2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8T - Short Take Road Test
Cadillac borrows a turbo six from Saab; we wish it hadn’t.
BY JARED GALL
June 2010
Highs and Lows
Highs: FE3 suspension package is a must on any SRX, GM interior design keeps getting better.
Lows: Turbocharged engine is a must-not; not a CTS wagon.
Top Competitors
Audi Q5
BMW X3
Lexus RX350
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes-Benz GLK-class
The first-generation Cadillac SRX was essentially a tall CTS with a wagon body, and we loved it as such, awarding it three consecutive 5Best Trucks honors and voting it into second place in a comparison test four years into its life, ahead of such newer competitors as a Land Rover LR3 and a BMW X5. Now that there actually is a CTS wagon—a delightful one, we might add—the 2010 Cadillac SRX shares much of its bones with the decidedly less exciting Chevrolet Equinox.
More important, it shares engineering philosophies and showroom goals with the snoozetastic Lexus RX350. Now a more upright front-driver with a powertrain portfolio comprised exclusively of V-6s, the SRX lost its spunk and our interest. We found the base V-6 just barely adequate for propelling the 4500-pound luxe-UV, and looked forward to our first test session with the turbocharged 2.8-liter.
Turbo Power Corrupts Turbo-lutely?
When cars inspire discussions of power and corruption, the entity being corrupted is typically the driver and his driving record. In this case, sadly, the corruption has occurred in the engine room. The SRX’s 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 is borrowed from Saab, a company with not only a long history of turbocharging but also a long history of claiming that turbo lag is one of its beloved “quirks.” That said, we’ve never noticed anything quite like this in any prior experience with this engine.
Even under moderate loads, the power delivery is totally nonlinear. Leisurely urban acceleration produces pronounced surging and slacking, and a modest stoplight getaway results in nauseating rubber-band changes in acceleration. Stomp on it, and the effects are magnified. Power falls off completely after the one-two shift, takes several seconds to recover, and slowly comes back on in a long, growing surge. Subsequent shifts, at least, are smoother. If you can stomach it, at least the turbo is quicker than the base SRX. Sixty mph comes up in 7.2 seconds and the quarter-mile passes in 15.6 at 93 mph, improvements of 1.2 and 1.1 seconds and 8 mph.
A big plus is the FE3 performance suspension that is included on all turbo SRXs. With the continuously variable shocks included in the FE3 package, body control is dramatically improved over the base suspension without compromising ride quality, even on the 2.8T’s standard 20-inch wheels. It’s still not outright sporty, but it’s at least engaging during the occasional on-ramp assault and less disconnected than the Lexus.
Problems Going and Problems Stopping
If the problems with acceleration weren’t enough, we had more trouble when we pressed the other pedal in our SRX turbo. After several moderately heavy applications of the brakes, just one panic stop from 60 mph was enough to illuminate the IP with a warning that the brakes were overheating. We hadn’t noticed any significant fade, so the warning caught us by surprise. At the test track, the problem repeated itself. Still no real fade, but that warning is unnerving.
Turbo models come in two trim levels: Performance and Premium. The Performance model starts a staggering $15,500 higher than a base, front-wheel-drive SRX, or $3820 more than a comparably equipped all-wheel-drive Performance model with the 3.0-liter V-6. It comes pretty well packed, with all-wheel drive, the FE3 suspension, touch-screen nav, and a 10-speaker Bose stereo. A Premium model like the one we tested adds another $2545 to the sticker and rear-seat climate and audio controls, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, ventilated front seats, and heated rears to the equipment list. Pretty much the only major box left to check is the $1295 rear-seat entertainment system, which our tester had, bringing the total price to $53,980.
It’s rare that we aren’t at least somewhat seduced by the more-powerful engine offering in anything, but with the turbo SRX, it’s a lot more money for a decidedly lumpier accelerative experience, and not just at the enthusiastic levels of stoplight abuse in which we frequently partake. We reported problems with throttle calibration in our first test of the base SRX, and Cadillac remedied them. Now remedy this, please.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $53,980 (base price: $50,140)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 170 cu in, 2792 cc
Power (SAE net): 300 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 295 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 110.5 in Length: 190.3 in
Width: 75.2 in Height: 65.7 in
Curb weight: 4666 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 18.5 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.6 sec @ 93 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 15/22 mpg
C/D observed: 17 mpg
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Cadillac borrows a turbo six from Saab; we wish it hadn’t.
BY JARED GALL
June 2010
Highs and Lows
Highs: FE3 suspension package is a must on any SRX, GM interior design keeps getting better.
Lows: Turbocharged engine is a must-not; not a CTS wagon.
Top Competitors
Audi Q5
BMW X3
Lexus RX350
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes-Benz GLK-class
The first-generation Cadillac SRX was essentially a tall CTS with a wagon body, and we loved it as such, awarding it three consecutive 5Best Trucks honors and voting it into second place in a comparison test four years into its life, ahead of such newer competitors as a Land Rover LR3 and a BMW X5. Now that there actually is a CTS wagon—a delightful one, we might add—the 2010 Cadillac SRX shares much of its bones with the decidedly less exciting Chevrolet Equinox.
More important, it shares engineering philosophies and showroom goals with the snoozetastic Lexus RX350. Now a more upright front-driver with a powertrain portfolio comprised exclusively of V-6s, the SRX lost its spunk and our interest. We found the base V-6 just barely adequate for propelling the 4500-pound luxe-UV, and looked forward to our first test session with the turbocharged 2.8-liter.
Turbo Power Corrupts Turbo-lutely?
When cars inspire discussions of power and corruption, the entity being corrupted is typically the driver and his driving record. In this case, sadly, the corruption has occurred in the engine room. The SRX’s 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 is borrowed from Saab, a company with not only a long history of turbocharging but also a long history of claiming that turbo lag is one of its beloved “quirks.” That said, we’ve never noticed anything quite like this in any prior experience with this engine.
Even under moderate loads, the power delivery is totally nonlinear. Leisurely urban acceleration produces pronounced surging and slacking, and a modest stoplight getaway results in nauseating rubber-band changes in acceleration. Stomp on it, and the effects are magnified. Power falls off completely after the one-two shift, takes several seconds to recover, and slowly comes back on in a long, growing surge. Subsequent shifts, at least, are smoother. If you can stomach it, at least the turbo is quicker than the base SRX. Sixty mph comes up in 7.2 seconds and the quarter-mile passes in 15.6 at 93 mph, improvements of 1.2 and 1.1 seconds and 8 mph.
A big plus is the FE3 performance suspension that is included on all turbo SRXs. With the continuously variable shocks included in the FE3 package, body control is dramatically improved over the base suspension without compromising ride quality, even on the 2.8T’s standard 20-inch wheels. It’s still not outright sporty, but it’s at least engaging during the occasional on-ramp assault and less disconnected than the Lexus.
Problems Going and Problems Stopping
If the problems with acceleration weren’t enough, we had more trouble when we pressed the other pedal in our SRX turbo. After several moderately heavy applications of the brakes, just one panic stop from 60 mph was enough to illuminate the IP with a warning that the brakes were overheating. We hadn’t noticed any significant fade, so the warning caught us by surprise. At the test track, the problem repeated itself. Still no real fade, but that warning is unnerving.
Turbo models come in two trim levels: Performance and Premium. The Performance model starts a staggering $15,500 higher than a base, front-wheel-drive SRX, or $3820 more than a comparably equipped all-wheel-drive Performance model with the 3.0-liter V-6. It comes pretty well packed, with all-wheel drive, the FE3 suspension, touch-screen nav, and a 10-speaker Bose stereo. A Premium model like the one we tested adds another $2545 to the sticker and rear-seat climate and audio controls, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, ventilated front seats, and heated rears to the equipment list. Pretty much the only major box left to check is the $1295 rear-seat entertainment system, which our tester had, bringing the total price to $53,980.
It’s rare that we aren’t at least somewhat seduced by the more-powerful engine offering in anything, but with the turbo SRX, it’s a lot more money for a decidedly lumpier accelerative experience, and not just at the enthusiastic levels of stoplight abuse in which we frequently partake. We reported problems with throttle calibration in our first test of the base SRX, and Cadillac remedied them. Now remedy this, please.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $53,980 (base price: $50,140)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 170 cu in, 2792 cc
Power (SAE net): 300 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 295 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 110.5 in Length: 190.3 in
Width: 75.2 in Height: 65.7 in
Curb weight: 4666 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 18.5 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.6 sec @ 93 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 15/22 mpg
C/D observed: 17 mpg
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