2010 Cadillac SRX
by Jim Prueter -12/2009

Dramatic new styling doesn’t overcome numerous faux pas

Ok, I’ll admit that I’m not immune to the lure and charms of the luxury offerings from GM’s crest-and-wreath brand or, for that matter, luxury models from Europe or Japan either. Thus my initial infatuation, almost love at first sight, with the second-generation SRX replacement introduced in August.

But alas my besotted obsession was short lived after a weeklong test drive, perhaps because it followed sequential driving stints with luxury marques such as Volvo XC60, the excellent Audi Q5, BMW X3 and segment-leader Lexus RX crossovers. These models were significantly more enjoyable to drive and more difficult to give back to the manufacturers once my testing was completed. Not the case with SRX.

Love it or hate it, one thing is certain about the new SRX: It’s styling is dramatic, with a tall profile, massive front fascia, tall finned tail lamps, enormous sunroof and chrome faux front fender vents. I like the looks, most did not. Cadillac loyalists we encountered gave it enthusiastic thumbs up.

Inside, however, Cadillac got almost everything right. SRX is gloriously artistic especially with the stylish dash, ambient cabin lighting, pop-up navigation screen, accented hand-cut and sewn French stitching and available sapele mahogany wood trim. Much of it reminds us of the CTS sedan interior, only better. Cadillac script logos on the front doorsill plates illuminate when the doors are opened, a feature becoming routinely common in this class of vehicles.

The front seats are comfortable with no shortage of power adjustments and plenty of legroom even for this too-tall driver. But on a drive from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, our rear ends suffered seat fatigue, not the comfort you’d expect from a Cadillac. Rear-seat legroom is tight and the sloping roofline impedes headroom for taller passengers and unlike those in competitor vehicles, rear seats don’t slide fore and aft.

The cargo hold space is ample, with nearly 30-cubic feet behind the rear seats including a hidden cargo-management system under the cargo area floor that features a U-Rail track with an adjustable cargo fence that segments area to contain smaller items. It retracts beneath the load floor when not in use.

We liked the power tailgate with variable height-adjustment settings to avoid hitting low-hanging garage doors, and standard adjustable pedals.

But the new SRX moves from rear-drive to front-drive architecture and eliminates the third-row option in favor of seating for five only.

The SRX comes in just one model with three trim options powered by either a 3.0-liter 265-horsepower V-6 with just 223 pound-feet torque or a more powerful optional 2.8-liter 300-horsepower V-6, Cadillac’s first-ever turbocharged engine that will be introduced at the middle of the 2010 model year. All-wheel-drive is available on all but the base SRX. The 3.0-liter V-6 is the same engine that powers the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.

The general increase in content that comes with the move up in trim levels from base to Luxury Collection, then Performance and finally Premium adds up quickly on the window sticker and SRX can easily top a $50,000 with desirable option boxes checked.

We tested an all-wheel drive 3.0-liter Premium Collection edition with standard 20-inch wheels that carried a base price of $48,365, including destination charges.

Compared to the Q5, X3, RX and XC60, our SRX was sluggish and noisy, with excessive buzzy howls and bleats from the engine, which seemed to labor under hard highway acceleration. It also has a considerably harsh, choppy ride, and a six-speed automatic transmission that never seems to know which gear to be in, with irritating up shifts and downshifts that only emphasize the other shortcomings of the vehicle. Perhaps the low-profile 20-inch tires on our tester (rather than the standard 18-inch wheels) were to blame for the ride.

We have to wonder why Cadillac didn’t equip the SRX with the excellent direct-injected 304-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 used in the new Camaro and Cadillac CTS.

Standard safety features are as expected in a luxury vehicle. In addition to the front and side-curtain air bags are front-seat-mounted pelvic-thorax air bags, a feature seldom found on vehicles at any price. The 2010 SRX earned the highest crash test rating of “Good” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It has not yet been crash tested by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

As they should, the folks at GM are doing plenty of heavy advertising touting the new SRX and it should get plenty of interest from the public. But it isn’t my favorite luxury crossover vehicle with at least a few better choices for the money.