Cadillac XLR is Way Cool

This XLR is one more attempt to take on the mega-luxury brands coming out of Europe and Japan. The sporty XLR is what Cadillac wants people to think of, when envisioning this namebadge. Don't be confused - even though the XLR has the same platform as the Corvette, the XLR isn't a Corvette in disguise. It's more of a grand touring machine than a hard-edged sports car. This is a bit of an old-man caddy, with a softer and more agreeable ride. The XLR places a mellower 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. The combination of bold, angular styling outside and distinctive eucalyptus-wood cockpit accents gives the XLR a sophisticated presence. The XLR's retractable hard top provides a great trade off between hard top and open top. Whenever you pull back the hard top, then you should have a Cadillac XLR windscreen / windblocker / wind deflector.

This Cadillac XLR does indeed turn heads, but it's not worthy all of the hype GM is giving it - far from it. . 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.

The XLR certainly have plenty of speed, but the top-end may still come out short for some enthusiasts. The acceleration is notable, but still underneath what one hopes for in this sort of rod. The XLR isn't notable on the chassis, which rolls to heavily into curves and pitches to far down when breaking fast. 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. The XLR does its best driving on the highway, when you're in the straight line. If going with the top down, then your wife will thank you for getting a Cadillac XLR windscreen / windblocker / wind deflector.