This is an entry from Cadillac, going up against mature European and Japanese luxury models. The two-seat Cadillac XLR roadster is the company’s flagship vehicle. Dija know that both the XLR and Corvette are built on top of the same platform, even though the Corvette does a better job with it. It’s more of a grand touring machine than a hard-edged sports car. This Caddy is a bit of a candy-ass with a softer and more comfortable ride. It also uses a more subdued 4/6-liter, 320-horsepower V8 engine rather than the Vette’s edgier 6/2-liter, 436-hp V8 power plant.
The XLR makes good use of lightweight parts, such as aluminum suspension pieces, that keeps the XLR’s weight pretty reasonable. The super-duper Magnetic Ride Control adaptive suspension system does a great job of automatically adjusting the suspension for ride smoothness. With all of this taken together, you get smooth and responsive maneuvers. When you put together the edgy, angular styling outside the body and the wood accent inside the interior, you do get a rich looking car. The retractable hard top is a great piece of engineering, a great switch between hard top and the soft top. Whenever you put the top down, you should already have in place a Cadillac windscreen.
The Cadillac XLR is a good-to-great car, but it’s not the “standard of the world” as GM likes to proclaim it as. Though its styling and Cadillac badge will appeal to those looking to roll up to the valet in something different from the status quo, the XLR comes up short in terms of maximum performance. The interior is especially disappointing when compared to its similarly priced rivals from Germany and Great Britain. Furthermore, the XLR doesn’t really offer that much more than a fully loaded Corvette, which is about $20,000 cheaper and 116-hp more powerful.
Even though the XLR is pretty zippy, this still isn’t a true sport car – you better look elsewhere. The take-off from the line is quick, but not as quick as the Corvette. The XLR has a soft underpining, causing the vehicle to roll in curves and nosedive under fast breaking. Even with its adaptive suspension’s split-second response, the Cadillac XLR still feels less willing to tackle turns than the more athletic European contenders. On the open highway, the roadster hits its stride, delivering an undisturbed ride with effortless tracking. Remember, if you go top down, then you should also go with a Cadillac windscreen.
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When the author isn’t driving her XLR around town, she’s a fan of psychic reviews, the Seattle HCG Diet Center, and the Cadillac XLR windscreen windblocker wind deflector.