For 2012, Cadillac made a few, yet important changes to their SRX mid size luxury crossover. Most were cosmetic and minimal in their total package impact but one important change is not quite where it should be for what is generally a very fine mid size luxury crossover worthy of the Cadillac name. Overall the 2012 Cadillac SRX Premium is a good value with Cadillac luxury touches and ride.
The major change which should have been for the good was bringing the CTS V6 308 horsepower power plant to the SRX and making it the sole engine for all models. They also integrated it with the Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with a driver selectable Eco feature. The performance overall is snappy with acceleration and power generally very acceptable for a vehicle of this size and weight.
But, the integration of the engine with the transmission still needs work. Whether in Eco or regular mode, the transmission often hesitated (subtly and slightly) in making a shift almost as if it was struggling to make up its mind which gear to move to next. We found this most pronounced in city driving both accelerating and decelerating. Many would not notice, but our expectation was to find this interaction seamless and imperceptible to the driver especially with a Cadillac.
It should be noted that there is also a manual shift they call Driver Shift Control with this transmission. I like this feature of the power train. I am not a fan of steering wheel paddle shifters, so I found this console mounted control feature fun to use which added a bit to the “snappy” running around town.
Also, others have noted as did we, that the Eco selection only adds about one mpg to the fuel efficiency of the SRX and does not seem to have any impact on response or performance. For the one mpg of gain, you are probably better off to leave it in the regular mode. The official fuel economy estimates for the 2012 SRX AWD Premium are 16 mpg City and 23 mpg Highway.
The SRX we tested was the 2012 SRX AWD Premium Collection model that included the 20 inch wheels with a sticker of $48,885. The only option added was the dual screen rear seat DVD entertainment system with individual head sets and audio controls for $1,395. With delivery, the sticker price was $51,055.
There is a lot to like about the 2012 Cadillac SRX.
Features we liked included expected generous and well appointed cockpit with comfortable seating and easy to reach and use controls. The lighting of the dials and gauges of the instrument cluster is fabulous. The dials and read outs fairly pop out at you both night and day. There is a dedicated slot in center console to hold the remote key fob so you know right where to find them every time.
Other items were the Cargo Management System that includes storage under the floor of the rear cargo area and an easy to use U-Rail system to manage and hold items above the cargo floor; a glove box that can be air conditioned; rear seat fold down console to hold cups that is engineered to actually lay flat on the seats; four power outlets available in front row, second row and rear cargo areas; USB port in center console for easy access to iPod or other device; a second (lower) level in the console cup holders to allow secure containment of regular and jumbo cups; adjustable power lift gate heights and modes, folding mirrors; adaptive headlamps; adjustable pedals and the Ultraview Power Sunroof.
Not living up to our expectations was a couple of items that should be mentioned. We have talked about the concern about the engine and transmission not being in synch. There was also a distracting rattle in the rear overhead area sounding like it was in the assembly or the installation of the Ultraview Power Sunroof. We do not expect Cadillac have such rattles and, at only 5000 miles, it is a glaring annoyance.
Also, the seating in the second row is not generous and depending on your “stature”, you may have issues with leg and/or head room. Lastly, the rear roof pillars of the cargo compartment create a blind spot situation. With the number of luxury and other cars having blind spot warning systems for 2012, Cadillac missed this. It should have been a feature standard in the top of the line SRX.
The 2012 Cadillac SRX comes in several trims and price points offering a range of choices for the consumer who is looking for a five passenger mid-size luxury cross over. All are available with AWD and FWD except the Standard which is FWD only. The SRX models include the Standard FWD well equipped starting at $35,485; Luxury has AWD available, adding leather seats, remote start, power liftgate, rearview camera, cargo management system and Sapele wood trim starting at $40,415; Performance with AWD available, adds glide up touch screen navigation, 10 speaker Bose™ surround sound system, high intensity discharge Adaptive Forward lighting system and 20 inch machined face cast aluminum wheels starting at $43,830; with the trims topped off by the Premium with AWD available plus ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, rear seat audio controls and tri-zone automatic climate control starting at $46,275.
Comparable offerings similarly equipped from other manufacturers, according to Cadillac, include the Lexus RX FWD starting at $39,075 and the BMW X3 XDrive28I AWD at $37,100. The SRX delivers more horsepower and torque than either of the others with the standard V6 gas engine running at 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque @ 2400 rpm while the Lexus V6 Gas has 270 hp and 248 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm with the turbo charged BMW delivering 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque @ 1500 rpm.
Jim Nelson is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association
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