From: $48,595
Before I became a mother, you could often find me driving around NYC, D.C. and upstate New York in a brand new vehicle, testing the latest cars of all makes and models. But since entering parenthood and having to purchase my own family car, the opportunity to test vehicles hasn’t been as feasible (you try doing alternate side street parking for two cars). Not to mention, my needs are greater than before, having to lug around a stroller and car seat for my tot. However, I get to relive the old glory days when I have the chance to travel. These days, mid-size SUVs are my preference, and during a recent mother-son trek back to the Midwest to see my parents, I had the chance to try out a newer one that was impressive.
When the 2022 Cadillac XT6 in the luxury model was dropped off in my parent’s driveway, it immediately turned heads on the block. It arrived in the Rosewood Metallic color, a dark, moody red offset by distinct, chic LED lighting, silver trim and shiny multi-spoke alloy wheels.
It was a car that made everyone in the house want to get in it, motivating family rides as its three rows of seating (in leather — fancy, fancy) could accommodate me, my son and our relatives comfortably. It’s certainly a spacious vehicle, seating seven people. And the music you play, like the afrobeats playlist I knew would please my mom, adequately reaches all passengers from the front to the back thanks to the Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system.
While driving, especially for longer distances, I was able to go hands-free as my phone’s apps, from directions to my music streaming app of choice, were projected onto the 8′ inch touch-screen infotainment system with help from wireless Apple CarPlay. And with built-in access to Amazon Alexa, you could says your desired destination while on the road as opposed to having to wait to come to a full stop and type it in for directions.
All-wheel drive got us through days of heavy downpours (we experienced two full rainy days that tried to damper our fun), and when the sun was out (which we’d open the sunroof for), the Super Cruise driver assistance technology allowed me to also drive hands-free comfortably and for a longer distance. You can go more than 200,000 miles on the highway using it!
Then there are the beloved, common features that make driving all the less stressful, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and lane change alerts, power liftgate for the trunk for those grocery stops, forward collision alert, rear parking assistance, rear cross traffic alert (which is a must when coming out of parking spaces in busy areas), automatic climate control, the head-up display and more.
As for the general review of my experience, I would say I really liked the XT6. I found it to be a very smooth, comfortable ride for myself and my child. It hugged the ground well on tight turns. It accommodated my son’s stroller with no issues (and if you moved the back seats, it could make more space for luggage, groceries or whatever other things you might need to stow in the back). I also liked the smallest features, like the lights on the doors and inside the car to help you feel less nervous when moving around later in the evening. Things I wasn’t so crazy about include some of the designs inside the car. The wood trim in the luxury model I had, when paired with the light tan (or Maple Sugar) seating and a few suede-ish features around the windshield, dated the interior, despite it being a brand new car. And to be honest, I ran through most of my gas a little faster than expected. But overall, I loved the way the car drove. I think it has great space for moms who have growing families or are on carpool duty and aren’t interested in living the van life. Its structure and stance on the road is formidable. There are many mid-size SUVS on the market vying for attention, but the iconic features of the vehicle, including those sleek LED headlights and the LED taillights, and the way the car lightly roars as it passes slower cars on the road (it can go from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds), as mentioned earlier, certainly impresses.
If you’re a mom looking for a new car to handle your ever-changing life and needs, I’d recommend getting into the latest XT6.