 It seems that the halo of legend around the Cadillac brand has not gone anywhere. Some still remember those huge "dreadnoughts" of the 50s and 60s that Elvis Presley adored. Of course, the current SRX has little in common with them, except for the badge on the massive radiator grille, but the respect of others is felt immediately. And how else — before you is a huge black block that, under the aggressive roar of a nimble V-shaped "six", starts from a traffic light or flies along the left lane of the highway at 200 km/h. And the appearance alone is worth it. |
 Our "almost compatriot" Kip Wasenko, when creating the Evoq concept in 1999 in a chopped techno style, hardly expected that his ideas would outlive so many years in a world where cars change rapidly. But they are alive and, more importantly, still relevant. In "Cadillac" they realized this and continue to replicate this theme in all their cars. No other manufacturer works in a similar style, and this advantageously sets the SRX apart against the tired X5, XC90, ML and others. Where else can you see such "sharpened", as if planed, body edges? Which of the rivals has similar lights? Huge vertical blocks in front, almost the same height fog lights, and at the rear — nice "point" lights hidden under tinted polycarbonate. And this powerful grille with the Cadillac crest? The "Caddy" looks bold and original, for which you respect it even more. |
 By the way, the interior of the new generation also pleased. The engineers heard the complaints of the owners of the previous SRX. There is less cheap plastic and more leather. Now it covers not only the seats and steering wheel, but also the front panel, armrest, door cards and even the central tunnel. Plastic remains in some places, but it has become noticeably better quality. Wood inserts are also in place — where would we be without them in a luxury SUV. The cabin is light thanks to the huge optional UltraView panoramic roof. The front seats with characteristic "ears" of belts on the sides are pure America. Soft, with symbolic lateral support, real "sofas". |
 But they have a plus — huge adjustment ranges, including lumbar support. The travel of the vertical seat adjustment was especially impressive. The difference between the lowest and highest position is about 10 cm. At the very bottom, the legs are almost extended, and the steering wheel can be lowered even lower. For an SUV, this is unusual! At the same time, visibility does not suffer, and the "instrument panel" is not blocked — the steering wheel is quite large. All buttons are at hand, the lever of the 5-speed "automatic" with manual mode is convenient. The only thing you can find fault with is the scattering of on-board computer keys to the left of the steering wheel, which requires extra attention. And another question: who thought of placing the rear "wiper" button with washer on the ceiling? |
 And because of the specific body shape, in wet weather the rear window gets dirty instantly, so this solution looks strange. The split "climate" is convenient to control and works flawlessly. Among the interesting options is a 7-inch color touch-screen on the central console. There is radio, mp3, navigation, and DVD with television. True, video can only be watched when the Parking mode is on. Safety comes first. The trunk with a servo drive door is huge. To reach its far edge, you have to kneel on the bumper. And no wonder: optionally, the SRX can be with three rows of seats. |
 The engine is started with a regular key. It comes with a "native" alarm key fob made of cheap plastic — it looks very "pop", not solid for a Cadillac. Okay, forget about the key. The engine purred. On "neutral" you can rev it only up to 4000, and the body tilts slightly — power is felt. Apparently, the flywheel is not small. We put the selector in Drive, floor the gas — and the black giant takes off. Even though the test was with a 6-cylinder engine of 3.6 liters (although there is also a version with a 4.6-liter V-shaped "eight" Northstar), its acceleration is very confident. |
 The claimed 8 seconds to "hundred" looks plausible. You constantly feel the pressure in your back. The "automatic" at the same time softly shifts long gears. And the sound! The V6 easily revs up to 6500 rpm, and at the top it has just a gorgeous "voice" — a bit loud for a luxury crossover, with metallic notes, but very beautiful. You want to drive the tachometer needle into the red zone again and again. Such a desire rarely arises behind the wheel of a heavy SUV. And the SRX weighs 2 tons. But it becomes even more fun if you move the gearbox lever to the right — the sport mode is activated. Shifts become faster, the "automatic" holds the gear. By moving the lever up and down, you can manually shift gears. When maximum rpm is reached, the engine hits the limiter (quite harshly), and the upshift is not engaged. |
 The steering wheel is light and "long", the Magnetic Ride suspension is tuned for comfort. But do not think that the SRX in motion is jelly. The car is quite manageable. On a straight line — it's generally "unshakable", it rushes forward, swallowing kilometers and gasoline (average consumption during the test — 21 l/100 km), and only on open sections you realize that the sail area is huge — the wind noticeably rocks it. The steering wheel, very light in parking and not twitching on straights, gives enough information and feedback in corners. Of course, it cannot be compared with the BMW X5, but you don't have to turn "blindly" either. Rolls are present, understeer. Even with the traction control system and the StabiliTrak stability control system turned off, you can only go into a skid with a sharp "whip". Otherwise, the front end mostly slides. |
 But sliding begins at fairly high speeds for a car with such a center of gravity. And this is the merit of the automatically adapting suspension. It is also good on broken roads. Small irregularities, "comb", shoulders of Moscow region highways are not felt at all even at 100 km/h. Larger potholes and drops are felt more strongly. But the most noticeable are the unsprung masses. Their vibrations spoil the overall picture of comfort. And it is also spoiled by the low-efficiency brake system. The "Caddy" slows down very reluctantly, and the ABS, according to subjective feelings, triggers too early. Maybe it's the Michelin Pilot HXMXM tires? But they are very quiet, or rather, they are not heard at all behind the powerful sound insulation.
Who was the Cadillac SRX created for? For those who are tired of the standard shapes of European SUVs. For those who often, a lot and quickly drive on roads of not the best quality and value American comfort slightly above ideal handling. For those who love attention and "respect". Moreover, "respect" for quite moderate money by class standards. Prices for the SRX start from $64,000. And this is one of its main advantages… |
 PRICES AND TRIM LEVELS |
Dear
"Respect me!" - this is the sticker I often had to see on small cars like the Oka. There were no such inscriptions on the Cadillac SRX, but at times there was a feeling that it was all covered with them - so meekly, almost willingly, did the city traffic part before it.
