2025 Cadillac Lyriq: The bright spots are eclipsed in the end
The small luxury SUV trades modest acceleration and quick recharge for a long range. The driving experience is nice but limited by the shape, and the ownership experience could be a question mark.
2025 Mercedes AMG GLB35 4Matic vs. 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury 3: A battle of small SUVs that cost a lot.
This week: Cadillac Lyriq
Price: $72,695 as tested. A 19.2-kilowatt charging module added $1,480; blue paint, $625.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the “hushed highway ride, elegantly designed cabin,” and that “it’s more affordable than rival luxury EVs,” but not “uninspiring driving dynamics, base model’s modest acceleration,” and that it “loses out on cargo-carrying space.”
Marketer’s pitch: “The best-selling luxury SUV in Pennsylvania.”
Reality: Targeted marketing. The car itself should be so well aimed.
What’s new: The Lyriq EV was all new for 2023 and arrives for 2025 with just trim level changes.
Competition: In addition to last week’s Mercedes, there’s the electric Acura ZDX, Genesis GV60, Lexus RZ, BMW X1 and X2, Lexus UX, and Mini Cooper Countryman. Watch for reviews of the UX and X2 coming soon.
Driver’s Seat: I think the first thing to note is that Cadillac brings its A-game to the smaller, “more inexpensive” compact SUV EV’s interior. Nothing about it says “cheap,” from the wide, shallow iPad-like screens running from speedometer to infotainment, to the nicely appointed interior and even handsome exterior.
There are also multiple ways to set up the gauges.
The seats are comfortable and luxurious, with heating, cooling, massage, everything you could want.
Up to speed: The rear-drive model tested moves quickly, but not in comparison to EVs. Car and Driver reports the 0-60 time of this 340-horsepower model to be 5.7 seconds; if you add a motor up front, horsepower increases to 500 and the acceleration time drops to 4.6 seconds.
But for comparison, the Genesis GV60 will get you to 60 in just 3.7 seconds.
Shiftless: The column-mounted gearshift stalk requires a pull before bumping up for reverse and down for drive, keeping Mr. Driver’s Seat from aiming for reverse when turning the wipers on.
On the road: The Lyriq handles nicely in all situations — highway, country roads, city.
Switch into Sport mode — hidden in the touch screen, but not as hard to locate as some controls — and things get even livelier.
Still, the Mercedes offers much more fun all around.
Clarity, please: This first complaint is bigger than just Cadillac, but the Lyriq has been the loudest offender. If I can’t back out of my garage without setting off screaming alerts and beeps because I’m within a foot of the door frame, the alerts are completely useless.
Also, a dashboard alert that features an inscrutable little red car icon with an exclamation point through it is a throwback to the ‘90s, when a light told you, “Hahaha, too late, engine overheated.” Don’t make me Google that it’s an unimportant charging app problem.
Friends and stuff: The rear seat offers comfort almost even with the front; Cadillac has a long history of taking care of the passengers as well. Legroom, headroom, and foot room are all generous. Surprisingly, there’s no recline in the seat.
Center passengers face really tight legroom, a tall floor hump, and a seat that is not as cushy.
Cargo space is 28 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 60.8 cubes when it’s folded. My bike just about fit; a second might be just a little too much. The space is far longer and shorter than the AMG, though the overall volume is almost identical.
Play some tunes: The AKG 19-speaker system had clear playback but just sounded … off. Everything was a little tinny, and each song needed a great deal of adjustment from the last. So it’s an A- or even B+.
And changing the equalizer settings is a huge pain, five steps into the nested screens. Operation is all through the touchscreen or console dial.
Keeping warm and cool: A row of handsome ebony toggles is arranged with some thought to help you select all the functions. You can’t exactly slide your hand across and check by feel, but it’s not the worst for adjusting.
Night shift: The high beam indicator light is in the far lower right corner of the main screen, impossible to see in a normal driving position. The low beams provide plenty of visibility, thankfully.
Shape of a Cadillac: The distinctive wedge shape with the tall belt line and short windows means it is difficult to see out of the Cadillac. The AMG is all views and clear sight lines, but the Lyriq leaves lots out of the driver’s view.
Range and charging: The model tested has an impressive 326 miles of range, and it only loses seven miles by adding the second motor.
Charging speed is unimpressive, as it takes 10 minutes to add just 86 miles at a DC fast charger. A Kia EV6 will add almost double that in 15 minutes.
Where it’s built: Spring Hill, Tenn.
How it’s built: Consumer Reports gives the Lyriq a 1 out of 5 for reliability. In-car electronics, EV battery, and electrical accessories are three of the trouble spots the magazine cited, and CR puts the Cadillac brand at 21 out of 22 for reliability.
In the end: That previous paragraph puts the Mercedes far ahead among the two. But among all competitors, the Mini Countryman and BMW X2 are a delight, as is the Genesis GV60.