Cadillac

First Drive: 2019 Cadillac XT4

2019 Cadillac XT4 Cadillac finally the small luxury SUV fight to rivals like the Lexus NX, Volvo XC40, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and Audi Q3. Does the Caddy come out as the new champ? By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor, Car-ED.com | September 2018 The 2019 Cadillac XT4 is a small SUV with a huge job ahead of it: To make the American luxury brand a contender in the red-hot market for compact SUVs that are big on safety, style, performance, and technology. What is this vehicle? The 2019 Cadillac XT4 is a small SUV that fills a huge gap in the American luxury brand's lineup of vehicles. Until now, Cadillac had only two SUVs on offer, the midsize XT5 crossover and the full-size Escalade SUV. Neither one was an ideal fit for the automotive world's hottest craze, the premium compact sport-utility. While rival brands offered pint-sized SUVs - like the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Lexus NX, Audi Q3, and BMW X1 - Cadillac was left outside looking in, at least until now. Powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and available with front- or optional all-wheel drive, the XT4 carries an aggressive starting price of $35,790 (including destination fee) and streamlines the shopping experience into three main trim levels: Premium, Premium Luxury, and Sport. No matter which you choose, the powertrain remains the same, and adding all-wheel drive costs an additional $2,500 across the board. While the turbo engine [...]

2018-09-24T20:23:42-04:00Sep 2018|Car Reviews|

First Impressions: 2019 Acura RDX

2019 Acura RDX The fully redesigned RDX marks the start of the compact luxury SUV’s third generation. By Cherise Threewitt, Contributor, Car-ED.com | June 2018 We got a sneak preview of the vehicle at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and were pretty impressed by the experience. Every RDX comes powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 272 horsepower, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, though we suspect most buyers will upgrade to all-wheel drive, as is common with crossovers. The all-wheel drive system features torque vectoring, which means that the system can send extra power to the rear wheels, which helps with maneuvering. Our test course consisted of winding country roads around a sparkling lake on a gorgeous sunny day, and the RDX seemed eager to show off these capabilities. The system seems to be a good match for the peppy and enthusiastic engine. The centerpiece of the interior is a floating center console that arches up from the gearshift area and meets the dash, creating a storage nook. This idea isn’t entirely new (it reminded us of the Volvo C30) but it’s unlike anything else out there right now and has the visual effect of carving out separate nooks for driver and front passenger. The gear selector, by the way, consists of buttons rather than a physical shifter. The [...]

2018-09-04T22:42:06-04:00Sep 2018|Car Reviews|