Reviews January 12, 2010, 6:59PM EST

Review: 2010 Cadillac SRX

Cadillac's successful new SRX crossover offers bold styling and plenty of power—but fancy options quickly drive up the bargain base price

By Thane Peterson

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Editor's Rating:

The Good: Inexpensive and fuel-efficient base model, classy interior

The Bad: Pricey performance models, over-the-top exterior styling

The Bottom Line: A boldly styled new crossover takes on the Lexus RX 350

Reader Reviews

Up Front

In recent months, the newly redesigned Cadillac crossover vehicle, the SRX, has emerged as one of General Motors' hottest products and Cadillac's best-selling model, ahead of both the Escalade and the CTS. SRX sales more than tripled in the fourth quarter of 2009, to 11,467. The only other GM model with comparable growth is the redesigned Chevy Equinox, a small, fuel-efficient SUV that saw its sales nearly triple, to 30,166, during the same period.

I'm not a huge fan of the new SRX. I prefer the new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, a sporty European-style wagon that's quicker, handles better, and starts at $40,655 with rear-wheel drive. The CTS Sport Wagon sits lower to the ground than a crossover, yet still has six inches of ground clearance, only an inch less that the SRX. However, if you're into crossover vehicles (as so many shoppers are these days), the 2010 SRX has a lot to recommend it.

In redesigning the model, GM seems to have targeted Toyota's (TM) popular (and newly redesigned) Lexus RX 350. The base SRX is cheaper than the Lexus while matching it in many other respects. It's also boldly styled and unabashedly American-looking while the Lexus' styling is bland. You'll probably either love the way this Caddie looks or hate it. I'm in the latter category: I find the SRX's Escalade-like front end, bulked-up front fenders, and fin-like taillights pretty ugly.

The new SRX is dramatically different from the original SRX, which was sold from 2004 to 2009. The previous model was based on the CTS and had rear-wheel drive, as well as an available third row of seats and V8 engine. The 2010 SRX is smaller and more fuel efficient, with front-wheel drive, only two rows of seats, and a maximum seating capacity of five.

Both available engines in the new SRX are smaller yet more sophisticated than the power plants in the previous SRX. The base engine is a direct-injection 3.0-liter, 265-horsepower V6 with variable valve timing that's paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting mode. The alternative is a turbocharged 2.8-liter, 300-horsepower V6 paired with a sportier six-speed automatic that also has a driver-selectable "eco mode" that saves fuel.

With front-wheel drive, the base-model SRX gets 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway, matching a comparable Lexus RX 350. The SRX's mileage drops to 17/23 with all-wheel drive (slightly less than the AWD RX 350), and to 15/21 with the turbocharged engine (which is only available with AWD).

The base-model SRX starts at just $34,155 and only comes with front-wheel drive and has virtually no options. That's significantly lower than the $38,500 base price of a front-wheel-drive RX 350, yet the entry-level SRX comes well-loaded with standard equipment that includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a leather-wrapped tilting and telescoping steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, a USB jack, and satellite radio.

The somewhat fancier SRX Luxury trim line starts at $40,230 with all-wheel drive, about the same as the most basic AWD Lexus RX 350, which starts at $39,990. A top-of-the-line, all-wheel-drive SRX Turbo Premium starts at $52,185. The pricier SRX trim lines are heavily loaded with standard features such as heated seats, a power-adjustable rear hatch, and a hard-drive-based navigation system with backup camera. The main option is a $1,295 rear-seat entertainment system.