Cadillac SRX test drive since 2005 SUV
Perfect world
Some cars drive quickly, others carry a lot, others can drive where it will not work out with others. If you collect all this together and add a memorable appearance, you will get Cadillac SRX. The preparation of General Motors for the assertion of the new style of the most prestigious of its brands resembled the Latin American series. Cadillac concepts with a rapid angular design since the beginning of 1999 have become an almost mandatory part of almost all automobile exhibitions. It seemed that after such exhausting training, serial models were no longer able to surprise someone. But when the first-born of the new style finally appeared on our roads, the effect was significant: even against the background of the most modern Cadillac CTS models (see Autopilot #8, 2003) looked extravagant. It seems to be SRX - the development of CTS, and we did not expect radically new impressions of it. And in vain.
Guest from the future. SRX dimensions are quite standard for cars of this category: do we have many cars with a length of five meters and above a person of medium height? However, the dimensions are delicately disguised due to balanced proportions. But this is only from afar: at a distance of less than a meter it becomes clear that for $ 69 thousand. The buyer receives at least an adequate amount of metal, plastic and glass. The white mother of pearl covering metal was not in vain to the buyer in $ 1250 - this color is very going on this car. Firstly, he emphasizes all the numerous faces of the body, thanks to which Cadillac looks like a futuristic concept frame anywhere-not to mention Moscow Street. Secondly, the sharp contours of dark glasses against the background of a light body play the role of very beautiful forming elements. It is only a pity that, according to the Russian tradition, many of these machines will most likely turn out to be black. But they will also have the same rear lights. They occupy a good half of the side between the trunk door and the sidewall, and chains of red and orange LEDs burn in them. 
Meet: crossover. At the time of landing, it becomes obvious that SRX is still not quite an SUV. The road clearance is pretty decent, but the floor of the body is located quite low, so the process of getting into-hacking does not cause special problems. Electronics automatically push the driver's chair back and down. A person of medium height and complexion in this position feels like a child who has climbed into my father's car. A good advertising move: so any potential buyer becomes obvious that SRX is large not only from the outside. True, I had to spend some time to bring the position of the seat into line with its size. It was informative and unexpected with the steering wheel: there is a joystick on the column on the left, about the same as BMW. However, he does not manage at all a steering column, like the Bavarians, but a pedal block. This is even a more convenient alternative to longitudinal steering wheel adjustment.
The instrument panel here is exactly the same as on CTS. But on the SRX somehow I want to find fault with the excessive massiveness slightly deployed to the console driver and not the most luxurious plastic. Apparently, I subconsciously want to consider SRX an SUV, for which all sorts of pathos delights are a clear excess. However, the brutal design of individual elements remains the only symbol of the Road-other signs of increased patency, such as the lever of the distribution or blocking of the differential, is not detected. Devices designed for complex roads can be attributed, perhaps, only a manual selection system and a button on a console, which allows you to turn off the anti -boom system, and with a long press - and the system of dynamic stabilitrac stabilization. This can come in handy when moving along loose sand - there the slip of the wheel will not hurt at all, as well as the locking of the wheels during braking. But on an ordinary bad road, it is better not to touch them: on this machine, electronics provide differential locks, braking the slinging wheels. This solution is used on many models of this type - a very simple design and, most importantly, does not require
driver interventions. The downside is that when the three wheels are completely slipped, only a quarter of the torque will be obtained the only worker. The rest is literally in the air in the form of heat from the brakes. However, such a situation looks unlikely, but even if this happens, you can not really worry: when a 4.6-liter motor under the hood, which gives 427 Nm and 320 hp, is enough and a quarter. An ideal foreign car. The courage of SRX design convinced us that American manufacturers began to have a taste. The engine proved that the assertion of the designers of the Big Three as solid supporters of the principle is better than more complicated is no longer true. The motor is as good as you can expect. Of course, it is not surprising that with this volume it has such
high return, no. But you can just enjoy how he does it. If we did not have to look under the hood, we would have thought that the SRX has an electric drive: the engine works almost silently at any revolutions and only a pleasant buzzing can be heard during acceleration. And the dynamics at the same time is such that tense silence or frightened cries of passengers where you are rushing! You are almost guaranteed. That is, the SRX successfully solves the two main tasks that the Russian buyer of an expensive foreign car set the car in front of the car: he shows that he can do a lot, and does what he promises. The transmission is adequate to the capabilities of the engine and the status of the car - switching is almost invisible.
True, if you want to squeeze the maximum, it is better to go to sports regime. For this, the lever is simply transferred to the right, into a gap for manual control. The manual mode itself is turned on only when the lever is moving to the plus or minus. As usual, the box does not respond to the driver’s commands instantly. The creators clearly did not expect the owners to often use the manual mode. This is convinced by the proposed method of displaying the selected gear - in the window where the mileage usually shines. A small figure, to put it mildly, is not striking. 
Europe-Lux. The most non -American impression is the suspension. Its design itself fits well into the idea of \u200b\u200ba serial concept: a system of changing rigidity called Magnetic Ride Control seems borrowed from a fantastic novel. To change the rigidity of shock absorbers, electromagnets are used, which, when turned on, thicken the magnetic particles of the liquid in the racks. Sensors read the road profile according to the wheel fluctuations - the developers say that more than 1000 measurements occur per second, and the characteristics are changed almost instantly. If the wheel stroke increases, then the shock absorbers become tougher. Moreover, this thing works on each wheel regardless of others. The idea is impressive, although in practice this means not only the ability of the machine to keep the road perfectly, but also the opportunity to listen and even 
feel a lot of small bumps of Russian asphalt. Almost like on a European sports sedan. Judging by the price, SRX will be bought not only those who sit behind the wheel, but also the passengers of the rear seat. They will not regret either: two parts of the sofa have an independent adjustment in the longitudinal direction and a separate fan with output holes and the control panel in the roof. In order not to get bored on a long road, you can admire the landscapes through a huge hatch in the roof (option, $ 2.3 thousand) or entertain yourself with a film on DVD: the player will cost $ 1.6 thousand. Another option can be considered a purely American one: the third row of seats can be considered a third row of seats It does not hurt a large family at all, and the electric drive of its folding and laying out is more than appropriate on Cadillac.
Text Valery Chusov, photo Tatyana Salyutova Cadillac SRX
Gasoline engine V8
Working volume (cubic cub) 4572
Power (L.S. at about/min) 320 at 6400
Moment (nm at rpm) 427 at 4400
The drive is complete
Gearbox 5-speed automatic
Length/width/height (mm) 4950/1844/1722
Wheel base (mm) 2957
Equipped mass (kg) 2015
Maximum speed (km/h) 240
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 7.2
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 14.7/11.8
The price in Moscow is $ 74.15 thousand.
Source: "Autopilot"
