climate controls were elegantly arranged. Storage space was ample, with innovative features like an angled wireless smartphone charger. However, cargo space was limited, with 22.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 48.9 cubic feet with the back seat folded.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse provided seating for seven or eight, with above-average headroom and legroom in all three rows. Heated front seats were standard on the RS trim, with ventilated front seats and heated rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, offering 23.0 cubic feet with all seats in place, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was available on higher trims, and a power 60/40 split-folding third row was standard on RS and higher trims. Interior storage options were limited, typical of midsize three-row crossovers.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 featured the latest version of the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) system, which was easier to use than previous versions. The test vehicle included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a WiFi hotspot, Cadillac Connected Access services, and near-field communication pairing to Bluetooth. The 8-inch display was a touchscreen, with intuitive controls on the center console and steering wheel, and a voice-recognition system. However, the screen could be larger, and the climate system wasn't integrated into the voice-recognition system. The optional 13-speaker Bose Centerpoint surround audio system provided a satisfying listening experience.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. The 8-inch screen in the RS trim was easy to use, with large smartphone-like icons and analog controls for audio volume and climate control. The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror and an optional HD surround-view camera system. Chevy provided 2 USB ports for each row, with wireless phone charging standard on Premier and High Country models.

The 2020 Cadillac XT4 added several safety features for the 2020 model year, including forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, low-speed automatic emergency braking, and the Safety Alert Seat system. Premium Luxury and Sport trims added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and lane-change warning systems. The Driver Awareness Package included automatic high-beam headlights, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and a following-distance indicator. Adaptive cruise control was available in the Driver Assist Package. The XT4 received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and Good ratings from the IIHS for moderate-overlap frontal-impact and side-impact protection.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores from the IIHS in all crash tests and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the Traverse a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests, and five stars in side-impact crash tests. Chevy offered less standard driver-assist tech than competitors, with adaptive cruise control only available on the top High Country trim. Other features like automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring were optional extras.