Used 2021 Cadillac XT6

The 2021 Cadillac XT6 is a luxury midsize 3-row crossover/SUV. It was all-new last year and fills in the ground between the compact XT5 and the massive Escalade. It’s based on the same platform as the Chevrolet Traverse, but that’s a good thing since the Traverse is one of the roomiest vehicles in its class.

Cadillac has been unconventional with the XT6’s trim levels. Instead of the usual progression from basic to bountiful, the new-for-2021 Luxury trim forms the bottom part of a Y arrangement. The higher Premium Luxury and Sport trims each go off in their own directions, with plenty of visual and dynamic differentiation.

The Premium Luxury model is more traditionally plush with brightwork, classy materials, and a smooth ride. The Sport focuses on sportier looks and handling.

Starting just under $50,000, the 2021 XT6 is priced competitively, but trails the Lincoln Aviator and Audi Q7 in terms of horsepower, towing ability, and luggage space. Even so, the XT6 offers a lot of luxury and safety without breaking the bank.

Turbocharged 4-cylinder engines are often found in luxury 3-row SUVs, but even versions more powerful than the one in the new Luxury trim only result in adequate acceleration, which makes the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 the more interesting method of propulsion.

Both the Premium Luxury and Sport models have 310 horsepower to play with. Cadillac says the sprint from standstill to 60 mph can take 6.9 seconds, which is almost two seconds slower than a V6-powered Q7. Drag racing is never the prime reason for buying a 3-row crossover, however.

The Premium Luxury model comes in front-drive with the option of AWD and offers three drive modes: Tour, Snow/Ice, and Sport.

The all-wheel-drive Sport version has quicker steering, electronically controlled twin clutches on the rear-drive module for torque vectoring, sport-tuned active suspension, and transmission, 21-inch alloy wheels, and heavy-duty powertrain cooling. It has a much livelier feel, with sharper turn-in and a tauter suspension. This greater agility doesn’t come at the expense of ride comfort, however.

In addition to Tour and full-time AWD settings, there are also Sport and Off Road settings among the selectable driving modes. Sport mode tightens steering response, raises transmission shift points, stiffens the suspension, and engages the active yaw control. Off Road mode softens throttle response for better control at low speeds, backs off the traction and stability controls for some wheel slip, and sends more torque to the rear axle.

There’s plenty of Cadillac’s well-established styling inside the 2021 XT6, but it all feels a bit generic. Despite the optional presence (in the two higher trims) of details like semi-aniline leather, fine woods, and abundant soft-touch materials, the XT6 just doesn’t thrill when compared with rivals like the Lincoln Aviator, Audi Q7, or Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class.

Comfort is plentiful, however, with a roomy 3rd-row seat, plus various optional touches like heated/ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, 2nd-row captain’s chairs, and a 14-speaker Bose audio system upgrade.

Analog gauges dominate the instrument cluster, and a large touchscreen is within easy reach in the center of the dash. Below the screen are additional controls for the climate system.

Unsurprisingly, the XT6 shares design elements with the XT4 and XT5 crossovers, such as the shield-shaped grille, horizontal LED headlights beneath the hood’s leading edge, and vertical LED daytime running lights framing auxiliary front inlets. Because of its 3-row configuration, the XT6 has an upright greenhouse to accommodate the rearmost passengers.

Premium Luxury trim has a bright grille surround with matching brightwork elements in the grille texture, satin-finished wheels, and chrome accents around the windows and in the rocker panels. Sport models have a black mesh grille as well as darker side and window moldings, along with tinted neutral-density lenses on the rear lights.

REAR CAMERA MIRROR WASHER
This might be considered trivial, but it always seems like the rear camera lens is coated in dirt or snow at exactly the wrong time. The XT6’s rear camera mirror eliminates this issue with a washer nozzle.

NIGHT VISION
Using infrared sensors, the Night Vision system looks for objects with a heat signature and projects their image onto a screen in the instrument cluster. This feature is invaluable for night driving in areas where deer, elk, or even humans may be on the road but out of headlight range.

The new-for 2021 XT6 Luxury trim kicks off the range with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, powered sunroof, roof rails, LED headlights, tri-zone automatic climate control, seating for seven, active noise cancellation, self-dimming rearview mirror, heated/power-adjustable front seats (8-way for the driver, 6-way for the passenger), simulated leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a powered tailgate.

The infotainment system includes an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, six USB ports (two Type-A, four Type-C), satellite radio, Wi-fi, and an 8-speaker Bose audio setup.

Driver aids include forward-collision mitigation with pedestrian detection and low-speed automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, front/rear parking sensors, lane-keeping assistance/lane departure warning, Safety Alert driver’s seat, and a high-definition rearview camera.

At the Premium Luxury level come 20-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, power-adjustable/heated steering wheel, self-dimming driver’s-side outside mirror, driver’s-side memory settings, leather seating surfaces, hands-free tailgate operation, wireless charging, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and the V6 engine.

The lower two trims are eligible for all-wheel drive. Premium Luxury can also be ordered with a sportier suspension. Sport trim has its own special all-wheel-drive system and suspension.

The top two trims also offer reverse automatic braking, semi-aniline leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated 2nd-row seats, captain’s chairs for the second row (bringing the occupant count down to six), cabin air ionizer, self-parking system, smart towing with hitch guidance, 360-degree camera system with a recording feature, a color head-up display, rearview camera mirror, navigation, and a 14-speaker Bose audio system.

Luxury trim puts a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine under the hood of the 2021 XT6. It develops 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which is not as much as an entry-level Audi Q7 or Mercedes-Benz GLE 350.

The upper two trims have a 310-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. Again, this engine is competent, but lacks the muscle found in almost every comparable rival.

A 9-speed automatic transmission is standard with either engine. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default setup, with all-wheel drive (AWD) optional. The exception being the Sport trim, which has all-wheel drive as standard.

In Luxury trim, the 2021 XT6 can tow up to 1,000 pounds. The V6-powered versions can pull 4,000 pounds. Fuel economy is about average.

Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 (Luxury)
237 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/27 mpg (FWD), 21/26 mpg (AWD)

3.6-liter V6 (Premium Luxury, Sport)
310 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm
271 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/26 mpg (FWD), 18/25 mpg (AWD)