Mercedes has one, Lexus has one, even BMW has one and up until this year Cadillac didn’t.  A midsize SUV based on a car chassis.  A popular platform for people who want that SUV image with a car like ride and can trade off-roading ability for all season comfort.  The SRX seems to do all that and a can of caviar.

What is the SRX?  Many are convinced Cadillac is using the SUV terminology to cover up what the SRX really is… a wagon.  Either way, does it really matter? What it all boils down to is that the SRX is based off GM’s new Sigma platform. It’s the same platform that debuted in the 2003 Cadillac CTS and will be used in the new 2005 Cadillac STS.  It’s a modular platform that can be stretched in both length and width to a degree. It provides a firm foundation for what is arguably the best new line of cars in decades coming from GM’s flagship line.  Having tested the CTS last year, it’s obvious the SRX carries over a lot of the same driving dynamics, albeit in a slightly larger package with a tad more body roll.  It's a very un-SUV like driving experience.

Styled to match the new Cadillac ‘Art and Science’ theme, the SRX does so in a more mature, less edgy design.  It’s a shape that still exudes ‘high tech’ but also has some real beauty in it.  The rear’s simple strait up and down tail lamps and huge horizontal CHMSL are pure Cadillac and draw eyes everywhere with their high-tech LED lighting.  The front is complex in comparison to the rear.  The headlamps look slightly fat in comparison to the narrow rear, and we wonder what a trimmer front end would look like. We applaud Cadillac’s use of 18 inch rims, as it provides a more aggressive stance that suits the SRX well.  Duel chrome exhaust outlets are perfect for the rear, although we could have asked for a little more volume from them.

But what would good looks be if you couldn’t back it up with performance?  Like we mentioned above, the Sigma based SRX drives with a sure-footedness that you wouldn’t really expect from something that’s being called an SUV.  I guess, after all, the ‘S’ stands for sport.  Driving manners are more like what you would expect in a sports sedan, no joke.  Pot holes and rough road surfaces are absorbed quietly with no fuss like any proper luxury vehicle, but go hot into a corner, and unlike any most luxury utilities, the SRX begs for more.  If you didn’t know you were driving an SUV, you’d almost never know it.  The fully independent suspension on the SRX is complemented by (on our tester) an full time All-wheel-drive system.  This is further capped by traction control and a Stabilitrac stability system.  This provides a great system for moving the  SRX in all types of weather, or saving your ass from sliding off the road.  It even does great on dirt roads covered with ice, as we personally found out.  Visions of $50k Caddy crunched into a snow bank turned into prayers as what felt like the “hand of god” came down and straitened the SRX back onto the road. We apologize about the stain on the drivers seat.