To compete against luxury crossover stalwarts like BMW, Lexus and Audi, you need innovation, originality and value. Fortunately, the 2012 Cadillac SRX delivers.
Compared to vehicles like the 2012 Lexus RX 350, Audi Q5 and BMW X3, the new 2012 Cadillac SRX crossover stands out. Not simply because of its modern design aesthetic, but also because of its clear-cut price advantage. With a starting MSRP of $35,985, the SRX is on par with Audi’s offering, but thousands less than the Lexus ($39,075) and BMW ($37,100). Competitively equipped, the price difference grows greater, as do the advantages the Cadillac holds over its inflated competitors.
Angular and sculpted, the SRX is a fierce and commanding counterpoint to the established softer styling of its high-cost competitors. Not only is the Cadillac bolder and more athletic, its style is substantive; towering vertical LED taillights illuminate faster than conventional lamps, available adaptive forward lights swivel around corners for added visibility and an exclusive UltraView sunroof provides a panoramic view from front and back seats, a sense of greater spaciousness and an integrated power sunshade.
Beneath the hood, the 2012 SRX features a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission that combine to deliver exceptional responsiveness to go along with 308 hp and 265 lb/ft of torque. The comparatively underpowered standard engines of the significantly more expensive Lexus RX 350 (270 hp) and BMW X3 (258 hp) simply can’t match those numbers. Even the turbocharged four-cylinder offering on the Audi Q5 can’t touch the SRX in horsepower (211 hp) or torque (258 lb/ft). The SRX also adds features like advanced real-time damping, auto-drying brakes and advanced, torque-vectoring All-Wheel Drive.
The newest SRX is wider than its competitors, which allows its nicely appointed, spacious cabin a few more generous inches in certain areas. Compared to the Lexus, a vehicle renowned for its ergonomics and spaciousness, the 2012 SRX sports more headroom. What’s more, you’ll find more shoulder space than the Audi has, and more front legroom than is offered in the BMW. While each vehicle fits five, the Cadillac does it just a little more comfortably than its competitors.
Aside from its generous proportions, the interior of the new SRX is beautifully appointed and meticulously handcrafted. Soft-touch points along the doors and dash have been designed and built for superior sophistication, while amenities like the leather-wrapped steering wheel and available heated and ventilated seats have been integrated for exceptional comfort. The available Sapele wood, traditionally used only in fine guitars, is perhaps the most refined and elegant SRX addition.
The Cadillac SRX is the only vehicle to offer an advanced, glide-up navigation system, which rises from atop the dash when needed and falls seamlessly back into it when not in use. The available eight-inch LCD touch-screen provides access to navigation, a 10-speaker Bose® premium sound system and a 10GB hard drive. The SRX is also the only vehicle to offer the exclusive OnStar system, with automatic emergency and crash response, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle location and slowdown, and much more.
Compared to the finest crossovers the luxury world has to offer, the 2012 Cadillac SRX holds almost all the advantages, with the exception, perhaps, of surprise. The superior design, craftsmanship, performance and value of the Cadillac certainly should come as no shock to the automakers that have been watching its ascension with clenched teeth and furrowed brows.
