Car Review of the 2004 Cadillac XLR Luxury Mid-Size Sports Coupe
Base MSRP Range: $75,385
Base Invoice Range: $69,731
MSRP As Tested: Not Available
Vehicle Category: Luxury Mid-Size Sports Coupe
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: Rear-Wheel Drive
Engine As Tested: Standard 4.6-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 32-valves, V-8 Engine 320 -horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 310 lb-ft torque at 4,400 rpm.
Transmission As Tested: 5-Speed Automatic
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 18/24
Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger airbags, 4-channel
Competition: Mercedes-Benz SL500, Lexus SC430, Jaguar XK8
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- On Scottsdale Boulevard we're cruising through the posh suburb of Phoenix with the warm desert sun shining into the two-seat cockpit of a stunning new roadster convertible.
The traffic signal at Thunderbird Road snags us and while we're stopped a black Eldorado, the sporty Cadillac coupe, pulls beside us with the driver's window down and a statuesque blond, draped in tennis whites and glittery diamond accents, scrutinizing our vehicle with envy in her eye.
"That's the most beautiful car I've ever seen," she gushes over the din of traffic in the intersection. "But since when has Cadillac had a convertible?"
Those with gray hairs at the temple may recall when a convertible version of the long and wide and low Eldorado was the epitome of glamour and opulence for a generation.
And for at least the first half of Cadillac's 100-year history, this automaker led the world in automotive style and technical innovations. In fact, the brand's image topped all others in the era when a Cadillac signified the best.
Cadillac today, showcasing the best in styling and technical sophistication from General Motors, strives to return to that favored position, as recent show-car designs with names like Evoq, Imaj and Vizon emerged as harbingers for a new age at Cadillac promising cutting-edge designs and high-tech gear for superior vehicular performance, stability and safety.
The two-seat Evoq, a hardtop coupe that converts to a daring convertible, is the first of these futuristic Cadillac concepts to spawn a street-legal production model.
Using Cadillac's new alphabetical nomenclature, it's labeled as the XLR for the 2004 model-year.
Built on the rigid rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform that also supports Chevrolet's racy Corvette, the new Cadillac sports car wears sharp but clean body forms marked by angular shapes and crisp edges combining in a sleek package that looks like no other vehicle on the road.
The aggressive face features a thick and smooth bumper lip, a prominent horizontal louver panel in modern interpretation of the Cadillac egg-crate grille, and piercing optics with stacked round projector-type headlamps that resemble camera lenses mounted on vertical corners.
Tail treatment is also unique with a slab bumper above twin sets of double pipes tipped in chrome and tall vertical taillamps wrapped in angular fashion around back corners.
Keen lines on composite body panels linking tail to face look clean but shapely with several sharp character lines stretching the length of the vehicle and wheelwells flaring over huge Michelin run-flat tires on gleaming seven-spoke aluminum wheels.
The exterior theme of chiseled forms and angular features extends into the two-person cockpit of XLR for a contemporary look in a luxurious space fixed with sculptured bucket seats in leather and trim work of polished aluminum metal and lacquered hardwoods.
White-on-black analog gauges decorate an instrument cluster sheltered by an arching brow on the dash that extends to a center column of controls over the console with the screen of an on-board navigation system at the top.
This high-tech look for the styling of XLR foretells a high-tech slant to the vehicle with a number of noteworthy technical features.
The cruise control for XLR, for instance, is a computerized system with on-board radar. It draws on the Doppler effect in radar to measure the distance to a car ahead in the coupe's path, then adjusts the throttle or applies brakes to maintain a pre-set minimum distance between the two vehicles.
Further, there are motion sensors all over XLR that detect lateral as well as linear slippage of the vehicle and communicate with a computer to magically correct the dangerous movements without direct steering or braking action from the driver.
This equipment -- upgraded version of a complex computer-based stability control system called StabiliTrak -- unites continuously variable road-sensing suspension damping with throttle response, steering force and the anti-lock brake system (ABS).
The navigation system on the dashboard is standard for XLR and integrates a guidance system with Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) reckoning.
Also, the XLR driver may view instruments as reflected off the windshield in a head-up display that depicts digital data indicating the vehicle's speed and compass direction, real-world clock time and functions of the audio equipment and active cruise control.
And XLR is the first GM vehicle with keyless technology. Just put the car's keyfob in a pocket or purse and the car will recognize you electronically. Driver's door unlocks automatically when you touch the door handle. To start the engine, simply step on the brake pedal and depress the Start button. Turn the engine off with the same button, and as you exit the fob will lock the doors.
Even the transformation from hardtop coupe to airy convertible is a high-tech operation. The conversion event, which consumes less than 30 seconds, drops sideglass windows, lifts the metal lid with electromechanical muscle and tucks it neatly into the trunk, leaving a smooth and flat bonnet trailing integrated roll bars positioned behind seatbacks.
With the hardtop up, XLR's trunk capacity is vast for a roadster -- at 11.6 cubic feet it rivals some mid-size sedans. Dropping the top trims trunk volume to 4.4 cubic feet due to the stowed and pleated top.
Chassis for XLR resembles the foundation of Corvette with unique hydroformed rails extending from tip to tail and united by aluminum cross members to forge an incredibly firm but lightweight foundation for a sports car.
An independent suspension system on the ultra-stiff chassis sets up superb handling control yet also delivers a smooth ride. Aiding that smoothness is GM's MagneRide system with variable shock damping to control wheel and body motion via magnetized fluid in shocks. By governing the current to an electromagnetic coil inside the damper, shock fluid's consistency can be changed instantly for continuously variable shock damping.
Go power for XLR is best in class, thanks to a new version of Cadillac NorthStar 4.6-liter V8 engine with four-cam variable valve timing (VVT). It develops 320 hp at 6400 rpm plus torque of 310 lb-ft at 4400 rpm as translated through a new RWD-oriented five-speed automatic transmission with gated shifter stick on the console.
Extensive safety gear applies, from frontal and side-impact air bags to ABS and StabiliTrak vehicle controls.
All tallies to the bottom line for XLR: It's $76,200.
Editors' Ratings
Pros: No one in the New Car Buying Guide office has driven the XLR yet and wot for some time, the reason is that GM doest appear to appreciate our audience as they do not invite anyone from womanmotorisst.com directly to their product launches. When we have a chance to drive the XLR, and if we find a pro, we will tell you about it.
Cons: It is based on the same platform as the Corvette, a car we dot particularly care for, which when tested destroyed itself with less than 12,000 miles on it. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have nothing to worry about with the edgy styling.
Ratings (1-10)
- Style: 7
- Performance: 7
- Price: 6
- Handling: 6
- Ride: 6
- Comfort: 8
- Quality: 6
- Overall: 6.5
More Data
Where Built: United States
Major Options: XM Satellite Radio.
Seating: 2
Number of Rows: 1
Crash Test Ratings:
- NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested
- IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested
Length in Inches: 177.7
Warranties: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 6 years/100,000 miles Corrosion, 4 years/50,000 free roadside assistance.
Weight in Pounds: 3,647.
Cargo Capacity in Pounds: Not Available
Gross Maximum Vehicle Weight in Pounds: Not Available
Towing Capacity in Pounds: Not Available
Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 18
Destination Charge: $815
