Cadillac SRX V-8

Cadillac SRX V-8 - It was a perfectly sensible choice, not only because the $60,645 Caddy needed to accrue miles, but also because it was an ideal long-tripper—after all, for a starting price of $50,830, it was equipped with a gutsy 320-hp Northstar V-8 and leather front bucket seats with heat and eight-way power adjustments. Plus, it had $9815 worth of pampering options: all-wheel drive, a navigation system, a third-row power seat, magnetic ride control, HID headlamps, a DVD player with an LCD screen and wireless headphones ("Sorry, sweetie, did you say something?"), and a Bose stereo with XM satellite radio and an in-dash six-CD changer. Cruising cross country couldn't come any better, or so Dave and Marie thought.

That oddball fix didn't work, so VanderWerp disconnected and then reconnected the battery, a last-ditch effort that worked, but just temporarily. Later on in Boston, the SRX subsequently stalled several more times. VanderWerp was able to keep it going by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, but a more lasting fix was certainly called for. The SRX was ditched at Frost Motors, a Boston-area Caddy dealership, while VanderWerp and his fiancée were forced to fly home.

According to Otto Cadillac in Albany, our SRX had been born with a bad engine-control module, a defect that required 10 days in the inspection pits to detect. Like a clogged artery, the problem was physically small, its consequence huge. GM picked up the bill under warranty, of course, the first of three instances in which the General was forced to delve into its pockets. The second, at 15,842 miles was to convince the huge UltraView sunroof that "close" did not mean "crack," and the third, at 20,411 miles, was to replace a faulty key and remote. So the lesson here seems to be that although technology can do lots of trick things, it can also play irritating tricks.

The SRX is an elegant, fast, comfortable SUV that has few peers. When new, it ripped from 0 to 60 in 7.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.4 at 92 mph. Those are quick numbers for an SUV, especially one that weighs 4711 pounds. More impressive was the SRX's top speed of 141 mph—faster than many of today's so-called sporty cars. When we retested the SRX at 40,000 miles, it was not only quicker but also faster. Zero to 60 dropped to 6.8 ticks, the quarter improved to 15.2 at 93, and top speed rose to 144. Who says getting old slows you down? Moreover, braking and skidpad grip improved over the long haul, with the former dropping from 188 feet to 183 in 70-to-0 halts and the latter jumping from 0.78 g to 0.79. Even better was that our intemperate hot-rodding still netted a respectable 17 mpg.

In addition to being impressed with the SRX's smooth and quiet highway ride and surprising nimbleness on curvy roads, we also admired its edgy "art and science" exterior design, its ample cargo space, the flexibility of its three rows of seats, the honkin' Bose stereo, and the DVD entertainment system that made long hauls short and kids quiet.

On the flip side, the SRX had a handful of traits we didn't fancy. The most common complaints had to do with the stiff price tag and the ultra-wide rocker panels that, when dirty, soiled passengers' pants during ingress and egress. Tech director Webster pointed out that the huge step-over often induced slips or spills after touching down on snow- or ice-covered ground. The interior drew a bit of arched eyebrow for an odd mix of angles and textures, a trim and instrument panel that didn't seem to go with the price, a wobbly gearshift, second- and third-row headrests that blocked the rearward view, an under-the-dash "knee protector" that in fact hurt knees more than it protected them, a fussy trip computer that required five times as many steps as most other cars', and a high cowl that, in cahoots with the pushed-forward A-pillar, made parking a challenge.

All in all, our long-term SRX V-8's performance will help, not hurt, its chances of securing a third-straight 5Best Trucks trophy. And even as GM's employee-discount deal was scheduled to be called off September 6, screaming deals on an SRX are likely not out of the question, especially since the cars are flying off dealer lots like penguins. A sensible Caddy at a sensible price—what more could you want?