|
 I'm
a grandfather, so I guess I should really like Cadillac's new 2010 SRX,
because my grandchildren certainly do.
They find it easy
to climb into the roomy rear seat and up into their booster seats. They
like the roominess of the back seat, and I like the fact the seat is roomy
enough that they can sit without having their feet up against the back
of the front seats.
And that power-opening
and closing rear hatch makes it really easy for them to deposit their
backpacks on the drive to and from school.
My grandson really
loves the beneath-the-cargo-floor storage area, which I find an ideal
place to put the groceries so they don't slide around when I drive with
some enthusiasm on the way home. But my grandson likes that area because
what he wants to do is to fill the plastic liner with water, rocks, twigs
and such and then use it as a live tank to keep the turtles, frogs, bugs
and the other critters that seem to come home with him from everyplace
he visits.
But I'm sure the
grandchildren's favorite feature is the SRX's optional rear seat entertainment
system, with screens mounted on the back of the driver's and front passenger's
seats so they can watch movies as they ride.
Pity that grandpa
finds the "intuitive infotainment" technology not nearly as
intuitive as Cadillac says it is and thus can only figure out which buttons
to push to play that movie about half the time. Why can't there be a nice,
clear "DVD" or "Play" buttons somewhere on the center
console?
My daughter informs
me that I should push the button with an arrow on it. To me, "intuitive"
means not having to hunt through an owner's manual, plow down through
screen displays, navigate a series of switchgear, or ask my daughter how
to make something work. To me, "intuitive" means obvious, able
to be done without much if any thought.
I know, I'm being
really picky. But a vehicle such as the SRX, especially in the "AWD
Performance Collection" setup I'm driving, seems to have been designed
with grandparents in mind. Although it's definitely a luxury vehicle,
even with that $1,195 entertainment system with its dual screens and wireless
headphones and remote control - ah, that's where I made my mistake: I
should have just given my grandson the remote control and let him intuit
with a 7-year-old's perspective - the bottom line on the SRX's sticker
reads only $47,115.
I say "only"
because (a) this is a luxury vehicle and (b) it comes standard with lots
of things you might normally expect to be options.
Actually, the 2010
SRX has a base price of just $34,155, but that's for the standard version,
not the AWD Performance Collection version that includes things such as
a navigation system with an eight-inch display screen, 20-inch wheels,
a Bose audio system, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use,
a rearview camera, XM satellite radio, a huge "Ultraview" sunroof,
heated leather seats - with eight-way power adjustment for the driver
and front-seat passenger - power-adjustable pedals, dual-zone climate
controls, a power-operated tailgate, Xenon headlamps that turn with your
steering input, headlamp washers, and even more as standard equipment.
The SRX I'm driving
has the standard 265-horsepower, 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 engine
linked to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The EPA says this powertrain
- and this SRX also is the all-wheel-drive version - should average 17
miles per gallon in town and 23 on the highway.
It works nicely for
the way most people drive, though enthusiasts most likely would want to
opt for the 300-hp, 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 with its 295 pound-feet
of torque (the normally aspirated motor provides only 223). The boosted
engine gets only 15 city and 21 highway, but I'm guessing it also makes
the 4,307-pound vehicle much more responsive.
All that said, I
was pleasantly surprised when I saw the numbers on the Monroney sticker.
This is definitely
a luxury vehicle, from its comfortable but controlled ride and handling
to a design that looks chiseled rather than merely stamped from sheetmetal.
The SRX has real presence on the road, a presence accentuated by the jewel-like
qualities as those huge rear brake lights. Customers also figure to appreciate
the very nice touch of repeating that jeweled-look in the turn signal
repeaters that are built into the bezel around the speedometer.
And yet even with
all this standard equipment, and even with the optional entertainment
system and $825 in destination charges, the price is just a little more
than $47,000. To tell the truth, I was expecting something well north
of $50K.
|