SUVs have become so popular in America that they’ve branched off into various categories, filling niches that were previously the domain of cars. These days, there are practical compact SUVs that give you a comfortable drive around town, sporty SUVs that can provide thrills with the best of them, and luxurious SUVs packed with comfort and convenience features. When you see the 2024 Cadillac XT5 for sale at a dealer near you, you’ll immediately notice that it’s designed to be all three.
Cadillac claims that the XT5 has “features fit for overachievers,” which makes sense given how much this model is hoping to achieve. It boasts a spacious interior, a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance technology, capable powertrain options, and all manner of features and premium materials designed to keep all passengers comfortable while en route. That’s a lot of ground for a single model to cover, but the XT5 manages to pull it off with aplomb.
But, like most vehicles, the XT5 doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach to customer satisfaction. Instead, its features are divided up among three different trim levels. This gives drivers choices so that they can pick a set of features and styling choices that match their preferences. Today, we’re going to dive in and let you know how these trims differ from one another. If you’re thinking of adding a 2024 XT5 to your driveway in the near future, then you’ll want to pay close attention and think about where your priorities lie.
The Cadillac XT5 Luxury
The Luxury trim is the most basic and affordable option, but, as the name implies, it’s far from bare-bones. Standard features include an 8-inch diagonal touchscreen that controls the SUV’s infotainment system, including wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, which gives you cable-free access to your favorite navigation apps, music streaming services, and podcasts. Your audio entertainment will play through a Bose 8-speaker sound system, giving you sharp, crystal-clear sound.
Under the hood, there’s a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that can produce up to 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, which translates to punchy acceleration and solid performance at highway speeds. With front-wheel drive, this engine delivers an estimated 22 MPG in the city and up to 29 MPG on the highway. That’s not bad when you consider that the engine has to move around a spacious cabin that provides up to 63 cu.ft. of cargo space with the rear seats folded down.
When it comes to style, you can choose between seven different exterior paint colors, ranging from black, white, and silver to Radiant Red, Opulent Blue, and Emerald Lade. The Luxury trim comes standard with 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels with a bright silver finish, and two other options (20-inch wheels with a chrome finish or 20-inch wheels with a gloss-black finish) are also available. However, this trim has only one interior colorway, and that is Jet Black.
Cadillac’s Smart System suite of driver assistance tech comes standard on the XT5 Luxury. Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Front Pedestrian Braking help you avoid accidents with vehicles and pedestrians in front of you. Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning work together to keep you on the straight and narrow while driving on the highway.
With the vibrating Safety Alert Seat, you’ll quickly know where potential threats are coming from since it activates one side or the other depending on what the sensors detect. Rear Park Assist and an HD Rear Vision Camera make it safer to back up for parking or maneuvering in tight spaces. Teen Driver is another unique feature that allows your newly licensed teen to learn good driving habits by allowing you to set restrictions on their driving, such as control over their maximum speed and radio volume.
The Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury
With the Premium Luxury trim, you’ll get many of the same features offered on the Luxury model, including the powertrain, exterior paint options, and the standard suite of driver assistance tech. But there are plenty of upgrades to justify its increased price tag. The Bose sound system has nearly twice as many speakers, with a total of fourteen, for a true surround sound experience. The infotainment system also features embedded navigation, so you don’t have to rely on your phone for step-by-step directions to your destination.
Instead of the Inteluxe faux leather used in the Luxury, the Premium Luxury features leather seating surfaces. There are also five different color options: black leather with high-gloss wood trim, white leather with aluminum trim, Sedona Sauvage brown leather with rosewood trim, Kona brown leather with Sapele wood trim, black leather with bronze carbon-fiber trim, and Maple Sugar light brown leather with open-pore elm cluster wood trim. Whichever color you choose, the interior will get extra natural lighting from an UltraView Power Sunroof.
The interior also has some bonus features that are functional rather than stylish. A heated steering wheel keeps hands warm on cold winter days. A cargo management system in the back features an adjustable cargo fence to keep things in place and a retractable cargo shade to keep sunlight and prying eyes at bay. There are also some extra driver assistance features on board, including Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which make you more aware of the environment around the vehicle.
The Cadillac XT5 Sport
The top-tier Sport trim is designed for drivers looking for a little more action on the road. It replaces the four-cylinder engine with a 3.6L V6 that pumps out 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. That does come at the expense of fuel economy, which comes down to 19 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway, but it means more thrills. The powertrain isn’t the only upgrade that affects driving dynamics: the Sport also comes standard with a twin-clutch sport control all-wheel drive system, chassis damping control, Brembo performance brakes up front, and bright red brake calipers in the front and rear. The Sport is also tuned for optimized responsiveness, control, and quicker steering, with an adaptive suspension that can handle various driving conditions.
There are also some differences when it comes to styling. The Sport doesn’t have as many interior color options as the Premium Luxury, but it still has two black options, two brown options, and the Cirrus white, all of which feature leather seating surfaces. When it comes to wheels, on top of three options similar to those available on the Premium Luxury, there’s also a trim-exclusive design with a diamond-cut alloy finish and dark android pockets that stand out from the rest of the lineup. The exterior also features high-gloss black accents that replace the metallic accents on the other two trims, including the grille and window surrounds.
More Options, More Customization
Picking one of these three trims is the first step to customizing your XT5, but it doesn’t have to be the last. There are also available appearance packages that can give the SUV a more specific look with platinum, gloss-black, blue, bronze, or red accents. There are also bundles of more practical features, like the Driver Assist Package, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, and Reverse Automatic Braking, or the Cargo Convenience Package, which adds assist steps and roof rack cross rails, making the top of the vehicle an extra storage space. With all of these different options available, it’s easy to make the XT5 your own thrilling ride.
