2010 Cadillac SRX -fashionista with function Jamaica Observer
Forget whatever you knew or heard about the previous-generation SRX, which had such a trucky ride I wouldn't call it a "crossover" with carlike drivability.
The engineered 2010 SRX, sourced from an Opel platform, is such an improvement in ride quality, luxury features and style that I'm surprised General Motors didn't give it a new name.
Its flinty styling won't appeal to those who like their risk in controlled, deodorised doses. But its sharp lines and solid stance are good for a look back after locking up. The design is not without some sacrifices, but even those can be lived with.
To get any respect in this segment of luxury compact crossover, the SRX had to hit hard and make a statement. And it must be getting noticed. Last month, SRX was the top-selling Cadillac at 4,986 units, or 806 sales more than CTS, the second-place seller.
Its key competitors are the Acura RDX and MDX, Audi Q5 and Q7, BMW X3 and X5, Lexus RX 350, Lincoln MKX and Mercedes-Benz GLK. The Lexus is the benchmark and envy of all automotive marketers with 11,815 sales last month. But the SRX outsold the others. Sales in September, October and November ere each about 3,000, and the current supply of vehicles is down to about 17 days, when 30 to 60 days is a comfortable margin.
Multiply those sales by an average transaction price of about $45,000 for a glimpse of how one GM division is helping the company repay its TARP debt.
SRX was co-developed with the lame duck Saab 9-4X and is the only US model, so far, to use this platform. That contributes to its design architecture but also separates it considerably from the company's other compact crossovers, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
